Modus Operandi Orchestra presents Celebrating America at 250
Merkin Hall, NY: November 19, 2026
Featuring treasured compositions by Copland, Barber, Montgomery and Dvořák

New York, NY — On Thursday, November 19 at 6:30 pm, New York-based Modus Operandi Orchestra (MOO) returns to Merkin Hall in a concert of works by Copland, Barber, Montgomery and Dvořák. This celebration of America’s 250th anniversary offers a powerful program showcasing the extraordinary breadth and vitality of American music.

Founded by conductor and music director Justin Bischof, MOO – Modus Operandi Orchestra is comprised of some of the finest freelance orchestral players in the country.

Guest artist, acclaimed Canadian operatic soprano Katherine Whyte will be the soloist for Barber’s beloved Knoxville: Summer of 1915.

Complete Program:

AARON COPLAND   Fanfare for the Common Man
JESSIE MONTGOMERY Coincident Dances
SAMUEL BARBER Knoxville: Summer of 1915, Op. 24, Katherine Whyte, soprano
SAMUEL BARBER Adagio for Strings, Op. 11
ANTONIN DVOŘÁK Symphony No. 9 in E minor, Op. 95, “From the New World”

The concert will take place at the Merkin Hall, Kaufman Music Center, Abraham Goodman House, 129 West 67th Street, New York, NY. T 212 501 3330. Tickets are $45 and $85 and can be purchased through www.kaufmanmusiccenter.org

Modus Operandi Orchestra
Modus Operandi Orchestra’s mission is to present symphonic, operatic and choral repertoire at the highest artistic level with the goal to engage and enrich the local community. A vital component of its mission is to provide the opportunity for some of the finest freelance musicians in New York City, led by internationally acclaimed conductor Justin Bischof, to perform the staples of the great symphonic and operatic repertory as well as contemporary works and world premieres with their colleagues. Their concerts have been met with critical acclaim and a dedicated audience following. Many of their players have gone on to perform with major ensembles including Berlin’s Konzerthaus Orchestra, Metropolitan Opera, New York Philharmonic, Cleveland Orchestra, Hong Kong Philharmonic, Seattle Symphony and St. Paul’s Chamber Orchestra. MOO’s stellar roster of international guest soloists have appeared with Vienna Philharmonic, Royal Opera House Covent Garden, Grand Théâtre de Genève, Edinburgh Festival, Lyric Opera Chicago, New Israeli Opera, Canadian Opera Company, Seattle Symphony, Hong Kong Opera, Seattle Opera, Vlaamse Opera (Belgium), Sante Fe Opera, Montreal Opera, Opera North (UK), New York City Opera, Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center.  

Justin Bischof, Founder, Artistic Director & Conductor of MOO
New York City based Justin Bischof is an internationally acclaimed conductor, concert organist, pianist, and improviser whose career spans the orchestral, operatic, and solo worlds. He has appeared at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, the Tonhalle Zürich, St. Paul’s Cathedral London, Notre-Dame Paris, Cologne Cathedral, and the Royal Opera House Muscat, and has collaborated with distinguished artists including Joshua Bell, Bright Sheng, Tan Dun, and Roberta Peters.

As a conductor, Bischof has worked with the National Arts Centre Orchestra, Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, Ensemble Orchestral de Paris, Royal Symphony Orchestra of Oman, Neue Philharmonie Frankfurt, and other ensembles internationally. His operatic work includes the critically acclaimed Australian premiere of Robert Ward’s Pulitzer Prize winning The Crucible.

Katherine Whyte, Soprano
Canadian soprano Katherine Whyte has appeared to critical acclaim on opera and concert stages throughout North America, Europe, and Asia. Following her Metropolitan Opera debut in Strauss’s Die Ägyptische Helena, she returned to the company in Iolanta, Rigoletto, and Parsifal. Her operatic appearances include leading roles with the Canadian Opera Company, English National Opera, Vancouver Opera, Opera Hong Kong, Dallas Opera, Atlanta Opera, and Michigan Opera Theatre.

A distinguished concert artist, Whyte has appeared with the San Francisco Symphony, National Symphony Orchestra, Houston Symphony, Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, Colorado Symphony, Eugene Symphony, and orchestras throughout North America and abroad. Her repertoire includes Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, Handel’s Messiah, Brahms’s Ein deutsches Requiem, Mozart’s Requiem and Mass in C minor, Poulenc’s Gloria, and Orff’s Carmina Burana.

Winner of the 2007 Alice Tully Vocal Arts Debut Recital Competition, Whyte made her Carnegie Hall recital debut at Weill Recital Hall in 2008. She has since performed internationally in venues including Belgrade’s celebrated Kolarac Hall and with orchestras in China and Taiwan.

Cziffra Festival Presents: Hungarian Pianist János Balázs
Hommage à Cziffra: Works by Chopin, Liszt, Ravel, Schumann
November 16, 2026 7:30 PM

New York, NY — Following his acclaimed debut last season, renowned Hungarian pianist János Balázs returns to Carnegie Hall for a solo recital honoring the legacy of György Cziffra, one of the 20th century’s legendary masters. 

Known for his technical brilliance, improvisational freedom, and expressive range, Cziffra redefined what was possible on the instrument and remains an enduring figure of artistic resilience. Channeling that same spirit, as part of the Cziffra Festival, Balázs brings a blend of depth, nuance, and effortless command to New York, showcasing the distinct identity of the Hungarian piano tradition. 

Steering clear of standard programming, Balázs offers a captivating selection of Romantic works. The evening opens with the warmth of Schumann’s Widmung (transcribed by Liszt) and the vivid storytelling of Carnaval. The music then flows through the energy of Liszt’s Spanish Rhapsody, the elegance of Chopin’s Andante spianato et grande polonaise brillante, and Liszt’s iconic Hungarian Rhapsody No. 12, before concluding with a dramatic finish in Ravel’s La Valse. Presented by Cziffra Festival with support from the National Cultural Fund.

The concert will be held at Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall, located near Seventh Avenue between 56th and 57th streets, New York on Monday, November 16  at 7:30pm. Tickets start at $41. Purchase tickets at www.carnegiehall.org

Complete Program:

• Schumann-Liszt: Widmung
• Schumann: Carnaval, Op. 9
• Liszt: Spanish Rhapsody, S. 254 
• Chopin: Andante spianato et grande polonaise brillante, Op. 22
• Liszt: Hungarian Rhapsody, No.12
• Ravel: La Valse

The Cziffra Festival, founded in Hungary, is a classical music festival dedicated to preserving and carrying forward the artistic legacy of György Cziffra, one of the most remarkable Hungarian pianists of the 20th century. Bringing together world-renowned artists and outstanding emerging talents, the festival presents concerts and cultural programs in Hungary and internationally, while promoting the values that defined Cziffra’s artistry: virtuosity, individuality, artistic freedom, and openness across musical genres. Over the years, the festival has grown beyond Hungary, building an increasingly strong international presence and introducing Cziffra’s legacy to audiences across Europe and beyond.

About the artist:

János Balázs is keen to demonstrate his improvisation skills in various areas beyond the classical stage, such as jazz, world music, or folk music, which is always imbued with classical music’s values and the 20th-century tradition of improvisation.

Music critiques highlight the delicacy and diverse colours of his piano playing, his unlimited dynamic scale and his fascinating virtuosity. Attending János Balázs’ concerts is a genuine time travel, as he evokes with full force the intimate ambience of the composers and pianists of the so-called 19th century golden age, like Franz Liszt or Frédéric Chopin.

He is a returning artist of the Concertgebouw, Amsterdam, the Tchaikovsky Conservatory, Moscow, the Cologne Philharmonic, the Liszt Academy and MüPa in Budapest. He has given celebrated concerts on the stages of the Cité de la Musique, Palau de Musica, Barbican Centre, Wiener Konzerthaus and the Royal Conservatory. He collaborated with such famed orchestras and conductors as Charles Dutoit, Gábor Takács-Nagy, Peter Eötvös, the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Iván Fischer, the Royal Concertgebouworkest, Mikko Franck and the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France.

Tuesday, October 13, 2026 at 7:30 PM
Weill Recital Hall
Features two world premieres by Stella Sung and Rodney Lister, a U.S. premiere by Nansong Huang and Works by Chen Yi, Mary Lou Williams, Prokofiev/Pletnev.

New York, NY — Forte International Group presents pianist Chengcheng Ma in an evening celebrating cross-cultural dialogue through piano music on Tuesday, October 13, 2026 at 7:30 PM at his Carnegie Hall debut at Weill Recital Hall. This appearance follows his full-house New York City solo recital debut at Merkin Hall, Kaufman Music Center, in January 2026. The program features new works and established masterworks for solo piano and two pianos. Ma is joined by distinguished guest pianists Pavel Nersessian, Rodney Lister, EunAe Lee, and Yimiao Fang. The program includes two world premieres by Stella Sung and Rodney Lister, the U.S. premiere of Nansong Huang’s Reflections on Dunhuang, and works by Chen Yi, Mary Lou Williams, Prokofiev/Pletnev.

The performance takes place at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, 57th Street and Seventh Avenue, New York, NY. Tickets start at $30, with student and senior discount tickets available at the box office. Visit www.carnegiehall.org for tickets.

PROGRAM

Nansong Huang; Reflections on Dunhuang, Piano Suite for solo piano (U.S. premiere); Chengcheng Ma, piano
Mary Lou Williams; Offertory Meditation; Chengcheng Ma, piano
Rodney Lister; My Time with the Cholmondeleys for two pianos (commissioned work; world premiere); Rodney Lister and Chengcheng Ma, pianos
Stella Sung; The Persistence of Time for two pianos (commissioned work; world premiere); EunAe Lee and Chengcheng Ma, pianos
Chen Yi; China West Suite for two pianos; Yimiao Fang and Chengcheng Ma, pianos
Sergei Prokofiev, arranged by Mikhail Pletnev; Cinderella Suite for two pianos; Pavel Nersessian and Chengcheng Ma, pianos

“In creating this program, I wanted to bring Chinese, American, and European musical voices into dialogue, allowing each tradition to retain its identity while illuminating the others. These works also reflect my own path – from China to the United States, from classical repertoire to contemporary commissions and jazz – and the artistic relationships that have shaped this concert.”    – Chengcheng Ma

BIOS

Pianist Chengcheng Ma has appeared as a concert pianist, concerto soloist, orchestral pianist, collaborative artist, and interpreter of contemporary music, with performances across the United States, Europe, and Asia. He has performed with orchestras including Sinfonia da Camera under Maestro Ian Hobson, Brookline Symphony Orchestra under Maestro Andrew Altenbach, Boston University Symphony Orchestra under Maestro James Burton, and Hebei Province Symphony Orchestra under Maestro Peng Tuo. His concerto repertoire includes major works by Beethoven, Mozart, Tchaikovsky, Ravel, Brahms, and John Corigliano.

Pavel Nersessian is widely regarded by musicians, critics and listeners as one of the most refined and inwardly powerful pianists of his generation. He has been touring Russia and neighboring countries since the age of eight and has performed in many of the world’s major cultural centers. Since 2013, he has served as Professor of Piano at Boston University.

Rodney Lister is currently on the faculty of Boston University and the Preparatory School of the New England Conservatory, where he teaches composition, theory, and chamber music and is co-director of the annual contemporary music festival. His 2025 Métier choral album Of Mere Being, features Chengcheng Ma as pianist on 21 works. He will join Ma in the world premiere of his commissioned two-piano work at this concert.

Dr. EunAe Lee is an award-winning Korean pianist. Throughout her career, she has delivered deeply engaging solo recitals and appeared with leading orchestras.

Yimiao Fang is an active classical pianist, piano educator and harpsichordist who has given performances and lectures around the world. Ms. Fang is a current doctoral candidate in piano performance at The Hartt School, and graduated from Manhattan School of Music in New York City for both her undergraduate and master’s degrees in piano performance.

Stella Sung served as the first Composer-in-Residence for the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra (2008-2011), and was one of the five composers nationally selected for a “Music Alive” award, a three-year award that allowed Dr. Sung to serve as Composer-In-Residence for the Dayton Performing Arts Alliance (2013-16), Dr. Sung is currently Composer-in-Residence for Dance Alive National Ballet (Gainesville, FL).

Chen Yi is a prolific composer who blends Chinese and Western traditions, transcending cultural and musical boundaries.

Nansong Huang graduated with a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Piano Performance and Pedagogy at Northwestern University, and he is currently a full-time member of the piano faculty at Xi’an Conservatory of Music.

Mary Lou Williams (1910–1981) was one of the most influential American jazz pianists, composers, and arrangers of the twentieth century.

Forte International Group is a global cultural enterprise dedicated to fostering artistic exchange between China and the United States. Through concert production, competitions, and international collaboration, the Group provides transformative opportunities for the next generation of artists and supports a global network of performers, educators, and institutions.