We know many of you share our excitement for this long-awaited moment, and we look forward to welcoming you back to our beloved Kirkland Chapel.

To mark the occasion, we have planned a true musical feast. The season opens with Joby Talbot’s Path of Miracles, a modern choral masterpiece tracing the ancient pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela—a fitting work with which to celebrate our own homecoming.

Other highlights include the return of our cherished Carols by Candlelight tradition, annual performances of Handel’s Messiah with period orchestra, an evening of Baroque splendor featuring Bach’s Magnificat and Vivaldi’s Gloria, and Rachmaninoff’s transcendent All-Night Vigil (Vespers) at the threshold of Holy Week.

As always, these performances are offered in the conviction that great sacred music has the power to inspire, challenge, comfort, and unite us. Whether you are a longtime supporter or joining us for the first time, we warmly invite you to experience this season of renewal and celebration with us.

Bring a friend, introduce someone to live choral music, and help us continue building a community gathered around beauty, faith, and artistic excellence.

As we return to the more intimate setting of Kirkland Chapel, we encourage you to reserve your seats early to ensure your place in this long-awaited return to one of New York’s most beautiful sacred spaces.

Warmly,
Ryan Jackson
William S. Perper Director of Music & Fine Arts Ministries

Talbot: Path of Miracles.
Friday, October 2 • 7 pm, Kirkland Chapel & Livestream

The Fifth Avenue Chamber Choir, directed by Ryan Jackson
As our concert series returns home to Kirkland Chapel following a two-year renovation, we are thrilled to present Joby Talbot’s Path of Miracles, one of the most celebrated choral works of the twenty-first century. Inspired by the ancient Camino de Santiago pilgrimage in northern Spain, the work unfolds across four immersive movements, blending echoes of medieval chant with luminous contemporary harmonies to create a sound world of extraordinary beauty, color, and power. A journey of perseverance, transformation, and arrival, Path of Miracles is an especially fitting work with which to mark our return to this beloved space.

Purchase in person tickets here.

Purchase livestream tickets here.

Handel’s Messiah.
Friday, December 4 & Saturday, December 5 • 7 pm, Sanctuary & Livestream

Join the Fifth Avenue Chamber Choir and Orchestra for Handel’s Messiah, one of New York’s most cherished holiday traditions. Performed on historic instruments in the magnificent sanctuary of Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church, this vibrant interpretation places choir and orchestra at the heart of Handel’s masterpiece, with solo movements sung by members of the choir. From moments of profound tenderness to the exhilarating brilliance of the “Hallelujah” chorus, Messiah continues to inspire audiences every Christmas through its distinctive combination of intimacy, majesty, and joy.

Purchase Friday, December 4 in person tickets here.

Purchase Friday, December 4 livestream tickets here.

Purchase Saturday, December 5 in person tickets here.

Purchase Saturday, December 5 livestream tickets here.

Carols by Candlelight.
Friday, December 18 & Saturday, December 19 • 7 pm, Kirkland Chapel & Livestream

The Fifth Avenue Chamber Choir, directed by Ryan Jackson
Kristi Shade, harp
Patrick Kreeger, piano
After a two-year absence, a beloved Fifth Avenue holiday tradition returns with Carols by Candlelight, our annual celebration of Christmas carols, choral music, and seasonal readings. Step away from the bustle of the season and experience an hour of beautiful choral music and joyful congregational carols in the warm candlelit glow of the beautifully restored Kirkland Chapel. The Fifth Avenue Chamber Choir presents a blend of cherished Christmas favorites and new discoveries, including Benjamin Britten’s beloved Ceremony of Carols with harpist Kristi Shade, celebrating the wonder of Christ’s birth. Following the concert, join us in the gallery for hot cider and cookies as we celebrate the joy of the season together.

Purchase Friday, December 18 in person tickets here.

Purchase Friday, December 18 livestream tickets here.

Purchase Saturday, December 19 in person tickets here.

Purchase Saturday, December 19 livestream tickets here.

Bach Magnificat & Vivaldi Gloria
Friday, February 5, 2027 • 7 pm, Kirkland Chapel & Livestream

The Fifth Avenue Chamber Choir, directed by Ryan Jackson
The Fifth Avenue Chamber Choir and Orchestra present two of the Baroque era’s most beloved choral masterpieces: Bach’s Magnificat and Vivaldi’s Gloria. Performed on historic instruments in the radiant acoustics of Kirkland Chapel, these brilliant works overflow with joy, combining dazzling choral writing, expressive solos, and vibrant orchestral color. Filled with beauty, devotion, and unforgettable melodies, this uplifting program showcases Baroque music at its most jubilant and life-affirming. 

Purchase in person tickets here.

Purchase livestream tickets here.

Rachmaninoff Vespers
Friday, March 19, 2027 • 7 pm, Kirkland Chapel & Livestream

The Fifth Avenue Chamber Choir and Orchestra, directed by Ryan Jackson
Widely regarded as one of the greatest achievements in sacred music, Sergei Rachmaninoff’s All-Night Vigil (Vespers) is a work of profound beauty, mystery, and spiritual depth. Drawing on ancient Russian Orthodox chant traditions and smoldering late-Romantic harmonies, Rachmaninoff created a luminous and deeply moving masterpiece for unaccompanied choir. From moments of hushed stillness to sonorous climaxes of breathtaking power, Vespers transports listeners into an unforgettable world of contemplation, awe, and transcendence. Performed at the threshold of Holy Week, its themes of prayer, longing, and devotion resonate with particular power as we prepare to enter the church’s most sacred days.

Purchase in person tickets here.

Purchase livestream tickets here.

Ryan Jackson Organ Recital

Sunday, November 8, 2026 • 1 pm, Sanctuary
Free and open to all!

Patrick Kreeger Organ Recital

Sunday, May 16, 2027 • 1 pm, Sanctuary
Free and open to all!