2023 Christmas Concert

December 2023 brought the Cathedral Choir, Youth Choir, and Orchestra’s 47th annual iteration of their storied Christmas Concert, “The Sounds of Christmas,” to the Cathedral’s congregation and audiences from across the tri-state area.

The concert opened with Beethoven’s immortal Ode to Joy, sung in both Greek and English; featured pieces included Ralph Vaughan Williams’ Fantasia on Christmas Carols with baritone soloist Eleftherios Chasanidis, the New York premiere of Amy Messenger’s God Is With Us, Mihális Adhámis’ setting of the Christmas Idiomela Δόξα εν υψίστοις – Εν Βηθλεέμ, and the premiere of Dawn Helene’s arrangement of the traditional and beloved Good King Wenceslas, featuring the Cathedral Youth Choir and bass soloist Stephan Kirchgraber. Works by Geroges Bizet, Theodore Bogdanos, Paul Maritsas, and Pavel Chesnokov were also included, to general acclaim. The program closed with the now-traditional sing-along of favorite Greek and American Christmas carols.

The concert was under the baton of Maestro Costas Tsourakis, the Cathedral’s Director of Music. The concert particularly highlighted the work of the Cathedral Youth Choir, which was started by Maestro Tsourakis in September 2021 to teach the Cathedral youth community about music and the hymns of the church. Associate Conductor Hilary Baboukis also took the podium, and her orchestrations were featured for several pieces. The annual Christmas Concert at Holy Trinity Cathedral is a staple in the New York holiday concert scene, continuing a tradition that began with the first Cathedral Christmas Concert under the baton of the late maestro Dr. Dino Anagnost in 1976.

A “virtual concert” recording of “The Sounds of Christmas” was also made available to ticket-purchasers and was enjoyed by viewers around the world. Highlights were also featured on Greek national television!

2024 Cabaret

Members of the Cathedral Choir and Youth Choir serenaded the audience with popular songs, Broadway showtunes, Greek songs, opera and more, including music by Berlin, Bernstein, Bizet, Gershwin, Puccini, Theodorakis, and many other luminaries. The evening was hosted by Maestro Costas Tsourakis and included food, drinks, and a 50/50 raffle, all in support of the Cathedral Youth Choir’s need for new choir robes. The evening was an incredible success!

2024 Lenten Concert

The Cathedral Choir was thrilled to present its annual Lenten concert, “The Sounds of Lent,” on Saturday, March 23, 2024. The concert opened with Benedict Sheehan’s extraordinary Evening Prayer, which was excerpted from his Vespers (which had its world premiere at the Cathedral in November 2022!) The program also featured the American premiere of John Baboukis’s Άξιον Εστίν, as part of Dr. Baboukis’ work as Dino Anagnost Artist-in-Residence, the world premiere of Hilary Baboukis’ Φως Ιλαρόν — O Gladsome Light, and new orchestrations of Anna Gallos’ Ἱνατί ἐφρύαξαν ἔθνη, Theodore Bogdanos’ Ἐξελέξατο Κύριος τὴν Σιών, and Alexander Gretchaninov’s Cherubic Hymn, Ο Χερουβικός Ύμνος. In accordance with tradition, the concert closed with the congregational singing of portions of Dino Anagnost’s arrangements of the Lamentations and the Manos Kalomiris ‘Τῇ ὑπερμάχῳ (from his symphony Levendia).

The concert was under the baton of Maestro Costas Tsourakis, the Cathedral’s Director of Music, with guest appearances at the podium by Dr. John Baboukis, the Dino Anagnost Artist-in-Residence, and Hilary Baboukis, the Associate Conductor. It featured both the Cathedral Youth Choir and the Cathedral Orchestra. The concert was also made available through YouTube for virtual attendees, and was viewed by audiences around the world, to wide acclaim.

Mimis Plessas at 100

The Archdiocesan Cathedral Choir, under the direction of Maestro Costas Tsourakis, presented an evening of some of Mimis Plessas’ most well-known and beloved songs, sung by members of the Choir and Youth Choir and joined by the Archdiocesan Cathedral Greek Orchestra. The program featured soprano Olga Xanthopoulou, with additional solo appearances by Sophia Pelekasis, Hilary Baboukis, and Costas Tsourakis. The undisputed stars of the evening, however, were the Cathedral Youth Choir, who captivated and charmed the audience with their performances. The evening’s proceeds benefited the Cathedral’s music ministry, and the evening was considered a success by all!