Ring in the New Year with a dazzling musical celebration designed to inspire, uplift, and launch audiences into 2026 with energy and imagination. Led by Resident Conductor Jacobsen Woollen, the concert displays the vibrant works of Chen Yi, Stravinsky, and Mozart—each work exploring the thrill of leaving the old behind and stepping boldly into what’s next.

The evening opens with Chen Yi’s Shuo, meaning “to initiate,” a vivid musical journey through the beginnings of each month in the lunar calendar followed by Stravinsky’s Pulcinella, a witty, colorful score that reimagines the past through a modern lens. Written in the wake of World War I, the work embodies the spirit of reinvention, blending nostalgia with innovation.

At the heart of the concert is Mozart’s radiant Coronation Mass, featuring the Springfield Choral Society and four acclaimed soloists: soprano Elena Negruţă, mezzo-soprano Aubrey Hawkinson, tenor Justin Vickers, and bass Troy Castle.

Composed in 1779, the Coronation Mass marks a defining moment in Mozart’s life as he stepped away from court patronage to forge his own path as one of history’s first freelance composers. “There’s this exhilaration of jumping into the unknown and starting something anew,” says Woollen. “It’s the perfect message for a January concert.”

Jacobsen Woollen, Resident Conductor | Springfield Choral Society
Featuring Elena Negruţă, Soprano; Aubrey Hawkinson, Mezzo-Soprano; Justin Vickers, Tenor; and Troy Castle, Bass

Program:  Chen Yi Shuo – Stravinsky Pulcinella Suite - Mozart Coronation Mass

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