Little by little, year after year, from one season to the next, there have been some subtle yet certain shifts in programming among local classical music organizations — in both good and not-so-good ways, depending on whether you like, say, holiday sing-alongs come Christmastime. If you do, well, good for you, but boo hoo for the rest of us, because that’s definitely on the uptick this season, as in previous years. Similarly, if Halloween is more your jam, you’re also in luck, because there’s also been a slight increase in the number of eerily inspired, scary-themed shows.

There’s also more diversity all around, and in multiple senses of the term — from slightly more female composers with works being performed around town, to more genre- and boundary-pushing works and programs overall, to seemingly more out, LGBTQ-identified people in this particular genre.

Of course, the Gay Men’s Chorus has been here all along. So, too, DC Different Drummers. And while we’re giving out gay praise, let’s single out two more entities, both for their notable programming this season, and even more for reaching their respective milestones: the American Pops Orchestra is now entering its 10th season, and Opera Lafayette is, as the tagline puts it, “celebrating 30 years of (re)making history.”

---

THE ALDEN

McLean Community Center
1234 Ingleside Ave.
McLean, Va.
703-790-0123
www.mcleancenter.org

• Ching-Yi Lin, piano — “Ravel at 150” is a toast to the composer of Boléro and other “beautiful and fiendishly difficult piano music” performed by the internationally acclaimed instrumentalist originally from Taiwan who is also on the faculty at Baltimore’s esteemed Peabody Institute (9/21)
• Marcolivia, violin and viola — Award-winning local strings duo performs music from all styles and periods (11/23)

AMERICAN POPS ORCHESTRA

www.theamericanpops.org

• The Three Tenors of Broadway — Be a part of the audience at the next live taping of a future TV broadcast, this one focused on tunes that originated on Broadway that went on to become pop standards by virtue of hit covers done by everyone from Aretha Franklin to Frank Sinatra, Johnny Mathis to Stevie Wonder — to be performed here by three of “Broadway’s best tenors,” a trio still to be determined (11/6, Cramton Auditorium at Howard University, 2455 6th St. NW)
• Holiday Show: Just Like the Ones We Used to Know — In the tradition of popular TV holiday specials hosted way-back-when by Carol Burnett and Dean Martin and more recently by Mariah Carey and Dolly Parton, comes this special concert with featured artists Eric Ulloa from Broadway, local stage superstar and vocal powerhouse Nova Payton, and Second City’s Hilary Morrow (12/6, Kogod Cradle)
• Movin’ On Broadway — A collaboration with Tony- and Grammy-nominated artist Robbie Fairchild, this new production will feature APO musicians joined by a roster of Broadway’s best, including four singers and eight dancers, to pay homage to a little-known album from 1960 featuring Broadway covers by Kay Starr that Frazier says he’s been “obsessed” with for a long time now (2/3/26, Lisner Auditorium, 730 21st St. NW)

BALTIMORE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

410-783-8000
www.bsomusic.org

• Heyward’s Triumphant Beethoven — Heyward turns to the German classical giant to ensure his third season launches with a bang via a double dose of Beethoven bombast, including his triumphant Symphony No. 7 — without Beyoncé this time around — and the energetic Triple Concerto featuring soloists Inon Barnatan on piano, Stefan Jackiw on violin, and Hayoung Choi on cello (9/26, 9/28, Meyerhoff; 9/27, Strathmore)
• Jurassic Park In Concert — Steven Spielberg’s original dangerous dinosaurs blockbuster, with its visually stunning imagery and groundbreaking special effects, will be projected in HD while the BSO performs the iconic score by John Williams live to picture (10/3, Strathmore; 10/4-5, Meyerhoff)
• Stravinsky Ballets & Iberian Tales — Joanna Carneiro leads a program of ballet-inspired storytelling and Iberian flare, including Stravinsky’s “Suite” from Pulcinella and the “Divertimento” from The Fairy’s Kiss, paired with the East Coast premiere of Andreia Pinto Correia’s Cortejo and Rodrigo’s Concerto de Aranjuez featuring Rafael Aguirre on guitar (10/9, 10/12, Meyerhoff; 10/11, Strathmore)
• Voices of Vienna: Mozart & Schubert — Mario Venzago conducts Schubert’s “Great” Symphony No. 9 and Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 21 featuring Claire Huangci, plus Anna Clyne’s Masquerade as concert kickoff (10/18, Strathmore; 10/19, Meyerhoff)
• Symphonie Fantastique (Tales of Poe) — Heyward leads a program featuring Mark Simpson’s Israfel, a haunting tribute to Edgar Allen Poe, as well as Prokofiev’s moody and intense Violin Concerto No. 2 with Francesca Dego and the popular symphony by Berlioz that gives the program its name (10/23, Strathmore; 10/24, The Clarice; 10/26, Meyerhoff)
• Haunted Hall: Halloween Film Favorites — Film conductor Damon Gupton leads “a spine-tingling” holiday program mixing haunting classics with thrilling scores (10/31, Strathmore; 11/1-2, Meyerhoff)
• Symphonic Poetry: Magic, Fire & Light — Vivid orchestral storytelling is the theme for this concert featuring soloist George Li on piano and the University of Maryland Concert Choir and selections including Dukas’ The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, Scriabin’s Prometheus: Poem of Fire, Ravel’s Daphnis et Chloé: Suite No. 2, and Mussorgsky’s Night on Bald Mountain (11/6, 11/8, Meyerhoff; 11/9, Strathmore)
• Bernadette Peters — Two decades after helping christen the Music Center at Strathmore, the incomparable Broadway legend returns to the area for another one of her signature solo cabarets promising “a one-of-a-kind evening of spell-binding songs” (11/7)
• Alsop Conducts Brahms 3 — BSO Music Director Laureate Marin Alsop returns for a special performance of Symphony No. 3 by Brahms paired with the Khachaturian Violin Concerto featuring French-Serbian instrumentalist Nemanja Radulović (11/14, The Clarice; 11/15, Strathmore; 11/16, Meyerhoff)
• Itzhak Perlman in Recital — A return engagement for the iconic classical violinist as part of his 80th birthday season, accompanied by his longtime recital partner (11/15, Meyerhoff)
• Elf In Concert — John Debney’s vibrant score will be rendered live by the BSO as the Will Ferrell holiday classic is projected on screens overhead (12/5, Strathmore; 12/6-7, Meyerhoff)
• Cirque Nutcracker — The acrobats of Troupe Vertigo perform stunts in their signature twist on Tchaikovsky’s holiday classic (12/12, Strathmore; 12/13, Meyerhoff)
• Classical Christmas — Excerpts from Handel’s Messiah is the centerpiece of this holiday program with the BSO led by Patrick Quigley and featuring soloists Maya Kherani, soprano, and James Reese, tenor, along with the Handel Choir of Baltimore (12/17, Meyerhoff)
• Holiday Pops — A return of a BSO holiday tradition led by conductor Stuart Chafetz and featuring the Baltimore Choral Arts Society, not to mention tap-dancing Santas (12/20-21, Meyerhoff)
• Distant Worlds: Music from Final Fantasy: Legendary maestro Arnie Roth leads a full orchestra and chorus to celebrate the original music composed for the classic roleplaying videogame franchise from Japan, specifically the more recent titles Final Fantasy XVI and Final Fantasy XIV (1/2-1/3/26, Meyerhoff)
• American Soundscapes: Jazz, Blues & Beyond — Conductor Anthony Parnther explores the evolution of the “All-American sound” with selections including Leonard Bernstein’s “Overture” to West Side Story, a movement from Wynton Marsalis’s Blues Symphony, Florence Price’s Symphony No. 3, and Aaron Copland’s Piano Concerto featuring David Kaplan (1/8/26, Strathmore; 1/10-1/11/26, Meyerhoff)

THE BARNS AT WOLF TRAP

1635 Trap Road
Vienna, Va.
703-255-1868
www.wolftrap.org

• Anne Sofie von Otter, mezzo-soprano with Kristian Bezuidenhout, piano — Chamber Music at the Barns (10/9)
• Chandrika Tandon — The Divine Ecstasy Tour (10/19)
• Viola Celebration — A Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center program of violin works by Beethoven, Vaughan Williams, and Mozart (11/16)
• Gil Shaham, violin with Akira Eguchi, piano (12/2)
• Boccherini & Beethoven — A Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center program (1/30/26)
• Imani Winds — “Grooves and Meditations” (2/8/26)

BENDER JCC

Kreeger Auditorium
6125 Montrose Rd.
Rockville, Md.
301-881-0100
www.benderjccgw.org

• Polonsky-Shifrin-Wiley Trio — A program of trios written by Beethoven, Brahms, and Nina Rota will be performed by this trio of pianist Anna Polonsky, clarinetist David Shifrin, and cellist Peter Wiley, which made its debut over five years ago at Dumbarton Oaks (10/5)
• Verona String Quartet with Eric Lu — One of the most distinguished ensembles on the chamber music scene today performs a pair of works by Mendelssohn as well as Schumann’s Piano Quintet in E-Flat Major with rising young pianist Lu, who will also perform Schumann’s Arabeske in C Major for Solo Piano (11/9)
• William Hagen and Albert Cano Smit — A violinist and pianist team up for a program of works by both Robert and Clara Schumann, Richard Strauss, and Erich Wolfgang Korngold (12/7)

CAPITAL CITY SYMPHONY

Atlas Performing Arts Center
1333 H St. NE
202-399-7993
www.atlasarts.org

• Persist! — Led by longtime Artistic Director and Conductor Victoria Gau, this community orchestra of 80-plus volunteer members opens its new season with a perfectly timed show celebrating the power of perseverance. Selections include Valerie Coleman’s Fanfare for Uncommon Times, described as “a bold call for resilience,” the Overture to Mozart’s Don Giovanni, and two works by Shostakovich, from his exuberant Festive Overture to his commanding Symphony No. 5, “a work that embodies courage, triumph, and the unstoppable human spirit” (10/5)
• Zoom! CCS Family Concert — A mid-day concert intended to inspire people of all ages with music and stories telling stories of bravery and quick thinking, from Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf, to Humperdinck’s Prelude to Hansel and Gretel, to Sibelius’s rousing anthem of resilience Finlandia (11/16)
• Spark! Holiday Concert — Potomac Fever, the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington’s acclaimed a cappella ensemble, joins the symphony to perform classic carols and holiday hits, plus a few “unexpected delights [to] make this an event that will brighten your season” (12/6)

CAPITAL ONE HALL

7750 Capital One Tower Rd.
Tysons, Va.
703-343-7651
www.capitalonehall.com

• Avatar: The Last Airbender In Concert — The animated series will screen with the original dialogue and sound effects intact while a live orchestra performs the original music composed by Emmy-winning composer Jeremy Zuckerman in a 20th Anniversary Tour special edition promising “new elements and artistic surprises” (9/28, Main Theater)
• The McLean Symphony: Symphonic Spooks — Spooky classics and cinematic favorites by Grieg, Liszt, Mussorgsky, John Williams, and more are the featured attractions at this Halloween-themed program for all ages from the all-volunteer chamber orchestra directed by Sebastian Grand (10/12, Main Theater)
• Il Divo — “Il Divo By Candlelight” features the internationally popular classical crossover quartet performing with accompaniment in the U.S. by Phoenix-based string trio Simply Three, also serving as opening act (10/26)
• The Capital Wind Symphony: Patriotic Landscapes — A year before the actual anniversary comes this early concert from an ensemble comprised of some of the region’s most accomplished wind musicians, in a celebration of, as its subtitle puts it, “250 Years of We The People,” performed with special musical guests in the United States Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps, who will also offer a pre-show performance (11/9)

THE CHORAL ARTS SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON

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

• Undas — Artistic Director Marie Bucoy-Calavan leads the Choral Arts Chamber Ensemble in what is billed as “an interactive choral concert for the Filipino Day of the Dead,” including a pre-concert reception with Filipino food and altars for concert-goers to bring pictures of loved ones who’ve died (11/2, Live at 10th and G)
• O Night Divine! — The annual holiday music celebration is offered twice, with the first concert also coinciding with the organization’s 45th annual gala (12/15, 12/24)
• A Family Christmas — Join Santa, Frosty, Rudolph, and the Grinch for this annual kid-centric holiday extravaganza (12/20, 12/24)

DC’S DIFFERENT DRUMMERS

www.dcdd.org

• Jazz Band Fall Concert — “Songs of Social Change” will feature protest songs and other musical works that continue to inspire activism for social justice and equal rights (10/26, Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, 901 G St. NW)
• Symphonic Band Fall Concert — Anthony Conto Oakley will lead the band in this year’s fall concert titled “Unapologetically Human: From Stillness to Spectacle” (11/08, Church of the Epiphany, 1317 G St. NW)
• DCDD Holiday Concert — The annual holiday show is set to return for a program of festive works performed by the organization’s jazz and symphonic bands as well as its small ensembles, although the website lists the event as “tentative,” adding that the “date/time may be subject to change,” and no word about hosting venue (12/14, Venue TBA)

DUMBARTON ARTS

Dumbarton United Methodist Church
3133 Dumbarton St. NW
202-965-2000
www.dumbartonconcerts.org

• Cuarteto Latinoamericano — Billed as “Washington’s Original Candlelight Concert Series,” the “Dumbarton Concerts” series opens with Mexico’s flagship chamber ensemble honoring music of the New World as part of its farewell tour (10/25)
• Stile Antico — Britain’s globe-trotting 12-voice ensemble celebrates its 20th anniversary season by performing some of the greatest choral music of the Renaissance (11/9)
• A Celtic Christmas — A 40-year tradition, this annual holiday fête offers nostalgic poetry and music capturing “tales of the glories of Christmases long, long ago,” as performed by the Barnes and Hampton Celtic Consort and featuring Robert Aubrey Davis as narrator (12/6-7)
• Cyrus Chestnut — After last year’s “standing-room-only” performance, this “Baltimore-born marvel of the jazz world” returns to the Dumbarton stage for another round of iconic Christmas jazz, including his iconic interpretation of Vince Guaraldi’s soundtrack for A Charlie Brown Christmas (12/12)
• Helicon: Winter Solstice — A showcase of old-time and American roots music from this Baltimore supergroup and their special guests (12/13)

DUMBARTON OAKS

Music Room
1703 32nd St. NW
202-339-6400
www.doaks.org

• Eric Jacobsen & Friends — A celebration of chamber music featuring established and rising classical musicians, this year’s “Music at Dumbarton Oaks” series kicks off with Jacobsen and three fellow musician friends, Austin Wulliman, Kyle Armbrust, and Alex Sopp, and the latter’s unique voice as a flutist, songwriter, singer, and creator will also be featured in a special program segment (10/26-27)
• Jeffrey and Gabriel Kahane — A father-son piano duo drop by the historic Georgetown property, a Harvard University research institute, library, museum, and garden, to explore the overlapping traditions of American and Germanic music in a two-piano program Guitars in the Attic (11/23-24)
• Phillip Golub — The Fall 2025 Musician-in-Residence at Dumbarton Oaks will close out the season with original compositions and unique reimaginings of familiar melodies, demonstrating his boundary-pushing way of weaving together influences from jazz, classical, and popular music as a pianist and composer (12/7-8)
• Maeve Gilchrist and Layale Chaker — A new harp-and-violin duo explore their respective Celtic and Levantine heritages in a suite of music titled Smoke Veins that offers “not a reimagining of the past but an exploration of a shared present. The performance will kickoff Gilchrist’s term as the Spring 2026 Musician-in-Residence, and will function as a reunion of sorts for Chaker, the Fall 2021 Early-Career Musician Resident at the Georgetown estate (1/25/26-1/26/26)

FAIRFAX SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

GMU Center for the Arts
703-993-2787
www.fairfaxsymphony.org

• The Lark & Four Seasons — Soloist William Hagen joins the FSO under Christopher Zimmerman to perform Vaughan Williams’s The Lark Ascending, a lyrical ode to the English countryside, as part of a program bridging tradition with bold reinvention, the latter represented by groundbreaking composer Max Richter’s bold reimagining of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons (10/11)
• An Evening with Yo-Yo Ma — The world’s biggest classical soloist joins the FSO for an all-Shostakovich program commemorating the composer’s 120th anniversary, with Ma performing his Cello Concerto No. 1 (12/6)
• Celtic Woman: Symphony Christmas Tour 2025 — The celestial voices of Grammy-nominated multi-platinum Irish sensation will be enriched by accompaniment from a full symphony orchestra and taking place in an intimate concert setting, promising a yuletide celebration to remember (12/16)
• Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker — FSO offers live accompaniment to performers of the Fairfax Ballet (12/20-21)
• The Soul of Tango with Berta Rojas (2/7/26)

FOLGER CONSORT

Folger Theatre
201 E. Capitol St. SE
202-544-7077
www.folger.edu

• Virtuosos of Violin and Verse — A collaboration with Folger Poetry that sees the Consort’s musicians joined by poet, author, and actor Rose Solari (11/7-9)
• Resplendent Joy — Subtitled “Christmas Traditions from Spain and Portugal,” the annual holiday offering from this acclaimed early music ensemble is several cuts above the average holiday fare and as unique as they come (12/5-14)
• Love Songs of the 15th Century — Over Valentine’s Day, the Consort performs “the sole surviving musical setting” of a ballad written by poet Christine de Pisan, author of the early feminist utopia The City of Ladies (2/13/26-2/15/26)

GAY MEN’S CHORUS

202-293-1548
www.gmcw.org

• Bawdy — The perennially fun as well as funny annual cabaret returns “spicier than ever,” with a program of “risqué stories, saucy songs about surprise encounters and dates gone wrong, and a generous helping of bawdy positivity” (10/11, Keegan Theatre, 1742 Church St. NW)
• The Holiday Show — Promoted as “bigger than ever, with new soulful arrangements” of favorite carols, this year’s show is sure to be a treat whether you’re new or well-seasoned, not to mention naughty or nice (12/13-14, 12/20, Lincoln Theatre, 1215 U St. NW)
• Heart and Soul — A week after Valentine’s Day, GMCW’s gospel ensemble Seasons of Love, directed by Assistant Conductor Ronté Pierce, offers a second annual show celebrating Black History Month and featuring special guests Lavender Light Gospel Choir from New York (2/21, The Howard Theatre, 620 T St. NW)
• Body Beautiful — Songs and stories celebrating body positivity will be performed locally on a rare weeknight and then again on stops during an equality bus tour still in the works (3/25/26, National City Christian Church, 5 Thomas Cir. NW; 3/26/26-3/29/26, Equality Bus Tour Stops TBA)

GMU CENTER FOR THE ARTS

Concert Hall
4373 Mason Pond Dr.
Fairfax, Va.
703-993-2787
www.cfa.gmu.edu

• Mason Bands Concert — “Celebrations in Motion” (9/30)
• Academy of St Martin in the Fields Chamber Ensemble — Drawn from principal players of London’s legendary orchestra of the same name, this chamber group, led by violinist Tomo Keller, offers a program centered around Schubert’s Octet in F Major, considered one of the greatest chamber works of all time, and also featuring a special work commissioned by the Academy (10/3)
• Mason Choirs Concert — “Timeless: Choral Voices Across the Centuries” (10/14)
• Mason Symphony Orchestra Fall 2025 Concert (10/15)
• Mason Opera Scenes Performance (10/20)
• Mason Jazz Ensemble Concert (10/23)
• Dewberry School of Music Faculty Artist Showcase Recital 2025 (10/26)
• Mason Jazz Vocal Night (11/10)
• Virginia Opera: Cinderella — Rossini’s beloved retelling of the classic fairy tale is staged in a magical, family friendly production (11/22-23)
• Chanticleer — “A Chanticleer Christmas” is a rich and varied program of both early works and holiday wonders performed by the entity that the New Yorker heralded as the “world’s reigning male chorus” (11/29)
• Mason Bands Concert — “But joy comes…” (12/4)
• American Festival Pops Orchestra — “Holiday Pops: Songs of the Season” is the annual holiday concert from this 60-member professional orchestra helmed by Artistic Director and Conductor Peter Wilson (12/13)
• Vienna Boys Choir — The return of the internationally acclaimed cherubic ensemble, comprised of boy sopranos and altos spanning ages eight to 14 and from 31 countries, who’ll perform Christmas in Vienna (12/14)
• Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (1/23/26)
• Virginia Opera: Intelligence — A riveting new opera about an underground Civil War spy network conceived of by composer Jake Heggie, librettist Gene Scheer, and Jawole Zollar (2/14/26-2/15/26)

HYLTON PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

Merchant Hall
Manassas, Va.
703-993-7759
www.hyltoncenter.org

• Manassas Chorale — “From Broadway with Love” (10/11)
• Virginia Opera: A Taste of Opera — A program of opera’s greatest hits, famous Broadway show tunes, and other diverse and lively selections performed by this organization’s talented artists (10/14)
• Manassas Symphony Orchestra — Romantic Impressions with Thomas Pandolfi (10/25)
• Abbie Palmer and Lucas Ashby — Palmer, a D.C.-based harpist and singer-songwriter, performs an eclectic program ranging in genres from traditional Celtic and African to New Age and Hip-Hop, with accompaniment by a Brazilian-American percussionist and composer (11/5)
• The U.S. Army Band (11/9)
• Canadian Brass (11/30)
• Manassas Symphony Orchestra — “Holiday in New Orleans” with Doreen Ketchen, clarinetist (12/6)
• American Festival Pops Orchestra — “Holiday Pops: Songs of the Season” (12/12)
• Manassas Chorale — “Merry and Bright” (12/13)

THE IN SERIES

202-204-7763
www.inseries.org

• St. John The Baptist — With its new season, this innovative and boundary-pushing opera company is going all-in to champion works that have never been staged before, a mix of new and newly transformed older works, the latter including this 17th-century version of the biblical Salome story featuring an oratorio by Alessandro Stradella. Written and heretofore known only as a concert work — one that actually marked the concert debut of a young Maria Callas as Salome in 1947 — St. John The Baptist will now come to fully staged life featuring new English text by Bari Biern, in a co-production with Catapult Opera (10/2-5, Theater Alliance, 340 Maple Dr. SW, DC; 10/10-12, Theatre Project, 45 W. Preston St., Baltimore)
• The Delta King’s Blues — Celebrate the legacy of legendary blues guitarist Robert Johnson in this first full opera to be commissioned by the IN Series, a “blues opera” presented as an “immersive juke-joint experience” rendered by a mix of blues and classical musicians playing a new score by Damien Geter and a cast of leading artists performing texts by Jarrod Lee (12/6-14, Theater Alliance D.C.; 12/19-21, 2640 Space, 2640 St. Paul St., Baltimore)
• Passion Plays | A Festival — New works by IN Series Artistic Director Timothy Nelson, Maribeth Diggle, and Adrienne Torf (March-April 2026, Dupont Underground and Baltimore Theatre Project)

KENNEDY CENTER

202-467-4600
www.kennedy-center.org

• James Baik, cello — A Young Concert Artists presentation (9/30, Terrace)
• Bridge to Beethoven Pt. 1 — A Fortas Chamber Music Concert (10/23, Terrace)
• Johann Strauss Quartet (10/25, Millennium)
• Charles Covington Quartet (10/30, Millennium)
• All Poets & Heroes (10/31, Millennium)
• Kennedy Center Chamber Players — Fall Concert (11/2, Terrace)
• Philharmonia Fantastique — A Kennedy Center Education School Performance, “Let’s Build an Orchestra!” (11/4, Concert Hall)
• Radu Ratoi, accordion — A Young Concert Artists presentation (11/18, Terrace)
• PostClassical Ensemble: The Pale Blue Dot — “A Musical Voyage Inspired by Nature” (11/19, Terrace)
• Nicholas Phan with Myra Huang — A Fortas Chamber Music Concert (11/23, Terrace)
• Shamrock Tenors — Christmas in Belfast (11/24-30, Eisenhower)
• Bridge to Beethoven (12/4, Terrace)

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS

Coolidge Auditorium
Thomas Jefferson Building
101 Independence Ave. SE
202-707-5502
www.loc.gov/concerts

• Consone Quartet with Kristian Bezuidenhout — An evening of Haydn and Mozart performed by this quartet, with the fortepianist Bezuidenhout joining to perform an early piano concerto by Mozart and to serve as the fifth member in Mozart’s quintet for piano and winds (10/17)
• Simone Dinnerstein, Jennifer Johnson Cano, Katherine Needleman, and Baroklyn — An evening of chamber works by J.S. Bach opens a special Founder’s Day 2025 celebration marking 100 years of the Library serving as a presenter of concerts (10/29)
• Tambuco — Grammy-nominated Mexican contemporary classical percussion ensemble is the feature guest for the Library’s annual Founder’s Day concert (10/30)
• Valerie Coleman — “Reverie” pairs original music by Coleman with works by Ravel, Debussy, and Poulenc as a cultural exchange of sorts (11/4)
• Pierre-Laurent Aimard, piano and Sir George Benjamin, piano — A recital of works by eminent British composer Benjamin as well as Aimard’s mentor Pierre Boulez, and Russian modernist Nikolai Obukhov (11/14)
• Grossman Ensemble (11/15)
• Les Arts Florissants with Théotime Langlois de Swarte, violin — Star violinist joins acclaimed French Baroque ensemble for an exhilarating concert celebrating the 300th anniversary of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons (11/21)
• Beatrice Berrut, piano — A “heavy-hitting recital that showcases works from the Library’s collections,” including music of Liszt, Saint-Saëns, Mahler, and Dukas (11/22)
• SistaStrings — A powerful, emotionally charged program blending classical, soul, and contemporary sounds (12/3)
• Raven Chacon (12/6)
• Stradivari Anniversary Concerts: Isidore Quartet with Misha Amory and Nina Lee — Violist Amory and cellist Lee join this quartet for a program of Bach, Brahms, and Beethoven, and offering a rare chance to hear six Stradivari stringed instruments used together in performance, including a recently acquired Stradivari viola dating to 1690 (12/18-19)

NATIONAL CHAMBER ENSEMBLE

703-685-7590
www.nationalchamberensemble.org

• Parisian Dreams: Ravel and Saint-Saëns — The new season kicks off with an elegant concert celebrating French impressionism and romanticism and Parisian sophistication and musical innovation chiefly by performing works by Maurice Ravel in honor of his 150th birthday, plus Saint-Saëns’s Piano Quartet in B Flat Major featuring NCE artist Carlos Cesar Rodriguez (11/8, Gunston Arts Center – Theater 1, 2700 S. Lang St., Arlington)
• Holiday Cheer! — A joyful celebration for the whole family of festive classics, seasonal favorites, and a carols sing-along, with performers including winners of the 2025 Nancy Peery Marriott Young Artist Piano Competition and the Voice Chamber Singers conducted by David Mann (12/20, Unitarian Universalist Church of Arlington, 4444 Arlington Blvd.)
• Chords of Desire: Broadway and Opera Favorites — An evening of powerful voices and sweeping melodies to mark Valentine’s Day with featured soloists Anton Belov, baritone, and Karin Paludan, soprano (2/14/26, Gunston Arts Center – Theater 1)

NATIONAL PHILHARMONIC

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

• One Song: Exultávit! with The Washington Chorus — In this new collaboration with The Washington Chorus, J.S. Bach’s beloved setting of the Magnificat is paired with another piece also exploring the power of prayer, humility, and kindness, Reena Esmail’s This Love Between Us, a bold new work juxtaposing Western classical music and Indian musical traditions. Eugene Rogers of The Chorus conducts the program featuring the orchestra and a handful of vocal soloists (10/25)
• Handel’s Messiah — NatPhil’s annual performance of this holiday staple is led by Anthony Blake Clark conducting the Baltimore Choral Arts Society and four vocal soloists (12/20-21)
• Prokofiev, Gershwin & Beach — Cosette Justo Valdés will conduct the orchestra in a performance of Prokofiev’s Violin Concerto No. 2 featuring Benjamin Bellman and part of a program with George Gershwin’s Cuban Overture and Amy Beach’s Symphony in E Minor (1/24/26)

NATIONAL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

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

• Season Opening Gala Concert: Yuja Wang (9/27)
• Daphnis et Chloé & Simon Trpčeski (10/2-4)
• Schubert’s “Unfinished” | Capuçon plays Berg (10/9-11)
• Eschenbach Returns: An Evening of Beethoven (10/16-18)
• Super Cello! (10/18-19, Family Theater)
• NSO Presents: Matthias Goerne & Daniil Trifonov (10/21)
• Marvel Studios — Infinity Saga Concert Experience (10/23-25)
• Halloween Spooktacular (10/26)
• Don Juan & Romeo and Juliet | Grimaud plays Gershwin (10/30-11/1)
• NSO Presents: Alexandre Kantorow (11/1)
• Steven’s Classical Mixtape (11/7-8)
• Saint-Saëns’s Organ Symphony | Ohlsson plays Beethoven (11/13-15)
• Tchaikovsky’s Fifth | Ferrández plays Lutosławski (11/20-23)
• A Holiday Pops! — with Melinda Doolittle (12/12-13)
• Handel’s Messiah (11/18-21)
• The Rite of Spring | Trifonov plays Brahms (1/15/26-1/17/26)
• Songs of Destiny & Fate (1/22/26-1/24/26)
• Musical Tails (1/24/26-1/25/26, Family Theater)
• Brahms x Radiohead — A world-premiere production (2/10/26-2/11/26)
• American Promise — Another world premiere, this one of a special NSO commission by Karen LeFrak in commemoration of the U.S.’s 250th anniversary, “a blend of new compositions and timeless orchestral works embodying the optimism, diversity, and evolving identity of our nation’s musical voice,” led by Enrico Lopez-Yañez (2/13/26-2/14/26)

OPERA LAFAYETTE

202-546-9332
www.operalafayette.org

• Dido & Aeneas — Mary Elizabeth Williams stars as Dido, the ill-fated Queen of Carthage, in a long-awaited production of Purcell’s groundbreaking opera and notably, offering a rare woman-centered storyline (10/16, 10/18, Sixth & I)
• Queen of Hearts — Billed as a “Valentine’s Day revel,” this program celebrates love in all its guises, from sensual to humorous, chaste to tragic, and through all manner of styles, from tender ballads to cheeky verses, amorous duets to bawdy drinking songs, and all of it led by Nic McGegan, Music Director Laureate of the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra (2/12, St. Francis Hall, 1340 Quincy St. NE)
• New Woman — Another woman-centric story, this time from two female composers, Marianna Martines and Maria Antonia Walpurgis, who defied 18th-century convention for doing so, that will be performed in a daring solo performance by soprano Lauren Snouffer portraying both Talestri, Queen of the Amazons, and Berenice, Princess of Egypt (4/30, Sixth & I)

THE PHILLIPS COLLECTION

Music Room
1600 21st St. NW
202-974-6832
www.phillipscollection.org

• American Brass Quintet — The “high priests of brass” as deemed by Newsweek launches the 85th season of presenting live music at the august modern art museum, performing a program bridging early American music and contemporary compositions as a complement to the forthcoming exhibition Out of Many: Reframing an American Art Collection (9/28)
• Dashon Burton and Lindsay Garritson (10/5)
• Robert Levin and Ya-Fei Chuang (10/12)
• The Artifacts Trio (10/19)
• Kristin Lee and Jun Cho (10/26)
• Gabriela Ortiz feat. Attica String Quartet — Powerful works by Grammy-winning Mexican composer will be performed by a vibrant ensemble, part of Phillips Music’s ongoing series spotlighting groundbreaking voices from around the world (11/2)
• Sean Shibe (11/9)
• Ethan Iverson, Herman Burney, and Nasar Abadey (11/16)
• Andreas Ottensamer, Kian Soltani, and Alessio Bax (11/23)
• Huang Ruo (12/7)
• Centennial Concert: Bang on a Can All-Stars — Category-defying six-piece amplified ensemble performs some of the greatest hits from the late Japanese composer/musician Ryuichi Sakamoto, who won an Oscar for his soundtrack to Bertolucci’s The Last Emperor and several Golden Globes and Grammys honoring his music for other films including Wuthering Heights, The Sheltering Sky, and Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence (12/14)
• Matchstick Percussion (1/18/26)
• Philip Glass: A Survey of Keyboard Works (Part 1, 2/1/26; Part 2, 2/8/26)

STRATHMORE

The Music Center
5301 Tuckerman Lane
North Bethesda, Md.
301-581-5100
www.strathmore.org

• BSO: Jurassic Park in Concert (10/3)
• Ludovico Einaudi — Minimalist pianist offers “The Summer Portraits Tour,” blending classical and cinematic elegance (10/7)
• Chris Thile — A sure-to-be genre-hopping solo performance from the contemporary Renaissance man known as the mandolin master from progressive bluegrass acts Nickel Creek His performance will feature selections from his acclaimed solo recordings of Bach’s Sonatas and Partitas (10/17)
• Benjamin Appl, baritone and James Baillieu, piano — A performance of art songs by celebrated singer with accompaniment (10/30, Mansion)
• BSO: Haunted Hall (10/31)
• Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror Live — A live performance of the haunting score as the silent film classic screens overhead (11/1, Mansion)
• Strathmore Youth Chorus — “Share the Spirit, Share the Joy!” (11/8)
• The Thirteen — Vocal quartet performs music inspired by nature (11/20, Mansion)
• BSO: Elf in Concert (12/5)
• Strathmore Youth Chorus — Exploring how the holidays are rung in all around the globe with “A World of Celebration” (12/19)
• Salute to Vienna (12/28)
• Hermitage Piano Trio — A performance by this celebrated chamber ensemble with a broad repertoire (1/22/26, Mansion)

VOCAL ARTS DC

Kennedy Center Terrace Theater
202-669-1463
www.vocalartsdc.org

• Golden Age: Erin Morley, Lawrence Brownlee, and Gerald Martin Moore — The choral organization’s 35th anniversary season opens with soprano Morley and tenor Brownlee accompanied by pianist and collaborator Moore for a recital in advance of their upcoming album of the same name, a rare chance to hear “celebrated voices in a boutique setting, showcasing music that is deeply personal to them” (9/28)
• 35th Anniversary Dinner — After their “Golden Age” recital, the trio of Morley, Brownlee, and Moore will join in a prix-fixe culinary toast to Vocal Arts DC hosted by the modern French restaurant La Bise (9/28, La Bise, 800 Connecticut Ave. NW)
• Sasha Cooke & Myra Huang — Mezzo-soprano Cooke and pianist Huang perform “Going Home,” a deeply personal and moving recital celebrating the rich tapestry of American song, from folk-inspired melodies to contemporary reflections, and by composers who shaped or were shaped by America (11/4)
• Benjamin Bernheim & Carrie-Ann Matheson — This duo of a French tenor and American pianist reunite for a program inspired by their acclaimed duo album Douce France: Melodies & Chansons with works by Gounod, Hahn, Duparc, and others offering an intimate journey through France’s rich musical heritage (2/8/26)

WASHINGTON BACH CONSORT

202-429-2121
www.bachconsort.org

• Cantata 300: Leipzig Cantatas of 1725 — A celebratory opening event commemorates the 300th anniversary of four of Bach’s finest cantatas, demonstrating an astonishing range of expression, and will be performed with four male vocal soloists (9/28, National Presbyterian Church, 1317 G St. NW)
• Noontime Cantata Series — Now in its 37th season, this free showcase of Bach’s masterful works for organ is performed by a rotating cast of instrumentalists (10/6, Capitol Cantata Series at St. Mark’s Capitol Hill, 301 A St. SE; 10/7, Downtown Cantata Series at Church of the Epiphany)
• Chelys: The Voice of the Viol — Violist de gamba Stephen Moran performs unaccompanied solo works for the stringed instrument from the 17th and 18th centuries, before concluding this Chamber Series recital with Moran’s transcription of J.S. Bach’s Violin Partita No. 1 (10/16, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 228 S. Pitt St., Alexandria; 10/17, Live! at 10th & G)
• The Cryes of London — Led by Artistic Director Dana Marsh, this program features the Consort’s superb vocalists joined by a viol consort to perform the finest works by Orlando Gibbons, England’s foremost composer of the first decades of the 17th century and whose work was especially refined for the era (11/14, Live! at 10th & G; 11/15, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church)
• The Christmas Story: Bach’s Christmas Oratorio Parts 1, 2, 3, 5, and 6 — A star vocal cast performs Bach’s timeless retelling of the Nativity drama that has also become something of the organization’s signature work, heralded as “joyous” by the Washington Post (12/13, National Presbyterian Church)

WASHINGTON NATIONAL OPERA

Kennedy Center Opera House
202-295-2400
www.kennedy-center.org

• BravO Bash — The BravO Council hosts this signature black-tie-optional celebration for members and friends to kick off WNO’s 70th anniversary season (10/10, Patterson Mansion, 15 Dupont Circle NW)
• Aida — Helmed by Artistic Director Francesca Zambello, WNO’s lavish production of Verdi’s grand opera and epic drama features hieroglyphic and calligraphy-inspired sets from the artist known as RETNA, and a cast of internationally acclaimed artists (10/24-11/2)
• Nicholas Newton — Talented bass-baritone, winner of the Marian Anderson Vocal Award, performs a recital at the Kennedy Center as the latest singer to win award named for the groundbreaking African-American contralto, joining an illustrious roster of past recipients-turned-opera stars including Ryan Speedo Green, Denyce Graves, Eric Owens, and Lawrence Brownlee, among many others (11/3, Terrace Theater)
• The Marriage of Figaro — Music Director Robert Spano has assembled a powerhouse cast for this production of Mozart’s “perfect opera” (11/14-22)
• The Little Prince — Based on Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s whmisical Le petit Prince, Oscar-winning composer Rachel Portman’s hit family opera, with a libretto by Nicholas Wright, returns for the holidays and serves as a showcase of Cafritz Young Artists as part of the cast along with the Youth Chorus (12/12-14)
• American Opera Initiative — Three new one-act operas will be staged in concert with a cast including talented Cafritz Young Artists (1/24/26)

WASHINGTON PERFORMING ARTS

202-785-9727
www.washingtonperformingarts.org

• Tregaron Unplugged — Billed as “a perfect harmony between music and nature,” this vibrant and multi-genre outdoor concert series is set in a picturesque reserve near the National Zoo and offers free admission for those who register in advance per the Mars Arts D.C. initiative, a partnership with the local expanding food empire rooted in iconic candy brands from M&M’s to Skittles to Snickers (10/4, Tregaron Conservancy, 3100 Macomb St. NW)
• Third Coast Percussion with guest Salar Nader, tabla — Grammy-winning percussion quartet performs vibrant works by electronic composer Jlin, violinist Jessie Montgomery, and jazz composer Tigran Hamasyan before concluding with the regional premiere of a work by Zakir Hussain to be performed with tabla virtuoso Nader, who was mentored by the late, legendary Hussain (10/18, Lisner Auditorium, 730 21st St. NW)
• Avery Gagliano, piano — A Hayes Piano Series recital from a young D.C. native praised by the Philadelphia Inquirer as “a pianist who conveys a vivid musical personality and bold imagination,” and taking place from the new 375-seat music hall inside what was once downtown’s Newseum but is now the dramatically renovated home of Johns Hopkins University (10/25, Hopkins Bloomberg Center Theater, 555 Pennsylvania Ave. NW)
• Philharmonia Orchestra — The celebrated British ensemble returns after two decades with its new electrifying Music Director Santtu-Matias Rouvali leading a program culminating in the majestic Fifth Symphony by Rouvali’s Finnish compatriot Sibelius but also including Ravel’s jazzy and luminous Piano Concerto in G featuring Víkingur Ólafsson (10/27, Strathmore)
• Twincussion — Jen-Ting and Jen-Yu Chien are Taiwanese twins working together to “[redefine] percussion in the global contemporary music scene,” giving cross-cultural performances uniting Eastern and Western traditions and playing everything from marimbas to wind chimes, Chinese opera gongs to electronics (11/8, Sixth and I)
• Midori, violin, with Ieva Jokubaviciute, piano — Acclaimed instrumentalist is billed as having a “rare ability to uncover fresh emotional resonance in both classic and lesser-heard works (11/15, Sixth and I)
• Igor Levit, piano (1/11/26, Sixth and I)
• Yo-Yo Ma, cello — A rare solo recital with the world-renowned musical virtuoso and founder of The Silk Road Project to showcase works spanning the breadth of the cello repertoire, from Bach suites to works by contemporary composers he has championed (2/3/26, Strathmore)
• Chicago Symphony Orchestra — One of the world’s most revered ensembles returns with Music Director Designate Klaus Mäkelä for a dramatic program pairing two revolutionary masterworks of symphonic form, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7, a “pulse-quickening triumph of rhythm and vitality,” and Berlioz’s Symphonie Fantastique, a “wildly imaginative, hallucinatory tale of love, obsession, and dreams gone awry” (2/27/26, Strathmore)

THE WASHINGTON CHORUS

202-342-6221
www.thewashingtonchorus.org

• One Song: Exultávit! with National Philharmonic — Bach’s revered Magnificat is paired with Reena Esmail’s new work This Love Between Us for the latest collaboration with NatPhil (10/25, Music Center at Strathmore)
• A Candlelight Christmas (12/13, Strathmore; 12/14-22, Kennedy Center)

Get the best of D.C.’s arts scene delivered! Our award-winning digital magazine plus our daily newsletter. Click Here to subscribe for free and never miss a performance, premiere, or preview.