The latest news on performances of Classical Music in Washington, DC.
The Taiwan Philharmonic Makes Kennedy Center Debut With Violinist Paul Huang, Presented By Washington Performing Arts
by A.A. Cristi - March 13, 2023
The Taiwan Philharmonic - known as the National Symphony Orchestra in its homeland - returns to the United States for a national tour this spring, led by new Music Director Jun Märkl. Hailed by the Los Angeles Times as, 'a first-rate ensemble, one of Asia's best,' the Taiwan Philharmonic begins the...
2023–2024 National Symphony Orchestra Season Announced Featuring Europe Tour & More
by Chloe Rabinowitz - March 09, 2023
The National Symphony Orchestra has announced its 2023–2024 season led by Music Director Gianandrea Noseda and incoming Executive Director Jean Davidson....
Ramin Karimloo, Tesori & Brant World Premiere & More Set for Washington National Opera 2023–2024 Season
by Chloe Rabinowitz - March 09, 2023
Washington National Opera has announced its 2023-24 season featuring the world premiere of Tesori's Grounded and more....
Composer And Violist Jessica Meyer to Tour the US This Spring
by Chloe Rabinowitz - March 01, 2023
Jessica Meyer is an award-winning composer and violist. She will be touring the US in Spring 2023....
Xian Zhang Conducts The New Jersey Symphony For Mahler's Symphony No. 3
by A.A. Cristi - February 09, 2023
Music Director Xian Zhang leads the New Jersey Symphony in her favorite piece of music, Mahler's Symphony No. 3, on March 3 and 5 with mezzo-soprano Kelley O'Connor, Montclair State University Prima Voce, and Starry Arts Group Children's Chorus. Gustav Mahler (1860-1911) was an Austro-Bohemian compo...
Taiwan Philharmonic to Return to the US Under The Baton Of Music Director Jun Märkl
by Chloe Rabinowitz - January 19, 2023
The Taiwan Philharmonic - known as the National Symphony Orchestra in its homeland - will be one of the first international orchestra to be presented by the New York Philharmonic in David Geffen Hall in their return to the United States for a national tour this spring, led by new Music Director Jun ...
Violinist Hilary Hahn To Perform In Sibelius Concerto With New Jersey Symphony
by A.A. Cristi - January 10, 2023
Music Director Xian Zhang leads the New Jersey Symphony and violinist Hilary Hahn in the Sibelius Violin Concerto on a January 28–29 program featuring Samuel Coleridge-Taylor's Ballade in A Minor and Sergei Prokofiev's Symphony No. 5. ...
Folger Consort Presents A NEW WORLD CHRISTMAS: European, African, and Native American Currents
by A.A. Cristi - November 08, 2022
Folger Consort, the early music ensemble-in-residence at the Folger Shakespeare Library, will continue its beloved holiday tradition, hosting four festive concerts of A New World Christmas from Friday, December 9 through Sunday, December 11. ...
George Mason University Center for the Arts Announces November and December Performances
by Blair Ingenthron - October 16, 2022
This November and December 2022, the Center for the Arts at George Mason University continues in-person programming featuring an array of dance, theater, opera, and music from around the world through the 2022/2023 Great Performances at Mason series and Family Series as well as signature events from...
Rorschach Theatre to Present DISSONANT CITY Immersive Opus Chronicling DC Music History
by Chloe Rabinowitz - October 10, 2022
Rorschach Theatre will present Dissonant City. From October through May, each box reveals a new location and a new chapter in the ongoing story. The first chapter of DISSONANT CITY: A Psychogeographies Project releases October 30, 2022, but participants can join at any time and will be sent the chap...
WASHINGTON WOMEN, Featuring the Words of Hilary Clinton, Michelle Obama & More Released by Essential Voices USA
by Chloe Rabinowitz - October 10, 2022
Essential Voices USA, Judith Clurman, Music Director and Conductor, announced the release of WASHINGTON WOMEN, a new collection of choral songs by David Chase and Judith Clurman....
Review: LEONARD BERNSTEIN'S 'MASS' at the Kennedy Center
by Alexander C. Kafka - September 16, 2022
Bernstein's hugely ambitious ecclesiastical fever dream is a beautiful mess well worth experiencing....
Folger Consort's 45th Season Begins This Month
by A.A. Cristi - September 12, 2022
Folger Consort, the early music ensemble-in-residence at Folger Shakespeare Library, announces its 45th season—featuring five concert programs of music ranging from 12th-century France to 18th-century Tanjore, as well as concerts inspired by the works of Shakespeare and its an...
Kennedy Center to Present Bernstein's MASS & More in September
by Chloe Rabinowitz - August 26, 2022
Next month, in September, The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts celebrates its namesake with two projects: the opening of “Art and Ideals: President John F. Kennedy” – a new permanent exhibit exploring Kennedy’s presidency and commitment to the arts – and a reprise of Bernstei...
Carnegie Hall's NYO Jazz to Make First-Ever US Tour This Summer 2022
by Chloe Rabinowitz - July 12, 2022
This summer, Carnegie Hall’s national youth jazz orchestra NYO Jazz—which showcases the legacy and bright future of American jazz—returns for its fifth year following performances at Carnegie Hall and successful international tours to Europe and Asia....
Interview: Kennedy Center President Deborah F. Rutter on Her Long Association with Legendary Film Composer John Williams
by Elliot Lanes - July 06, 2022
Deborah F. Rutter is the President of The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. A post she has held since September 1st, 2014. ...
Review: JOHN WILLIAMS 90TH BIRTHDAY GALA CONCERT at Kennedy Center
by Elliot Lanes - June 27, 2022
109 film scores, lots of symphonic music, and the music you hear during the Olympics doesn't even begin to properly describe a true living musical legend like John Williams. His 50 years and 29 film association with Steven Spielberg is the longest relationship in film between a director and a compos...
NYO Jazz Announces First US Tour This Summer
by Chloe Rabinowitz - May 24, 2022
Carnegie Hall today announced the schedule for the first-ever US tour by its acclaimed NYO Jazz set to take place on the heels of the June 24, 2022 release of the ensemble’s first full-length studio album, We’re Still Here....
BWW Review: CARMEN at The Kennedy Center
by Rachael F. Goldberg - May 24, 2022
While this production of 'Carmen' is very traditional on its face, the thoughtfulness and sheer talent packed into this performance elevates it to something far more engaging, and absolutely enchanting. It’s more than worthy of audiences’ time, and hopefully WNO’s fresh interpretation will hel...
NOW Dedicates 10th Anniversary To The Climate Crisis
by A.A. Cristi - May 09, 2022
On Thursday, May 26, New Orchestra of Washington presents The Time is NOW, a concert that celebrates the organization's 10th anniversary while dedicating that performance to the most urgent issue in the next decade ahead, our environment. ...
DISNEY PRINCESS - THE CONCERT With Altomare, Egan, Reed & Winters to Perform With The National Symphony Orchestra
by Chloe Rabinowitz - April 21, 2022
The National Symphony Orchestra, led by conductor Steven Reineke, will perform lush orchestrations of classic Disney songs featuring celebrated Broadway stars in a weekend of performances on Friday, May 6 and Saturday, May 7 at 7:30 p.m. in the Kennedy Center Concert Hall. ...
Constellations Chamber Concerts Presents CELEBRATE
by A.A. Cristi - April 15, 2022
For one night only on Saturday, May 14 at 7:30 pm, Constellations Chamber Concerts presents “Celebrate,” the finale to its 2021-22 concert season. The concert, taking place at 910 Black Lives Matter Plaza (16th Street NW), features performances by a trio of world-renowned guest artists: obois...
National Philharmonic Announces 2022-2023 Season
by Chloe Rabinowitz - April 12, 2022
National Philharmonic has announced its 2022-2023 season, which includes eight classical programs conducted by Music Director Piotr Gajewski and two by Chorale Artistic Director Stan Engebretson; two pops shows led by Principal Pops Conductor Luke Frazier; and a piano recital....
William Shatner to Join The National Symphony Orchestra for DECLASSIFIED: BEN FOLDS PRESENTS
by Chloe Rabinowitz - April 07, 2022
The National Symphony Orchestra, led by conductor Steven Reineke, and Artistic Advisor Ben Folds welcome legendary actor, musician, activist, and recent space traveler William Shatner as the featured guest artist for its upcoming DECLASSIFIED: BEN FOLDS PRESENTS concert on Friday, April 29 a...
Christopher Tin's TO SHIVER THE SKY Premieres In Live Concert
by A.A. Cristi - April 06, 2022
Tin's oratorio To Shiver the Sky receives its world premiere in May 2022 with the Choral Arts Society of Washington, the United States Air Force Band, and ModernMedieval....
The Choral Arts Society of Washington and Washington Performing Arts to Present LIVING THE DREAM...SINGING THE DREAM
by A.A. Cristi - April 06, 2022
The Choral Arts Society of Washington and the combined gospel choirs of Washington Performing Arts will co-present treasured annual event Living the Dream...Singing the Dream tribute concert on Sunday, April 10, 2022 at 7pm,rescheduled from January 30, 2022. ...
National Symphony Orchestra Announces Classical Programming For 2022–2023 Season
by A.A. Cristi - April 05, 2022
The National Symphony Orchestra, led by Music Director Gianandrea Noseda and Executive Director Gary Ginstling, announces its classical programming for the 2022–2023 season. The new season, during which Maestro Noseda appears in 14 programs and leads a total of 36 concerts, embodies the specia...
National Philharmonic to Present AMERICA'S REQUIEM - A KNEE ON THE NECK
by Chloe Rabinowitz - March 16, 2022
The National Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorale, in partnership with The Washington Chorus, will present America’s Requiem – A Knee on The Neck. The long-awaited season program features the world premiere of Adolphus Hailstork and Herbert Martin’s A Knee on The Neck alongside Wolfgang Amad...
DC Strings Orchestra Plans Flash-Mob Concert To Benefit Ukrainian Relief Organizations
by A.A. Cristi - March 08, 2022
DC Strings Orchestra and the Old Bridge Chamber Orchestra are uniting to host a benefit concert to support the people of Ukraine. The flash-mob style performance is open to area musicians who want to join the cause and lift their instruments with the orchestra and raise their voices in support. ...
Composer Lisa Bielawa To Have Major Premieres In DC, New York and Cambridge This March And April
by A.A. Cristi - March 07, 2022
Composer, producer, vocalist and Rome Prize-winner Lisa Bielawa will have three major new works premiered in Washington, DC (Washington National Cathedral, March 13), New York (Carnegie Hall, March 25), and the Boston area (First Cambridge Church, April 2), performed by the Cathedral Choral Societ...
BWW Review: WRITTEN IN STONE at Kennedy Center's Eisenhower Theater
by Mary Lincer - March 07, 2022
The Washington National Opera has gathered a company of first rate singers for a portmanteau of four, one-act operas called Written in Stone. Unfortunately, their fine skills and exceptional voices cannot make silk purses out of scores, libretti, and orchestrations that evade aesthetics, emphasize n...
Lionel Yu Presents MUSICALBASICS, A Transcendental Experience At The Kennedy Center Terrace Theater
by A.A. Cristi - February 21, 2022
Lionel Yu, the DC-based pianist behind the hit YouTube channel MusicalBasics (1,000,000+ Subscribers), makes his debut at the Kennedy Center, performing MUSICALBASICS, A Transcendental Experience at the Terrace Theater on Sunday, March 13 at 2:00 PM. ...
The NSO to Present Four Classical Programs in March
by Chloe Rabinowitz - February 11, 2022
The National Symphony Orchestra will continue its Classical series this March with four subscription concert programs at the Kennedy Center Concert Hall, including a two-week residency with conductor, composer, and 2019 Kennedy Center Honoree Michael Tilson Thomas....
VIDEO: Works & Process at the Guggenheim On Washington National Opera's WRITTEN IN STONE
by Alan Henry - February 11, 2022
Inspired by iconic monuments in Washington, D.C., and the ideals embodied by President Kennedy, 'Written in Stone' is a series of intimate short works interwoven into a single evening celebrating the Kennedy Center’s fiftieth anniversary. ...
Gemma New & Gianandrea Noseda to Lead the NSO in February Programs
by Chloe Rabinowitz - January 21, 2022
The National Symphony Orchestra will continues its Classical series this February with three subscription programs at the Kennedy Center Concert Hall, two of which are conducted by Music Director Gianandrea Noseda. ...
BWW Review: THE WASHINGTON CHORUS A CANDLELIGHT CHRISTMAS at The Music Center At Strathmore / Kennedy Center Concert Hall
by Ken Kemp - December 17, 2021
A Candlelight Christmas is a warm and welcoming way to spend a holiday evening, with something for everyone to enjoy....
National Symphony Orchestra to Presents BEETHOVEN & AMERICAN MASTERS Festival
by Chloe Rabinowitz - December 13, 2021
The NSO will present Beethoven & American Masters, a three-week festival featuring concerts that belatedly celebrate the 250th anniversary of Ludwig van Beethoven’s birth. Led by Music Director Gianandrea Noseda, the concerts pair symphonies by Beethoven with works by 20th-century American compos...
Don't Miss The Return Of America's Favorite Dragapella Quartet, The Kinsey Sicks In OY VEY IN A MANGER
by A.A. Cristi - November 24, 2021
Get ready for rolling-on-the-floor laughter and plenty of chutzpah when The Kinsey Sicks return to Theater J with their hit heretical holiday show, Oy Vey in a Manger. The quartet will bring their twisted approach to the merry and bright holiday season, skewering politicians of every stripe along th...
The National Symphony Orchestra's Annual Holiday Concerts to Feature Ingrid Michaelson
by A.A. Cristi - November 18, 2021
The National Symphony Orchestra presents its annual A Holiday Pops! concerts on December 10 and 11 in the Kennedy Center Concert Hall. Led by Principal Pops Conductor Steven Reineke, the NSO will collaborate with indie-pop singer-songwriter Ingrid Michaelson, performing musical numbers from her holi...
Gianandrea Noseda to Lead the National Symphony Orchestra in Two Programs in December
by Chloe Rabinowitz - November 12, 2021
The National Symphony Orchestra will continue its Classical series this December with two subscription programs, both led by Music Director Gianandrea Noseda. The programs feature masterworks by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Johann Sebastian Bach, and George Frideric Handel....