April 23 at Church of the Ascension
New York, N.Y. (March 24, 2026) — Voices of Ascension, the New York City-based professional chorus dedicated to sharing the transformative power of choral music through performances, commissions, and community engagement, presents Masters of the Renaissance: The Netherlands School on Thursday, April 23, 2026 at 7:30 p.m. at the Church of the Ascension.
Building on their acclaimed recordings, such as Beyond Chant: Mysteries of the Renaissance, Voices of Ascension continues to illuminate the depth and beauty of Renaissance choral music with works spanning more than two centuries of history, starting with the Early Renaissance master Josquin des Prez and his motets, Ave Maria and Tu Pauperum Refugium, and going all the way to the High Renaissance with motets from the greatest Netherlands composer of his time, Rolande de Lassus, including his Ave Verum Corpus, Justorum Animae, and Surrexit Pastor Bonus.
The concert also includes works from the Transitional Period of Late Renaissance to Early Baroque in Amsterdam (early 1600’s) with seldom-heard, but exceptionally poetic and colorful French Huguenot Psalms and motets of Dutch composer Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck. These works constitute a major body of choral music but are almost never performed, reaffirming the ensemble’s dedication to bringing historical masterpieces to contemporary audiences with authenticity and passion.
For Voices of Ascension’s final concert of the season on Thursday, May 21, 2026 at 7:30 p.m. at the Church of the Ascension, Beth Willer – Founder and Artistic Director of Lorelei Ensemble and Director of Choral Studies at the Peabody Institute – leads Voices of Ascension in a blend of contemporary and historical repertoire.
Program Information
Masters of the Renaissance: The Netherlands School
Thursday, April 23, 2026 at 7:30 p.m.
Church of the Ascension | 36 Fifth Avenue at 10th St. | New York, NY 10011
Link: https://www.voicesofascension.org/josquin26
Program:
Josquin des Prez – Ave Maria and Tu Pauperum Refugium
Rolande de Lassus – Ave Verum Corpus, Justorum Animae, Surrexit Pastor Bonus, and Mon Coeur se recommande à vous
Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck – French Huguenot Psalms and motets
Pierre Passereau – Il est belle et bon
Artists:
Voices of Ascension
Dennis Keene, Artistic Director and Conductor
About Voices of Ascension
Voices of Ascension is one of New York City’s premier professional choral ensembles, dedicated to presenting masterworks for chorus and orchestra at the highest artistic level. Founded in 1990 by Artistic Director Dennis Keene, Voices has built an international reputation for its exquisite choral artistry, innovative programming, and commitment to expanding the choral canon.
Performances by the Grammy-nominated ensemble have been praised as “richly colored, impressive, and beautifully balanced” (Wall Street Journal) and “inspired” (The New York Times). The ensemble’s landmark Duruflé Festival, the first-ever complete retrospective of the composer’s works, established Voices as a leader in presenting comprehensive explorations of major choral composers. Since then, Voices of Ascension has continued to champion both historical and contemporary repertoire, with a special commitment to new music, including commissions and premieres—particularly by female composers—in partnership with the Sorel Organization.
Throughout its 35-year history, Voices of Ascension has produced an acclaimed annual concert series, released multiple Grammy-nominated recordings, and engaged in artistic collaborations with the San Francisco Symphony, Mostly Mozart Festival, José Limón Dance, the Mark Morris Dance Group, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and others. The ensemble has also been a longtime partner of The Church of the Ascension, home to the Manton Memorial Organ, the only French-built organ in the United States, and a direct link to Voices’ deep engagement with French sacred music traditions.
The organization plays an important role in mentoring emerging artists through its Voices of Promise program, which has supported over 50 young professional vocal soloists, and in creating community connections through Voices of Experience, an initiative bringing choral music to NYC’s senior centers.
About Dennis Keene
Dennis Keene is Artistic Director and Conductor of the Voices of Ascension. Known internationally through his many concerts and recordings with Voices of Ascension as well as his regular guest appearances as conductor and teacher, he is one of the leading choral conductors in the world today.
Recognized early as an exceptional organist, Dennis Keene studied at The Juilliard School, where he earned the BM, MM, and DMA degrees and the coveted Gaston Dethier Organ Prize as a student of Vernon de Tar. Dr. Keene also studied privately in Paris with Marie-Madeleine Duruflé, André Marchal, and André Isoir.
In addition to his work with Voices of Ascension, Dr. Keene continues as Organist and Choirmaster of Church of the Ascension in New York City. He served for many years on the Board of Directors of Chorus America, the national service organization for the choral field, which honored him with the first Louis Botto Award for “innovative action and entrepreneurial zeal in developing a professional ensemble of exceptional artistic quality.” He has also served on the Choral Panel of the National Endowment for the Arts and on the Music Panel of the New York State Council on the Arts.
From 1998 to 2003, Maestro Keene presented a major summer institute for the training of conductors and singers: The Dennis Keene Choral Festival, in Kent, Connecticut. In 1993, he began his recording association with Delos International, with which he has recorded such best-selling CDs as Beyond Chant, the Duruflé Album, and the Berlioz Te Deum. This series of highly acclaimed recordings with Voices of Ascension has secured international recognition for both conductor and chorus and become the standard for first-ranked ensembles worldwide.
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