Time flies when you are making beautiful music. Verdigris Ensemble, a Dallas-based choral ensemble, marks its 10th anniversary with BREATH, a milestone season exploring renewal, transformation, and human connection.
Founded in 2017 by Artistic Director Sam Brukhman, Verdigris Ensemble has always challenged the traditional concept of the choral music experience. It makes sense that an arts organization that has always done things a little differently would theme its milestone season “Leave Different”. The 2026–2027 season features immersive performances, a studio album release, a new educational partnership, and the world premiere of Brukhman’s first original composition.
“Ten years in, I keep thinking less about what Verdigris has been and more about what it can become,” Brukhman said . “I’m grateful for every person who has shaped this work, and hopeful that the next decade will allow us to imagine new forms of music, gathering, and connection that we haven’t yet seen.”
Teresa NguyenTeresa Nguyen
Verdigris Ensemble’s Artistic Director Sam Brukhman at New Museum’s laboratory.
As Verdigris Ensemble enters its second decade, Brukhman is entering a new phase of professional development. He has been selected as one of only 83 members of the 2026–2027 NEW INC cohort, New York’s New Museum’s internationally recognized cultural incubator supporting artists and innovators working at the intersection of art, technology, and entrepreneurship.
“This season is the most personal season I’ve ever had with Verdigris,” Brukhman said. “It feels in many ways like a pilgrimage to understanding myself and hopefully helping others understand themselves through someone else’s experiences.”
VERDIGRIS ENSEMBLE’S 2026-2027 SEASON
Betty’s Notebook Album Release
Date and venue to be announced
The season includes the release of the Betty’s Notebook studio album and a public listening party. Originally created as an immersive choral performance and interactive installation, Betty’s Notebook explores the mysterious final radio transmissions heard by a teenage girl in 1937.
Richard Hill PhotographyRichard Hill Photography
Verdigris Ensemble premiered Betty’s Notebook as a live concert in 2019.
The project gained international attention in 2021 as a pioneering blockchain-based musical artwork that sold for more than $375,000 as an interactive NFT. Since that release, Verdigris Ensemble toured the work to Southwestern American Choral Directors Association conference in 2022. Thanks to a $100,000 Eisemann Edge Initiative grant, the ensemble created Betty’s Notebook: The Immersive Experience & RE:Transmit in 2025.
January 29–30, 2027
Moody Performance Hall
The first mainstage production of the season invites audiences to experience sound in an entirely new way.
Created by composer and electronic artist Ricardo Romaneiro and performed with Verdigris Ensemble under the direction of Brukhman, Cantus Sound Bath transforms the traditional concert experience into an immersive audiovisual journey. Audiences are invited to relax and surrender to a world of live voices, instruments, electronics, and organic visuals that unfold throughout the space.
April 30–May 1, 2027
Moody Performance Hall
The season concludes with the world premiere of everything is okay, Brukhman’s first original composition, presented with generous support from Keith P. Mankin and Julia R. Fielding.
Drawing from personal experiences and family history, the work reflects on stroke, recovery, immigration, resilience, and the human condition. Through Verdigris Ensemble’s signature blend of immersive storytelling and vocal innovation, the piece explores how individuals navigate hardship, healing, and identity.
As both a composer and artistic director, Brukhman steps into a new creative chapter with a work that is deeply personal while speaking to universal experiences of transformation and hope.
As part of its anniversary season, Verdigris Ensemble will launch a new educational and performance partnership with Parish Episcopal School, creating opportunities for students to engage with innovative vocal music and creative collaboration.
Additional special events throughout the year will celebrate the organization’s first decade and the community that has helped shape its artistic journey.
Richard Hill PhotographyRichard Hill Photography
Verdigris Ensemble debuted Shams in 2023 at Moody Performance Hall in the Dallas Arts District. The 2025 restaging of Shams was recently recognized as D Magazine’s Best of Big D for Best Production.
Tickets for Verdigris Ensemble’s 10th Anniversary Season are available now at verdigrismusic.org. Pricing ranges from $20 student tickets and limited early bird tickets starting at $27 to value seating at $35, standard seating at $45, and premium seating at $65. Group discounts are available for parties of 10 or more. For group sales information, contact info@verdigrismusic.org.
Learn more:Verdigris Ensemble