ON THAT DISTANT DAY Opens The Thirteen's 2025/26 Season

The Thirteen will launch its fourteenth season, Kaleidoscope, with three performances titled On That Distant Day. The concerts will take place October 17–19 in Alexandria, Washington, DC, and Bethesda, and will feature music of remembrance and resilience. Works will include Duruflé's moving Requiem, Palestrina's radiant Missa Papae Marcelli, the North American premiere of Frank Martin's celebratory Cantate pour le 1er Août, and a driving Kyrie by American composer Diedre Robinson.

“These works provide different lenses through which to view common themes — triumph through adversity, the search for clarity, and the persistence of beauty in turbulent times,” says Artistic Director Matthew Robertson. “It's a fitting way to begin our fourteenth season, which celebrates boundary-defying programming as part of our identity.”

Duruflé's Requiem blends timeless chant with lush harmonies, offering both intimacy and grandeur. The Thirteen performs Palestrina's Missa Papae Marcelli in celebration of the composer's 500th birthday. The Missa showcases the clarity and beauty that earned Palestrina the title “Prince of Music.” Martin's Cantate, written during World War II, looks back with hope and national pride, while Robinson's Kyrie brings a bold contemporary voice to the program.

The Thirteen just announced this initiative, which invites all children ages 5 through 17 to attend any of its performances free of charge when they are accompanied by a ticketed adult caregiver.

Performance Schedule

Friday, October 17, 2025 — 7:30 PM
Virginia Theological Seminary (Immanuel Chapel), Alexandria, VA

Saturday, October 18, 2025 — 7:30 PM
National Presbyterian Church, Washington, D.C.