Voices of Ascension Gala
Wednesday, September 30, 2026 @ 6:00 pm
The Bowery Hotel
Join us as we celebrate the legacy of Voices of Ascension and its emerging future.
Honoring Susan Graham and Sarah Cogan, whose long-standing connections to Voices of Ascension reflect the artistry, friendship, and stewardship that have sustained our community for generations and continue to inspire our ever-unfolding artistic journey.
Featuring dinner and a special musical program, including a performance by honoree Susan Graham.
Susan Graham is one of the world's most acclaimed mezzo-sopranos, celebrated for her performances on the leading opera and concert stages of Europe and North America. A Grammy Award winner and recipient of France's Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur, she has appeared with the Metropolitan Opera, Paris Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, and many of the world's foremost orchestras and festivals. Long before her international rise, Susan sang with Voices of Ascension early in her career. Her remarkable artistic journey reflects the transformative power of musical community and the enduring role that organizations like Voices play in nurturing exceptional artists. We are proud to honor her extraordinary achievements and her longstanding connection to Voices of Ascension.
Sarah Cogan is a distinguished attorney, community leader, and longtime friend of Voices of Ascension. A retired partner of Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP, Sarah has maintained a deep connection to the Church of the Ascension and the Voices community for decades. Her family's roots in the neighborhood span generations, reflecting a lifelong commitment to the artistic, cultural, and communal life that has flourished around Ascension. Through her steadfast friendship and support, Sarah has helped sustain the spirit of community that lies at the heart of Voices of Ascension.
host committee
Host Committee Co-Chairs
Douglas Evans • Robert Ouimette
Host Committee Vice Chair
Frances Beinecke and Paul Elston • Phyllis Jo Kubey • Alexandra Munroe and Robert Rosenkranz
Host Committee Guarantor
Mary and Garrett Moran
Host Committee Patron
Jane Chesnutt • Michelle Clayman • Stephen Parahus • Isabel Spencer • Dian Woodner
Host Committee
John and Gaily Beinecke • Melissa Bybee • Libby Cantrill and Christopher Chan
Barbara Chacour • Peter Clark • John Grimes and Hank Lewis • Wende Persons • Jay Shah •
Sarah Billinghurst Solomon • Diana Solomon-Glover • Hadassah R. Weiner • Darrell Wheeler
TIcket LEVELS
If you have any questions about joining the Host Committee or purchasing a table, please contact Carrie Elston at celston@voicesofascension.org.
$15,000 - Host Committee Vice Chair & Table
Ticket includes a full table for 10 total guests
Listing on the invitation and promotional materials
Priority seating at dinner
$5,000 - Host Committee Benefactor
Ticket includes three additional guests
Listing on the invitation and promotional materials
Priority seating at dinner
$1,000 - Host Committee
Ticket includes one additional guest
Listing on the invitation and promotional materials
$7,500 - Host Committee Guarantor
Ticket includes four additional guests
Listing on the invitation and promotional materials
Priority seating at dinner
$2,500 - Host Committee Patron
Ticket includes two additional guests
Listing on the invitation and promotional materials
$350 - Single Ticket
Single Gala ticket for dinner, awards, and performance
Musical Program
Chloe Holgate, soprano
Kate Maroney, mezzo-soprano and Music Direction
Chad Kranak, tenor
Harrison Hintzsche, baritone
Daniel Schlosberg, piano
Clare Monfredo, cello
“Chantez!” (Chansons des Bois d’Amaranthe) — Jules Massenet
“Im Wald” (Gartenlieder, Op. 3) — Fanny Hensel
Movement III (Andante) (Cello Sonata in G. Minor, Op. 19) Sergei Rachmaninoff
“Vor der Tür”
&
“Der Jäger und sein Liebchen” (Vier Duette, Op. 28) Johannes Brahms
“Sá Ég Svani” — Nico Muhly
“Scaramella” & “El Grillo” — Josquin de Prez
“Cantique de Jean Racine” — Gabriel Fauré
“Simple Song” (from Mass) featuring Susan Graham — Leonard Bernstein
Kate Maroney, Artistic Director
Praised by The New York Times for her “vibrant and colorful” singing, mezzo-soprano Kate Maroney is a versatile performer whose career spans opera, oratorio, chamber music, and contemporary repertoire. She has appeared at the Metropolitan Opera, Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, LA Opera, and the Guggenheim Museum, and has performed with the New York Philharmonic, The Crossing, New York City Ballet, and Santa Fe Desert Chorale.
Maroney was featured in more than 75 performances of Philip Glass and Robert Wilson’s Einstein on the Beach, touring internationally with the Philip Glass Ensemble. A dedicated champion of contemporary music, she has collaborated with leading composers including Philip Glass, Julia Wolfe, David Lang, and Missy Mazzoli.
Her discography includes Julia Wolfe’s Pulitzer Prize-winning and Grammy-nominated Anthracite Fields and the Grammy Award-winning recording of Ethel Smyth’s The Prison. Maroney holds a doctorate from the Eastman School of Music and teaches at Mannes School of Music and Yale University.
IMAGES FROM gala 2025
