Our mission

It is the New Choral Society's mission to promote a greater interest in classical choral works within the immediate Westchester area. We strive to program a standard classical repertoire, as well as include innovative and unique offerings. We collaborate with professional artistic organizations, such as The Metropolitan Opera Lindemann Young Artist Development Program, to showcase new talent in addition to introducing and promoting local Westchester artists.

Our history

Formed in 1994 by Dr. John T. King, the New Choral Society is an all auditioned, volunteer chorus of 48 singers from Westchester and surrounding areas, who rehearse weekly from September through May.

We offer three choral concert programs each season accompanied by a professional orchestra and professional soloists. In addition, we present one concert featuring all orchestral chamber music.

In 1994-95, our first season, we gave two sold-out concerts, received tremendous publicity as a new group in the community and expanded from 28 to 41 chorus members. Due to a large audience response, we expanded our 1995-96 season to offer an additional concert, plus we offered two performances of Messiah. Once again, every concert was sold out. Our goal to increase the number of people we reached through our music was achieved.

In 1996, we expanded the number of singers in the chorus to 48. For the 1996-97 season, we gave two performances of Handel's Messiah in December, performed Mozart's Requiem in March and honored the 100th Anniversary of Johannes Brahms' death with an all Brahms program in May. In 1997-98, we offered two performances of each concert for the first time, including the Messiah in December, Requiems by Fauré and Duruflé in March and Beethoven's Mass in C and Choral Fantasy in May. The results were audiences in excess of 500 for each concert programmed. This represents an increase in total number of people served of approximately 110% over that of our first season.

In 1998 our chorus was invited to sing two additional concerts, one with the Connecticut Grand Opera Orchestra and Chorus when they performed Verdi's Requiem in March, and one at Scarsdale Golf Club as they celebrated their centennial weekend with a special outdoor concert and fireworks display. Both events offered the chorus exposure to new audiences.

In 1998-99 the New Choral Society commissioned Mass for Chorus and Orchestra from world-renown composer Stephen Paulus, to celebrate our Fifth Anniversary season. The world-premiere was held on May 15, 1999. The work promises to be an important addition to 20th century classical repertoire.

On September 11, 2002, the New Choral Society hosted the "Rolling Requiem", a worldwide musical response to the tragic events of one year earlier. Choruses from all over the world sang Mozart's Requiem at exactly 8:46 AM, in their time zone. The music literally "rolled" around the globe as the clock struck 8:46 AM. With an all-professional orchestra and soloists from the Metropolitan Opera, 100 voices combined in this emotional tribute to the victims from the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. All the chorus members were from Westchester and Fairfield counties and represented 13 different choral groups.

In December 2002, the chorus performed by invitation, at Carnegie Hall, singing Handel's Messiah, under the baton of English conductor John Rutter. The chorus was also engaged to sing at Carnegie Hall, again, on June 16, 2003, performing Mozart's Requiem, with several other choruses from around the country.

In 2006, the New Choral Society was invited to perform Mozart's Requiem joining with the Westchester Choral Society to form the Festival Chorus. 

In 2018, the chorus celebrated its 25th Anniversary with an incredible Gala and a blockbuster season. With sold-out performances and a successful fundraiser, the New Choral Society is ready for the next 25!

The New Choral Society is a registered 501(c)(3) organization and relies on the support of the community we seek to serve, in order to provide the best in classical choral programming. We hope that our music will inspire you to become a regular concert goer and to make a contribution that helps ensure the future of this organization.