The Young People's Chorus of New York City

Mission/Background

The Young People's Chorus of New York City (YPC), currently in residence at the 92nd Street Y, is a performance-based choral program that has evolved into an internationally acclaimed youth ensemble of 225 choristers, ages 8-26, in five choral divisions.

With a unique dual commitment to diversity and musical excellence, the YPC brings together children and youth representing the breadth and depth of New York City's population. Choristers hail from more than 100 public, private, and parochial schools in New York City's five boroughs, Long Island, Westchester, and New Jersey and represent a wide range of socioeconomic backgrounds and ethnic cultures.

Francisco J. Núñez

Under the direction of composer, conductor, and founder Francisco J. Núñez, the YPC performs over 40 public and private concerts, workshops and operas each year in performances at major New York City concert halls, such as Carnegie Hall, and at music festivals, colleges, and in concert series throughout the country. They have also performed at the White House and, internationally, have toured Canada, England, the Czech Republic and Austria, singing in such illustrious venues as Smetana Hall in Prague and St. Martins in the Fields in London. In 1999 the Young People's Chorus won First Place at the 1999 Song Burst Choir Competition in Des Moines, Iowa, where it competed against 17 choruses from four continents, and in 1997 took Second Place in the Prague International Choral Competition. Last year, the Young People's Chorus was the only chorus selected to represent America at Festival 500 in Newfoundland, where 40 choruses participated from eight international countries. This coming July the YPC has been invited to represent the U.S. in the Kathaumixw International Competition in British Columbia.

The diverse repertoire of the YPC ranges from classical to jazz and pop, with a particular emphasis on contemporary music, having commissioned and premiered works from student composers, emerging composers, and such established composers as John Tavener, Michael Torke, Elena Kats-Chernin, Morton Gould, and Steven Mackey.

The Chorus's 92nd Street Y residency has resulted in numerous collaborations, most notably "Transient Glory, the Voices of Children," the country's first concert series to focus on the children's chorus as an important instrument for making music. This past December, the YPC performed selections from Handel's Judas Maccabeus and the Hannukah Story by Kirk Kirchwey at the 92nd Street Y, the first concert of an annual holiday event presented by the 92nd Street Y.

Among YPC performance highlights during past seasons are Christmas at Carnegie Hall with the New York Choral Society and Indra Thomas, a Martin Luther King Concert at St. John the Divine with Alice Parker and Melodious Accord, the performance of Aaron Copland's only children's opera-Second Hurricane-for 3,500 public school children and families in New York and Westchester, and performing Orff's Carmina Burana with the Netherlands Youth Orchestra and the New York Pops at Carnegie Hall.

The Young People's Chorus of New York City has been a recognized leader in demonstrating a strong commitment to urban at-risk youth by the N.Y. State Assembly, the Mayor of New York City, and the Borough President's Office, and as a national model of artistic excellence and diversity by the President's Commission on the Arts and Humanities. They have been invited to perform with pop and classical artists from Celine Dion to Denyce Graves; before presidents, prime ministers, and royalty; and have appeared on ABC, NBC, FOX, PAX-TV, Telemundo, and National Public Radio.