The Los Angeles Master Chorale in a 2023 performance at Walt Disney Concert Hall | Credit: Jamie Pham

Beethoven’s Missa solemnis and Verdi’s Requiem are beloved masterpieces for chorus and orchestra. But their respective popularity has often overshadowed two lesser-known works: Beethoven’s Mass in C Major and Verdi’s Four Sacred Pieces.

The Los Angeles Master Chorale will kick off its 2025–2026 season with a double bill of those underappreciated gems. Artistic Director Grant Gershon will conduct an ensemble of 92 singers, soloists, and orchestra at Walt Disney Concert Hall on Oct. 5.

It promises to be a grand start to a typically diverse and innovative season that will also feature a very familiar Mozart masterpiece and new or recent works by contemporary composers including David Lang, Jeff Beal, and Reena Esmail. Gershon calls the lineup “a profound exploration of our connection to the natural world and to each other, the monumental power of music, and the unifying strength of the human spirit.”

The Pulitzer Prize-winning Lang will be represented by before and after nature, which premiered at Stanford University earlier this year. On Nov. 16, Gershon will conduct members of the Master Chorale and the Bang on a Can All-Stars in the piece, which explores how we define and understand nature.

Associate Artistic Director Jenny Wong conducting the Los Angeles Master Chorale | Credit: Jamie Pham

“Common Ground,” the program on Feb. 1, 2026, will feature Henryk Górecki’s 1981 Miserere, which was inspired by the Solidarity movement in Poland, and The Beatitudes, a world-premiere commission by Beal. The five-time Emmy Award winner is best known as a composer for film (Pollock) and television (House of Cards). Associate Artistic Director Jenny Wong will conduct.

On April 19, 2026, Gershon will lead the ever-popular Mozart Requiem along with a rarity: Fanny Mendelssohn’s Oratorio on Words From the Bible.

“Sound Waves,” the season finale on May 31, 2026, will feature three contemporary works that explore the theme of water: Reena Esmail’s Malhaar: A Requiem for Water, plus world premieres by Marques L.A. Garrett and Hyowon Woo.

The season will also sport two sing-alongs: one on Nov. 9 featuring pop classics by Paul Simon, Woody Guthrie, and more and another on Dec. 22 featuring Handel’s Messiah. Many additional holiday programs are also planned, including an “English Cathedral Christmas” on Dec. 14 and a fully professionally sung Messiah on Dec. 21.

Season subscriptions, which are now on sale, start at $108. Single tickets will be available Aug. 1. For more information, call 213-972-7282 or go to the Master Chorale’s website.

Tom Jacobs is a former senior staff writer for Santa Barbara-based Pacific Standard magazine, and a former staff writer for the Los Angeles Daily News and Santa Barbara News-Press. He tracks and analyzes trends in the arts and social sciences, with an emphasis on psychology, the role of culture and the cultivation of creativity. A native of Chicago, he earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in journalism from Northwestern University.