Legendary Estonian composer Arvo Pärt celebrates his 90th birthday in September 2025, and The Emmanuel Choir marks this milestone with a special candlelit service of Choral Evensong.

The program begins with two of Pärt's most beloved chamber works: Fratres (1977, for violin and piano) and Spiegel im Spiegel (1978, for cello and piano). The liturgy at 4:00 p.m. features Pärt's stunning settings of the Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis, and culminates with fellow Baltic composer Pēteris Vasks' mesmerizing work for choir, violin, and cello, Plainscapes (2002).

This candlelit program brings together distinguished guest artists Qing Li, Principal Second Violinist of the Baltimore Symphony, and Michael Kannen, Professor of Chamber Music at Peabody Institute. Immerse yourself in the transcendent sound world that has established Arvo Pärt as the world's most-performed living composer for much of the past two decades.

Immediately following Evensong, Jonathon Heyward, Music Director of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, joins us for a conversation moderated by WBJC 91.5FM's Jonathan Palevsky —  in which Mr. Heyward speaks about his vision for the orchestra, the arts in Baltimore, and the power of music to heal a broken and fragmented world.