SEASON 2019/20 - Washington Performing Arts
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2019/20 SEASON
Welcome to our 53rd season!
I often say that we strive to provide a platform for artists to do
their best, most expressive work. And in 2019/20, they’ll do
precisely that: their imagination and moxie burst forth from
each page in this brochure. Some—like the String Queens, our
Mars Arts D.C. Ensemble-in-Residence—reside right here in
our community. Others bring inspiration from beyond the reach
of our imaginations: NASA-sourced sounds and visuals shape
Terry Riley’s epic Sun Rings for Kronos Quartet; and To Shiver
the Sky, Christopher Tin’s majestic exploration of space—in
oratorio form—features the powerhouse combination of the
United States Air Force Band and Choral Arts in a free world
premiere in our debut presentation at The Anthem.
The power of the arts to connect people across geography
and cultures is on full display this season. Four continents
are represented, including orchestras from Budapest, Taipei,
Melbourne, London, and Philadelphia. Intimate programs
will feature Amjad Ali Khan, Kinan Azmeh’s CityBand, and
the West-Eastern Divan Ensemble. In our jazz programming,
cultural exchange comes by way of Danilo Pérez and his Global
Messengers, Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center
Orchestra, and Chilean-born saxophonist Melissa Aldana.
The SHIFT Festival returns to shine a spotlight on the
collaborative spirit and ingenuity of American orchestras, along
with inspired choices of partners such as the Classical Theatre
of Harlem, members of Yo-Yo Ma’s Silk Road Ensemble,
and Knoxville’s poet laureate! Our resident Men, Women,
and Children of the Gospel Choirs hold forth with featured
performances and also host the Kingdom Choir from the U.K.
And we embrace the powerful intersection of art and social
change in several events, including a performance by street-
dance innovators Lil Buck and Jon Boogz.
And, of course, we join in the worldwide celebration of
QUICK Beethoven 250th birthday, with immersive performances by
START friends who have made Beethoven’s music a touchstone of
their life’s work: Emanuel Ax, Midori, Jean-Yves Thibaudet,
Anne-Sophie Mutter, and Igor Levit. Our classical offerings
also include the eagerly awaited return of pianist Daniil
Trifonov and a cornerstone of our own programming, the
Subscription Plans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 career-launching Hayes Piano Series.
“Friends” donor program Please consider this brochure but one portal to explore! Visit
our website and follow us on social media to learn more about
(Enjoy seating priority & more!) . . . . . . . . . . . 5 our education and community events. And please tell students
Season Themes & Highlights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 about our $10 Gateway Student Ticket Program (see page 36). I
look forward to enjoying the new season alongside you!
Season Listings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Venue information . . . . . . . . . Inside Back Cover
Season Calendar . . . . . . . . Fold-Out Back Cover
Jenny Bilfield, President & CEO
2 | WashingtonPerformingArts.org
Contents
BENEFITS OF SUBSCRIBING AND DONATING . . . . . . . . 4 APRIL
2019/20 SEASON THEMES AND HIGHLIGHTS . . . . . . . . 6 Jenny Lin, piano (Apr 5) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Argus Quartet (Apr 14) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
OCTOBER The Philadelphia Orchestra (Apr 15) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Pink Martini (Oct 13) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Chineke! Orchestra (Apr 21) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Melbourne Symphony (Oct 16) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Zakir Hussain Trio (Apr 24) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Drew Petersen, piano (Oct 19) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 The String Queens (Apr 25) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Spektral Quartet (Oct 29) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Chick Corea Trilogy (Oct 30) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 MAY
Lil Buck & Jon Boogz (May 1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
NOVEMBER The Kingdom Choir (May 3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Taipei Symphony Orchestra (Nov 15) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Emanuel Ax, piano (May 6) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Amjad Ali Khan (Nov 16) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Terry Riley & Gyan Riley (May 9) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Zoltán Fejérvári, piano (Nov 17) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Beatrice Rana, piano (May 12) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
DECEMBER Igor Levit, piano (May 15) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Damien Sneed: Joy to the World (Dec 7) . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Danilo Pérez’s Global Messengers (May 16) . . . . . . . . . 34
Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra (May 21) . . . . . . . . . . 34
JANUARY The United States Air Force Band: To Shiver the Sky
Kian Soltani, cello & Julio Elizalde, piano (Jan 22) . . . . 14 (May 30) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Midori, violin & Jean-Yves Thibaudet, piano (Jan 25) . . 15
JUNE
Living the Dream…Singing the Dream (Jan 26) . . . . . . 16
Washington Performing Arts Gospel Choirs (Jun 7) . . . 35
FEBRUARY
Education & Community Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Anne-Sophie Mutter, violin & Lambert Orkis, piano
Washington Performing Arts Gospel Choirs. . . . . . . . . 37
(Feb 1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Mars Arts D.C. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Kinan Azmeh’s CityBand (Feb 8) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
2019/20 Season Venues . . . . . . . . . . . . Inside Back Cover
Melissa Aldana (Feb 15) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Fold-Out Season Calendar . . . . . . . . Fold-Out Back Cover
Paul Lewis & Steven Osborne, pianos (Feb 18) . . . . . . . 18
All programs and artists subject to change
Budapest Festival Orchestra (Feb 21) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Michael Barenboim & West-Eastern Divan Ensemble
(Feb 27) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Matthew Whitaker (Feb 29) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
MARCH
Daniil Trifonov, piano (Mar 4) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Seong-Jin Cho, piano (Mar 8) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Kronos Quartet (Mar 13) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Murray Perahia, piano (Mar 20) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Veronica Swift (Mar 21) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
SHIFT Festival: Jacksonville Symphony (Mar 24) . . . . . 25
SHIFT Festival: Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
(Mar 25) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
SHIFT Festival: Knoxville Symphony (Mar 27) . . . . . . . . 25
SHIFT Festival: Orpheus Chamber Orchestra
(Mar 28) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
202.785.9727 | 3
Subscribe Today!
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Choose 1 of 2 formats:
1) Custom Subscription Series
The choice is yours! Select at least 3 performances—or 5 or more for greater
savings—and receive these benefits:
• Preferred Seating – Get the best available seats before tickets go on sale to the
general public.
• Valuable Savings – Save up to 10%* when you choose three (3) or more
concerts. Save up to 15%* when you choose five (5) or more events.
• Exchange Privileges – Plans change? Exchange your tickets for another
performance this season. (Some restrictions apply.)
• Advance Sale Days – Order additional single tickets before they go on sale to
the public.
2) Legacy Subscription Series
We continue to offer two single-venue series that are cornerstones of our
programming and our legacy: the Orchestra Series at the Kennedy Center
Concert Hall and our showcase of emerging artists, the Hayes Piano Series
at the Kennedy Center Terrace Theater. Choose one or both of these
pre-packaged series and enjoy these benefits:
• Same seats for every performance in your series**
• Save of up to 20%* off single ticket prices
• Option: Add on more performances at a 15% discount*—the choice is
yours
• Exchange Privileges and Advance Sales Days (same as under
“Custom Series,” above)
Please note:
At present, tickets to 2019/20 events are only available via subscription. Single tickets will go on
sale in late summer (date TBA).
* Some seating sections or performances are excluded from discounts.
**Legacy Subscription Series discounts and guaranteed same seats are available for a limited
time only. Your order must be received by May 31, 2019. Orders received after this date will be
seated in the same seats as availability permits.
How to order:
WashingtonPerformingArts.org
(202) 785-9727
Midori (page 15)
4 | WashingtonPerformingArts.org
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Subscribers are seated by group within a series of advance sales periods in late April and
early May (see below). Within each period, seats are assigned on a first-come, first-served basis
by date and time of order.
Act early and become a Friend or renew your support to gain access to better seats for your
events. For even better seating, increase your giving level for access to an earlier advance
sales period.
How to become a Friend:
Add a gift of $75+ to your subscription order today!
Advance Period 1† Advance Period 2† Advance Period 3† Public Sale Single Tickets
(May 2-5) (May 6-9) (May 10-13) (begins May 14) (late summer)
Eligible Buyers $2,500+ Renewing $500-$2,499 $75-$499 Subscribers General Public
Chairman’s Circle Legacy Series Friends Friends (no Friend
Subscribers contribution)
Ticket Fees No fee $10 per order No fee No fee $10 per order 14% of ticket
(waived for Friends) (waived for order subtotal
Friends)
Ticket Exchange FREE FREE FREE FREE FREE No Exchanges
Privileges
†Orders received outside of advance sales period will be seated first-come, first-served by order date and time
WHY BECOME A FRIEND?
Friends enjoy amazing benefits and access
throughout the season!
Benefits include:
•• Advance seating priority (see above)
•• Behind-the-scenes events with main stage artists
•• Listening parties with experts and enthusiasts
•• Open rehearsals, competitions, and additional opportunities to
see the art in action
•• Guest Passes for free performance tickets
•• and more!
Visit WashingtonPerformingArts.org/support for complete
Friends benefits. Thank you for your support!
Jazz master Wynton Marsalis (page 34) greets Washington Performing
Arts Friends and Junior Board members at a private reception.
202.785.9727 | 5
2019/20 Season
Themes and Highlights
LEGACY SERIES
ORCHESTRA SERIES
at the Kennedy Center Concert Hall
Washington Performing Arts proudly presents an international array of
orchestras—a cornerstone of each season’s programming—each performing
works that speak to its identity and mission.
Melbourne Symphony (Oct 16) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Jenny Lin
The Philadelphia Orchestra (Apr 15) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 (page 26)
Chineke! Orchestra (Apr 21) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
HAYES PIANO SERIES at the Kennedy Center Terrace Theater
Established in 1966 in honor of Washington Performing Arts founder Patrick Hayes and his wife,
Evelyn Swarthout Hayes, this series features recitals by some of the world’s finest emerging artists.
Drew Petersen (Oct 19) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Zoltán Fejérvári (Nov 17) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Seong-Jin Cho (Mar 8) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Jenny Lin (Apr 5) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
REMARKABLE RECITALISTS
The 2019/20 season features chamber performances by a number of the
world’s premier soloists.
Kian Soltani, cello & Julio Elizalde, piano (Jan 22) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Midori, violin & Jean-Yves Thibaudet, piano (Jan 25) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Anne-Sophie Mutter, violin & Lambert Orkis, piano (Feb 1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Murray Perahia Paul Lewis & Steven Osborne, pianos (Feb 18) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
(page 23)
Daniil Trifonov, piano (Mar 4) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Murray Perahia, piano (Mar 20) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Emanuel Ax, piano (May 6) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Beatrice Rana, piano (May 12) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Igor Levit, piano (May 15) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Beatrice Rana
(page 33)
6 | WashingtonPerformingArts.org
Iván Fischer Melissa Aldana Spektral Quartet Danilo Pérez
(page 19) (page 18) (page 10) (page 34)
GREAT ORCHESTRAS JAZZ LUMINARIES
In addition to the Orchestra Series at the Kennedy Center The 2019/20 jazz roster boasts legends and rising stars
(see facing page), the orchestra season is rounded out by alike, delving into a range of styles from Latin jazz to
additional international orchestras at Strathmore, as well bebop to the Great American Songbook and more.
as the 2020 SHIFT Festival of American Orchestras.
Pink Martini (Oct 13) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Taipei Symphony Orchestra (Nov 15) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Chick Corea Trilogy (Oct 30) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Budapest Festival Orchestra (Feb 21) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Melissa Aldana (Feb 15) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
SHIFT: A Festival of American Orchestras Matthew Whitaker (Feb 29) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
(Mar 24-28) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Veronica Swift (Mar 21) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Danilo Pérez’s Global Messengers (May 16) . . . . . . . . . . 34
Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra
with Wynton Marsalis (May 21) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
OUT OF THIS WORLD …AND JUSTICE FOR ALL
From early dreams of flight to our forays into space, How can we people treat each other with respect, dignity,
these events delve into humanity’s endless fascination and fairness, as individuals and in groups? What happens
with the sky and the heavens. when we fail? How do we rebuild—and inspire? Literally,
how do we share this planet? These programs explore
Spektral Quartet: Mysteries of the Universe these and other pressing questions of social justice.
(Oct 29) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Kronos Quartet: Terry Riley’s Sun Rings (Mar 13) . . . . . 22 Living the Dream…Singing the Dream (Jan 26) . . . . . . . 16
Argus Quartet: Garth Knox’s Satellites (Apr 14) . . . . . . . 27 West-Eastern Divan Ensemble (Feb 27) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
The United States Air Force Band: Kronos Quartet: Terry Riley’s Sun Rings (Mar 13) . . . . . 22
Christopher Tin’s To Shiver the Sky (May 30) . . . . . . . . 35 Lil Buck & Jon Boogz: Love Heals All Wounds
(May 1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Look for these icons for events included in the following themes
THE WORLD IN LVB BEETHOVEN AT 250: LIFT EV’RY VOICE
250 In performances featuring
OUR CITY Washington Performing
this icon, we celebrate
Main stage programs Arts celebrates Ludwig van
Beethoven’s 250th birthday with gospel music as a unique,
featured as part of the World in Our
a series of concerts featuring this American-born art form now
City initiative are found through this
icon. enjoyed around the world.
book with this icon. (Learn more at
bit.ly/WorldInOurCity).
202.785.9727 | 7
The 2019/20 Season Global Cabaret PINK MARTINI Meow Meow with special guest MEOW MEOW SUN, OCT 13, 7pm KENNEDY CENTER CONCERT HALL “The world’s most audaciously imaginative pop-jazz act” – JazzTimes (on Pink Martini) How do you say “Wow!” in 25 languages? The members of the globe-trotting “little orchestra” Pink Martini surely know, based on their multilingual songbook infused with Argentinean tango, Brazilian samba, Japanese pop, good ol’ American swing, and more. Britain’s Guardian hails them as “an international phenomenon…mixing glamour and sophisticated easy-listening.” The concert includes a special guest appearance by Pink Martini’s good friend Meow Meow, the crowd-surfing Australian “tragi-comedienne” and chanteuse who “drags cabaret kicking and screaming into the 21st century” (Time Out, New York). Parental Advisory: This performance may include some adult content. 8 | WashingtonPerformingArts.org
Orchestra Series I
MELBOURNE SYMPHONY LVB
250
Sir Andrew Davis, chief conductor
Garrick Ohlsson, piano
WED, OCT 16, 8pm
KENNEDY CENTER CONCERT HALL
“Garrick Ohlsson is a pianist who combines finely toned
muscle with mollifying sensitivity.” – Gramophone
What makes the Melbourne Symphony so special?
As Sir Andrew Davis, their Chief Conductor,
told the Guardian, “They perform with
great virtuosity, but what really sets them
apart is their love of what they do. Not all
orchestras manage this.” The program
features repertoire from both the Northern
and Southern hemispheres, including the late,
eminent Australian composer Peter Sculthorpe’s
Earth Cry, a call for humanity to attune itself to the
Ohlsson
land, inspired by Aboriginal poetry.
SCULTHORPE - Earth Cry
BEETHOVEN - Piano Concerto No. 4 in G Major, Op. 58
RAVEL - Ma mère l’Oye (Mother Goose Suite)
STRAVINSKY – The Firebird
Hayes Piano Series I
DREW PETERSEN, piano
SAT, OCT 19, 2pm
KENNEDY CENTER TERRACE THEATER
“Fearless playing, with recordings to match; this
pianist is destined for great things.”
– MusicWeb International
Drew Petersen is what you might call an overachiever:
Carnegie Hall debut at age five; graduation from Harvard
at age 19; and an American Pianist Award–winner
and Avery Fisher Career Grantee in his early twenties.
The wellspring of all these achievements—as you will
experience firsthand this October—is a crispness,
ebullience, and depth of emotion rare at any age. In
the words of composer/pianist Lukas Foss: “What is so
astonishing about Drew [is] that he feels the music, he
can make it come alive again, make you touched by it.”
BACH - Partita No. 5 in G Major, BWV 829
SCHUBERT - Wanderer-Fantasie
CHOPIN - Barcarolle, Op. 60
GRANADOS - Valses Poeticos
BARBER - Sonata, Op. 26
202.785.9727 | 9
SPEKTRAL QUARTET LVB
250
TUE, OCT 29, 7:30pm
KENNEDY CENTER TERRACE THEATER Mysteries
“The Spektral Quartet likes to put on performances that are not so much concerts as
high-energy thrill rides for musically inquisitive listeners.” – Chicago Tribune
of the
Experience the incandescent music of Icelandic composer Anna Thorvaldsdottir, “one of the
most distinctive voices in contemporary music” (NPR), with the premiere of Eclipse, a work
Universe
that explores the outer reaches of space through Thorvaldsdottir’s signature panoramic sound.
The 2019 Grammy-nominated Spektral Quartet is one of America’s most innovative chamber
ensembles, having commissioned more than 85 composers, including George Lewis, Marcos
Balter, and Augusta Read Thomas. Spektral’s approach provokes discovery in beloved classics and
curiosity in works of living composers.
TOMÁS LUIS DE VICTORIA - O Magnum Mysterium
ELIZA BROWN - String Quartet No. 1
BEETHOVEN - Quartet No. 16 in F Major, Op. 135
ANNA THORVALDSDOTTIR - Eclipse (East Coast premiere; A Washington Performing Arts co-commission)
Mars Arts D.C. curates a series of residency events throughout the city, in conjunction with the D.C. premiere of Eclipse.
Details to be announced.
10 | WashingtonPerformingArts.orgCHICK COREA TRILOGY
with Christian McBride and Brian Blade
WED, OCT 30, 8pm
THE MUSIC CENTER AT STRATHMORE
“The three have an uncanny connection, filling space with gorgeous and subtle phrasings, gliding through all manner of styles
with a seemingly effortless elegance, grace, and freshness.” – AllMusic.com
It doesn’t get more “A-list” than this! Jazz piano legend, NEA Jazz Master, and 22-time Grammy-winner Chick Corea takes the stage
in an evening of near-telepathic interplay with two of the music’s most elite Gen-X masters: the mind-boggling bass virtuoso and
6-time Grammy-winner Christian McBride and Brian Blade, “one of those rare jazz drummers artistically powerful enough to direct
the sound of a whole ensemble” (New York Times). Reigniting the chemistry of their namesake 2013 disc, the Trilogy deliver up-to-
the minute takes on the Great American Songbook, Corea originals, and more.
202.785.9727 | 11Orchestras at Strathmore I
TAIPEI SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Jahja Ling, conductor
Paul Huang, violin
Felix Fan, cello
FRI, NOV 15, 8pm
THE MUSIC CENTER AT STRATHMORE
“The clarity, agility, and expressiveness of the
TSO are awe–inspiring, an orchestra destined
to take its place as one of the world’s top
symphony orchestras.” – Saarbrücker Zeitung
Celebrating its 50th anniversary this season, the
Taipei Symphony has grown from an ensemble of
modest scale to a forceful musical presence known
for its breadth of programming, extensive international
Huang appearances, and commitment to cultural diplomacy.
The program’s centerpiece, Gordon Shi-Wen Chin’s
poetic Double Concerto, features the prodigious
talent of two Taiwan-born, U.S.-based virtuosi:
Paul Huang, a winner of the prestigious Avery
Fisher Career Grant and a cherished collaborator
on many Washington Performing Arts seasons;
and Felix Fan, the relentlessly creative, cross-
disciplinary cellist and member of the Flux
Quartet for whom this concerto was written. On
the podium is Jahja Ling, widely credited as an
orchestra-builder who led the now-thriving San Diego
Fan
Symphony to great renown as its as music director.
BERNSTEIN - Overture to Candide
GORDON SHI-WEN CHIN - Double Concerto for Violin,
Cello, and Orchestra
BRAHMS - Symphony No. 1 in C minor, Op. 68
Sarod Trilogy
AMJAD ALI KHAN
SAT, NOV 16, 8pm
SIXTH & I
“The finest living exponent of the sarod”
– The Guardian
Having established himself as the world’s preeminent
sarod player over the course of a distinguished career
spanning more than six decades, Amjad Ali Kahn brings
his expressive sound to the intimate confines of Sixth & I
for a family gathering with his sons Amaan Ali Bangash
and Ayaan Ali Bangash, both “excellent musicians” (New
York Times) in their own right. The power trio of sarod
players join forces to create “a 57-string three-man
symphony orchestra” (The Times, London) in this superb
performance of Indian classical music, a living tradition
that runs seven generations deep in this family.
12 | WashingtonPerformingArts.orgHayes Piano Series II
ZOLTÁN FEJÉRVÁRI, piano
SUN, NOV 17, 2pm
KENNEDY CENTER TERRACE THEATER
“[Fejérvári] evidenced dazzling technique that
can rank with the best piano virtuosi and his
interpretive instincts were consistently revelatory.
This is a pianist who needs to be heard more
frequently in American concert halls.”
– South Florida Classical Review
A protégé of Sir András Schiff, Hungarian pianist
Zoltán Fejérvári equally thrives while performing
major concerti with the Budapest Festival Orchestra,
chamber music with the Musicians of Marlboro, and
recitals from major venues across Europe to Carnegie
Hall’s Weill Recital Hall. As Germany’s Kultur-Vollzug
described his impact in recital: “Fejérvári’s playing is
multi-layered and precise…. Every note has its own
particular dynamic, character, and expression.”
JANÁČEK - Piano Sonata 1.X.1905 “From the Street”
SCHUBERT - Drei Klavierstücke, D. 946
JANÁČEK - In the Mists
CHOPIN - Sonata No. 2
in B-flat minor, Op. 35
202.785.9727 | 13DAMIEN SNEED
SAT, DEC 7, 8pm
Joy to the
SIXTH & I
“Damien Sneed is an
ambassador for classical
and gospel music who World
brings positivity, optimism
and thoroughness to every
occasion. In the realest sense,
he uses his artistry to make our
world a better place.” – Wynton Marsalis
Pianist, organist, vocalist, conductor, composer, producer,
arranger, and educator Damien Sneed does it all, whether
it’s writing an opera for the Lyric Opera of Chicago or
serving as musical director for BET’s Sunday Best. In this
program, “Joy to the World: A Christmas Musical Journey,”
Sneed is joined by backing singers and a band in his
own arrangements of gospel, jazz, and classical holiday
favorites.
The Multifaceted Cello
KIAN SOLTANI, cello LVB
250
JULIO ELIZALDE, piano
WED, JAN 22, 7:30pm
KENNEDY CENTER TERRACE THEATER
“A remarkable cellist, with a piercingly beautiful tone and
utterly pure intonation” – The Times
Kian Soltani is a familiar face to many WPA patrons, having
appeared in November of last season as a soloist in the
“title role” of Strauss’s Don Quixote with Daniel Barenboim
and the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra—earning praise
from the Washington Post as “a wonderful cellist with
dazzling intonation and clarity of sound extending to the
instrument’s highest register.” In this much more intimate
performance, he joins acclaimed pianist Julio Elizalde for
a program that ranges from Beethoven’s spirited fifth cello
sonata to Arvo Pärt’s mesmerizing Fratres.
STRAVINSKY - Suite Italienne
BEETHOVEN - Cello Sonata No. 5, in D Major, Op. 102, No. 2
ARVO PÄRT - Fratres
FRANCK (arr. DELSART) – Sonata in A Major
14 | WashingtonPerformingArts.orgBeethoven Sonatas I
MIDORI, violin LVB
250 Ambassador of the Arts
JEAN-YVES THIBAUDET, piano This season, Washington Performing Arts
SAT, JAN 25, 8pm will honor Midori with the 2020 Ambassador
THE MUSIC CENTER AT STRATHMORE of the Arts Award, recognizing extraordinary
achievement, service, and advocacy in the
Two of today’s most celebrated artists unite for a celebration 250 performing arts.
years in the making.
Violin superstar Midori and “master colorist and…great communicator” Past Ambassador of the Arts Award recipients:
(Seattle Times) Jean-Yves Thibaudet team up for their first Washington Sir James Galway (2019)
Performing Arts appearances in more than a decade to commemorate Lonnie G. Bunch III (2018)
Beethoven’s 250th birthday year. Anchored by the exhilarating Denyce Graves (2017)
“Kreutzer,” which, in the Washington Post’s words, “[has drawn] more Jacqueline Badger Mars (2016)
out of Midori than mere virtuosity,” the all-Beethoven recital promises Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg (2015)
to reveal how even mainstays of the canon can reveal fresh nuances Leon Fleisher (2014)
and kindle powerful emotions in the hands of two master performers. Jessye Norman (2013)
BEETHOVEN – Sonata No. 2 in A Major, Op. 12, No. 2
BEETHOVEN – Sonata No. 3 in E-flat Major, Op. 12, No. 3
BEETHOVEN – Sonata No. 9 in A Major, Op. 47 “Kreutzer”
202.785.9727 | 15LIVING THE DREAM…
SINGING THE DREAM
Washington Performing Arts Gospel Choirs
Michele Fowlin & Theodore Thorpe III,
artistic directors
Stanley J. Thurston, artistic director emeritus
Choral Arts Society of Washington
Scott Tucker, artistic director
SUN, JAN 26, 7pm
KENNEDY CENTER CONCERT HALL
For more than 25 years, Washington Performing Arts’
Gospel Choirs have shared the inspirational gift of gospel
music with audiences throughout the D.C. region and
beyond. The choirs’ annual concert with the Choral Arts
Chorus, honoring the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther
King Jr., is a joyful celebration of the power of music,
collaboration, and the human spirit.
Co-presented with the Choral Arts Society of Washington
Performances by Washington Performing Arts’ Children of the
Gospel Choir are made possible by Jacqueline Badger Mars and
Mars, Incorporated.
Beethoven Sonatas II
ANNE-SOPHIE MUTTER, violin LVB
250
LAMBERT ORKIS, piano
SAT, FEB 1, 3pm
KENNEDY CENTER CONCERT HALL
Violin virtuoso returns to D.C. to put her stamp on
Beethoven at 250.
Longtime collaborators Anne-Sophie Mutter—the
“undisputed queen of violin-playing” (The Times,
London)—and NSO principal keyboardist Lambert Orkis
reprise their Grammy Award-winning interpretation of
three of Beethoven’s spectacular violin sonatas on the
occasion of the composer’s 250th birthday. The “timeless
team” (Classical Review) of Mutter and Orkis bring their
decades of shared dialogue to the iconic “Kreutzer,” the
lyrical “Spring,” and the quirky A minor sonatas.
BEETHOVEN – Sonata No. 4 in A minor, Op. 23
BEETHOVEN – Sonata No. 5 in F Major, Op. 24 “Spring”
BEETHOVEN – Sonata No. 9 in A Major, Op. 47 “Kreutzer”
Orkis
16 | WashingtonPerformingArts.orgThe Eclectic Clarinet
KINAN AZMEH’S CITYBAND
Kinan Azmeh, clarinet
Kyle Sanna, guitar
John Hadfield, percussion
Josh Myers, double bass
SAT, FEB 8, 8pm
SIXTH & I
“[Azmeh’s] rhapsodic clarinet [is] able to seduce with a rare intimacy and explode in ecstasy.” – Los Angeles Times
Perhaps best-known to WPA audiences as a member of Yo-Yo Ma’s Silk Road Ensemble, Kinan Azmeh is equally astounding
for his virtuosity on clarinet and his versatility as composer, improviser, and band leader. His polished and pulse-quickening
CityBand (featuring guitar, double bass, and percussion) lives and breathes its musical roots—spanning jazz, contemporary, folk,
and classical music—alongside the deeply resonant musical influences of Azmeh’s own Syrian homeland.
202.785.9727 | 17Jazz Rising Stars I
MELISSA ALDANA
SAT, FEB 15, 8pm
SIXTH & I
“Aldana…embodies a new sense of possibility and
direction in jazz.” – The Washington Post
Recently seen and heard with Cécile McLorin
Salvant in WPA’s “Monterey Jazz Festival on Tour”
concert, Chilean-born tenor saxophonist Melissa
Aldana has a storybook résumé: a saxist since
age six, she was playing pro gigs as a teenager
when she found an early booster in pianist Danilo
Pérez (appearing May 16; see page 34). She went
on to study at Berklee with the likes of Joe Lovano
and Greg Osby and then, at age 24, became the
first female to win first prize in the prestigious
Thelonious Monk International Jazz Saxophone
Competition. She returns to WPA following the
release of her fifth CD, Visions, inspired by the
life of Frida Kahlo and brimming with Aldana’s
trademark harmonic sophistication and deftly spun
solos.
Master Pianists in French Classics
PAUL LEWIS &
STEVEN OSBORNE, pianos
TUE, FEB 18, 7:30pm
KENNEDY CENTER TERRACE THEATER
Longtime collaborators showcase their
“thoughtful excellence and sovereign control”
(The Guardian) over all corners of the piano
repertoire.
Two of the great British pianists of our time
come together to interpret gems from the French
repertoire for piano duet. Hear shimmering
interpretations of classics like Ravel’s Mother
Goose Suite and immerse yourself in the expansive
French sonic palette with works by Debussy, Fauré,
Poulenc, and Stravinsky.
FAURÉ - Dolly Suite, Op. 56
POULENC - Sonata for Piano Four Hands
DEBUSSY - Six epigraphes antiques
DEBUSSY - Petite Suite for Piano Four Hands
STRAVINSKY - Trois pièces faciles
RAVEL - Ma mère l’Oye (Mother Goose Suite)
18 | WashingtonPerformingArts.orgOrchestras at Strathmore II Fischer Romberger
BUDAPEST FESTIVAL ORCHESTRA
Iván Fischer, conductor
Gerhild Romberger, contralto
FRI, FEB 21, 8pm
THE MUSIC CENTER AT STRATHMORE
“Thought-provoking and exhilaratingly enjoyable” – The Guardian (five-star review)
Returning to Washington under the baton of former NSO principal conductor Iván Fischer, known to D.C. audiences as “a
meticulous musician [with] an anarchic disdain for decorum” (New Yorker), the Budapest Festival Orchestra presents a novel
program that pairs mainstays of the Mahler and Dvořák catalogues with underexposed works by the same two late-Romantic
composers. The “expressive colours” (BBC Music Magazine) of German contralto Gerhild Romberger will bring to life the
powerful emotions of Mahler’s Kindertotenlieder.
MAHLER - Blumine
DVOŘÁK - “Misto klekani (Evening blessing)” from Four Choruses, Op. 29/1
MAHLER - Kindertotenlieder
DVOŘÁK - Symphony No. 8 in G Major, Op. 88
202.785.9727 | 19MICHAEL BARENBOIM &
WEST-EASTERN
DIVAN ENSEMBLE
THU, FEB 27, 7:30pm
KENNEDY CENTER TERRACE THEATER
“No fine words were necessary, no heartfelt plea for
peace… Young Israelis and Arabs joined…in a musical
expression of solidarity.” – The Guardian
Led by concertmaster Michael Barenboim, the West-
Eastern Divan Ensemble is the chamber formation of the
namesake orchestra founded by renowned conductor/
pianist (and Michael’s father) Daniel Barenboim and the late
Palestinian scholar/author Edward Said—and co-presented
in November of last season by WPA and the Kennedy
Center. Sharing the parent orchestra’s motto of “Equal in
Music,” the ensemble brings together outstanding young
Palestinian and Israeli musicians in a collaboration that
supercedes national and cultural boundaries. The
ensemble’s inherent diversity also extends to this
evening’s program, comprising classic works from
Schubert and Mendelssohn and a recent composition
by contemporary French composer Benjamin Attahir,
who fittingly draws inspiration from cultures of both
the West and East.
SCHUBERT - Rondo in A Major, D. 438
Barenboim BENJAMIN ATTAHIR – Newly commissioned work TBD
MENDELSSOHN - Octet in E-flat Major, Op. 20
Jazz Rising Stars II
MATTHEW WHITAKER
SAT, FEB 29, 8pm
SIXTH & I
“This young man is a genius! I love the way he’s mastering
those keys…. He will go far…. Watch out!”
– Jon Batiste, pianist and music director, The Late Show
with Stephen Colbert
A piano and Hammond B-3 organ wunderkind currently
taking the jazz world by storm, 18-year-old Matthew
Whitaker became, at age 13, the youngest musician to be
endorsed by Hammond in the company’s history. Steeped in
tradition yet pushing forward into a groove-infused space of
his own, he has logged a series of top-tier gigs as a leader,
including the 2019 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival
and the 2017 NEA Jazz Masters induction ceremony for B-3
godfather Dr. Lonnie Smith at the Kennedy Center. As the
L.A. Times wrote of the Whitaker concert experience: “He
sat center stage between two very large pieces of furniture:
a Hammond B3 and a grand piano, [and] summoned
the ghosts of Larry Young and Oscar Peterson…. [His]
instrumental trio inspired spontaneous dancing and a
standing ovation.”
20 | WashingtonPerformingArts.orgAn Evening of Bach
DANIIL TRIFONOV, piano
WED, MAR 4, 8pm
KENNEDY CENTER CONCERT HALL
“Without question the most astounding pianist of our age”
– The Times (London)
Widely hailed as the heir apparent to the Russian piano dynasty
forged by the likes of Sergei Rachmaninoff, Vladimir Ashkenazy,
and Evgeny Kissin, Daniil Trifonov catapulted onto the classical
music scene when he won the prestigious International Chopin
Piano Competition, the Arthur Rubinstein International Piano
Master Competition, and numerous prizes at the International
Tchaikovsky Competition in the span of only two years. Since
then, the Grammy Award–winner (in 2018, for “Best Instrumental
Solo Album”) has become “the don’t-miss-him musician of the
moment” with a knack for “finding ways to make the music
seem like something entirely new” (Washington Post). His 2020
performance marks his first solo recital in D.C. since 2017. Don’t
miss it!
BACH/arr. BRAHMS - Chaconne from Violin Partita No. 2 in
D minor, BWV 1004
BACH/arr. RACHMANINOFF - Prelude, Gavotte, and Gigue from
Violin Partita No. 3 in E Major, BWV 1006
BACH/arr. LISZT - Fantasie and Fugue in G minor
BACH - The Art of Fugue, BWV 1080
202.785.9727 | 21Hayes Piano Series III
SEONG-JIN CHO, piano
SUN, MAR 8, 7:30pm
KENNEDY CENTER TERRACE THEATER
“An eloquent and genuinely accomplished artist….
To a formidable keyboard technique, he adds both
sensitivity and a quirky interpretive personality.”
– San Francisco Chronicle
It’s become commonplace to refer to Seong-Jin Cho
as a “rising star” of the piano—but at this point, it
might be time to retire the word “rising.” Already
a favorite guest soloist of the National Symphony
Orchestra, he has enjoyed sold-out recitals at
Carnegie Hall, Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw, Los
Angeles’s Disney Hall, and many other premier
concert halls and has won the prestigious Chopin
Competition (joining a lineage that includes Martha
Argerich and Maurizio Pollini). As the Washington
Post put it: “Cho appears to have the musical
potential to take his place alongside the greats of
the past.”
BRAHMS - Six Pieces for Piano, Op. 118
FRANCK - Prélude, Chorale, and Fugue
BERG – Sonata, Op. 1
LISZT - Sonata in B minor, S. 178
KRONOS QUARTET
Choral Arts
Chamber Singers
FRI, MAR 13, 8pm Terry Riley’s
LISNER AUDITORIUM
“Kronos has led and Sun Rings
continues to lead what
surely must be the longest
unending revolution by any
ensemble ever in music history.”
– Los Angeles Times
On the heels of its second Grammy Award, San
Francisco’s venturesome Kronos Quartet travels
not just beyond standard musical genres, but
into outer space itself in the first-ever D.C.
performance of Sun Rings, composer and longtime
Kronos collaborator Terry Riley’s 2002 multimedia
masterwork commissioned by NASA and others.
Combining live performance by the quartet and
chorus with pre-recorded “spacescapes” and
visual design by Willie Williams, Sun Rings is an
inspiring meditation on humanity and our place in
the universe.
Terry Riley also appears in performance this season with
Gyan Riley. See page 32.
22 | WashingtonPerformingArts.orgSolo Piano Mastery I
MURRAY PERAHIA, piano
FRI, MAR 20, 8pm
THE MUSIC CENTER AT STRATHMORE
“His sound can be pure gold, and he voices
chords with a clarity that you have to hear to
believe.” – The Washington Post
In the more than 40 years he has been
performing, pianist Murray Perahia has left
audiences around the world breathless.
Recognized worldwide as a musician of rare
musical sensitivity, the Grammy Award–winner
has been dubbed “one of the piano’s most
lyrical contemporary poets” by the Times
(London).
Program to be announced.
Jazz Rising Stars III
VERONICA SWIFT
SAT, MAR 21, 8pm
SIXTH & I
“A master class on space and dynamics... [Swift is]
an adept lyrical interpreter with tremendous tonal
command” – JazzTimes
At only 24 years old, Veronica Swift is already a firmly
established jazz artist. Adept at everything from swing
to bebop to the Great American Songbook, and a whiz at
rigorous vocal techniques like vocalese and scat, Swift
counts Wynton Marsalis and Chris Botti as her most
trusted mentors and frequent collaborators. She’s
also become an increasingly familiar (and welcome!)
face in WPA circles, having been a featured vocalist
with Botti in 2018 and, even more recently, having
dazzled audiences this year at our annual
gala and “On the Air: A Glenn Miller Swing
Celebration” with the U.S. Air Force Band.
202.785.9727 | 23SHIFT
A FESTIVAL OF AMERICAN ORCHESTRAS
AT THE KENNEDY CENTER CONCERT HALL
Co-presented by Washington Performing Arts
and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
SHIFT celebrates the vitality, identity, and extraordinary artistry of orchestras and chamber orchestras in an immersive festival
experience in the nation’s capital. The week-long festival is composed of mini-residencies, with each participating orchestra
presenting education and community events in venues around Washington, D.C., along with full-orchestra performances in the
Kennedy Center Concert Hall.
As the title suggests, SHIFT is about change: the evolution of the art form, the leaving behind of preconceived notions, and the
welcoming of new audiences to symphonic music. All tickets for SHIFT’s concerts at the Kennedy Center are priced at a flat $25,
and many companion events will be offered free of charge (some with advance reservations required; schedule and details will be
announced in the coming months).
Generous support for SHIFT is provided through a matching grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
SHIFT is presented in cooperation with the League of American Orchestras.
Photos from 2018 SHIFT Festival (clockwise from top left): Indianapolis Symphony’s Teddy Bear Concert at Busboys & Poets (Brookland); Tuba
soloist Carol Jantsch with the Albany Symphony; Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra and Texas Ballet Theater’s bilingual Peter & the Wolf school
performance; National Symphony Orchestra at Union Station
SHIFT residency events will be announced at a later date.
24 | WashingtonPerformingArts.orgCONCERT HALL PERFORMANCES (ALL TICKETS $25)
JACKSONVILLE SYMPHONY KNOXVILLE SYMPHONY
Courtney Lewis, conductor Aram Demirjian, conductor
Anthony McGill, clarinet Julia Bullock, soprano
TUE, MAR 24, 8pm The University of Tennessee Symphony Brass
R.B. Morris, Knoxville Poet Laureate, speaker
With a festival theme of “Bridges,” the Jacksonville
Symphony explores the many influences that jazz artists and FRI, MAR 27, 8pm
composers have had on traditional classical composers. The Every good journey begins and ends at home, and this
symphony’s composer-in-residence, Courtney Bryan, will program represents an homage to the classical music legacy
have a significant presence in the main stage concert and in of Knoxville—not necessarily the music that comes to mind
the Symphony’s residency activities. when thinking of music from Tennessee. The program is
DUTILLEUX - Métaboles about history—how we perceive it in the present, and how we
COPLAND - Clarinet Concerto will perceive it in the years to come.
ELLINGTON - Celebration Knoxville: Artists at Home
COURTNEY BRYAN - Bridges MICHAEL SCHACHTER - Overture to Knoxville
STRAVINSKY - Symphony in C BARBER - Knoxville: Summer of 1915
JAMES P. JOHNSON - American Symphonic Suite
BALTIMORE SYMPHONY (based on W.C. Handy’s St. Louis Blues)
RACHMANINOFF - Symphonic Dances, Op. 45
ORCHESTRA
Marin Alsop, conductor
Cristina Pato, bagpipes
ORPHEUS CHAMBER ORCHESTRA
Classical Theatre of Harlem
Kayhan Kalhor, kamancheh
Peter Francis James, director
David Krakauer, clarinet
Michael Ward-Bergeman, hyper-accordion SAT, MAR 28, 8pm
Washington Performing Arts Orpheus Chamber Orchestra and Classical Theatre of Harlem
Men & Women of the Gospel Choir offer a collaborative portrait of the cultural diversity and
WED, MAR 25, 8pm vitality of New York City through a musical and theatrical
performance of Shakespeare’s classic tale A Midsummer
Joined by an diverse range of guest stars—including veterans
Night’s Dream. The performance will include Mendelssohn’s
of Yo-Yo Ma’s Silk Road Ensemble and our very own adult
incidental music, arranged for chamber orchestra, in its
gospel choir—the BSO presents a program celebrating the
rightful place within Shakespeare’s timeless play (with
changing faces of America. Works to be performed include
some modern adaptations), combining all into a singular
Dvořák’s grand vision for American music, a forgotten
theatrical event. Drawing on the universal theme of love’s
treasure by the first African American woman recognized as
many caprices, this meditation will offer a specific portrait
a symphonic composer, and a tour de force concerto drawing
of Harlem’s rich culture and celebrate this space through a
influences from all over the world.
blend of music, theater, and dance.
FLORENCE PRICE - The Oak
A Meditation on Harlem Midsummer
GOLIJOV - Rose of the Winds
MENDELSSOHN/arr. TARKMANN - A Midsummer Night’s
TRADITIONAL - “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot”
Dream, incidental music, Op. 21 and 61
TRADITIONAL - “Goin’ Home”
DVOŘÁK - Symphony No. 9 in E minor, Op. 95
“From the New World”
202.785.9727 | 25Hayes Piano Series IV
JENNY LIN, piano
A Brief (and Modern) History of Piano Études
SUN, APR 5, 2pm
KENNEDY CENTER TERRACE THEATER
“Pianist Jenny Lin gave a recital…that was as thoughtfully
conceived as it was beautifully executed.”
– The Washington Post
One of the standout pianists in the Kennedy Center’s tribute
to Philip Glass in 2018 (who, as the Washington Post said,
“showed everyone how it was done”), Jenny Lin will explore
and contrast études by a swath of composers including
Debussy, Chopin, Liszt, Ligeti, Kapustin, and, of course,
Glass.
Selected études by CHOPIN, DEBUSSY, PHILIP GLASS,
NIKOLAI KAPUSTIN, LIGETI, and LISZT
26 | WashingtonPerformingArts.orgValley of
Wonderment
ARGUS QUARTET LVB
250
TUE, APR 14, 7:30pm
KENNEDY CENTER TERRACE THEATER
“The Argus Quartet is finding fresh, thrillingly expressive possibilities and adding bold new colors
to a canvas that has their clear signature on it.” – David Harrington, Kronos Quartet
One of the hottest quartets on the scene today, the Argus Quartet rose to international prominence after winning the 2017
Concert Artists Guild Victor Elmaleh Competition and the M-Prize. From a residency at Juilliard to collaborations with the
Kronos Quartet, Juilliard String Quartet, and JACK Quartet, the Argus Quartet is at the forefront of a generation of chamber
ensembles that bring the same fresh curiosity to traditional repertoire as they do to works by living composers. This program
juxtaposes selections from J.S. Bach’s The Art of Fugue with Garth Knox’s Satellites and works by contemporary master
Christopher Theofanidis and others.
Program includes works by BACH, BEETHOVEN, ROLF WALLIN, JURI SEO, CHRISTOPHER THEOFANIDIS, and GARTH KNOX
202.785.9727 | 27Orchestra Series II
Denève O’Connor
THE PHILADELPHIA ORCHESTRA
Stéphane Denève, principal guest conductor
Kelly O’Connor, mezzo-soprano
WED, APR 15, 8pm
KENNEDY CENTER CONCERT HALL
Grammy Award–winning singer Kelly O’Connor joins the Philadelphia Orchestra in a thrilling program of bold musical voices
from the past century.
The Philadelphia Orchestra returns to the Washington Performing Arts season under the baton of principal guest conductor
Stéphane Denève, who this season begins his music directorship of the St. Louis Symphony. The program focuses on the
orchestra’s championing of both contemporary music—with English composer Anna Clyne’s This Midnight Hour—and symphonic
standards like Prokofiev’s ravishing Romeo and Juliet. Peter Lieberson’s Pulitzer-winning Neruda Songs, which has become a
modern classic and powerfully expresses the poetry of Pablo Neruda, showcases Kelly O’Connor’s “breathtaking…rich, beautiful
voice” (St. Louis Post-Dispatch).
ANNA CLYNE - This Midnight Hour
LIEBERSON - Neruda Songs
PROKOFIEV - Selections from Romeo and Juliet
28 | WashingtonPerformingArts.orgThe Orchestral Future
CHINEKE! ORCHESTRA
Kevin John Edusei, conductor
Sheku Kanneh-Mason, cello
TUE, APR 21, 8pm
KENNEDY CENTER CONCERT HALL
“Chineke!’s shoots are green, their sap rising….
Chineke! sound fresh, impassioned, [and] full of raw
promise.” – The Guardian
Though the Chineke! Orchestra is but a few years old
(established in 2015), the London-based orchestra
has already made waves, performing at Royal Festival
Hall, the BBC Proms at Royal Albert Hall, and on
tour in Europe and the U.S. Championing change
and diversity in the classical music world, the
Chineke! Orchestra provides young black
and minority ethnic artists performance
opportunities around the world. The concert
features Sheku Kanneh-Mason, an alum of
the orchestra and the star cellist at Prince
Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding in 2018.
COLERIDGE-TAYLOR - Ballade
FAURÉ - Élégie
Kanneh- SAINT-SAËNS - Cello Concerto No. 1 in A minor, Op. 33
Mason BRAHMS - Symphony No. 2, in D Major, Op. 73
Co-presented with the John F. Kennedy Center for the
Performing Arts
Raga Roots
ZAKIR HUSSAIN TRIO
Zakir Hussain, tabla
Jayanthi Kumaresh, veena
Kala Ramnath, violin
FRI, APR 24, 8pm
LISNER AUDITORIUM
The “indisputable tabla maestro” (Gramophone)
returns to the bedrock of his musical foundation.
Celebrated as an Indian national treasure for his
mastery of tabla playing, the frequent cross-genre
collaborator and boundary pusher Zakir Hussain returns
to his musical heritage. Performing alongside veena
player Jayanthi Kumaresh and violinist Kala Ramnath,
Hussain showcases the spectacular improvisatory art of
Indian classical music.
202.785.9727 | 29Mars Arts D.C.
A partnership of Mars, Incorporated & Washington Performing Arts
Ensemble-in-Residence
with support from Jacqueline Badger Mars
THE STRING QUEENS
SAT, APR 25, 8pm
SIXTH & I
Soulful sounds from Pachelbel to Ellington to
CeeLo Green and beyond
A potent and innovative presence on the D.C.
music scene, the String Queens are the 2019/20
Mars Arts D.C. Ensemble-in-Residence. The
“Queens” are Kendall Isadore, Dawn Johnson,
and Élise Cuffy—three genre-defying musicians
whose creative impact on D.C. ranges from
collaborations with star singer Aloe Blacc and
the Kennedy Center to inspirational work as arts
educators. The String Queens bring together an
eclectic mix of soulful music from the Baroque
era through the Jazz Age and today’s Billboard
Hot 100 Chart.
Mars Arts D.C. is a partnership of Mars, Incorporated,
and Washington Performing Arts, with support from
Jacqueline Badger Mars.
LIL BUCK & JON BOOGZ
FRI, MAY 1, 8pm
Love Heals LISNER AUDITORIUM
All Wounds
Renowned street-dance innovators
address social change through movement
artistry in a performance that is
“alternately loose and uncannily precise”
(Time Out, New York).
Two of the most eminent and exciting
artists in street-dance today—Lil Buck and
Jon Boogz—expand upon an acclaimed
collaboration in their first-ever evening-
length work, exploring urgent social topics
like violence and incarceration while
promoting the uniting forces of diversity,
inclusion, and empathy. A virtuoso of
Memphis jookin’, Lil Buck is best-known
to many for the viral video of his duo
collaboration with cellist Yo-Yo Ma. A
master popper from Miami, Jon Boogz has
choreographed for Gloria Estefan,
Mikhail Baryshnikov, Cirque du Soleil,
and many others.
30 | WashingtonPerformingArts.orgGospel, London-Style
THE KINGDOM CHOIR
Washington Performing Arts Children of the Gospel Choir
Michele Fowlin, artistic director Children of the
Gospel Choir
SUN, MAY 3, 5pm
LISNER AUDITORIUM
“The Kingdom Choir …captivated audiences from around the world with their performance.” – NPR
Long before the Kingdom Choir performed “Stand By Me” at the Royal Wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, this
ensemble, formed in 1994, had already performed for Queen Elizabeth II, Desmond Tutu, Bill Clinton, and Nelson Mandela.
Their enthusiastic blend of sacred and secular music, including gospel, spirituals, and pop arrangements, will be perfectly
complemented by the exuberant and gifted singers of Washington Performing Arts’ own Children of the Gospel Choir, who
will open the concert.
Performances by the Children of the Gospel Choir are made possible in part through the generous support of Jacqueline Badger Mars and
Mars, Incorporated.
202.785.9727 | 31Solo Piano Mastery II
EMANUEL AX, piano LVB
250
WED, MAY 6, 8pm
THE MUSIC CENTER AT STRATHMORE
“Strong on bravura, ravishing in finesse, and flinging
himself into the work with glee” – The Guardian
Emanuel Ax—the beloved American pianist who has been
a fixture of the piano world since his 1974 win at the first
Arthur Rubinstein International Piano Competition—
is an always welcome and inspiring member of the
Washington Performing Arts “family” of artists, having
appeared in recent years in collaborative performances
with the likes of Yo-Yo Ma, Itzhak Perlman, and others.
He returns this season for his first solo Washington
Performing Arts recital in 10 years, performing an all-
Beethoven program showcasing a trademark pianism
that is “thoughtful, lyrical, lustrous” (Washington Post).
BEETHOVEN - Bagatelle No. 25 in A minor, WoO 59
“Für Elise”
BEETHOVEN - Piano Sonata No. 2 in A Major, Op. 2, No. 2
BEETHOVEN - Six variations on an original theme for
piano in F Major, Op. 34
BEETHOVEN - Piano Sonata No. 1 in F minor, Op. 2, No. 1
BEETHOVEN - Five variations for piano on
“Rule, Britannia!”, WoO 79
BEETHOVEN - Piano Sonata No. 3 in C Major, Op. 2, No. 3
Father & Son Duet
TERRY RILEY & GYAN RILEY
SAT, MAY 9, 8pm
SIXTH & I
Enjoy a jam across the generations, as two master
improvisers explore the intersection of jazz,
minimalism, and more
Hailed figuratively as the “Father of Minimalism,” the
revered composer and multi-instrumentalist Terry Riley
is the literal father of electric and acoustic guitarist
Gyan, whom the New Yorker has praised as “a one-man
American-music machine, amicably ranging across
the fields of jazz, world music, and post-minimalism.”
In their duo performances, the elder Riley contributes
his own robust eclecticism, delving into classical
minimalism, jazz, Indian ragas, and other musical
currents on acoustic piano, electronic keyboards, and
vocals. The result is a “series of joyously ramshackle
improvisations…like Bach doing bebop” (Guardian).
Terry Riley’s Sun Rings will be performed by the Kronos Quartet
this season. See page 22.
32 | WashingtonPerformingArts.orgThe Spell-Binding Piano
BEATRICE RANA, piano
TUE, MAY 12, 7:30pm
KENNEDY CENTER TERRACE THEATER
“There’s something of Martha Argerich about
the way she combines chunky articulation and
sparkling clarity with whimsical touches.”
– The Times (London)
Gramophone’s 2017 “Artist of the Year” returns for
her first Washington Performing Arts performance
since her 2014 Hayes Piano Series debut—
following which, the Washington Post wrote, “Her
startling technique remains among the most
faultless of young pianists today.” The 24-year-old
attracted international attention at the 2013 Van
Cliburn International Piano Competition, where
she won the Silver Medal and Audience Award. Of
her interpretations of Chopin’s Études in her March
2019 New York recital debut at Carnegie Hall, the
New York Times’ Anthony Tommasini wrote, “The
best performances convey [the Études’s] musical
riches. In that regard, Beatrice Rana set a new
standard for me…. She made the pieces sound
as poetic and colorful as anything Chopin ever
wrote…. From the opening moments…Ms. Rana
had the audience rapt.”
Program to be announced.
Beethoven Sonatas III
IGOR LEVIT, piano LVB
250
FRI, MAY 15, 7:30pm
KENNEDY CENTER TERRACE THEATER
“It is not easy to achieve stardom as a concert pianist these days….
Mr. Levit has managed to break through, thanks to a combination of his
playing and his daring.” – The New York Times
The brilliant pianist Igor Levit, the 2018 Gilmore Artist and Royal
Philharmonic Society’s 2018 “Instrumentalist of the Year,” returns to
Washington to commemorate Beethoven’s 250th birthday, following
the release of a Sony boxed set of the composer’s complete sonatas,
with three sonatas from the Beethoven’s youth and his majestic
“Hammerklavier” Sonata, Op. 106. Levit’s inventive interpretations have
garnered him a “Recording of the Year” from Gramophone and praise
as “one that communicates a wealth of meaning without artifice…a truly
gifted artist” (Washington Post).
BEETHOVEN - Piano Sonata No. 9 in E Major, Op. 14, No. 1
BEETHOVEN - Piano Sonata No. 10 in G Major, Op. 14, No. 2
BEETHOVEN - Piano Sonata No. 11 in B-flat Major, Op. 22
BEETHOVEN - Piano Sonata No. 29 in B-flat Major, Op. 105
“Hammerklavier”
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