Greetings!

“Planning for this season has been an ambitious and thrilling exercise in hope,” Kent says. “As we navigate through what is possible and advisable, my colleagues and I know that we will have to be flexible as never before, but our determination to make music before an audience has never been keener.”

Kent has planned a full season – at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, with Musica Sacra and the Oratorio Society of New York, and at the Manhattan School of Music. It begins with an organ recital, his first in two years at the Cathedral (September 28). It includes his two annual performances of Handel’s Messiah at Carnegie Hall (somewhat abridged), with the Oratorio Society of New York (December 20) and Musica Sacra (December 21); a program with Musica Sacra featuring Viktor Kalabis’s Canticum canticorum (marking the Czech composer’s centennial), the Te Deum of Arvo Pärt, and the world premiere of a commissioned work by Wang Jie (March 22); and Mendelssohn’s Elijah with the Oratorio Society (May 9).

He leads the Cathedral Choir of St. John the Divine in the Requiem mass of the Classical-era, Afro-Brazilian composer José Maurício Nunes Garcia and the local premiere of the Stabat Mater of Alissa Firsova (April 5); Garcia’s Stabat Mater with the Manhattan School of Music Symphony and Symphonic Chorus (November 22); a program of music by Britten, Pärt, and Gabrieli for chorus and organ with the Oratorio Society of New York at St. John the Divine (November 9); and Honegger’s King David with the forces of the Manhattan School of Music (March 30).

Have a scroll through the season below, and click the links to buy your tickets now, or, if they are not yet on sale, soon (many concerts at the Manhattan School of Music will be livestreamed, so check those event pages for details). Let the season begin!
Tuesday, September 28, 2021, 7:30 PM
Cathedral of St. John the Divine | tickets
KENT TRITLE, organ

GEORGE CRUMB Pastoral Drone
J. S. BACH Prelude and Fugue in C Minor, BWV 549
CÉSAR FRANCK Cantabile
MAURICE DURUFLÉ Suite, Opus 5
Tuesday, October 19, 2021, 7:30 PM
Cathedral of St. John the Divine | tickets
DAVID BRIGGS, organ
CATHEDRAL CHOIR OF ST. JOHN THE DIVINE
Kent Tritle, conductor
Susanna Phillips, soprano
Kirsten Sollek, contralto
Bernard Holcomb, tenor
Joseph Beutel, bass

L. V. BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 9 (World premiere of a transcription for organ by David Briggs)

This concert is free to the public.
Tuesday, October 26, 2021, 7:30 PM
Cathedral of St. John the Divine
MUSICA SACRA | tickets
Musica Sacra Chorus and Orchestra 
Kent Tritle, conductor
Michael Sheetz, conductor
Nola Richardson, soprano
Helen Karloski, mezzo-soprano
James Reese, tenor
Peter Stewart, baritone
Sato Moughalian, flute

J. S. BACH Orchestral Suite No. 2 in B minor
J. S. BACH Cantata 78, Jesu, der du meine Seele
JOHANN MICHAEL BACH Halt, was du hast
JOHANN CHRISTOPH BACH Fürchte dich nicht
Tuesday, November 2, 2021, 6:45 PM
(service at 7:30 PM)

A National Service of Remembrance, including a presentation of Gabriel Fauré’s Requiem performed by the Cathedral Choir and Orchestra of St. John the Divine conducted by Kent Tritle. Free to the public, this event culminates three days celebrating the reopening of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine.
(On Sunday, October 31 at 5 PM, Festal Evensong for All Saints, Kent conducts the Cathedral Choirs, brass and timpani in the world premiere of a Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis by the Cathedral’s new Associate Organist, Daniel Ficarri.)
Friday, November 5, 2021, 7:30 PM
The Actors’ Chapel, NYC
AMERICAN MODERN ENSEMBLE: TINTINNABULI | tickets
Featuring:
Musica Sacra
Kent Tritle, conductor

Program to include these works performed by Musica Sacra conducted by Kent Tritle:

ROBERT PATERSON Graffiti Canons for choir (New York premiere)
GIOVANNI PIERLUIGI DA PALESTRINA Motets:
Surge, illuminare, Jerusalem
Sicut Cervus
Exsultate Deo
Tuesday, November 9, 2021, 7:30 PM
Cathedral of St. John the Divine | tickets
ORATORIO SOCIETY OF NEW YORK
Kent Tritle, conductor
David Rosenmeyer, conductor
William Janiszewski, conductor
Raymond Nagem, organ

BENJAMIN BRITTEN Festival Te Deum and Rejoice in the Lamb
ARVO PÄRT Berliner Messe and Two Slavonic Psalms
GIOVANNI GABRIELI Jubilate Deo, omnis terra (a 8)
Thursday, November 11, 2021, 7:30 PM
Manhattan School of Music | info
MANHATTAN SCHOOL OF MUSIC ORCHESTRA AND VOCAL ARTS ENSEMBLE
George Manahan, conductor
Kent Tritle, Director of Choral Activities

Program to include:
GUSTAV HOLST The Planets
Monday, November 22, 2021, 7:30 PM
Manhattan School of Music – Neidorf Karpati Hall | info
MANHATTAN SCHOOL OF MUSIC SYMPHONY AND SYMPHONIC CHORUS
Kent Tritle, conductor
Rosario Hernandez Armas, soprano

JOSÉ MAURÍCIO NUNES GARCIA Stabat Mater
MANUEL DE FALLA Siete Canciones
W. A. MOZART Requiem
Friday, December 10, 2021, 7 PM
Saturday, December 11, 2021, 7 PM
Cathedral of St. John the Divine
CATHEDRAL CHRISTMAS CONCERT
Cathedral Choirs and Orchestra
Kent Tritle, conductor
Bryan Zaros, conductor
Halley Gilbert, soprano
Katie Geissinger, mezzo-soprano

BENJAMIN BRITTEN A Ceremony of Carols
ANTONIO VIVALDI Gloria
Christmas carols

These performances of Britten’s A Ceremony of Carols are underwritten by Dr. Gwen Zornberg in honor of the life of Judge Deborah A. Batts.
December 14, 15, 17, 18, 2021
Riverside Church
NEW YORK PHILHARMONIC | tickets
Jeannette Sorel, conductor

GEORGE FRIDERIC HANDEL Messiah
(Kent Tritle is the organist of the New York Philharmonic)
Monday, December 20, 2021, 8 PM
Carnegie Hall | tickets
ORATORIO SOCIETY OF NEW YORK
Kent Tritle, conductor
Leslie Fagan, soprano
Heather Petrie, contralto
Joshua Blue, tenor
Sidney Outlaw, baritone
Orchestra of the Society

GEORGE FRIDERIC HANDEL Messiah Part I (complete) with highlights from Parts II & III
Tuesday, December 21, 2021, 7:30 PM
Carnegie Hall
MUSICA SACRA | tickets
Musica Sacra Chorus and Orchestra
Kent Tritle, conductor
Brittany Renee, soprano
Heather Petrie, contralto
John Riesen, tenor
Enrico Lagasca, bass-baritone

GEORGE FRIDERIC HANDEL Messiah Part I (complete) with highlights from Parts II & III
Friday, December 31, 2021, 7 PM
Cathedral of St. John the Divine | tickets
NEW YEAR’S EVE CONCERT FOR PEACE
Kent Tritle, Bryan Zaros, and Jie Yi, conductors
Harry Smith, commentator
Jamet Pittman, soprano
Cathedral Choir and Orchestra

GEORGE FRIDERIC HANDEL Water Music Suite in D

The program also includes Joel Thompson’s “Seven Last Words of the Unarmed,” "Glory" by Common and John Legend featured in the motion picture Selma, David Hurd’s “When Night Fell,” works from Asian composers including Chen Yi, “Dona Nobis Pacem” from J. S. Bach’s Mass in B Minor, and “This Little Light of Mine.” 
Monday, January 31, 2022, 8 PM
Carnegie Hall | tickets
ROYAL PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA
Vasily Petrenko, conductor
Manhattan School of Music Vocal Ensemble
Kent Tritle, Director of Choral Activities

Program to include:
GUSTAV HOLST The Planets
Saturday, February 12, 2022, 7:30 PM
Manhattan School of Music | info
MANHATTAN SCHOOL OF MUSIC CHAMBER CHOIR
Kent Tritle, conductor
Ronnie Oliver, conductor
*John Verkuilen, Rong Zhang, and Michael Sheetz, conductors

MEREDITH MONK Nightfall
JOHANNES BRAHMS Liebeslieder Waltzes
Chinese folk songs 

*DMA candidates in conducting
Tuesday, February 22, 2022, 7:30 PM
Cathedral of St. John the Divine | tickets
“CALEIDOSCÓPIO! UNSUNG VOICES FROM PORTUGAL”
Rose of the Compass
Parthenia
Cathedral Choir of St. John the Divine
Kent Tritle, Nina Stern & Raymond Nagem, music directors

An exploration of rarely heard works from Portugal including the 13th-century female-voiced “Cantigas de Amigo,” symphonies of the converso Jewish heiress Isabella Duarte, and sacred and secular works of the 16th century Black composer Vicente Lusitano.  

Underwritten by a generous grant from Lois and Richard Pace
Tuesday, March 8, 2022, 7:30 PM
Cathedral of St. John the Divine | tickets
ORATORIO SOCIETY OF NEW YORK
Kent Tritle, conductor
*Hyeyoung Moon, soprano
*Jasmin White, mezzo-soprano
*Patrick Bessenbacher, tenor
*William Socolof, bass-baritone
Orchestra of the Society
 
J. S. BACH Magnificat
W. A. MOZART Coronation Mass

*Soloists from The Juilliard School
Tuesday, March 22, 2022, 7:30 PM
Cathedral of St. John the Divine
MUSICA SACRA | tickets
Musica Sacra Chorus and Orchestra
Kent Tritle, conductor
Nicole Joy Mitchell, contralto
John Riesen, tenor

VIKTOR KALABIS Canticum Canticorum
ARVO PÄRT Te Deum
WANG JIE New work (World premiere)
JOHANNES BRAHMS Schaffe in mir, Gott, Op. 29, No. 2
Wednesday, March 30, 2022, 7:30 PM
Manhattan School of Music – Neidorf-Karpati Hall | info
MANHATTAN SCHOOL OF MUSIC SYMPHONY AND SYMPHONIC CHORUS
Kent Tritle, conductor

DAVID HURD “In Honor of Martin”
ARTHUR HONEGGER King David
Tuesday, April 5, 2022, 7:30 PM
Cathedral of St. John the Divine | tickets
CATHEDRAL CHOIR AND ORCHESTRA OF ST. JOHN THE DIVINE
Kent Tritle, conductor
Bryan Zaros, conductor
Nola Richardson, soprano
Tracy Cowart, mezzo-soprano
Andrew Fuchs, tenor
Joseph Beutel, bass-baritone

ANTONIO VIVALDI Concert in D Minor, RV 565
ALISSA FIRSOVA Stabat Mater (New York City premiere)
FRANCIS POULENC Litanies à la Vierge Noire (1947 version orchestrated with strings and timpani)
JOSÉ MAURÍCIO NUNES GARCIA Requiem
Monday, May 9, 2022, 8 PM
Carnegie Hall | tickets
ORATORIO SOCIETY OF NEW YORK
Kent Tritle, conductor
Susanna Phillips, soprano
Mezzo-soprano to be announced
Isaiah Bell, tenor
Justin Austin, baritone
Orchestra of the Society

FELIX MENDELSSOHN Elijah
About Kent Tritle
Kent Tritle is one of America's leading choral conductors. Called "the brightest star in New York's choral music world" by The New York Times, he is Director of Cathedral Music and Organist at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City; Music Director of the Oratorio Society of New York, the acclaimed 200-voice volunteer chorus; and Music Director of Musica Sacra, the longest continuously performing professional chorus in New York City. In addition, Kent is Director of Choral Activities at the Manhattan School of Music and is a member of the graduate faculty of The Juilliard School. An acclaimed organ virtuoso, he is also the organist of the New York Philharmonic. kenttritle.com

Photo: Jennifer Taylor