Metro Weekly

Classical Music: Fall Arts Preview 2014

Symphony, opera, chorus and other classical music performances in DC, Maryland and Virginia

Photo by Todd Franson
Photography by Todd Franson

Whether your predilection is opera or chorale, piano or violin, quartet or orchestra — any or all — Washington offers the classical music lover a wealth of opportunities. Every year the repertoire seems to expand — and not strictly through the work of noteworthy innovative companies like Artisphere’s UrbanArias or the Atlas’s Great Noise Ensemble. For example, this season the Washington National Opera will present three new short operas at the Kennedy Center as part of its American Opera Initiative. And while “The Three B’s” — Bach, Beethoven and Brahms — generally remain the meat-and-potatoes for most presenting organizations, everyone craves a little change now and then. Why, this season that’s even true of at least one organization named for Bach. We guess Mozart’s allure cannot be denied.

ARTISPHERE

1101 Wilson Blvd.
Arlington, Va.
703-875-1100
artisphere.com

  • UrbanArias: Three Decembers — The nationally celebrated locally based company dedicated to producing short, contemporary operas opens its season with composer Jake Heggie’s opera, featuring a libretto by Gene Scheer adapted from Terence McNally, about a Broadway actress struggling to accept her gay son and his lover dying of AIDS (9/27-10/4)
  • National Chamber Ensemble: Spring in Autumn Benefit — Artisphere’s resident ensemble offers a preview of its season with a concert featuring artistic director and violinist Leo Sushansky performing with pianist Carlos Rodriguez (9/27)
  • National Chamber Ensemble: Night of Italian Opera — Soprano Yana Eminova and baritone Anton Belov join the ensemble for a glorious night of music by Verdi, Puccini, Bellini and more (10/25)
  • National Chamber Ensemble: Annual Holiday Concert — Classical masterpieces and holiday classics, and carol sing-alongs (12/14)

ATLAS PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

1333 H St. NE
202-399-7993
atlasarts.org

  • Great Noise Ensemble — Adventurous contemporary classical ensemble opens its season with a bill of greatest hits, including Steve Reich’s Music for 18 Musicians (9/20)
  • All Points West — This eclectic chamber ensemble aims to transform the classical concert into a fun, social experience, here performing twists on Stravinsky and Prokofiev (9/27)
  • Capital City Symphony with Eric Lin — Atlas Arts Partner opens its season with the 2014 winner of the Novik Piano Competition (10/12)
  • Library Late: Katinka Kleijn: Intelligence of the Human Machine — The Library of Congress co-presents a technology-enhanced performance by this cellist who uses an EEG headset said to allow her brainwaves to offer live accompaniment (10/16)
  • Capital City Symphony: Holiday Concert — A semi-staged concert opera of Hansel and Gretel as part of annual holiday performance (11/22-23)
  • All Points West: A Few of Our Favorite Things — Celebrate the holiday season with music evoking youth and innocence (12/5)
  • Great Noise Ensemble: Sweet and Homegrown Airs — A program featuring pieces by David Lang, Mark Sylvester, Kevin McKee, Cornelius Dufallo and Marc Mellits (12/6)
  • Brad Linde Ensemble: A Post-Cool Yule — Offering a program of deconstructed and re-imagined holiday classics (12/6)

BACH SINFONIA

Cultural Arts Center
Montgomery College
Silver Spring, Md.
301-362-6525
bachsinfonia.org

  • Late Great Bach: The Mass in B Minor — Performance of Bach’s monumental mass opens the new season with an all-star cast of soloists (10/25)
  • Bach Home for the Holidays — An all-Bach program of various beloved Christmas-related works and instrumental and chorale favorites (12/20)

BALTIMORE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

410-783-8000
bsomusic.org

  • Hilary Hahn: Beethoven’s Violin Concerto — BSO Music Director Marin Alsop kicks off the new season by welcoming superstar violinist and Baltimore native Hahn to play what is widely considered the pinnacle of the violin literature (9/18, Strathmore; 9/19, 9/21, Meyerhoff)
  • 2014 BSO Celebration Gala — A concert showcasing quintessential American music, artists and Maryland’s musical roots, from Copland’s Lincoln Portrait narrated by Center Stage’s Kwame Kwei-Armah and the Morgan State University Choir, to Grofe’s Ode to the Star-Spangled Banner (9/20, Meyerhoff)
  • Rachmaninoff Symphony No. 1 — Maestro Alsop leads the BSO in a dramatic program that also includes violinist James Ehnes performing Korngold’s Violin Concerto, plus John Williams’s Theme from Schindler’s List (9/26, 9/28, Meyerhoff; 9/27, Strathmore)

    Christina Bianco

  • BSO SuperPops: Broadway Standing Ovations — Jack Everly conducts the BSO along with guests from Broadway including Ben Crawford, Christina Bianco and Ted Keegan, and selections from The Phantom of the Opera, Once, Les Miserables and Wicked (10/9, Strathmore; 10/10-12, Meyerhoff)
  • Tchaikovsky & Mozart (10/17, Todd Performing Arts Center; 10/18-19, Meyerhoff)
  • Ein Heldenleben: A Hero’s Life — A program capped by Richard Strauss’s grandiose, tongue-in-cheek, autobiographical tone poem expressing devotion to his wife while waging war on music critics (10/23, Meyerhoff; 10/26, Strathmore)
  • Brahms’ Symphony No. 2 — Finnish maestro Hannu Lintu leads a program headlined by the sunniest of Brahms’ four symphonies (10/30, Strathmore; 10/31-11/1, Meyerhoff)
  • BSO SuperPops: Classical Mystery Tour — Relive the magic of the Fab Four with this thrilling Beatles retrospective complete with original arrangements (11/13, Strathmore; 11/28-30, Meyerhoff)
  • Rachmaninoff & Shostakovich (11/13, Meyerhoff; 11/16, Strathmore)
  • Bernstein & Beethoven — Mezzo-soprano Jennifer Johnson Cano and the Cathedral Choral Society join the BSO led by Maestro Alsop for a program featuring Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7 with two contrasting works by Bernstein, Chichester Psalms and Symphony No. 1, “Jeremiah” (11/21, 11/23 Meyerhoff; 11/22, Strathmore)
  • Handel’s Messiah — Edward Polochick once again leads the BSO, the Concert Artists of Baltimore Symphonic Chorale and other soloists in Handel’s beloved oratorio (12/5, Meyerhoff; 12/6, Strathmore)
  • Duke Ellington’s Nutcracker — Ken Lam leads two daytime performances of this dazzling reimagining of Tchaikovsky’s classic by D.C.’s towering jazz legend (12/6, Meyerhoff and Strathmore)
  • BSO SuperPops: Holly Jolly Pops — The Baltimore Choral Arts Society joins the BSO led by Jack Everly in a sing-along selection of carols and classical favorites (12/10, 12/12-14, Meyerhoff; 12/11, Strathmore)
  • The Nutracker — The BSO joins with the Baltimore School for the Arts dancers to offer their version of this holiday standard (12/19-21, The Lyric)

BARNS AT WOLF TRAP

1635 Trap Road
Vienna
877-WOLFTRAP
wolftrap.org

  • Simone Dinnerstein — Celebrated expressive pianist makes her Wolf Trap debut and kicks off the new season’s Chamber Music at the Barns series (10/10)
  • Jamie Barton w/Kim Pensinger Witman — The award-winning mezzo-soprano returns to the Barns for a recital accompanied by the opera company’s director (10/24)

THE CHORAL ARTS SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON

Kennedy Center Concert Hall
202-244-3669
choralarts.org

  • Under the Midnight Sun: Music from Nordic Cultures — The first concert in a new chamber initiative by artistic director Scott Tucker that expands this choral group’s repertoire 50 years after its founding (10/17, Virginia’s Falls Church Episcopal, 115 E. Fairfax St.)
  • Bach: Mass in B Minor — Considered one of the greatest and most beautiful works in the history of Western music (11/2)
  • A Capital Christmas — Holiday favorites, plus carols from Argentina as led by guitarist Jeff “Skunk” Baxter (12/15, 12/21, 12/24)
  • A Family Christmas — A 10-year-old, one-hour highly participatory concert geared toward the young, or at least young-at-heart (12/20)

THE CITY CHOIR OF WASHINGTON

202-495-1613
thecitychoirofwashington.org

  • Mozart: Requiem, Tarik O’Regan: Triptych — Mozart’s last last masterpiece gets paired with a piece by a 36-year-old British-born composer, described by the City Choir’s artistic director Robert Shafer as “a marvelous foil to the Mozart” (10/12, National Presbyterian Church)
  • The Holly and The Ivy: Music for Christmas — A candlelight processional will set the stage for this glorious concert, which includes audience sing-alongs, including “Hallelujah” from Handel’s Messiah (12/14, National Presbyterian Church)

CLARICE SMITH PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

University of Maryland
College Park, Md.
301-405-ARTS
claricesmithcenter.umd.edu

  • NextNow Fest — Among the classical highlights at this first-ever all-genre festival include an opera jam session with Maryland Opera Studio and performances by UMD Chamber Singers and Inescape Chamber Orchestra (9/11-14)
  • Excelsa String Quartet (9/28)
  • Mark Padmore with Jonathan Biss — Tenor performs Schumann, Tippett and Faure accompanied by young pianist (10/10)
  • UMD Symphony Orchestra (10/10)
  • UMD Wind Orchestra (10/11)
  • Tempo — Established run by graduate students at the UMD School of Music premieres new music during its Fall Concert (10/13)
  • District5 Wind Quintet — Newly formed graduate quintet at UMD (10/24)

    Kronos Quartet

  • Kronos Quartet — Daring contemporary chamber ensemble performs Beyond Zero: 1914-1918, a new work by Serbian-born Aleksandra Vrebalov and filmmaker Bill Morrison utilizing music and film to examine the turmoil of the “great war” (10/25)
  • UMD Symphony Orchestra Concerto Competition Finals (10/31)
  • UMD Symphony Orchestra and UMD Concert Choir — A performance of Brahms’ German Requiem plus Earl Kim’s mournful Where Grief Slumbers with soprano Katie Baughman (11/14)
  • UMD Women’s Chorus & UMD Men’s Chorus — Fall Choral Showcase (11/16)
  • Chamber Music Showcase (11/17)
  • Bach Cantata Series (11/20)
  • Maryland Opera StudioCosi fan tutte (11/21, 11/23-25)
  • Calder Quartet (11/22)
  • UMD Symphony Orchestra & UMD Wind Orchestra Sibellus 6 (12/5)

COOLIDGE AUDITORIUM

Library of Congress
Thomas Jefferson Building
10 First St. SE
202-707-8000
loc.gov/concerts

  • St. Lawrence String Quartet — Pianist Pedja Muzijevic joins to perform a rhapsodic Brahmsian piano quintet written by American composer Amy Beach (10/24)
  • Vox Luminis — Washington debut of a decade-old early music ensemble from Belgium (10/29)
  • Ensemble Dal Niente — A world-premiere performance of a new work from George Lewis commissioned by the Library of Congress plus G.F. Haas’s in vain (10/30)
  • Pierre-Laurent Aimard — The art of the fugue is the focus of pianist’s recital pairing excerpts from Bach’s The Well-Tempered Clavier with masterworks by Beethoven and Brahms (11/7)
  • Ensemble Caprice — Conjuring a fascinating musical dialogue between the Old and New Worlds and creating a fusion of European harmonies and melodies blended with Latin, African and Amerindian nuances (11/21)
  • Chiara String Quartet w/Simone Dinnerstein — Grammy-nominated quartet performs on the Library’s Stradivari instruments for a performance with star pianist of a new commissioned work from Jefferson Friedman (12/5)
  • Choir of Clare College (12/6)
  • Jan Vogler, Mira Wang & Antti Siirala — An evening of chamber music (12/12)
  • Stradivari Anniversary Concert: St. Lawrence String Quartet (12/18)

D.C.’S DIFFERENT DRUMMERS

202-269-4868
dcdd.org

  • DCDD Does Drag V (10/26)
  • Fall Concert — The Capital Pride Symphonic Band and Capital Pride Wind Ensemble kick off the full season (11/2)
  • Holiday Concert (12/7)

DAVIS PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

Georgetown University
3700 O St. NW
202-687-ARTS
performingarts.georgetown.edu

  • Georgetown University Orchestra (10/23, 11/23)
  • The DC A Cappella Festival 2014 – Annual concert co-hosted by two of GU’s most charismatic groups: the co-ed Phantoms and the all-female GraceNotes (11/1, 11/8)

FAIRFAX SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

703-563-1990
fairfaxsymphony.org

  • Brahms, Grieg — Christopher Zimmerman kicks off the new season with Brahms’s Symphony No. 2 and Grieg’s Piano Concerto featuring Alexander Schimpf (9/20)
  • Copland & Stravinsky — A program featuring two works from each composer, including Appalachian Spring and Dumbarton Oaks Concerto (10/25-26)
  • I’ll Be Seeing You — Luke Frazier conducts “an unfolding love story” based on actual letters written during World War II and featuring songs of the era by Gershwin, Kern, Carmichael and Ellington (11/8)

FOLGER CONSORT

201 East Capitol St. SE
202-544-7077
folger.edu

  • Courting Elizabeth: Music and Patronage in Shakespeare’s England — An exploration of the Elizabethan era’s musical influence (9/26-28)
  • A Renaissance Christmas: Music of Flanders and Italy Circa 1500 — Inspired by Schiavone’s Madonna and Child with Angels, a program of seasonal music by Josquin, Ockeghem, Obrecht and Compere (12/16-23)
  • The Road to Canterbury: Music of Medieval England — Acclaimed vocal ensemble Lionheart and instrumentalists Mary Sprinfels and Tom Zajac join the consort for a sweet and cheery program of medieval music, including a song mentioned in Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, ethereal motets from the Lady Masses and engaging dances (1/9/15-1/10/15, Washington National Cathedral)

GAY MEN’S CHORUS OF WASHINGTON, D.C.

202-293-1548
gmcw.org

  • Love Stinks (an Anti-Love Cabaret) — Three months before Valentine’s Day and its “Love Rocks!” program, GMCW serenades the haters, presenting select soloists sharing stories and songs about the perils and problems of love culled from the Great American Songbook, Broadway, the Top 40 and beyond (11/15, Atlas Performing Arts Center)
  • Rockin’ the Holidays — Signature holiday classics and new arrangements of seasonal favorites are the name of the game of this annual program, which this year doubles in number of concerts with a change in venue (12/6, 12/13-14, Lincoln Theatre)

KENNEDY CENTER

202-467-4600
kennedy-center.org

  • Char Prescott & Ryo Yanagitani — A free performance by cellist and pianist, both 2011 S&R Washington Award winners, presented by S&R Foundation as part of Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage series (9/12, Millennium Stage)
  • The U.S. Army Field Band’s Soldiers’ Chorus — Members of the band and bass clarinetist SSG Kevin Walko accompany selections from popular operas (9/15, Millennium Stage)
  • Khymariyaan, Ribab Fusion — Two bands, one a hyper-folk jam quartet from Pakistan, the other a Berber funk sensation from Morocco, make their U.S. debuts and kickoff month-long U.S. tours (9/16, Millennium Stage)
  • Amadou Kouyate (9/17, Millennium Stage)
  • Nistha Raj — Violinist puts a new spin on Indian classical music with elements of jazz, rock and hip-hop (9/18, Millennium Stage)
  • Petar Maric — Serbian accordionist shows off his unique range and musicality (9/20, Millennium Stage)
  • Tri Minh — Hanoi Conservatory-trained composer, jazz pianist and contemporary sound artist performs with his own quartet (9/23, Millennium Stage)
  • Steven Lin — Washington Performing Arts presents a program including a classic Mozart sonata, a fiery piece by Ravel and Notturno Incantato, written for pianist Lin by David Hertzberg (9/27, Terrace Theater)
  • Tony Small — Selections from Small’s new opera Qadar: An Operetta for Children, incorporating African and Arabic music genres and developed in consultation with Denyce Graves (9/30, Millennium Stage)
  • Opera Lafayette — Rameau’s Les Fetes de l’Hymen et de l’Amour, ou Les Dieux d’Egypte (10/6, Concert Hall)
The Dover Quartet
The Dover Quartet
  • The Dover Quartet — The up-and-coming ensemble performs Glazunov’s Five Novelettes as well as Mozart and Schubert in this Fortas Chamber Music Concerts series (10/8, Terrace)
  • Ray Chen accompanied by Julio Elizalde — Pianist accompanies the Taiwanese-Australian violinist in a Washington Performing Arts program that mixes the seriousness of Mozart and Bach with playful works by Pablo de Sarasate (10/9, Terrace)
  • Kennedy Center Chamber Players — The acclaimed ensemble of NSO musicians plays works by Debussy, Ives, Saint-Saens and Beethoven (10/12, Terrace)
  • Shen Yun Symphony Orchestra (10/12, Concert Hall)
  • Yun-Chin Zhou (10/14, Terrace)
  • Danish String Quartet — One of the world’s hottest string quartets with a classic program, “The Art of the Fugue” (10/15, Terrace)
  • Josh Wright (10/16, Terrace)
  • Matthew Rose — Bass vocalist offers a concert presented by Vocal Arts DC (10/19, Terrace)
  • China National Centre for the Performing Arts Orchestra — Provocative piano prodigy Yuja Wang performs Ravel’s Piano Concerto with this orchestra (11/3, Concert Hall)
  • Avanti Orchestra of the FMMC (11/5, Terrace)
  • Gewandhaus Orchestra of Leipzig w/Nikolaj Znaider — The oldest civic symphony orchestra in the world, accompanied by Danish-Israeli violinist performing Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto in E minor (11/5, Concert Hall)
  • Pretty Yende — After triumphant debuts last season at both Milan’s La Scala and New York’s Metropolitan Opera, the young South African soprano makes her Washington recital debut (11/6, Terrace Theater)

    Quater Ebene

  • Quatuor Ebene — Touted as one of the most creative ensembles on the international chamber music scene and making its Fortas debut with Haydn, Mendelssohn and other works from its jazz repertoire (11/7, Terrace)
  • Beatrice Rana — Silver medalist in the 2013 Van Cliburn competition performs Bach, Chopin, Scriabin and Prokofiev (11/8, Terrace)
  • Orion Weiss and the Salzburg Marionettes — A vivid, virtuoso pianist improbably matched with one of the world’s oldest and most beloved marionette theaters (11/11, Terrace)
  • Christina and Michelle Naughton — Twin pianists offer a delightful Fortas program for two pianos with works by Brahms, Debussy, Lutoslawski and Stravinsky (11/13, Terrace)
  • Kennedy Center Chamber Players — Guest soprano Esther Oh joins the ensemble to perform “Six German Songs” by Spohr plus three works by Schubert (11/16, Terrace)
  • Anne-Sophie Mutter and the Mutter Virtuosi (11/23, Concert Hall)
  • Stephen Waarts (12/9, Terrace)
  • John Brancy — Baritone in recital (12/10, Terrace)
  • Anonymous 4: On Yoolis Night — Famed group returns to the Kennedy Center for a Fortas holiday concert, performing songs, motets and carols from British sources (12/11, Terrace)
  • Ariel Quartet — Pro Musica Hebraica presents a Hanukkah-timed concert by this young Israeli virtuoso group tracing the arc of modern Israeli music (12/14, Terrace)
  • Messiah Sing-along — Barry Hemphill leads members of the Opera House Orchestra, professional soloists and you in a performance of Handel’s masterpiece (12/23, Concert Hall)

LEVINE SCHOOL OF MUSIC

2801 Upton St. NW
202-686-8000
levinemusic.org

  • Season Sneak Preview and Open House — Carl Yaffe helps preview the new season and its “Pushing the Boundaries” theme with samples from the diverse group of artists performing in the coming year followed by a reception (9/27)
  • Jean Philippe Rameau’s Enlightenment — Levine faculty artists Lois Narvey, Ralitza Patcheva, Jeff van Osten and Vasily Popov present some of the most innovative and striking works by the groundbreaking composer in the area of harmony (10/11)
  • Bach’s The Art of Fugue — Levine faculty artists Ralitza Patcheva and Sam Post perform Bach’s monumental last work (11/1)
  • Reimagining The Piano Trio — Levine faculty artists Anna Ouspenskaya and Igor Zubkovksy and Levine alum Fedor Ouspenskaya pair up for a program, co-sponored by Hillwood Estates, going beyond the piano concerto to include selections from opera and ballet (111/22, Hillwood Easte)

LISNER AUDITORIUM AT GWU

730 21st St. NW
202-994-6800
lisner.org

  • Boban and Marko Markovic Orchestra — A 13-piece Balkan brass band orchestra that the New York Times says offers “a stunning blast of exuberance and virtuosity” (10/3)
  • From The Top — Live with Christopher O’Riley — WPA hosts a live recording of pianist’s popular weekly public radio show with a focus on America’s best pre-college classical musicians (10/24)

NATIONAL PHILHARMONIC

Music Center at Strathmore
5301 Tuckerman Lane
Bethesda, Md.
301-493-9283
nationalphilharmonic.org

  • Dvorak’s New World Symphony — Music Director Piotr Gajewski leads Strathmore’s resident orchestra in a season-opening concert featuring guest violinist Chee-Yun on a program including Sibelius’s Concerto for Violin (10/18-19)
  • Mozart’s Requiem — Stan Engebretson conducts the orchestra and the National Philharmonic Chorale (11/1-2)
  • Handel’s Messiah (12/20-21)
  • Haydn’s Surprise Symphony — Maestro Gajewski leads the orchestra in a program also featuring celebrated cellist Zuill Bailey performing Haydn’s Cello Concerto No. 2 (1/10/15)

NATIONAL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

Kennedy Center Concert Hall
202-467-4600
kennedy-center.org

  • NSO Pops: Pink Martini & The von Trapps — The crowd-pleasing eclectic cocktail band teams up with descendants of the family that inspired The Sound of Music (9/11-13)
  • Season Opening Ball Concert w/Joshua Bell and Kelli O’Hara — The NSO kicks off its new season with a French-inspired program led by its music director Christoph Eschenbach and principal pops conductor Steven Reineke and featuring the superstar violinist and Tony-nominated soprano (9/21)

    Paul Jacobs

  • Paul Jacobs: Poulenc’s Organ Concerto — Organist makes his NSO debut performing on the Kennedy Center’s superb new Rubenstein Family Organ as part of a program led by conductor Matthew Halls that also includes Mendelssohn’s Symphony No. 2 featuring singers Tamara Wilson, Twyla Robinson and Paul Appleby (10/1-4)
  • Angela Hewitt: Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 22 (10/9-11)
  • Jeremy Filsell — The NSO presents an organ recital by this Artist-in-Residence at the National Cathedral and Professor of Organ at Catholic University (10/15)
  • NSO Pops: Music from the Films of Tim Burton — A focus on Danny Elfman’s unforgettable scores for Burton’s weird, wild films, including Edward Scissorhands, Batman and Alice in Wonderland (10/23-25)
  • Midori: Schumann’s Violin Concerto — This star violinist performs in a program that also includes symphonies by Mendelssohn and Mozart (10/30-11/1)
  • Claudio Bohorquez: Prokofiev — Cellist performs the Sinfonia concertante in a Maestro Eschenbach-led program also including symphonies by Brahms and Haydn (11/6-8)
  • Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring — The NSO’s Eschenbach conducts this powerful masterpiece as well as Mozart’s Flute Concerto No. 2 featuring NSO principal Aaron Goldman (11/13-15)
  • Garrick Ohlssonlanov: Busoni — Pianist and the Washington Men’s Camerata perform Busoni’s massive Piano Concerto while Rossen Milanov also conducts Stravinsky’s Firebird Suite (11/20-22)
  • NSO Pops: Sutton Foster — Reineke leads the NSO and great Tony-winning dynamo performing songs from Thoroughly Modern Millie, Anything Goes, Violet and more (11/28-29)
  • Helmuth Rilling: All-J.S. Bach Program — A global Bach expert leads the NSO in a program featuring a concerto, two cantatas and the Orchestral Suite No. 3 (12/4-6)
  • NSO Pops: Cirque de la Symphonie — A popular “Happy Holidays” program bringing the circus to the Concert Hall, including aeralists, jugglers, illusionists (12/11-13)
  • Nicholas McGegan: Handel’s Messiah — The epic masterpiece is performed each year with a fresh perspective from a different conductor leading the NSO and acclaimed guest artists, plus this year the Washington Chorus (12/18-21)

STRATHMORE

5301 Tuckerman Lane
Bethesda, Md.
301-581-5100
strathmore.org

  • Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra — Serbian orchestra stops by Strathmore as part of its first-ever U.S. tour with a program featuring Hristic, Khachaturian and Sibelius (10/8, Music Center)
Rupert Boyd
Rupert Boyd
  • Rupert Boyd — A young classical guitarist from Australia who has drawn comparisons to the incomparable guitarist Segovia (10/16, Mansion)
  • Ronn McFarlane & Mindy Rosenfeld — A lute and flute duo, founding members of the Baltimore Consort, present “The Moon & Seven Stars”(10/23, Mansion)
  • Anthony McGill & Christopher Shih — Principal Clarinet of the Metropolitan Opera, as well as other venues including the Obama Inauguration, accompanied by celebrated pianist (10/26, Mansion)
  • Vijay Iyer: Music of Transformation — Presenting this composer-pianist, a 2013 MacArthur fellow, and his work in transforming Igor Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring as Radhe Radhe: Rites of Holi, plus his own Mutations recordings (11/6, Music Center)
  • Academy of Ancient Music — Early music ensemble exploring the sounds that inspired Bach with his Bach Suites (11/8, Music Center)
  • Susan Jones Klezmer Ensemble — Classical violinist offers an evening of pre-Chanukah klezmer (12/10, Mansion)

WASHINGTON BACH CONSORT

National Presbyterian Church
4101 Nebraska Ave. NW
202-429-2121
bachconsort.org

  • The Mozart Requiem — Internationally acclaimed soprano Sherezade Panthaki joins the consort as a guest artist to perform haunting composition as well as the bravura motet Exsultate, jubilate — both by Mozart in an all-Mozart program (9/28)
  • The Little Organ Book — Part 1 — J. Reilly Lewis leads the Bach Consort Chorus in the first of a two-part series performing 45 Bach chorale preludes (11/2)
  • Christmas for Our Time — Organist Todd Fickley accompanies the Consort Chorus in a program of new and familiar seasonal works of various nationalities (12/7)

THE WASHINGTON CHORUS

202-342-6221
thewashingtonchorus.org

  • Missa Solemnis — A monumental setting for Beethoven’s towering masterwork, which he wrote near the end of his life and completed in total deafness (11/16, Kennedy Center)
  • A Candlelight Christmas — The group A Cappella!, from the James Hubert Blake High School in Montgomery County, performs with the chorus (12/14, 12/20, 12/22, Kennedy Center; 12/19, 12/23, Strathmore)

WASHINGTON NATIONAL OPERA

Kennedy Center Opera House
202-295-2400
dc-opera.org

  • Florencia in the Amazon — Artistic director Francesca Zambello leads a new production of Daniel Catan’s Spanish language opera inspired by Gabriel Garcia Marquez and following a famous riverboat singer, performed by star soprano Christine Goerke (9/20-28)
La Boheme
La Boheme
  • La Boheme — A new production of Puccini’s timeless tale of young bohemians in Paris struggling to fulfill their dreams and find love (11/1-15)
  • American Opera Initiative: Three 20-Minute Operas — A concert performance accompanied by a small chamber orchestra and followed by a Q&A session with the artists and creative teams behind these new short operas (11/21)
  • Holiday Family Opera: The Little Prince — A production of Oscar-winner Rachel Portman’s adaptation of Antoine de Saint-Exupery (12/19-21)

For more Fall Arts Preview, including Pop Music, Film, Stage, Dance and TV, please click here.

[goldstar-plugin teritory=8]

Support Metro Weekly’s Journalism

These are challenging times for news organizations. And yet it’s crucial we stay active and provide vital resources and information to both our local readers and the world. So won’t you please take a moment and consider supporting Metro Weekly with a membership? For as little as $5 a month, you can help ensure Metro Weekly magazine and MetroWeekly.com remain free, viable resources as we provide the best, most diverse, culturally-resonant LGBTQ coverage in both the D.C. region and around the world. Memberships come with exclusive perks and discounts, your own personal digital delivery of each week’s magazine (and an archive), access to our Member's Lounge when it launches this fall, and exclusive members-only items like Metro Weekly Membership Mugs and Tote Bags! Check out all our membership levels here and please join us today!