Mezzo-Soprano Sara Murphy and Pianist Michael Sheetz Perform in Sacred Music in a Sacred Space’s Caritas Concert Series Benefiting the LifeWay Network

Mezzo-soprano Sara Murphy and acclaimed pianist Michael Sheetz will perform at the Church of St. Ignatius Loyola in New York City as part of the Sacred Music in a Sacred Space’s Caritas Concert Series. All proceeds from the event will benefit the LifeWay Network, which combats human trafficking.

The recital will feature Brahms’s Alto Rhapsody followed by Elgar’s Sea Pictures and four songs of Lili Boulanger: "Dans l'immense tristesse," "Attente," "Reflets" and "Le Retour." The end of the performance will showcase Mahler’s Rückert Lieder, a song cycle of five Lieder for voice and piano based on poems written by Friedrich Rückert.

The Sacred Music in a Sacred Space series is dedicated to presenting a choral and organ repertoire spanning more than 1,000 years of music history. The church is also the home to the N.P. Mander Pipe Organ, the largest tracker organ in New York City. Internationally acclaimed organists often come to play the magnificent instrument. The series is committed to address social justice concerns, so all concert proceeds will benefit LifeWay Network, a New York metro-area organization against human trafficking that provides safe housing for women who have been trafficked and offering education about trafficking to the general public.

This concert features Murphy, know for her concert, opera and recital work. In 2014, she debuted at Cincinnati’s May Festival in Mahler's Symphony No. 8, Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 and Tchaikovsky's Ode to Joy with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. She was also the first-prize winner in the 2013 Oratorio Society of New York Solo Vocal Competition.

Murphy is joined by Sheetz, an active conductor/coach/accompanist in New York City. He was recently appointed the first assistant music director of Musica Sacra, and is music associate at the Church of St. Ignatius Loyola, where he assists with the concert series. He is a teaching fellow at the Juilliard School and serves as the assistant conductor and accompanist of the Fairfield County Chorale.

The evening will begin and ends with wine and hors d'oeuvres and includes an opportunity to meet with the performers. The performance will take place in Wallace Hall at the Church of St. Ignatius Loyola Feb. 12 at 6:30 p.m. To purchase tickets for this event, click here.