“One of the most creative and stimulating things happening on New York City’s classical music scene.”
– NY Classical Review
A Note From Our Artistic Director
Dear Friends
From a sold-out concert of Palestinian music to a recreation of a secret mass, it was always going to be tough to top our 50th season, but I hope you will find here that we have done that and more. I’m proud to welcome you to a new journey for absolutely everyone: our 51st Season, Sacred New York.
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Our beloved city is the most diverse place in the world. Rich and poor from every country take the train together, live and work above and beneath each other, eat in the same restaurants, and pray on the same city blocks. Our big-hearted identity is proudly pluralistic. There are even languages spoken here that are no longer current in their native lands. New York City is a singular keeper of global culture. We are many, but we are also one.
Every culture has early music. The west may have created more prominent conservatories to mine our manuscripts and re-produce our instruments, but we can only benefit from exploring the younger music from elsewhere. The ancient world was in dialogue with itself more than we think. Influences in instrument design, musical scales and folksongs traveled by land and sea to communicate where language failed – through sound.
Sacred music is the bedrock of historical performance. Major works celebrating divine themes are the tentpoles of historical style. So to embark on our next 50 years, this season we will celebrate the sacred music that makes all of New York hum. Each concert has been paired with a holiday that illuminates a particular early repertoire around the world. All the major Abrahamic religions are covered, alongside secular holidays that agnostic New Yorkers hold dear.
Together, we’ll invite new audiences to enjoy rare repertoire that makes their sacred time of year feel so special. To that end, all subscribers will receive a free ticket to invite a friend who’s never been to our series. We’ll reach out after you’ve made your subscription to facilitate this. We are continuing pay-what-you-can which has allowed hundreds of financially insecure audience members to enjoy early music.
We are not only continuing to stream three concerts a year, but we have partnered with WKCR at Columbia University to broadcast several of our concerts on the radio and online. All of this is listed here, and none of it is possible without your incredible support.
Thank you for playing such a huge role in our family. Like a microcosm of New York City itself, we are many, but we are also one.
Bill Barclay
Artistic Director
Thank you for a sensational 50th anniversary season. We will announce next year’s artists this month.
Please follow us to be the first to know.
Upcoming Concerts
Explore Our Upcoming Events and Experience Live Music at Its Finest!
East of the River
ANENU • ANSWER US
- Sunday, September 21
- 5:00 PM
- CORPUS CHRISTI CHURCH
On the eve of the Jewish New Year, East of the River evokes the cycle of life - the sacred and the secular. From synagogues to Shabbat dinners, from wedding parties to kitchen hearths, with songs about the joys, sorrows, and yearnings of ev..
Sandeep Das and Friends
RHYTHM OF LIGHT
- Sunday, October 19
- 5:00 PM
- CORPUS CHRISTI CHURCH
Celebrate Diwali, India’s famous Festival of Lights, with a mesmerizing concert curated by Grammy-winning tabla maestro Sandeep Das! Rooted in ancient mythology, Diwali marks Lord Rama’s victory over the evil King Ravana, and the Goddes..
Cappella Pratensis
A REQUIEM FOR ALL SOULS
- Sunday, November 2
- 5:00 PM
- CORPUS CHRISTI CHURCH
“Has it then fallen silent, the golden voice of Ockeghem?” So laments the humanist Desiderius Erasmus, mourning the passing of the great composer and singer Johannes Ockeghem. With this programme, the Gramophone Award-winning en..
Juilliard415 directed by Shunske Sato
CHRISTMAS IN A LEIPZIG COFFEEHOUSE
- Sunday, December 7
- 5:00 PM
- CORPUS CHRISTI CHURCH
Virtuoso violinist Shunske Sato directs Juilliard 415 in a program focused on the rich musical traditions of Leipzig, both sacred and secular. This colorful concert will feature soloists from Juilliard's Marcus Institute for Vocal Arts and ..
Ruckus featuring Keir GoGwilt and Fiona Gillespie
EDINBURGH ROLLICK
- Sunday, January 25
- 5:00 PM
- CORPUS CHRISTI CHURCH
Sláinte Mhath! January 25 is the birthday of Scottish poet Robert Burns, and each year since 1801 the event is celebrated with poetry and song. Ruckus and violin virtuoso Keir GoGwilt celebrate the legacy of Niel Gow (b. Perthshire, 1727-1..
The Gesualdo Six and Concert Theatre Works
DEATH OF GESUALDO
- Friday, February 13
- 7:30 PM
- The Cathedral Church of St John the Divine
Following the huge international success of Secret Byrd, creator/director Bill Barclay teams up for a second collaboration with The Gesualdo Six to celebrate their namesake composer, Carlo Gesualdo (1566-1613). Infamous for murdering his w..
Irish Baroque Orchestra with Hugh Cutting, countertenor
THE TRIALS OF TENDUCCI
- Sunday, March 15
- 5:00 PM
- CORPUS CHRISTI CHURCH
Giusto Ferdinando Tenducci was a celebrated castrato in 1760s Dublin who led a colourful life. People flocked to hear him perform and he counted Johann Christian Bach, Mozart and Thomas Arne among his illustrious admirers. He briefly taught..
Apollo’s Fire
O JERUSALEM!
- Sunday, April 12
- 5:00 PM
- NY Society for Ethical Culture on W64th St. 2 W 64th St, New York, NY
In this musical tour of the four quarters of Old Jerusalem (Jewish, Christian, Arab, and Armenian/Byzantine), surprising cross-influences emerge. A Sabbath prayer leads to a Sephardic ballad of a lover betrayed
Didem Basar, kanun
LEVANTINE RHAPSODY
- Sunday, May 31
- 5:00 PM
- CORPUS CHRISTI CHURCH
To celebrate the Muslim festival Eid al-Adha, Turkish kanun virtuoso Didem Basar intertwines two influences: Turkish and Western classical music. The dialogue is enriched by Turkish maqams (modes), ornate rhythmic cycles and astonishing imp..
NYC's Oldest Early Music Presenter
Music Before 1800 is New York City’s oldest music organization, dedicated to bringing world-class performances of early music to audiences for over four decades.
Each month, we present a unique, one-time concert featuring renowned performers from around the globe. Your donations are vital to our mission, helping us continue to share these extraordinary experiences with the NYC community. Support Music Before 1800 and keep history alive through the power of music!
Markus Passion
The Sebastians and Chatham Baroque
Carnegie Music Hall
Only until May 18
Featuring Joseph Marcell as the Evangelist.
Past Concerts 2024/25 Season
Juilliard415
Live: Sunday, May 18 4:00 PM
The Sebastians & Chatham Baroque
Live: Sunday, April 13 4:00 PM
Simon Shaheen and Friends
Live: Sunday, March 2 4:00 PM
Holger Falk with Nuovo Aspetto
Live: Sunday, February 9 4:00 PM
Sequentia
Live: Sunday, January 12 4:00 PM
Diderot String Quartet
Live: Sunday, December 15 4:00 PM
The Gesualdo Six with Abendmusik
Live: Saturday, November 9 6:00 PM
Vox Luminis
Live: Sunday, October 27 4:00 PM
Amanda Forsythe with Pacific MusicWorks
Live: Sunday, September 22 4:00 PM
SEATING
CORPUS CHRISTI CHURCH
529 West 121st Street, New York, NY
- Tickets are not refundable and cannot be exchanged.
- Tickets may be converted to a tax-deductible contribution if notice is given at least 48 hours before the concert.
- We offer pay-what-you-can for all live concerts pending availability.
- Tickets may be purchased at the door by cash, check, or credit card.
- The doors and box office open 30 minutes before each concert begins.
- In the event of a cancelation, we will offer you 1) a full refund; 2) a conversion to a virtual ticket with a partial refund or contribution; 3) or a conversion to a contribution of the full amount.
Our home
Our home for the last 50 years has been Corpus Christi Church on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. This functioning Catholic church possesses a perfect acoustic for early music, and is cherished by musicians all around the globe.
Pricing
Special Events:
Subscription
Regular Subscription (9 Concerts):
FAQ
Find Answers to Common Questions: Everything You Need to Know About Our Events, Pricing, and More!
Music Before 1800 is an organization dedicated to presenting historically informed performances of early music composed before the year 1800. Our series features renowned artists and ensembles specializing in Medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque music.
Our concerts are typically held at Corpus Christi Church providing an acoustically rich environment ideal for early music.
Yes! Many of our performances are available for online streaming. Check our https://mb1800.my.salesforce-sites.com/ticket/#/ for upcoming live streams and recorded concerts.
Our programming includes:
- Gregorian chant and Medieval polyphony.
- Renaissance choral works and madrigals.
- Baroque masterpieces such as cantatas, sonatas, and concertos.
Yes, our performers use period instruments, such as lutes, viols, harpsichords, and natural horns, to replicate the sounds of the era as authentically as possible.
Nuovo Aspetto makes their MB1800 debut with Il Gondoliere Veneziano featuring recorded soundscapes with baritone Holger Falk. Vox Luminis returns with A German Baroque Requiem, a newly designed companion to Brahms’ seminal work. Benjamin Bagby’s great medievalists Sequentia are back with a rare world premiere. And in their annual concert, Juilliard415 offers a captivating look at neglected Baroque gems from the Catholic missions of Bolivia and Peru.
Tickets can be purchased directly from our website at mb1800.org Subscriptions and single-concert tickets are available.
Yes, we offer discounted rates for seniors. Visit our ticketing page for details.
You can support us by:
- Attending our concerts.
- Making a tax-deductible donation.
- Becoming a sponsor or joining our membership program.
Visit our https://mb1800.org/support/ for more details.
We welcome volunteers to assist with event organization, outreach, and administrative tasks. Please contact us at concertmanager@mb1800.oprg if you’re interested.
Some of our past performances are available as recordings. Follow us on social media for updates.
Join our mailing list to receive newsletters and updates about upcoming concerts, special events, and artist announcements.
Become A Volunteer at Music Before 1800
Join the Music Before 1800 team as a front-of-house volunteer and be part of NYC’s longest-running early music concert series! Enjoy a complimentary seat at our performances while supporting world-class programming. It’s a rewarding way to experience the music and connect with a dedicated community.
