History & Leadership
History
TRANScend began as a choral project during director Felix Graham’s doctoral studies. Concerned by the lack of representation of gender-diverse singers in choral music and the broader field of music education, he became involved in scholarship and experimentation with gender-nonconforming voices in choral spaces. One such project was a semester-long treble ensemble project, wherein he recruited, rehearsed and conductor a concert with a treble ensemble where male and female-identified singers performed in a less hierarchical choral format. Realizing that taking the gendered structure out of choir made for more inclusive choral experiences, Dr. Graham started advocating for alternate choral structures.
When COVID-19 disrupted his work with the treble ensemble (which had continued past his graduation), Dr. Graham realized that the time was right to create a more professional space for trans/gender-expansive singers, and in this, TRANScend was formed. We began with a choir of 8 singers, and now serve a community of over 100 singers, most of whom identify as part of the LGBTQ+ community, and specifically the transgender community. In 2023, we became TRANScend Choral & Community Music Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to building and promoting the transgender and gender-expansive community through singing.
Through our Community Chorale & Ambassadors choirs, we perform at least two concerts a year, as well as multiple paid engagements around the city that help fund our programs. Our choirs have performed at The Cathedral of St John the Divine, The Longhouse Reserve, The Spring Hill Arts Gathering, and Red Bulls Stadium, and in 2025 we put on our first off-Broadway musical production at The Flea. In addition we have commissioned and premiered multiple new choral works, including a mass composed by Dr. Graham in honor of Trans Day of Remembrance in collaboration with artist Randy Polumbo: “Stations of the Lost.”
Leadership
Dr. Felix Graham
Founder, Artistic Director, and Director of Transcend Ambassadors
Dr. Felix Graham is a New York-based performer, teacher, conductor and author. In addition to his work as a performer, Dr. Graham is active in research and performance, as well as music education and conducting. As a vocologist, his pedagogy focuses on vocal health and retraining, as well as guiding clients in reconciling their voice and personal identity. As an active researcher in the areas of voice science and vocal/choral music education, Felix has presented both at home and abroad on such topics as singing voice disorders, developmental voice and non-hierarchical choral approaches.
Prior to this position, he conducted the Cardinal Chorus and music instruction at York College, CUNY, taught choral methods and applied voice at Teachers College, Columbia University, served as musical director for the off-Broadway production Love is a Many-Splintered Thing, and currently serves on the editorial board of the Voice and Speech Review, and as Vice President of the New York Singing Teachers Association.
Hannah Cai-Sobel
Director of TRANScend Chorale
Hannah Cai Sobel is a NYC based vocalist, conductor, and composer, inspired wholeheartedly by the human experience. They draw on the modes and textures of early chant and polyphony in their own writing, forcing age-old techniques to “crash headfirst” into contemporary practices and harmonies. Hannah has music directed and conducted every opera they’ve written. Their goal is to make opera accessible for everyone - in their operas, Frog and Toad, Brooklyn Bound L, and What's it trying to feel like?, they provided debut opportunities for emerging singers. Both operas were presented in ways that were accessible to first time opera goers and they are very proud that a large percentage of their audience members were first time (and not last time!) opera goers. They are the co-president of their opera company, Granite Planet, which aims to promote unconventional operas in unconventional venues, and the conductor for Transcend, NYC’s trans and gender nonconforming community chorale. They love community organizing and they co-host monthly round-singing parties with Lili Tobias (if you’re reading this, you’re invited!) Hannah is a lover of all cats, most hyperbolic triangle groups, and probably you.
Header Image by JP Pacheco