Highlights Include International Concert Tours, Spring Celebration Concert, Summer for the City Performances, NYC Independent Film Festival Screening, and More
NEW YORK (May 8,2025) – The award-winning YPC (Young People’s Chorus of New York City)has announced an exciting lineup of spring and summer events, featuring concert tours in Japan and Canada, a Spring Celebration Concert, performances in Lincoln Center’s Summer for the City festival, a screening of its award-winning documentary This Time Round at the New York City Independent Film Festival, and more.
YPC in Japan Day Parade
Saturday, May 10 at1PM
Central Park West at 81st to 67th Street, New York City
Free and open to the public
In anticipation of its upcoming tour in Japan, YPC will celebrate Japanese culture, art, and tradition by singing “Hana Wa Saku” and marching in the Japan Day Parade. The chorus will join the procession along Central Park West at 81st and proceed south to 67th Street.
A longtime partner of the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry of New York, Inc., YPC’s gala honoree for 2025, the chorus will embark on its seventh concert tour of Japan in July, strengthening international friendships through music.
YPC’s This Time Round Screening at 17th Annual NYC Independent Film Festival
Saturday, June 7 at 4:30 PM
The Producers’ Club
358 W 44th Street, New York City
YPC’s poignant documentary This Time Round will be screened at the 17th Annual NYC Independent Film Festival. Set in a pandemic-stricken New York City, the film follows the resilient voices of YPC’s choristers as they rise above isolation and uncertainty, united by a shared passion for music. Through original compositions and moving storytelling, the film shines a light on the power of community, creativity, and hope in the face of adversity.
Composers featured in the film include Samuel Adler, Derek Bermel, Thomas Cabaniss, Paquito D’Rivera, Aneesa Folds, Gordon Getty, Michael Gordon, Michael Harrison, Ted Hearne, Yuka Honda, David Lang, Elizabeth Núñez, Francisco J. Núñez, Jim Papoulis, and Paola Prestini.
Over the last year, This Time Round has been showcased in several festivals and has earned numerous accolades, including “Best Producer” at the Toronto Indie Filmmakers Festival and “Best Soundtrack” at the New York International Film Awards. The documentary’s soundtrack will be released on limited-edition vinyl later this year.
Tickets are $21.50 and can be purchased at NYC Independent Film Festival. Learn more about the award-winning film at YPC Films – This Time Round.
YPC’s Annual Spring Celebration Concert
Sunday, June 8 at 5 PM
The United Palace
4140 Broadway, New York City
YPC celebrates the joy of spring in New York City with music and dance. Showcasing nearly 600 YPC young artists, the performance begins with the familiar warmth of American folk traditions and launches into the expansive wonders of the universe. Featuring works by Aaron Copland alongside contemporary pieces inspired by celestial phenomena, YPC’s Spring Celebration Concert blends tradition and innovation in a breathtaking choral performance.
YPC’s Annual Schools Concert
Monday, June 9 at 11 AM
The United Palace
4140 Broadway, New York City
Free and open to the public
Led by YPC Creative Director Elizabeth Nūñez and Director of School Choruses Program Caitlin Henning, YPC’s annual Schools Concert features 1,000 students from 16 New York City schools across four boroughs. Curated around a theme of Merry Go Round – The Wonder of Childhood, the program includes songs from Africa, the Americas, Japan, Mexico, Russia, and more.
YPC’s Schools Choruses program is an in-school music, education, and performance initiative created in 2003 to make YPC’s unique music education and performance program available to more New York City students.
YPC’s 2025 Canada Tour
Tuesday, July 1 – Saturday, July 5
Powell River, British Columbia, Canada
YPC will return to the International Choral Kathaumixw as the featured guest artist. This global festival brings together choirs, singers, conductors, and composers from around the world for competitions, workshops, and cultural exchange. The chorus last participated in 2018 when it was named “Choir of the World” – the first North American choir to receive the honor. YPC will once again perform under the direction Creative Director Elizabeth Núñez.
Limitless: An Evening with YPC
Presented in Collaboration with Lincoln Center’s Summer for the City
Wednesday, July 9 at 7:30 PM
Damrosch Park, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts
Amsterdam Avenue & W 62nd Street, New York City
Free and open to the public
At this one-of-a-kind program, YPC welcomes guests into a realm where music becomes a voyage, exploring themes of wonder and aspiration. Under the masterful direction of MacArthur Fellow Francisco J. Núñez and Creative Director Elizabeth Núñez, and joined by Grammy Award-winning composer and singer Chandrika Tandon, YPC explores an eclectic repertoire of sound that traverses genres, cultures and eras, showcasing the versatility and emotional depth that define YPC. The performance is part of Lincoln Center’s Summer for the City programming.
YPC at the Classical Theater of Harlem: MEMNON
Saturday, July 12
Marcus Garvey Park
1850 Amsterdam Ave, New York City
YPC choristers open the evening for the Classical Theater of Harlem’s presentation of MEMNON. Following a successful run at The Getty Museum in Los Angeles, this marks the New York premiere of the production. MEMNON is a powerful new work that explores the intersection of mythology, identity, and legacy. Written by celebrated playwright Will Powers and directed by Carl Cofield, the production tells the story of Ethiopia’s king who answers the call to defend Troy. With its striking visuals and poignant performances, MEMNON promises to be a landmark production for the Classical Theater of Harlem’s stage.
Rome is Falling: An Opera
Presented in Collaboration with Lincoln Center’s Summer for the City
Sunday, July 13 at 8 PM
Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts
1941 Broadway at W 65th Street, New York City
YPC will perform in the New York premiere of Rome is Falling, presented by the American Modern Opera Company (AMOC). Conceived and composed by AMOC bassist Doug Balliett, the production is a zany lesson on the absurdity of what can happen when influential people lose power. Choose What You Pay pricing is available at Lincoln Center. The event is part of the AMOC Festival and Lincoln Center’s Summer for the City programming.
YPC’s2025 Japan Tour
Friday, July 25at 6:00PM – Karuizawa OHGA Hall, Kanazawa
Tuesday, July 29at 6:30PM – Izumi Hall, Osaka
Thursday, July 31at 6:30PM – Tokyo Bunkyo Civic Hall, Tokyo
YPC will bring its artistry to audiences across Japan this summer with performances in Kanazawa, Osaka, and Tokyo, marking its seventh concert tour of the country. These concerts reflect a long-standing and meaningful cultural exchange, highlighting YPC’s commitment to musical diplomacy and artistic excellence. YPC is honored to continue this inspiring collaboration with the people of Japan.
For more information about YPC or its spring and summer events, visit www.ypc.org.
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MEDIA CONTACTS: Laura Gigounas, Juliona Miller, Grecia Corleto, and Tu Le at Glodow Nead Communications, YPCPR@glodownead.com
About YPC
YPC (Young People’s Chorus of New York City) is a world-renowned multicultural youth chorus recognized for its virtuosity, showmanship, and innovative model of diversity. Founded by Francisco J. Núñez, a MacArthur Fellow and Musical America’s 2018 Educator of the Year, YPC’s mission is rooted in providing children from all cultural and economic backgrounds with exceptional music education and performance opportunities. YPC creates pathways for young people to succeed through the arts. The chorus has earned numerous honors, including a National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award, presented at the White House. Under the direction of Creative Director Elizabeth Núñez, YPC became the first North American choir to be named “Choir of the World” at the 2018 International Choral Kathaumixw. Since 2000, YPC has commissioned and premiered over 300 works by some of today’s most influential and esteemed composers. In 2023, YPC won five gold medals at the World Choir Games, including three world champion titles, and repeated this achievement in 2024, earning five additional gold medals across various categories. www.ypc.org.
info@ypc.org
Young People's Chorus of New York®
37 West 65th Street, 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10023
YOUNG PEOPLE'S CHORUS OF NEW YORK CITY 2024 | Francisco J. Núñez, Founder and Artistic Director • Elizabeth Núñez, Creative Director
