National Chorale Announces 2016-2017 Season

National Chorale, New York's premiere professional choral company, under the Artistic Direction of Everett McCorvey, announces its 2016-2017 Season at Lincoln Center. The National Chorale's 49th season begins with A Gershwin Celebration, followed by Beethoven's Symphony #9, then the annual Handel's Messiah Sing-In, and concludes with Mozart's Requiem. Tickets are available at www.nationalchorale.com, or by calling (212) 333-5333.

"This is one of the most exciting seasons ever presented by the National Chorale," said Artistic Director Everett McCorvey. "We are highlighting international soloists, professions choristers, and the amazing National Chorale Orchestra. We are thrilled to have a New York Premiere of a choral version of Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue which features piano soloist, orchestra as well as choir, and the New York Premiere of the musical adaptation of the Children's Book Goodnight Moon one of the most popular children's book of all time. Our 49th presentation of the Messiah Sing-in is, without a doubt, one of the biggest events at Lincoln Center during the Holiday Season. 17 guest conductors will be on the stage to conduct the Lincoln Center audience in a rousing performance of the Handel's Messiah. This tradition has been going on for 49 years and there are some audience members who have been all 49 years! It's a family treat not to be missed. We will end the season an important staple in the choral repertory, the Mozart Requiem. One of Mozart's greatest achievements, the piece will be sung with international soloist and the National Chorale Orchestra."

"The National Chorale is one of the most firmly established professional choral groups in the country."- The New Times

NATIONAL CHORALE'S 2016-2017 SEASON:

A Gershwin Celebration

Friday, October 21, 2016 at 8pm

David Geffen Hall at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts - 10 Lincoln Center Plaza, NYC

An evening of music by celebrated American composer George Gershwin, including Rhapsody in Blue, interpreted as "a musical portrait of New York City" and stunning, exciting and moving selections packed with human emotions from Porgy and Bess.

Featuring Karen Slack, Janinah Burnett, Robert Mack, Kenneth Overton,and pianist Michael Fennelly.

Beethoven

Symphony #9

Friday, November 18, 2016 at 8:00 pm

David Geffen Hall at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts - 10 Lincoln Center Plaza, NYC

Beethoven's monumental choral symphony - with the triumphal "Ode to Joy" - is the most powerful celebration of Man's faith and freedom ever written. It captures our musical imagination like no other work in the repertory.

Featuring Angela Brown, Teresa Buchholz, John Pickle, and Erik Kroncke.

49th presentation of Handel'sMessiah Sing-In

Tuesday, December 20, 2016 at 7:30 pm

David Geffen Hall at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts - 10 Lincoln Center Plaza, NYC

You are the audience-chorus of almost 3,000 voices under the batons of 17 eminent conductors. Celebrate choral singing and sing in New York's most joyous and popular Holiday Season music event!

Featuring Jessica Sandidge, Eric Brenner, Roderick George, and Kevin Maynor.

Mozart

Requiem

Saturday, April 8, 2017 at 8:00 pm

David Geffen Hall at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts - 10 Lincoln Center Plaza, NYC

Mozart's great last work - the summation of a creative lifetime. Music of unsurpassed beauty - majestic, tragic and sublime - a moving statement of faith - his own Requiem.

Featuring Elizabeth de Trejo, Blythe Gaissert, Daniel Curran, and Kenneth Overton.

ABOUT THE NATIONAL CHORALE

The National Chorale, New York's premier professional choral company, is celebrating its 49th Lincoln Center Season at David Geffen Hall, previously Avery Fisher Hall, with its continuing series of choral orchestral masterworks and 20th century American Classics.

Founded in 1967, the National Chorale is the only professional choral company in the United States to have established and maintained an annual subscription season in the major New York City concert halls - 49 seasons in David Geffen Hall, with additional concerts at Carnegie Hall. It presents a broad repertory of choral-orchestral works; seldom-performed works from many stylistic periods; opera-in-concert; American music theatre; and contemporary works, including commissions by the Chorale for its Lincoln Center Season.

In addition to its Avery Fisher Hall series, the Chorale has toured nationally; presented 19 summer seasons of New York Festival of American Music Theater concerts in Lincoln Center's Damrosch Park and parks throughout the New York area; concert tours of New York State and New York City; vocal-instrumental chamber music series, and Concerts for Young People.

The National Chorale is a leader in the development of choral singing in the New York City area. The New York Times calls the National Chorale "one of the most firmly established professional choral groups in the country."

For 49 years, the Chorale has also presented vocal music education programs for NYC public schools, developing singing participation and future audiences for choral and vocal music. National Chorale's contracts with the NYC Department of Education provide year-long artist-in-residence programs for elementary, middle and high schools throughout the city. The Chorale regularly tours New York area schools, presenting concerts and choral workshops; and will present the popular 24th annual New York City High School Choral Festival, the 7th annual Elementary School Choral Festival and 4th annual Middle School Choral Festival in May 2017, with 36 participating high school, elementary and middle school choirs and more than 2,700 student singers from all five Boroughs of the City.

The Chorale also has a major Partnership with the NYC Professional Performing Arts High School in Manhattan, now in its 7th year, where a team of Chorale artist/teachers lead and develop the PPAS Vocal/Choral Program daily throughout the school year. The PPAS Choir will perform at Lincoln Center at each National Chorale performance during the 2016-2017 Season.

ABOUT David Geffen HALL AT LINCOLN CENTER

In 1962, Philharmonic Hall-renamed Avery Fisher Hall in 1973 and later renamed David Geffen Hall in 2015-became one of the first buildings to be completed on the Lincoln Center site and home to one of its first resident organizations, the world-renowned New York Philharmonic, the oldest symphony orchestra in the U.S. Today, David Geffen Hall hosts notable performances by acclaimed orchestras and artists from around the globe, as well as galas, film premieres, graduations, and conferences. Located on the north side of Josie Robertson Plaza facing Lincoln Center's iconic Revson Fountain, David Geffen Hall's spacious lobby and promenade feature such eminent artwork as Rodin's bust of Gustav Mahler and Dimitri Hadzi's sculpture The Hunt, in addition to wraparound views of the Lincoln Center campus.

(Photo Credit: National Chorale Facebook)