Joyful Abundance

Saturday, June 6th, 4pm
Rodeph Shalom
601 N. Broad Street
Philadephia, PA 19106

Join Mendelssohn Chorus of Philadelphia for an extraordinary afternoon of world premieres as we present Joyful Abundance, featuring five original choral works created by emerging Philadelphia composers and poets. This groundbreaking concert pairs these exciting new compositions with Randall Thompson's beloved Testament of Freedom, creating a powerful dialogue between past and future.


As part of ArtPhilly: What Now: 2026—a city-wide festival celebrating the 250th anniversary of the birth of our country—this concert asks vital questions about America's past, present, and future through the voices of a new generation of artists.

Joyful Abundance represents more than a concert—it's our answer to What Now? Through mentorship with established Philadelphia composers and poets these emerging voices have crafted works that illuminate shared human experiences while celebrating our city's varied creative landscape.


Each composer-poet team will briefly share their creative process, followed by the poet's recitation of their original work, before the choral performance brings the collaboration to life. This unique format offers audiences intimate insight into how these new voices are addressing the challenges and possibilities of our time.


Joyful Abundance launches what will become a permanent bi-annual program, funded in part by the Alan Harler New Ventures Fund, supporting Philadelphia's emerging composers and poets, creating a lasting legacy that extends far beyond this season.


This project is supported in part by donations made to the Alan Harler New Ventures Fund, ArtPhilly, and The Musical Fund Society of Philadelphia.

Meet the Creative Teams

Hover over each square to learn more!

Baldwin Giang & Evan Wang

2023-2024 Samuel Barber Rome Prize winner pairs with the 9th Northeast Regional Youth Poet Laureate

Button
Asian man in a suit and tie smiles at the camera against a dark gray background.
Young Asian man smiles, wearing a black button-down shirt, standing in front of a YoungArts and Anthropologie backdrop.

Evan Wang

Poet

Read Bio
Bald man in a black jacket, smiling, outdoors. Blurred background of trees and fence.
Smiling Black woman with braided hair and dark lipstick, wearing earrings.

Ted Babcock & Octavia McBride-Ahebee

Grammy-nominated percussionist-composer collaborates with poet exploring African Diaspora experiences

Button
A person with light brown hair and glasses wearing a sleeveless denim shirt, standing in front of a white brick wall.
Woman with headwrap smiling, holding a pine branch, against a backdrop of a lush evergreen tree.
Smiling young woman with long brown hair, wearing a black top against a white background.

Leigha Amick

Read Bio
Woman with short, gray hair and glasses, wearing an orange top, smiles at the camera. She stands in front of a gray wall, a lanyard around her neck.
Woman with long brown hair, smiling at the camera, wearing a light blue top. Background includes brick and greenery.

Our Distinguished Mentors

We are deeply grateful to our exceptional mentors who generously contribute their expertise and artistry to this program.


Our Poet Mentors: Kayleb Rae Candrilli, Steven Kleinman, Elizabeth Scanlon, Raena Shirali, and Kirwyn Sutherland.


Our Composer Mentors: Erin Busch, Andrea Clearfield, Rollo Dilworth, Dominick DiOrio, and Melissa Dunphy.


Together, these distinguished artists represent the rich creative diversity that makes Philadelphia's artistic community so vibrant. Their mentorship is invaluable as we work to nurture the next generation of creative voices in our community.

Tickets & Subscriptions

For 15% off your ticket price, purchase a 4-concert subscription now thorugh October 26th! Single tickets will go on sale on September 1st!