Maynooth University Chamber Choir will perform in St Patrick’s Cathedral in New York, as part of a scheduled world tour, just ahead of St. Patrick’s Day. Performances amongst highlights of world tour will also include Shanghai, Boston and Denver.

The 36-member choir, which is comprised of students from across Maynooth University made history last July when it became the first Irish choir to lift the coveted Pavarotti Trophy as “Choir of the World” at the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod in Wales.

The tour kicked off with a concert at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, in Dublin. Their next concert will be at the iconic cathedral at the heart of Fifth Avenue on Tuesday, March 15.

Set amidst the commotion of one of the world’s busiest streets, St Patrick’s Cathedral has a special significance in the story of New York City. It was founded by the first Archbishop of New York, John Joseph Hughes, who was born and raised in County Tyrone. Construction was completed in 1879. The funeral masses for Babe Ruth, Robert F. Kennedy, and Andy Warhol were held there. Pope Francis attended a service during his visit to New York at the end of last year.

The performance in St Patrick’s Cathedral kicks off a three-week world tour for the Maynooth University Chamber Choir, which will see them perform in at least seven cities, including New York, Boston, Tucson, and Denver in the United States and Shanghai, Changzhou, and Guangzhou in China.

During their visit to Boston, the choir will perform for the Irish Consulate at a special St Patrick’s Day event at Fenway Park – the legendary baseball stadium and home of the Boston Red Sox.

The choir will also sing at the Easter Sunrise Service on the rim of the Grand Canyon in Arizona on Sunday, March 27. This annual event dates back to 1935 with more than 1,000 people expected in attendance.

Read more: Student choir’s mesmerizing rendition of ancient Irish song (VIDEOS)

Speaking in advance of the World Tour, Choir Director Michael Dawson said “Since winning ‘Choir of the World’ in Llangollen, we have had many invitations to perform internationally, and we are incredibly excited to have the opportunity to perform in these iconic international venues. It is a tremendous opportunity for us to share our music with a wider audience and represent Ireland on the international stage.”

Maynooth University President Philip Nolan said “I am truly delighted for Michael Dawson and the Maynooth University Chamber Choir. Listening to them perform it all seems very effortless, but there is a tremendous amount of hard work and dedication that goes into it, as well as remarkable talent. They are wonderful ambassadors for the University and for Ireland. Maynooth University has a rich tradition of fostering talent across the arts, and our Department of Music, of which Michael is a product, is a thriving centre with over 550 students currently benefiting from the exceptional resources and teaching that is offered there.”

As well as winning the “Choir of the World” in Llangollen last year, the Maynooth University Chamber Choir was awarded two Gold Diplomas at the international Canta en Primavera choral festival in Malaga. The choir released its first CD, Lorica, in autumn 2015.

Here’s a full schedule for the Maynooth University Chamber Choir world tour 2016:

- Saturday, March 5, 2016 Dublin – St. Patrick’s Cathedral – 7:30 pm

- Tuesday, March 15, 2016 New York - St. Patrick’s Cathedral Concert – 4:00 pm (open to public)

- Wednesday, March 16, 2016 Boston - Tufts University Exchange 3:00 pm (Student Choirs)

- Thursday, March 17, 2016 Boston - Irish American Partnership St. Patrick’s Day Breakfast

- Thursday, March 17, 2016 Boston – Charitable Irish Society 279th St. Patrick’s Day Dinner

- Friday, March 18, 2016 Boston - Irish Consulate St. Patrick’s Day Celebration @ Fenway Park

- Monday, March 21, 2016 Shanghai - Shanghai Normal University

- Tuesday, March 22, 2016 Changzhou - Changzhou University

- Wednesday, March 23, 2016 Guangzhou - Public Performance

- Friday, March 25, 2016 Tucson, Ariz. - University of Arizona – Public Performance

- Sunday, March 27, 2016 Arizona - Grand Canyon National Park - Sunrise Service – 6.10 am

- Tuesday, March 29, 2016 Denver, Colo. - University of Denver Student Workshop

- Tuesday, March 29, 2016 Denver, Colo. - Regis University Public Performance

*All times local

For more information visit www.maynoothuniversity.ie/music.