09/14/2026
This week at David Geffen Hall, Brooklyn Youth Chorus takes the stage with the New York Philharmonic and Gustavo Dudamel for an extraordinary series of performances: John Adams’ Pulitzer Prize–winning On the Transmigration of Souls (September 16–19).
For our Chorus, this week marks a profound, historic return.
Twenty-four years ago, in September 2002, Brooklyn Youth Chorus joined the NY Phil to premiere this monumental elegy commissioned in the aftermath of 9/11. Incorporating the text of missing-person posters and spoken tributes, our recording went on to win a GRAMMY® Award for the Chorus. Now, as our city marks 25 years since the attacks, a new generation of choristers, none of whom were alive in 2001, brings this work back to the Lincoln Center stage for only the second time in NY Phil history.
To bridge this 24-year divide, alumni from the original 2002 premiere returned to share what it meant to sing through grief with our current singers:
✨ “We were able to use our voices to represent the fallen and bring comfort to the survivors. The performance taught me that one voice could represent many... It allowed me to understand the true power of the arts.” — Anneka T., ’02 Alumna
✨ “I felt as if I was bringing something positive to the world despite the chaos and immense grief... I think we were incredibly brave to sing about a topic so grave and deep.” — Jasmine T., ’02 Alumna
✨ “[It] is still one of the most formative experiences of my musical life. I hope it gives them a new perspective on an event that may have happened before they were born, but that has had lasting impacts on how we all live today.” — Patrice K., ’02 Alumna
Through music, memory becomes a living bridge across generations. We invite you to join us for this unforgettable week of music and remembrance.
www.bychorus.org/adams
