The Oratorio Society Of New York's 2025/26 Season Reflects on New York City's Musical Life

The Oratorio Society of New York has announced its 2025–26 season—an ambitious and stirring lineup that bridges centuries of musical thought and tradition.

The season will open with a bold juxtaposition: Mozart’s Great Mass in C minor paired with John Corigliano’s Fern Hill, showcasing OSNY’s dedication to both time-honored masterworks and contemporary voices. This artful balance of old and new will continue throughout a season designed to reflect the evolving yet enduring spirit of New York’s musical identity.

Throughout the season, the Society will be joined by a dazzling roster of guest soloists, including Kathryn Lewek, Jennifer Zetlan, Alex Richardson, Lauren Snouffer, Sidney Outlaw, and Samantha Hankey, among others.

In February 2026, OSNY brings the grandeur of French Romanticism to the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, with sacred works by Gabriel Fauré, Lili Boulanger, and Jules Massenet. This performance will be among the first full-scale concerts to feature the Cathedral’s legendary Great Organ, recently restored and returned to use after nearly six years of silence following a devastating fire in the crypt. The concert promises to be a landmark event, celebrating both music and architectural resurrection.

Another rare treat arrives later in the season as Handel’s Alexander’s Feast returns to the OSNY repertoire—and to Carnegie Hall—for only the second time, and the first in the 21st century. A jubilant ode to Saint Cecilia, patron saint of music, and a dramatic retelling of Alexander the Great’s revenge, the oratorio offers audiences a seldom-heard gem from the Baroque repertoire.

Longstanding traditions also anchor the season. In April, Carnegie Hall will host the 49th Annual Lyndon Woodside Oratorio-Solo Competition Finals, one of the nation’s foremost platforms for emerging vocal talent. And in May, OSNY will help mark the 50th Anniversary of the Concert of the Century with a celebratory performance of the Hallelujah chorus, capping a season of extraordinary scope and spirit.

Now in his 20th season as Music Director, Kent Tritle continues to shape OSNY’s vision while holding key posts across the city. He serves as Director of Cathedral Music and Organist at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, Music Director of Musica Sacra, and is on the graduate faculty of The Juilliard School, while also serving as organist of the New York Philharmonic.

For more information, concert dates, and ticketing, visit www.oratoriosocietyofny.org.

Mozart Great Mass in C Minor & John Corigliano Fern Hill

Carnegie Hall - Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage
Monday, November 10th, 2025 at 7PM
Jennifer Zetlan, soprano
Samantha Hankey, mezzo-soprano
Alex Richardson, tenor
Joseph Parrish, bass-baritone

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Handel Messiah

Carnegie Hall - Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage
Monday, December 22, 2025 at 7PM
Kathryn Lewek, soprano
Cody Bowers, countertenor
Aaron Sheehan, tenor
Adam Lau, bass

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Music of the French Romantic Period

Cathedral of St. John the Divine
Sunday, February 1, 2026 at 5PM
VIERNE: Kyrie
FAURÉ: Sanctus G
GOUNOD: Agnus Dei
BOULANGER: Psaume 24
MASSENET: La Terre Promise: Finale

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49th Annual Lyndon Woodside Oratorio-Solo Competition Finals

Carnegie Hall - Weill Recital Hall
Saturday, April 18, 2026 at 1:30PM

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50th Anniversary of the Concert of the Century

Carnegie Hall - Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage
Tuesday, May 5, 2026 at 7PM
NYO-USA All-Stars
Yannick Nézet-Séguin, conductor
Renée Fleming, soprano
Joyce DiDonato, mezzo-soprano
Isabel Leonard, mezzo-soprano
Emanuel Ax, piano
Evgeny Kissin, piano
Lang Lang, piano
Daniil Trifonov, piano
Oratorio Society of New York
Kent Tritle, director
Additional artists to be announced

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Handel Alexander's Feast

Carnegie Hall - Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage
Monday, May 11, 2026 at 8PM
Lauren Snouffer, soprano
Richard Pittsinger, tenor
Sidney Outlaw, baritone

ABOUT ORATORIO SOCIETY OF NEW YORK

The Oratorio Society of New York is one of the oldest musical organizations in the United States and has become New York City's standard for grand choral performance. Founded in 1873 by Leopold Damrosch, the Society has played an integral role in the musical life of the city. In its early years, the Society established a fund to finance the building of a new concert hall, a cause taken up in earnest by the Society's fifth president, Andrew Carnegie. In 1891, and under the direction of Pyotr Tchaikovsky, the Society helped inaugurate this new Music Hall, which would be renamed Carnegie Hall several years later.

The Society continues to perform several times each season at Carnegie Hall. Its annual performances of Handel's Messiah, a New York holiday tradition unbroken since 1874, have become a favorite with New York audiences. The December 2024 performance marked its milestone 150th consecutive holiday Messiah. In addition to its collaborations with the New York Philharmonic and Orchestra of St. Luke's, as well as other performing arts institutions, the Society performs internationally every few years – including tours to Japan, Uruguay, Germany, Italy, and Brazil.