On Friday, September 11, 2026, the Schiller Institute NYC Chorus presented “Beethoven’s 9th: A Pathway Out of War.” The SINYC Chorus has performed a concert in New York City every year since the fifteenth anniversary of 9/11, in 2016, to honor those who died, to recognize those who are living with the aftermath, and to remind the nation as a whole not to be complacent. This year, the event also served as a commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States.

The thoughtfully crafted program opened with the Fire Department of New York (FDNY) Ceremonial Unit presenting the colors, then the National Anthem, followed by an invocation by Father Frederick Pellegrini, Chaplain, FDNY. He began: