The National Symphony Orchestra Announces its 2013 Wolf Trap Summer Schedule

The National Symphony Orchestra today announced its 2013 line-up of performances at Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts. Eleven performances will take place between June 26 and August 3, 2013. Emil de Cou, in his ninth season as NSO@Wolf Trap Festival Conductor, hosts 10 of the performances and conducts four, including the opening and closing performances in the series.

Jerry Garcia Symphonic Celebration June 26 at 8:15 p.m.

Renowned guitarist-singer Warren Haynes and an ensemble of musicians drawn from the circle of Garcia have created this program to celebrate the man, the musician, the band, and the era. "We've chosen a very diverse list of songs from the extensive Jerry Garcia related catalog," Haynes explained when asked what to expect from the upcoming performances, "and in the true spirit of the original music will be leaving room for improvisation and approaching the symphonic arrangements from a non-traditional direction." In true tribute to "Deadheads"-those devout fans who followed The Grateful Dead from venue to venue and came to expect variations in programming-Haynes will vary the set lists to some extent for fans that want to attend multiple shows as the tribute tours among various orchestral summer festivals.

Frozen Planet in Concert June 28 at 8:30 p.m.

Brrr!! It may be summer at Wolf Trap, but temperatures are expected to plummet on June 28 when the NSO performs Frozen Planet in Concert. This two-hour distillation from the 12-part BBC series Frozen Planet explores the polar extremes. The series was four years in production, with a record 2,356 days in the field. 425 of those days were spent at temperatures below -15 degrees Celsius! This extraordinary concert film explores the world of polar bears, penguins, seals, and whales, and the living ice that is their environment. George Fenton, who composed the score for both the series and the concert presentation, will conduct. Where else can you watch a glacier calve in the capital region's hot and humid summer?

Carmina Burana and More July 12 at 8:15 p.m.

The "and More" is Pictures at an Exhibition, but not in the Ravel version, in Leopold Stokowski's. The NSO hasn't performed this version since 1972, when Stokowski himself conducted it at the Kennedy Center. Then the NSO welcomes The Choral Arts Society of Washington and three singers from the Wolf Trap Opera Company for Carmina Burana, a celebration of life, love and spring, by turns apocalyptic, lyrical, bawdy, fateful, and alluring. The soloists are soprano Ying Fang, tenor Juan José de Léon, and baritone Steven LaBrie.

Video Games Live: Bonus Round July 13 at 8:30 p.m.

This all-new performance includes sequences that prove the world of gaming composition is as varied as that of film scores. Tommy Tallarico, creator of Video Games Live, hosts an all-new program including music from Skyrim, Super Smash Bros., Pokemon, Final Fantasy, Chrono Cross, and many more. Pre-concert activities include a Guitar Hero competition, a costume contest, interactive game demos, and prize giveaways.

Verdi's La traviata July 19 at 8:15 p.m.

For one night only the NSO and Wolf Trap Opera perform one of opera's most universal stories of love and heartbreak: Verdi's La traviata. Conductor Grant Gershon (Los Angeles Opera) and stage director José Maria Condemi (San Francisco Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago) make their Wolf Trap debuts with a new production at the Filene Center, featuring scenic projections by Aaron Rhyne, costumes by Anka Lupes and lighting by Mark Stanley. The title role is sung by Corinne Winters, proclaimed by London's Sunday Times as "The best English National Opera Violetta in decades and worth the ticket price alone" after her performances in London this spring. She is joined by Benjamin Bliss as Alfredo and Nicholas Pallesen as Germont, both making their Wolf Trap debuts. Supporting roles will be performed by Wolf Trap Studio Artists, and The Washington Chorus, led by Julian Wachner, sings the ensemble parts.

Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture and More! July 26 at 8:15

With this program NSO Assistant Conductor Ankush Kumar Bahl makes his Wolf Trap debut and welcomes pianist Benjamin Grosvenor in his NSO debut. He will be featured in Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2 (the work the composer himself selected to play in his concerts with the NSO in 1940). Music of Tchaikovsky dominates the rest of the program, concluding with the 1812 Overture - an NSO@Wolf Trap tradition.

Ansel Adams: America July 27 at 8:30 p.m.

"Photographers are in a sense composers, and the negatives are their scores." Ansel Adams' comment is no shallow one; in Chris Brubeck's words, "Adams was well on his way to becoming a serious concert pianist until he was seduced by the beauty of Yosemite and succumbed to the lure of photography." This tribute by Chris and Dave Brubeck to the iconic American photographer features more than 100 images. Additionally, Emil de Cou will conduct works by Aaron Copland, George Gershwin, and music from the score John Williams composed for the film Lincoln.

Steven Reineke and Wicked Divas July 28 at 8:15 p.m.

NSO Principal Pops Conductor Steven Reineke pays tribute to the 10th anniversary of this Broadway blockbuster. He'll be joined by two of Wicked's leading witches, Julia Murney and Stephanie J. Block, who'll also perform highlights from The Phantom of the Opera, Gypsy, Chicago, and more.

Bugs Bunny at the Symphony II August 1 and 2 at 8:30 p.m.

Bugs Bunny at the Symphony II celebrates the world's most beloved Looney Tunes and their legendary stars -- Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Elmer Fudd, Pepe Le Pew, Tweety, Sylvester, Wile E. Coyote, and Road Runner. The cartoons are projected on two giant screens at Wolf Trap while the NSO gives a live performance of their original scores. Conducted and created by George Daugherty, this new concert spotlights acclaimed classics like What's Opera, Doc?, The Rabbit of Seville, and Rhapsody Rabbit, alongside brand new Warner Bros. 3D theatrical shorts I Tawt I Taw A Puddy Tat and Coyote Falls. Plus special guest stars Tom and Jerry!

Singin' in the Rain August 3 at 8:30

It's a classic, and so it should be! Topping the American Film Institute's list of 25 Greatest Movie Musicals of all time, this film masterpiece comes to life with live orchestra performance of the score, and award-winning on-screen performances by Gene Kelly, Donald O'Connor and Debbie Reynolds. Although Film with Orchestra is long-established at Wolf Trap, this is the first viewing at Wolf Trap of Singin' in the Rain.

Funding Credits:

David and Alice Rubenstein are the Presenting Underwriters of the NSO.

Ticket Information:

All NSO @ Wolf Trap events take place at the Filene Center at Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts, in Vienna, Virginia. Tickets can be purchased through the Wolf Trap Box Office located at 1551 Trap Road, Vienna, Virginia; by calling 1 (877) Wolf Trap; or online at www.wolftrap.org. Prices vary from event to event. For more information, please call Wolf Trap at (703) 255-1868.