Young People's Chorus of New York City to Make Metropolitan Opera Debut in Jake Heggie's DEAD MAN WALKING

The Young People’s Chorus of New York City , fresh off an international tour that included five gold medal wins - three as World Champions - at the World Choir Games, will make its Metropolitan Opera debut when it performs in the company premiere of Jake Heggie’s masterpiece Dead Man Walking on Tuesday, September 26, at 6:30PM. Based on Sister Helen Prejean’s memoir, with a libretto by Tony and Emmy Award–winner Terrence McNally, the story follows Sister Helen’s fight for the soul of a condemned murderer. After his debut with a critically acclaimed production of Mozart’s Don Giovanni in the 2022–23 season, Tony Award–winning director Ivo van Hove returns with a staging that explores the nature of love, forgiveness, and redemption.

“YPC is thrilled to make its Metropolitan Opera debut and perform with the world’s most prestigious opera house,” said Francisco J. Núñez, YPC Founder and Artistic Director. “It’s an honor to step onto its grand stage and lend our voices to Jake Heggie’s masterpiece.”

24 YPC choristers ages 8-11 will join the star-studded cast of Dead Man Walking. Performers include Grammy Award–winning mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato as Sister Helen, bass-baritone Ryan McKinny as death-row inmate Joseph De Rocher, soprano Latonia Moore as Sister Rose, and mezzo-soprano Susan Graham, who originated the role of Sister Helen in the opera’s 2000 premiere, as De Rocher’s mother.  Yannick Nézet-Séguin, the Met’s Jeanette Lerman-Neubauer Music Director, conducts what has become the most performed contemporary work of the past two decades. Steven Osgood conducts the performances on October 8 and 12.

Following Opening Night, YPC performs in the production’s eight additional performances, concluding on Saturday, October 21. For further details on Dead Man Walking, please click here. 

For prices and ticket information, please call 212.362.6000 or visit metopera.org. Special rates for groups of ten or more are available by calling 212.341.5410 or visitingmetopera.org/groups.

For more information about YPC, please visit www.ypc.org.

About Young People’s Chorus of New York City

The Young People’s Chorus of New York City (YPC) is a multicultural youth chorus internationally renowned for its superb virtuosity, brilliant showmanship, and innovative model of diversity. Founded by Artistic Director Francisco J. Núñez, a MacArthur Fellow and Musical America’s 2018 Educator of the Year, YPC’s mission and values are deeply rooted in providing children of all cultural and economic backgrounds with a unique program of music education and choral performance. YPC is committed to uplifting our youth and providing pathways to success through the arts so that each child, no matter what race, gender, socioeconomic background, or religion can reach their full potential. Among YPC’s many awards is America’s highest honor for youth programs, a National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award, which was presented to members of YPC at the White House.  In 2023, YPC won five gold medals – three as World Champions – at the 12th World Choir Games in the Republic of Korea. Under the direction of YPC’s Creative Director, Elizabeth Núñez, YPC also earned the distinction of “Choir of the World” in July 2018 at the International Choral Kathaumixw (Powell River, British Columbia), marking the first time a North American chorus has ever won this title in the 34-year history of Kathaumixw. www.ypc.org.
 

Photo credit: Karen Almond / Met Opera