Overview

Choir at ConcertThe story of Musica Sacra, the longest continuously performing professional chorus in New York City, is the story of a dazzling past, a thriving present, and a vibrant future.  It’s a tale of four decades of  brilliance, every performance filled with new discoveries;  profound statements made simply and elegantly. Whether a performance of the great choral masters of the past or of the more modern repertoire, Musica Sacra stands alone in its ability to change one’s perception of choral singing forever.

Musica Sacra’s annual performance of Messiah is the benchmark by which all other performances of Messiah are measured, standing alone in its clean, clear, and textural interpretation.

The essentially spiritual nature of most of the choral repertory is harmonious with a growing and current awareness of, and interest in, spiritual matters across countries and cultures.  Musica Sacra’s efforts are neither sectarian nor religious; rather, Musica Sacra is deeply committed to an artistic medium, which seeks communication through the most profound human experience.

History

singers in concert

Musica Sacra was founded by Richard Westenburg at Central Presbyterian Church in 1964; it was the first all-professional, paid admission choral series ever undertaken by a church.  By the early seventies, the popularity of its concerts caused it to become independent and move to larger venues, including Carnegie Hall and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.  For many years, concerts were given at Lincoln Center, and it was there that Dr. Westenburg founded Musica Sacra’s Basically Bach Festival, and led its main concerts from 1979-89. The Festival was reinstituted in March, 2006.

Many renowned choral organizations have gone out of existence upon the death of their founder. It was Dr. Westenburg’s hope that this would not happen in the case of Musica Sacra, and in the early 2000’s the organization began to plan for an orderly transition to a new music director at such time that Dr. Westenburg would choose to scale back his conducting. In early 2006, Musica Sacra named Kent Tritle to be its associate conductor and eventual successor to Dr. Westenburg. A highly acclaimed choral conductor in his own right, Mr. Tritle years before was a student of Dr. Westenburg’s at Juilliard. He was Dr. Westenburg’s personal choice to take over the reins of Musica Sacra.

The future arrived sooner than expected as Dr. Westenburg fell suddenly ill in November of 2007 and passed away in February of 2008. Despite an incredibly busy schedule, Mr. Tritle stepped right in to conduct the 2007 performances of Messiah during Dr. Westenburg’s illness. He was named Musica Sacra’s music director upon Dr. Westenburg’s passing and has conducted all concerts since to ongoing critical acclaim.

In addition, to its acknowledged affinity for Baroque music, Musica Sacra has performed in all styles, from the chant of Hildegard to commissioned works and first performances of leading contemporary composers, such as Diamond, Britten, Khatchaturian, Convery and Rorem.  They have recorded on RCA, BMG and Deutsche Grammophon music ranging from Handel (the first complete all-digital Messiah, in 1981, and still available), to Schoenberg, Bruckner and Meredith Monk.