“The sharing of joy, whether physical, emotional, psychic, or intellectual, forms a bridge between the sharers which can be the basis for understanding much of what is not shared between them.” — Audre Lorde

Queer Urban Orchestra opens its 2026-2027 season with music that meets adversity with the power of joy. Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, written amid political repression and personal isolation, presents a radical imagination of a world grounded in dignity, community, and shared voice. Brooklyn Treble Choir and Empire City Men’s Chorus alongside acclaimed soloists Danielle Buonaiuto, Jordan Rutter-Covatto, César Andrés Parreño, and Lucas Bouk sing a new, inclusive update of the text for Schiller’s Ode to Joy in the finale. Michael Kropf’s High Spirits opens the concert with a powerful expression of optimism in the face of change and uncertainty.

Tickets are $40; $35 for student/senior/disabled. Purchase by midnight on October 15 for $5 discount (reflected in the prices below).