Having recently celebrated its 60th anniversary, the Los Angeles Master Chorale is launching its 2025–2026 season at Walt Disney Concert Hall on Oct. 5. The audacious program, titled “Two Titans: The Music of Beethoven and Verdi,” will feature Beethoven’s Mass in C Major and Verdi’s Four Sacred Pieces. Replete with themes of spiritual devotion, compassion, and the quest for solace in uncertain times, the evening promises to be monumental.
“It’s a monster program, but the idea of combining Verdi and Beethoven is really felicitous,” said Grant Gershon, artistic director of the Chorale since 2001. Although Gershon has led more than 200 performances at the Hall, he has never conducted the programmed works before.
“These are two composers that, I think, share so much in terms of their personality, deep integrity, [and] their desire to push the means of expression beyond what had happened before,” Gershon continued.
Gershon said he’d been intrigued by Beethoven’s Mass, but had never found the right place to program it. As for Verdi’s Four Sacred Pieces — the last works the composer wrote — Gershon has conducted the “Te Deum” several times but said he “didn’t know the other three except by reputation. They’re beautiful, they’re enigmatic, and they’re tricky to program, because each of the four is for completely different voices.”
That’s no problem for Gershon, as the soloists for this concert — soprano Elissa Johnston, mezzo-soprano Julia Metzler, tenor Edmond Rodriguez, and bass Darrell Acon — are all members of the Chorale, often lauded as one of the country’s preeminent professional choirs.
While Beethoven’s Mass features a solo quartet, choir, and orchestra, Verdi’s work only features soloists at the end of the “Te Deum,” with the soprano heard from offstage. “That’s the great thing about performing at Disney Hall,” noted the conductor. “There’s always a nook or cranny that no one’s discovered.”
And there’s plenty to discover this season, with the remainder of the year featuring both joyous and intriguing works. On Nov. 9, a sing-along will transform the audience into a choir as part of, “LA Sings! What a Beautiful City.” Led by Gershon and MUSE/IQUE Artistic and Music Director Rachel Worby, the concert will celebrate diverse voices in works by Bob Dylan, José Martí, and Joseíto Fernández.
Then prepare to be swept away on Nov. 16 when Pulitzer Prize-winning composer David Lang’s before and after nature receives its L.A. premiere. The work is a meditation on the natural world, ranging from before human existence to after humans are gone.
“There are aspects of the natural world that predate us by millennia, and will outlast us, no matter how much we try to f**k it up,” said Gershon. “Tal [Rosner’s] beautiful and evocative video installation is part and parcel of the piece and the experience itself, so I’m really eager to share that with our audiences here.”
Featuring Bang on a Can All-Stars, 20 singers, and video by Rosner, the work is a co-commission by the Chorale and a slew of other institutions. It premiered at Stanford University last February.
“The premiere was really wonderful,” Gershon said. “One of the brilliant things about doing a piece with a lot of co-commissioners, which we did with Rufus Wainwright’s Dream Requiem, is that you’re guaranteed a launch with several cities, several continents. You create the framework for a piece to really get established.” Before and after nature had its European debut last August in Finland as part of the Helsinki Festival.
No December calendar can be complete without a concert (or five) celebrating the holiday season. “English Cathedral Christmas” will kick off the festive season on Dec. 14, featuring traditional British choral works from the 16th century to the present. In addition to Handel’s beloved Messiah on Dec. 21 and its famous Messiah Sing-Along on Dec. 22, the Chorale will present Carols for Kids and Festival of Carols on Dec. 20.
“There’s something about this repertory this time of year,” Gershon acknowledged. “Part of it is the idea of somehow escaping from the crass commercialism of Christmas – the ‘three C’s.’ Instead, we’re celebrating and exploring this aspect of the holidays that’s more mysterious. It’s quieter, more reflective, more based in spirit and the soul. I think that’s what this music evokes — the timeless element of the holidays.”
Perhaps the enduring appeal of the Los Angeles Master Chorale is its spirit, soul, and timelessness, no matter the season.
“[Because] we’re made up of all professional singers who also have these incredible careers as soloists, conductors, teachers, [and] studio musicians, the Chorale is the most versatile choral group in the world, and that makes it fun,” said Gershon.
“You never know what you’re going to hear and experience at a Master Chorale concert. It’s something we try to lean into every season.”
