This chamber music arrangement—specially written for AMOC*—was first performed at The Met Cloisters in 2018 in the beautiful San Martín at Fuentidueña chapel. The New York Times called it “intimate, affecting and quietly rich with activism.” The piece, which celebrates Latin American poets and the voices of women, returns for a one-night-only engagement this holiday season at a different New York City landmark.

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El Niño: Nativity Reconsidered

The Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine

Generations of European classical music composers made their livelihoods at the behest of courtly patrons, developing their craft (and feeding their families) as they turned out countless scores for ballrooms, theaters, and chapels. Patronage played a role in American music, too—but here, the siren song of Hollywood arguably played a bigger role in how music developed in America. Studios offered handsomely paid work, while keeping the sounds of orchestral instruments in the ears of moviegoers who might never visit a concert hall. Composers like Bernard Hermann, Elmer Bernstein, and John Williams became household names, crafting timeless scores that would enter the concert-music canon. And few can match the extraordinary success achieved by the charismatic composer, pianist, and conductor Leonard Bernstein, who fused urban swagger with jazz and Latin dance music to create one of the 20th century’s most beloved works: West Side Story, a perennial hit on stage and screen.

Christopher Johnson

Events

Upcoming events

Jul 30, 2026

West Side Story Goes Hollywood · Manchester Music Festival

Past events

Dec 21, 2022

El Niño: Nativity Reconsidered · AMOC / American Modern Opera Company

Future and recently performed repertoire

Piano in Clarinet Quintet by Herrmann

Manchester Music Festival

Piano in Piece for Clarinet and Piano by Ellington

Manchester Music Festival

About

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