The New York Virtuoso Singers to Present AMERICAN INVENTION At Manhattan's Christ & St. Stephen's Church

The New York Virtuoso Singers, conducted by Harold Rosenbaum, will present American Invention on Sunday, February 19 at 3 PM at Christ & St. Stephen's Church, 120 W. 69th Street in Manhattan, featuring vibrant American choral music from the 18th century to today.

The concert will comprise a wide range of American works including world premieres by Pulitzer Prize winner Anthony Davis, Peter Zummo, Elena Ruehr, and William McClelland; New York premieres by Pulitzer Prize winner Tania León, David Patterson, and Edie Hill; music by other outstanding American composers, including Florence Price, Annea Lockwood, Jessie Montgomery, Mari Esabel Valverde, and Nancy Wertsch, and 18th, 19th and 20th century choral works by William Billings, Charles Ives, Henry Cowell, and Milton Babbitt, as well as an arrangement by William Appling.

The program embraces the inventive and adventurous spirit that has been part of American music's DNA since William Billings, the country's first great native-born composer, published his first collection, "The New-England Psalm-Singer," in 1770. This spirit infused the pioneering work of Charles Ives, one of the towering figures of 20th century music, the innovations in electronic and serial music by Milton Babbitt, and the musical explorations by many of the contemporary composers on this program. At the same time, the works do not sacrifice feeling and beauty for mere originality, and there are many moving, joyful and uplifting compositions that will be performed.

Tickets: $20 / Students $10. More information & tickets at https://cvi.yapsody.com/event/index/751769?ref=ebtn.

Founded in 1988 by conductor Harold Rosenbaum, The New York Virtuoso Singers has become this country's leading exponent of contemporary choral music. Although the chorus performs music of all periods, its emphasis is on commissioning, performing and recording the music of American composers. The NYVS have commissioned over 100 works and premiered over 550 works by composers ranging from John Harbison, William Bolcom, and Ellen Taaffe Zwillich to Luciano Berio, Luigi Dallapiccola, and Hans Werner Henze.

Rosenbaum and NYVS have collaborated with The Brooklyn Philharmonic, The American Composers Orchestra, The Juilliard Orchestra, The Orchestra of St. Luke's, The American Symphony, The Bard Festival Orchestra, The Mark Morris Dance Group, Bang on a Can, The Glyndebourne Opera Company, and others. The NYVS performed the American Premiere of the choral version of David Lang's Little Match Girl Passion on the first ever New Sounds Live from WNYC's Greene Space, and it also performed in the memorial concert for William Schuman at the Juilliard School.

American Invention will continue NYVS's long and distinguished history of championing American choral works, both new and old. Visit them at http://nyvirtuoso.org.