New World Symphony to Present MOZART'S REQUIEM with Stephanie Childress

On November 14, New World Symphony (NWS), America's Orchestral Academy, makes its first-ever performance of Mozart's monumental Requiem, under the baton of returning guest conductor Stephanie Childress, at the Adrienne Arsht Center.

Following their powerful collaboration on Beethoven's Ninth last month, the Master Chorale of South Florida joins New World Symphony for this deeply moving Requiem, with soloists Ilanah Lobel-Torres, soprano; Taylor Raven, mezzo-soprano; Eric Ferring, tenor; and Daniel Okulitch, bass-baritone. Mozart's Requiem will be paired with Ralph Vaughan Williams' Toward the Unknown Region, which opens the program.

Mozart's Requiem remained famously uncompleted at the time of his death, having been partially composed in 1791 before his passing later that year. At the request of his wife, Mozart's student Franz Xaver Süssmayr completed a version of the Requiem, adding to the mystery of and enduring fascination with Mozart's swan song. Despite its posthumous completion, the work bears Mozart's distinctive compositional style and the weight of his final year, when he reportedly began to believe he was writing his own funeral mass.

Acclaimed for her interpretations of Mozart's operas, “revealing herself to be a Mozartian to her fingertips” (OperaToday), Childress leads NWS Fellows and the Master Chorale of South Florida through this profound work. Equally at home in opera and on the concert platform, Childress has firmly established herself as a rising star on both sides of the Atlantic and offers a forward-thinking vision for the role of a conductor in the 21st century.

Leading international vocalists join NWS Fellows for this performance, bringing experience with major opera companies and a range of repertoire. Soprano Ilanah Lobel-Torres is a member of the Troupe Lyrique at Opéra national de Paris, while mezzo-soprano Taylor Raven has appeared with the Metropolitan Opera, San Francisco Opera, English National Opera, Finnish National Opera, and more. Tenor Eric Ferring's engagements include Lyric Opera of Chicago, the Metropolitan Opera, Santa Fe Opera, and Opéra national du Rhin. Bass-baritone Daniel Okulitch, particularly sought after for contemporary repertoire, has originated roles in world premieres, including Ennis del Mar in Charles Wuorinen's Brokeback Mountain at Teatro Real, and was a member of the original Broadway cast of Baz Luhrmann's La Bohème at the Broadway Theatre.

Founded in 2003, the Master Chorale of South Florida is the region's only large-scale, auditioned chorus, presenting ambitious choral music rarely heard in South Florida. Each week from September through May, approximately 120 voices from Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties gather under the direction of Artistic Director and Conductor Brett Karlin. Spanning five generations and reflecting the diverse backgrounds of South Florida, these voices come together to connect generations, inspire audiences and sustain a living choral tradition.

The program opens with Ralph Vaughan Williams' Toward the Unknown Region, the composer's first major choral work. Setting Walt Whitman's poem “Darest thou now, O soul” from Leaves of Grass, the piece captures the poem's transcendental spirit through a romantic musical language. Premiered at the Leeds Festival in 1907, the work helped establish Vaughan Williams as one of the foremost young composers of his day.

The NWS Fellowship Experience

The New World Symphony is a global leader in orchestral and artistic training. Talented musicians, aged typically between 22-30, are awarded three-year fellowships that consist of a robust curriculum of musical, entrepreneurial, and community engagement training. Each season, Fellows are mentored by over 100 visiting faculty members and guest artists, and design and execute their own entrepreneurial projects. Fellows in various stages of their three-year fellowship make up the orchestra each season. NWS has over 1,350 alumni transforming communities in over 30 countries.

Eighty-seven Fellows comprise the 2026-27 class at New World Symphony across 17 instruments and three non-instrumental positions. The Fellows are selected for this highly competitive opportunity based on their musical achievement and promise, as well as their passion for the future of classical music.

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