ORATORIO SOCIETY OF NEW YORK
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Mission Statement
The Oratorio Society of New York is an avocational chorus dedicated to the study and performance of traditional and contemporary classical choral music at the highest levels of musical excellence. Its annual December performances of Handel's Messiah have been a New York holiday tradition since 1874. Through its various outreach programs, it works to introduce this artform to underserved audiences of all ages.
About This Cause
Founded in 1873 by Leopold Damrosch, the Oratorio Society of New York is one of the city’s oldest musical organizations. From its earliest days, the Society played an integral role in the musical life of the city, presenting its own concerts and performing at musically and historically significant events. It also created a fund to finance building a concert hall. When Andrew Carnegie became the Society’s fifth president in 1888, he adopted the cause, enlisting fellow board member, architect William Tuthill, to design a “Music Hall” that would provide a suitable artistic home for the Society. In 1891, singing under Tchaikovsky’s baton, the Society helped inaugurate the concert hall that came to be known as Carnegie Hall. It has performed there ever since. Under the direction of Kent Tritle since 2005, the Oratorio Society of New York presents three concerts per year at Carnegie Hall as well as additional concerts in other venues throughout the city. Most recently, it has been featured in the Great Music in a Great Space series at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine .On its 100th anniversary the Society was presented with the Handel Medallion, New York City’s highest cultural award, in recognition of these contributions. The Society made its European debut in 1982 and has since performed in Europe, Asia, and Latin and South America. In 2003 the Society received the UNESCO Commemorative Medal and the Cocos Island World Natural Heritage Site Award for its series of benefit concerts in Costa Rica. In 1977, the Society inaugurated a solo competition to encourage the art of oratorio singing and to give young singers an opportunity to advance their careers. In 2006 it was renamed the Lyndon Woodside Oratorio-Solo Competition in honor of Dr. Woodside’s dedication to the competition. International in scope, the competition attracts more than 100 singers each year. The Solo Competition is, however, only one example of the Society’s commitment to the next generation’s involvement in choral music. Its Choral Scholars Program provides financial support and coaching experience to young professionals who work with the chorus on a weekly basis; its Education Program introduces teens to classical choral music through classroom presentations and complimentary tickets to Oratorio Society performances. The Society also donates tickets to high school students through “High 5 Tickets to the Arts.” Encouraging young artists, teachers, and audiences is an essential part of the Society’s heritage and mission, and one of its proudest achievements.