Musica Sacra To Premiere Wayne Oquin’s ON THE WORDS OF WALT WHITMAN at St. Bartholomew's Church

Wayne Oquin’s new cantata ON THE WORDS OF Walt Whitman will receive its world premiere on Wednesday, March 11, 2026 at 7 p.m. at St. Bartholomew’s Church in New York City. The performance will be presented by Musica Sacra under the direction of Music Director Kent Tritle and will feature soprano Susanna Phillips and baritone John Moore.

Scored for soloists, chorus, and chamber orchestra, the cantata draws from the poetry of Walt Whitman, spanning four decades of his work on Leaves of Grass. Rather than setting a single poem, Oquin has created seventeen songs from distinct verses, including text from “Song of Myself,” shaping each movement to reflect Whitman’s free verse, rhythmic language, and thematic breadth.

The full program will include:

• Caroline Shaw: Entr’acte

• Oquin: O Magnum Mysterium

• Oquin: Alleluia

• Oquin: Sure on This Shining Night

• Oquin: On the Words of Walt Whitman (world premiere)

“The musicality of Whitman's language,” writes Oquin, “—his stanzas in free verse, often improvisatory in tone, his lack of formal rhyme schemes, lists, rhythmic in nature, leaping off the page—give the resulting music pulse, a sense of vitality, and a forward momentum. His enigmatic themes—his ability to hover over the implications of nature, humanity, sensuality, consciousness without blemishing their mystery—is where I'm most inspired...rather than focusing on one large Whitman poem or a small collection thereof, I created seventeen songs, each taken from a distinct verse spanning the four decades of Whitman's writing life devoted to his magnum opus, Leaves of Grass, each piece uniquely tailored to the poem it portrays.”

Maestro Tritle reflected on first hearing the work: “On the day after Christmas 2024, I met with composer Wayne Oquin at the choir room of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. Wayne had been entranced in the creation of his Whitman settings. What I experienced that day I will never forget. As we went through, page by page, I had chills after chills! The gorgeous texture, the setting of Whitman's beloved poetry, the striking harmony, the incredible arc of form all were coming together for this world premiere. I believe that On the Words of Walt Whitman will be one of the great choral oratorios of the 21st century.”

A native of Houston, Texas, Oquin has received commissions from ensembles including The Danish National Symphony, Munich Philharmonic, Pacific Symphony, and The Philadelphia Orchestra. He serves on the faculty of The Juilliard School, where he teaches music theory and graduate studies.