The ensemble of singers and instrumentalists seeks to connect audiences to the authentic spirit of the music through vibrant concerts, which are always informed by cultural perspective and period performance. The repertoire tends to focus on the 18th century, although the group performs older and newer works as well, including numerous premieres. While championing well-known music by the masters, the ensemble also infuses into its programs lesser known pieces either by renowned or not as well-known composers.

Culturally and Historically Informed Style

NHOC presents distinctive repertoire in a way that allows performers and audiences alike to experience the music, as closely as possible, according to the stylistic intentions and expectations of the composers and the cultures that shaped them. In rehearsal and in concert, NHOC invites participants into the musical world of another time, and into new dimensions of our own time.

Performances

NHOC presents a subscription series of three concerts per year. The ensemble may also perform at special events and festivals, such as the Music Mountain Summer Music Festival, which takes place each summer in Falls Village, Connecticut, or the Festival of Arts and Ideas in New Haven. Periodically, NHOC collaborates with other prominent ensembes, such as the New Haven Symphony Orchestra or the Yale Russian Chorus.   

Ensemble Participation

Instrumentalists and soloists participate by invitation. Membership in the Choir is by audition. Generally the choir rehearses two hours per week on Wednesday evenings, 8:00 to 10:00 PM, at the Church of the Redeemer, corner of Whitney Avenue and Cold Spring Street, New Haven, CT. The choir occasionally engages in special rehearsals, recordings, and fundraisers.