Paul Winter and his group, the Paul Winter Consort, have performed around the world, from New York’s Carnegie Hall to the Miho Museum in Japan. One of the earliest exponents of world music, the group has also pioneered a new genre of “earth music” (described as “ecological jazz” by fans in Russia), interweaving classical, jazz, and world music elements with voices from what Winter calls “the greater symphony of the earth.”  Since 1980, Paul and the Consort have been artists-in-residence at the world’s largest cathedral, New York’s St. John the Divine, where they have presented over 100 special events, including the annual Winter and Solstice Celebrations. Paul says, “Central to all the traditions of solstice is the renewal of spirit, symbolized by the rebirth of the sun. Winter solstice is a time for healing and hope; it is a time to celebrate community and relatedness; and a time to honor the diversity and the unity of this great cornucopia of life on Earth. In remembering the solstice, we resonate once again with the rhythm of the cosmos and allow our hearts to embrace the optimism of our ancient knowledge that the light will overcome the darkness.”

This will be a uniquely intimate solstice celebration, in contrast to the large-scale productions done for many years in the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine in New York. Quoting from Paul Winter, “While we will not have all the dancers and theatrical effects that were possible in the world's largest Cathedral, we will have all the essence of our solstice music, and we will feature, as always, the beloved voice of Theresa Thomason, who has been the ‘star’ of our solstice celebrations for over 25 years.”

The Consort will feature vocalist Theresa Thomason, Eugene Friesen on cello, Brazilian Pianist Vitor Gonçalves, Bulgarian bassist Peter Slavov, Brazilian drummer Rogério Boccato, and Paul Winter on sopranosax.