The Requiem Mass in D minor by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was composed in Vienna in 1791 and left unfinished at the composer's death on December 5. A completion dated 1792 by Franz Xaver Süssmayr was delivered to Count Franz von Walsegg, who had anonymously commissioned the piece for a Requiem Mass to commemorate the February 14 anniversary of his wife's death.

With multiple levels of deception surrounding the Requiem's completion, a natural outcome is the mythologizing which subsequently occurred. One series of myths surrounding the Requiem involves the role Antonio Salieri played in the commissioning and completion of the Requiem (and in Mozart's death generally). While the most recent retelling of this myth is Peter Shaffer's play Amadeus and the movie made from it, it is important to note that the source of misinformation was actually a 19th-century play by Alexander Pushkin, Mozart and Salieri, which was turned into an opera by Rimsky-Korsakov and subsequently used as the framework for Amadeus.

Dr. Chris Shepard, Artistic Director, will conduct the chorus, soloists, and orchestra in historic Mechanics Hall.

Whether it's Worcester, Boston, Wisconsin, or Australia, this presentation's vocal soloists come from all over and are known for their lengthy travel resumes and excellent performances.

Soprano soloist Esther Heideman's career began with her Carnegie Hall debut, singing Handel’s Messiah. Since this time, she has performed with major orchestras throughout the world such as the Baltimore Symphony, Pittsburgh Symphony, St. Louis Symphony, Atlanta Symphony,...
Tenor soloist Ryan Turner, now in his fifth year as Artistic Director of Emmanuel Music, brings both talent and heart to his music-making as a conductor, a programmer, and singer.