A More Perfect Union illuminates the dreams of our country, honors those who fought for our civil rights, and contemplates the uncertainties facing our nation. Vaughan Williams’ powerful antiwar cantata Dona Nobis Pacem anchors a compelling program that spans Margaret Bonds to contemporary voices such as Shawn Kirchner, Mari Esabel Valverde, Gwyneth Walker, and others. Together, these works confront where we've fallen short and celebrate the stories — some resounding, some quietly persistent — of individuals and communities who have challenged injustice and imagined a better future.

Grace Chorale of Brooklyn’s spring program affirms that democracy is not a static achievement, but a living project — one sustained through the ongoing, intentional work of its citizens. Rather than merely observing where we've been or accepting where we are, A More Perfect Union invites us to envision our path forward to pursue peace, abundance, and the enduring promise of the American dream.

This spring, on the verge of the 250th anniversary of American Independence, join Grace Chorale for a stirring program exploring the unfinished symphony of American democracy: its contradictions and courage, its fragility and hope.

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A More Perfect Union

St. Ann & the Holy Trinity Church

Among them, parallel trajectories echo each other with poignant force. Korngold and Schoenberg, two major figures in Viennese music, had to flee Nazism. The former found refuge in Hollywood where he revolutionized film music; the latter reconstructed his musical language in the United States. Their works bear the scars of this uprooting, between nostalgia and audacity. Pablo Casals and Roberto Gerhard, Spanish exiles, embody resistance through music. Casals, an opponent of Franco, transformed El cant dels ocells into a hymn of freedom. Gerhard, a disciple of Schoenberg, blended avant-garde and Catalan folklore in a unique style, shaped by his exile in England. Arvo Pärt, Olga Podgaiskaya, and Samir Odeh-Tamimi extend this reflection on wandering and creation. Pärt, forced to leave Soviet Estonia, found refuge in timeless music. Podgaiskaya and Odeh-Tamimi, heirs to these journeys, in turn question boundaries and shifting identities. An evening resonating with the echoes of a torn 20th century and the persistence of a beauty born of absence. A world concert where each note echoes a lost land, but also the hope of a new beginning.

Exiles #2

Opéra Comédie

True to its mission of promoting and raising awareness of classical music, the Opéra Orchestre National Montpellier Occitanie travels across the Occitanie region in various formations.

COR-des Quartet

La Tuilerie

Gustav Mahler Youth Orchestra · Honeck

Felsenreitschule

Musicians of the Concertgebouw Orchestra and Alexander Reeuwijk take you on an excursion through Beethoven’s ‘Pastorale’ and other works.

Close-up: Early birds

The Concertgebouw

Make yourself comfortable. Close your eyes. Breathe deeply. Let the busy world outside disappear and feel Roskilde Cathedral's large church room envelop you while you immerse yourself in meditative choral music with the DR Vocal Ensemble and deep cello sounds with solo cellist Richard Krug from the DR Symphony Orchestra.

Meditation concert

Roskilde Cathedral

Church of Our Lady

What happens when you get 3 cellos on a stage? How about 4? 8? Or even 12? Take advantage of a unique opportunity to hear complex, challenging, and masterful pieces that can only be played with a veritable choir of cellos.

Cello Fest

Music Academy of the West

True to its mission of promoting and raising awareness of classical music, the Montpellier Occitanie National Opera Orchestra tours the Occitanie region in various formations. The COR-des quartet is composed of two musicians from the Montpellier Occitanie National Orchestra, Julie Arnulfo (violin) and Sylvain Carboni (horn), and two collaborators, Nicolas Paul on cello and Olga Carboni on violin. From classical hits to essential French songs, among other gems, the four musicians offer a rich and eclectic program, some of whose melodies will stay with you long after the concert!

Église Saint-Pierre de Palavas-Les-Flots

Église Notre-Dame-de-l'Assomption

Pure, sweet, serene, hear a radiant blend of unaccompanied voices rise in song. VOCES8 combines with its Foundation Choir to share its heavenly sound in music exploring prayer.

Pablo Casals

Events

Upcoming events

Nov 15, 2026

COR-des Quartet · Opéra Orchestre National Montpellier

Dec 13, 2026

COR-des Quartet · Opéra Orchestre National Montpellier

Mar 16, 2027

The VOCES8 Foundation Choir: Hear My Prayer · Barbican Centre

Past events

18 - 19 Apr, 2026

A More Perfect Union · Grace Chorale of Brooklyn

Feb 7, 2026

Exiles #2 · Opéra Orchestre National Montpellier

About

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