Our History

Masterwork In Action

Founded in May 1955, The Masterwork Chorus is a not-for-profit Morris County, New Jersey based organization. In October 1955 (two months after the first rehearsal), The Masterwork Chorus' first performance was Beethoven's Ninth Symphony with the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra at Newark's Symphony Hall. The chorus' second concert was in January 1956, celebrating the 200th anniversary of Mozart's birth, with a program which consisted of Mozart's Requiem and excerpts from The Magic Flute. David Randolph served as The Masterwork Chorus' first Music Director and Conductor until his retirement in 1992.

In December 1957, the chorus gave its first performance of Handel's Messiah in Morristown, New Jersey. Three years later, the chorus performed at Carnegie Hall for the first time, presenting Bach's Christmas Oratorio, and the following year gave its first Messiah concert at Carnegie Hall. Since then, The Masterwork Chorus has performed Messiah several times each December at Carnegie Hall and in other venues throughout the New York and New Jersey metropolitan areas.

The chorus has an extensive and varied repertoire. In addition to Messiah, the repertoire includes works by Bach, Beethoven, Bennett, Bernstein, Brahms, Faure, Handel, Mendelssohn, Mozart, Paulus, Poulenc, Thompson, Vaughan Williams, Verdi, Vivaldi, and others. In 1976, The Masterwork Chorus represented the State of New Jersey in a concert of works by New Jersey composers in the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. In recent years, the chorus has performed Brahms' Requiem, Verdi's Requiem, Bach's Mass in B Minor, Magnificat and Passion According to St. John, and Faure's Requiem. Masterwork's repertoire extends beyond traditional classical works. For its Fortieth Anniversary Concert, The Masterwork Chorus performed great Opera Choruses and Beethoven's Ode to Joy with Opera Music Theatre International (OMTI) and the extraordinary Jerome Hines. Other performances include a concert presentation of Gilbert and Sullivan's Pirates of Penzance and a co-production with a contemporary gospel choir.

Following David Randolph's 1992 retirement, David Briskin was the chorus' Music Director for the next seven years. Dr. Andrew Megill was appointed Music Director and Conductor effective January 1, 2000. Since joining Masterwork, Andrew Megill has taken the chorus to a new level of musical artistry. During Masterwork's 50th Anniversary season (2004/2005), the chorus took on the challenge of Johann Sebastian Bach's Mass in B Minor. Megill has helped the chorus explore some newer compositions as well which have brought them critical acclaim. For example, in April 2006 the chorus performed Visions From Hildegard (Part III) by Stephen Paulus and Apparebit repentina dies by Paul Hindemith. The Masterwork Chorus was particularly honored to have Paulus lead a rehearsal session of that work. Similarly, Maestro Lukas Foss, a giant of 20th-century composition who studied under Hindemith, recently honored Masterwork with a rehearsal visit.

The singers in The Masterwork Chorus share the love of classical music, the desire to give high-quality performances and the satisfaction that comes from learning and singing great choral masterpieces.