Composer

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

Dr. Andrew Last is the Weston Noble Endowed Professor and Director of Choral Activities at Luther College in Decorah, IA where he conducts the Nordic Choir, teaches conducting, and serves as the Artistic Director for Christmas at Luther.  Last is part of an exciting choral program at Luther College that includes three choral faculty, nearly 400 singers, five choral ensembles, numerous regional and national ACDA convention performances, and regularly presents choral/orchestra works.  

Octavo Series (SATB) Andrew Last, Guest Conductor

Lincoln Center

Experience the magic of the season with beautiful and evocative compositions, including the joyful Vivaldi "Gloria" and Craig Courtney's delightful "Musicological Journey Through the Twelve Days of Christmas," along with more holiday favorites. The concert will be a harmonious blend of classical brilliance and whimsical storytelling, perfect for ushering in the holiday spirit. Don't miss this enchanting celebration of music and joy!

Sierra Master Chorale & Orchestra

Seventh-day Adventist Church

Grammy Award-winning composer and conductor, Eric Whitacre, is among today’s most popular musicians. A graduate of The Juilliard School (New York), his works are programmed worldwide, and his ground-breaking Virtual Choirs have united well over 100,000 singers from more than 145 countries. Among his accolades and awards, in recent years Eric received the Richard D. Colburn Award from the Colburn School and an Honorary Doctor of Arts from Chapman University (CA).

Christmas With Eric Whitacre & The Eric Whitacre Singers

Smith Square Hall

Join DCINY and singers from around the world for an evening with one of today’s most celebrated choral composers. Eric Whitacre leads the choir through a program of his most popular holiday works, beloved Holiday favorites, and his glorious masterwork “The Gift of the Magi” (World Premiere of the orchestrated version).

An Eric Whitacre Holiday: The Gift of the Magi (World Premiere of the Orchestrated Version)

Carnegie Hall

Pacific Chorale’s chamber choir joins a string quintet to perform Pulitzer Prize winner Caroline Shaw’s To the Hands, Buxtehude’s Ad Manus, and more in a moving theatrical presentation leveraging music’s power to center the voices of refugees and the unhoused.

To the Hands

Segerstrom Center for the Arts

Donna M. Di Grazia, David J. Baldwin Professor of Music, leads the celebrated Pomona College Glee Club in a bouquet of unaccompanied music by Williametta Spencer, Will Todd, Paul Mealor, Heinrich Schütz, Johann Christoph Bach, and Sean Kirchner. The program will also feature Handel’s magnificent Dixit Dominus, performed with student soloists and Harmonologia Pomona a period-instrument ensemble in collaboration with faculty members Malachai Bandy (violone), Alfred Cramer (violin), Cynthia Fogg (viola), and friends.

Pomona College Glee Club

Pomona College

The Light of Hope Returning

First United Methodist Church

Students in the WashU Concert Choir will perform a concert under the direction of Dr. John McDonald.

Concert Choir - "Afternoon on a Hill"

560 Music Center

A Celebration Of American Music

Johns Hopkins University

Peabody Symphony Orchestra, Graduate Jazz Ensemble & Next Ensemble

Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University

Donna M. Di Grazia, David J. Baldwin Professor of Music, leads the celebrated Pomona College Glee Club in a program of music for a spring tour to England and Scotland.

Pomona College Glee Club in Concert

Celebrate the holiday season with Ludwig van Beethoven's hymn to humanity, featuring the Eugene Symphony Chorus and a work by First Symphony Composer Gabriella Smith.

There is no experience that compares to hearing a live performance of Ludwig van Beethoven’s hymn to humanity, starting with the sounds of order emerging from chaos on through to the spine-tingling “Ode to Joy” that will bring you out of your seat in exultation at the end. We also hear First Symphony Project composer Gabriella Smith’s collage of sounds inspired by the natural world, an a capella work sung by the Eugene Symphony Chorus, and another stunning but rarely heard work for chorus and orchestra by Beethoven, Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage.

The Guild Pre-Concert Talk will be held in the Silva Concert Hall from 6:30-7:00. Just a reminder, please sit in your ticketed seat during the pre-concert talk.

Composer

Shawn Kirchner

Events

Past events

18 - 19 Apr, 2026

A More Perfect Union · Grace Chorale of Brooklyn

12 - 15 Apr, 2025

Octavo Series (SATB) Andrew Last, Guest Conductor · Manhattan Concert Productions

About

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