(Photo by Tariq Hussain)

The Young People’s Chorus of New York City (YPC) has announced that it will be creating “Soul Harmony” alongside Grammy-nominated artist Chandrika Tandon.

The project, which is set for a 2025 premiere, will be supported by the New York State Council of the Arts and comes to fruition following a year-long collaboration with Tandon, who was nominated for a Grammy for her latest album “Triveni.” She will be joined by a string quartet as well as other frequent collaborators.

“We are deeply grateful to NYSCA Support for Artists for recognizing the significance of this new project,” said YPC Founder and Artistic Director, Francisco J. Núñez, per an official press release. “’Soul Harmony’ will transcend cultures, combining the beauty of Indian music with the diverse voices of YPC. Chandrika’s artistry has allowed us to explore traditions from the Indian diaspora in a way that enriches our own understanding of the world. Having her as our Artist-in-Residence for the 2024-2025 season is a tremendous honor, and we’re excited to bring ‘Soul Harmony’ to life as an expression of personal journeys through music. Commissioning composers like Chandrika from around the globe is opening our ears to music that changes our way of seeing the world.”

“I marvel at how Elizabeth and Francisco (Núñez) create such spectacularly holistic sounds out of hundreds of discrete voices,” added Tandon. “Watching their brilliant ideas come to life at the Winter Concert was breathtaking; the tapestry of diversity in multiple languages, with dazzling choreography and costumes, was stunning. I feel so privileged and grateful that they chose my composition ‘Song of Light,’ to open their important concert – they captured the spiritual essence of the song so beautifully, and the children’s voices combined with the sea of lights was beyond moving. I am so proud to be part of YPC in some small way, and this also makes me so proud to be a New Yorker. I look forward to co-creating groundbreaking new works with YPC.  I want to express my deep gratitude to NYSCA for their support, Francisco and Elizabeth for their vision, and the children, for the joy and inspiration our work has brought me.”