The Schiller Institute NYC Chorus joined the Foundation for the Revival of Classical Culture at Carnegie Hall on December 16, 2019 in launching the year-long celebration of Beethoven's 250th year, .
An unexpected change occurred days before the event, when the scheduled orchestra conductor, Jiang Jin Yi of the Beijing Symphony Orchestra could not attend and he was replaced by Maestro Gerard Schwarz, who stepped in in time for two intense days of rehearsals, presenting an extraordinary performance of the Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 3 with pianist Maryam Raya, Piano Concerto No. 5 with pianist Tian Jiang, and the final movement of Beethoven's 9th Symphony.
The Schiller Institute Chorus opened the program with a moving performance of Johannes Brahms' Nänie, Op. 83, and joined with the Harlem Boys and Girls Alumni Chorus and others in the concluding Ode to Joy choral movement of the Opus 125.
The concert was packed to the highest balcony in the Isaac Stern Auditorium with an audience of nearly 2400 people, over a thousand of whom were from the public schools of NYC.