Mendelssohn’s powerful choral masterpiece, "Elijah"
Key Chorale’s 2026 Masterworks concert ignites the stage on February 7 with Felix Mendelssohn’s awe-inspiring oratorio, “Elijah” — a towering choral masterpiece that brings to life the most dramatic moments of the Old Testament. Few works in classical music offer the excitement of opera, the thrill of the symphony, the power of the chorus and glorious virtuosic solos.
Under the baton of Maestro Joseph Caulkins, this epic performance will feature baritone Jamal Sarikoki in the title role, recounting a man’s unwavering devotion, persecution, and ascension in one of the greatest oratorios ever written. Joining him will be an extraordinary cast of soloists: tenor David Tayloe, mezzo-soprano Olivia Vote, soprano Jessica Beebe, and 15-year-old vocal soloist Cora Rohrs, performing alongside the Key Chorale Orchestra and a chorus of more than 150 musicians.
Image: Courtesy Photo
Image: Courtesy Photo
Image: Courtesy Photo
Image: Courtesy Photo
“This is an enormous production based on the life of the prophet Elijah,” said Maestro Joseph Caulkins. “I find the Elijah to be a deeply complex character – zealous, unafraid, yet vulnerable and conflicted. Mendelssohn’s musical reveals all of these facets through breathtaking drama and some of the most beautiful choral writing ever composed.”
Mendelssohn’s Elijah was given its premiere in 1846 to an ecstatic audience of 2,000 people. It had taken him some ten years to prepare, including penning most of the libretto himself. To quote a review in The Times shortly afterwards, ‘The last note of Elijah was drowned in a long-continued unanimous volley of plaudits, vociferous and deafening … never was there a more complete triumph, never a more thorough and speedy recognition of a great work of art.’ Nearly two centuries later, its emotional power and spiritual fire continue to inspire and captivate audiences around the world.
The performance:
Saturday, February 7, 4 PM
Church of the Palms
3224 Bee Ridge Rd., Sarasota, FL 34239
Tickets are $45. For tickets, go to keychorale.org or call the box office at 941-552-8768. Students 18 and under are free and college students are $10.