Advent Chorale | Voices of Praise Choir | Solo Opportunities
Music Mondays | Our Co-Directors of Music | More music events...

Music has historically been an important part of the Lutheran tradition and Advent is no exception. The Advent Chorale, one of the church's all-volunteer choirs, leads the congregation in worship on weekly basis. The Chorale's repertoire embraces the full range of the church's musical tradition, from the early medieval period, through the Baroque, Classical and Romantic movements, up to and including the American Spiritual and modern and contemporary composers.

If you enjoy singing music in parts, we'd love to have you jump in as a soprano, alto, tenor or bass. Advent Chorale is a great way to sing beautiful music, enjoy fellowship with the other singers and musicians, and inspire the congregation at our weekly worship. Wednesday rehearsals are at 7:30 pm, and Sunday mornings before the morning services.

Contact Aaron Wunsch, Advent's Director of Music, if you are interested: awunsch@gmail.com.

Advent's Voices of Praise Choir ("VOP") brings modern and contemporary Christian repertoire to Advent's worship services. We are a diverse group of enthusiastic singers who are united by our love for sharing the gospel message with inspired and uplifting song. We take time during rehearsal to share devotions and support each other in prayer. We sing 2-, 3- and 4-part arrangements of music composed by some of the most beloved artists in contemporary Christian music as well as original compositions created especially for choirs just like VOP.

Voices of Praise is open to all ages; just bring your joy of singing and fellowship! VOP rehearses on Thursday evenings at alternating times due to common Ground services. If you would like to join us, please contact Emily Ballentine Erb at emilyballentine@gmail.com.

Download the full season schedule here.

Our location on the Upper West Side of Manhattan means that many members of Advent are performing arts professionals; many others are aspiring or retired artists who are actively performing. These artists, both singers and instrumentalists, perform regularly in church services, in vocal and orchestral solos, duets and ensembles. Whether you are an accomplished professional or a gifted amateur, Advent Lutheran has a place for you. If you are interested in sharing your musical gifts, please contact Aaron Wunsch (awunsch@gmail.com), Emily Ballentine (emilyballentine@gmail.com) or Jordan Clawson (jordanclawson@gmail.com), Advent's Co-Directors of Music.

Brighten your Mondays with inspirational performances by today’Äôs most exciting ensembles...for free! Now in its seventh season, Music Mondays offers monthly concerts of great music to the Upper West Side community. Join us after every concert for a casual reception, where you can meet the musicians and visit with other audience members. All concerts begin at 7:30 p.m. Admission is free!

Donations are gratefully accepted and support the costs of the concert series.

• September 21 - Music Mondays Showcase
  Aaron Wunsch, piano; Douglas Drake, organ; Special guest musicians
  www.musicmondays.org
  Join Music Mondays' artistic directors and performers from past and current seasons as they kick off a new season of Music Mondays with a selection of vibrant and energetic ensemble music: Flor Peeters' thrilling Concerto for Piano and Organ, a mind-bending arrangement of J. S. Bach's Goldberg Variations for string trio, and Johannes Brahms's hair-raising Piano Quartet in G Minor
  
  October 19 - Sospiro Winds
  Kelli Kathman, flute; James Austin Smith, oboe; Romie de Guide-Langlois, clarinet;
  Alana Vegter, french horn; Adrian Morejon, bassoon
  www.sospirowinds.com
  Since their Carnegie Hall (Zankel) debut last year, the Sospiro Winds are drawing attention across the country for their sonic fireworks and richly sculpted tone. This "superb ensemble" (New Music Connoisseur) recently garnered the Silver Prize at the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition.
  
  November 16 - SONYC
  www.sonyc.org
  The "feisty" String Orchestra of New York City (SONYC) plays "with an appealing deftness" says the New York Times. Come hear some of New York's own finest string players join forces in this dynamic conductor-less ensemble.
  
  December 14 - TimeTable Percussion
  Alex Lipowski, Matthew Gold, and Matt Ward, percussion
  www.timetablepercussion.com
  Known for its riveting performances, TimeTable invites audiences to experience percussion up close. The iO String Quartet (www.ioquartet.com) joins TimeTable for a fascinating program of exotic works by Maurice Ravel and Greek composer Iannis Xenakis, as well as the U.S. Premiere of French composer George Aperghis' theatrical Triangle Carrˆ© for percussion trio and string quartet.
  
  January 25 - Tessera Quartet
  Stefan Jackiw, violin; Emily Daggett Smith, violin;
  Edward Klorman, violin; Michael Haas, cello
  www.tesseraquartet.com
  One of the most exciting currently emerging ensembles, the Tessera Quartet is captivating audiences with its glowing sound and bold interpretations. Later this year it will record all of Lowell Lieberman's string quartets for Koch Records.
  
  February 15 - ECCO
  www.eastcoastchamberorchestra.com
  The passionate and joyous string players of ECCO (the East Coast Chamber Orchestra) return to Music Mondays. Find out why these extraordinary musicians have enraptured audiences across the globe, creating "a kind of heat that took the music-making to a higher or deeper place." (Philadelphia Inquirer)
  
  
  March 22 - Daedalus Quartet
  Min-Young Kim, violin; Kyu-Young Kim, violin;
  Jessica Thompson, viola; Raman Ramakrishnan, cello
  www.daedalusquartet.com
  One of the most widely respected string quartets in the nation, the Daedalus Quartet plays with "a riveting focus." (New York Times) Having performed in many of the world's major concert halls, the quartet brings its "jet-propelled rockets of blistering virtuosity" (Washington Post) to Music Mondays with an all-Beethoven program.
  
  April 26 - Loki Ensemble
  Abigail Fischer, mezzo-soprano; Noah Kaplan, saxophone; Wes Matthews, piano
  Christopher Otto, violin; Kevin McFarland, cello
  www.myspace.com/lokiensemble
  Bringing together their experiences in jazz, classical performance, and composition, the innovative and accomplished musicians of Loki are expanding the boundaries of vocal chamber music. Their Music Mondays program will blend new works, classics, and improvisations into a unique and dramatic presentation.
  
  May 31 - Brentano Quartet
  Mark Steinberg, violin; Serena Canin, violin;
  Misha Amory, viola; Nina Lee, cello
  www.brentanoquartet.com
  The season closes with an ensemble audiences across the world agree is one of the finest of its kind: the Brentano String Quartet. Renowned for performances at once passionate and intimate, refined and intense, come hear "the instruments almost burst into flames’Ķ.Make no mistake: the Brentanos are a magnificent string quartet." (London Times)
  

Music Mondays Artistic Director and pianist, Aaron Wunsch, appears regularly on concert stages throughout the U.S., Europe, and the Far East. Praised for his bold interpretive skills and communicative sensitivity, he is equally at home in music from every era’Äîhis performances include his own transcriptions of Renaissance composer Palestrina, Baroque music on the harpsichord, and world premieres of contemporary music. Recent performances include the Salle Cortot in Paris, Royal Albert Hall in London, Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall in New York, and a ten-city solo recital tour of China that garnered critical acclaim and enthusiastic audience responses. Also lauded for his ’Äúmasterful’Äù chamber music performances (Hartford Courant), he has appeared at the Norfolk, Bowdoin, Sarasota, Great Lakes, and Yellow Barn chamber music festivals, collaborating in performance with renowned artists including Peter Frankl, Lynn Harrell, Andrew Jennings, and the New York Woodwind Quintet. A native of Wisconsin, he received his Bachelor’Äôs degree cum laude from Yale University before studying abroad as a Fulbright Scholar at the Mozarteum in Salzburg, Austria. He is currently on the faculty at William Paterson University and at the Juilliard School, where he completed his doctorate in 2008.

Aaron Wunsch
Pianist Aaron Wunsch appears regularly on concert stages throughout the U.S., Europe, and the Far East. Praised for his bold interpretive skills and communicative sensitivity, he is equally at home in music from every era-his performances include his own transcriptions of Renaissance composer Palestrina, Baroque music on the harpsichord, and world premieres of contemporary music. Recent performances include the Salle Cortot in Paris, Royal Albert Hall in London, Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall in New York, and a ten-city solo recital tour of China that garnered critical acclaim and enthusiastic audience responses. Also lauded for his "masterful" chamber music performances (Hartford Courant), he has appeared at the Norfolk, Bowdoin, Sarasota, Great Lakes, and Yellow Barn chamber music festivals, collaborating in performance with renowned artists including Peter Frankl, Lynn Harrell, Andrew Jennings, and the New York Woodwind Quintet. A native of Wisconsin, he received his Bachelor's degree cum laude from Yale University before studying abroad as a Fulbright Scholar at the Mozarteum in Salzburg, Austria. He is currently on the faculty at William Paterson University and at the Juilliard School, where he completed his doctorate in 2008.

Emily Ballentine
Emily Ballentine Erb holds a degree in piano performance suma cum laude with honors from James Madison University in Virginia. Emily was raised in the Lutheran church music tradition and appreciates all styles of music in worship for the glory of God. She has worked with the Delaware Symphony Orchestra as music librarian and education and operations associate in Wilmington, DE; and as the artist services and contract administrator with Colbert Artist Management in Manhattan. Emily will graduate with a Masters in Music Education from Teachers College - Columbia University in May 2010.

Jordan Clawson
Jordan Clawson is a pianist and vocalist living in Manhattan. A Jazz Studies graduate of the University of Michigan School of Music, Jordan performs jazz, pop and original music and also teaches lessons, arranges, and works with various music programs in the city including the Bronx Arts Ensemble and Little Maestros. Jordan is very excited to be working with the Common Ground planning team, the musicians, and everyone part of the CG family. Please join us for a service and experience a wonderfully unique worship setting. If you'd like to participate in the music-making during the service feel free to email Jordan at jordanclawson@gmail.com anytime- we'd be glad to have you!

Watch this space for news of our next benefit concert in the series supporting the restoration of our Tiffany windows. You can find background and donation information for the campaign here.