Los Angeles Master Chorale Reveals Grant Gershon’s 25th Anniversary 2026/27 Season

The Los Angeles Master Chorale, led by Kiki & David Gindler Artistic Director Grant Gershon, announced its 2026/27 season at Walt Disney Concert Hall featuring signature Master Chorale works and collaborations spanning centuries and cultures, and celebrating Gershon’s landmark 25th season.

“As we celebrate Grant Gershon’s 25th anniversary season with the Los Angeles Master Chorale, we honor a remarkable artistic journey that has shaped not only this institution, but the cultural life of our city,” said Susan Reardon, Chair of the Board of Directors. “Grant’s visionary leadership, adventurous programming, and commitment to artistic excellence have elevated the Chorale to international prominence. This milestone season is both a reflection of his extraordinary legacy and a testament to the vibrant future he continues to inspire.”

“It’s overwhelming to reflect on 25 years of making music with the exceptional singers of the Master Chorale,” said Gershon. “The season ahead has been thoughtfully curated to share works that have resonated most deeply with our audiences and across our entire artistic family. These programs celebrate the extraordinary power of music to bring people together, honor the composers and artists with whom we’ve collaborated over the years, and continue sharing the beauty and resonance of choral music with our community.”

“For 25 years, Grant Gershon has been the artistic heart of the Los Angeles Master Chorale,” said Scott Altman, President & CEO. “His passion for artistry, his deep respect for the singers, and his belief in the power of music to bring people together have shaped not only our sound, but our identity. This 25th anniversary season celebrates his extraordinary contributions and the vibrant, forward-thinking institution he has helped build.”

The 2026/27 season opens with 25 YEARS OF GLORIOUS MUSIC, a spectacular double bill featuring the music of Johannes Brahms and Anton Bruckner, performed by nearly 100 singers and orchestra at Walt Disney Concert Hall. The program opens with Brahms’ Requiem, the composer’s crowning masterpiece. Unlike any other Requiem ever written, composed for the living rather than the dead, it is often called the “Human Requiem” and features lush, romantic textures that offer a warm, symphonic meditation on hope, memory, and the resilience of the human spirit. Paired with Brahms’ Requiem is Bruckner’s Te Deum, the very work that inaugurated Gershon’s tenure, considered one of the greatest choral-orchestral works ever composed. Together, these monumental works promise a performance of profound transformation and transcendence.

In a choral match spanning two continents, the Los Angeles Master Chorale performs with the National Chorus of Korea for the first time in history for BUILDING BRIDGES. A fellow world-class powerhouse organization also known for its technical precision and emotional depth, The National Chorus of Korea is the definitive voice of choral music in South Korea and the country’s “musical ambassadors.” Founded in 1973 as the nation’s first professional choral ensemble, the group has the ability to tackle extremely complex repertoires, from Renaissance masterpieces to avant-garde contemporary works, with a vocal blend and intonation that is rarely matched. This rare event will feature a combined ensemble of over 100 singers from the Master Chorale and National Chorus, performing both as individual choirs and together in harmony. 

Grammy® Award-winning composer Eric Whitacre leads the Master Chorale in the West Coast premiere of his stunning work, Eternity in an Hour, that debuted at the BBC Proms in 2024. A musical meditation featuring live electronics alongside Whitacre’s signature choral writing, the work was inspired by the opening four lines of William Blake’s poem Auguries of Innocence. Several brief works by Arvo Pärt, one of the world’s most performed living composers, open the program, including The Beatitudes and Morning Star.

Grammy® Award-winning violinist Anne Akiko Meyers joins the Master Chorale for TRULY BELOVED, an exploration of music including that from the recently recorded albums, Mysterium and Beloved (which was nominated for a 2026 Grammy® Award) with selections including Bach’s Sheep may safely graze and Lauridsen’s beloved O Magnum Mysterium.

One of the most influential violinists of our time, Meyers has commissioned, premiered, and recorded a significant body of contemporary violin repertoire. Meyers has performed around the world in recital and as a soloist with leading orchestras. She has recorded more than 40 albums that have become staples of classical music radio stations and streaming platforms and has appeared on The Tonight Show, CBS Sunday Morning, Great Performances, and NPR’s Tiny Desk. Her close musical collaborations include those with Billy Childs, Philip Glass, Wynton Marsalis, Eric Whitacre, Arturo Márquez and others. 

The Master Chorale is honored to reprise Lagrime di San Pietro (The Tears of St. Peter), directed by longtime collaborator Peter Sellars, in celebration of the 10th anniversary of its premiere. Described by the Los Angeles Times as “a major accomplishment for music history,” and by international critics as “painfully beautiful,” “stunning and sublime” and “life-changing,” this production transforms a Renaissance masterpiece into a visceral, Contemporary Stage work. A cycle of 21 spiritual madrigals that explore themes of grief, regret and memory, 21 singers perform the work entirely by heart while embodying its complex polyphony and emotional turbulence. Packing a massive emotional punch as living, breathing drama, Lagrime di San Pietro is an experience that redefines the possibilities of choral music.

The Master Chorale continues its beloved holiday traditions, including the second annual Carols for Kids (December 5, 2026), welcoming children under 6 with music, movement, and holiday fun; Candy Canes, Carols and Cheer: The Master Chorale Salutes the Holidays (December 5, 2026), featuring spectacular arrangements of traditional carols from around the world; Handel’s Messiah, a timeless piece and Master Chorale tradition (December 14, 2026), this year performed with leading Baroque ensemble Le Concert d’Astrée led by music director Emmanuelle Haïm; the Great Messiah Sing-Along (December 20, 2026), where audiences become the chorus; and the free community sing-along, Carols on the Plaza (Date to be announced).