An avocational choir of professional quality, Cantori New York performances have garnered enthusiastic reviews. Concert-goers praise our richly nuanced sound, expressive character and bold repertoire.

“One of the city’s premiere chamber choruses. Mark Shapiro conducted with great surety and understanding…Superb.”

— Opera News (2022)

“Glorious…a genuine triumph…memorable.”

— Opera News (2021)

“[T]he program's highlight was a major piece: the Requiem of the Estonian composer Erkki­-Sven Tüür in its American premiere. Strong and distinctive, it explored every aspect of texture and text....the work moved inexorably from the opening lines, intoned darkly and richly by the basses, to the full­-chorus conclusion, ‘Lux aeterna,’ a fierce, consuming blaze of light.”

— The New York Times (Midgette)

An extraordinarily beautiful production billed as a “Theatre Concert”…I wished by the end that every child in the world could see this play as part of their introduction to concert music.

— New York Concert Review (Schrade)

“[Cantori] sang with true devotion and commitment to the work, producing a glorious choral sound. The soloists, taken from within the ranks of the chorus, were also splendid…Shapiro led with superb pacing and great confidence…a genuine triumph.”

— Opera News (McKinnon)

“Stellar”
— Time Out New York

“What made the strongest impression melodically was the 'Song of the Volga Boatmen'.  This is a traditional Russian song, collected by Balakirev and published in 1866; it has been appropriated by composers of many nationalities and here was most effective in expressing the despair of the Russian peasants in pre-Revolutionary Russia. It is heard many times in the course of the opera. The Cantori New York Chorus did well by it, under the direction of Mark Shapiro.”
— Voce di meche

“Soothing and beautifully uplifting….inspirational for its sheer beauty...”

— Classical Music Rocks

“It isn't every day one gets to review the world premiere of a piece that's nearly 100 years old....Ondine is a lovely, lissome thing.... Cantori presented it very well. The rest of the program was filled with meaty pieces.... Each of Debussy's beautiful Trois Chansons de Charles d'Orléans cast its own distinct mood.... The group's spirit of exploration is laudable.... An enjoyable evening.”

— The New York Times (Midgette)