Upcoming Events: Classical

2011-2012 Season

• National Symphony Orchestra: Christoph Eschenbach, conductor / Beethoven

  May 31 - Jun. 2, 2012
  Christoph Eschenbach returns with more breathtaking Beethoven, conducting Symphony No. 7. The Orchestra also premieres a new work under the auspices of the Hechinger Commissioning Fund and the Suite from Richard Strauss's Der Rosenkavalier.

• National Symphony Orchestra: Christoph Eschenbach, conductor / Claudio Bohórquez, cello, plays Lalo

  Jun. 7 - 9, 2012
  Claudio Bohórquez, "an elegant artist who places his emphasis on song" (The Washington Post), brings that elegance to Lalo's Cello Concerto, conducted by Christoph Eschenbach. The program also features works by Berlioz and Tchaikovsky.

2012-2013 Season

• National Symphony Orchestra: Season Opening Ball Concert: Christoph Eschenbach, conductor / Anne-Sophie Mutter, violin

  Sun., Sep. 30, 2012, 7:00 PM
  The season begins with a gala concert led by Music Director Christoph Eschenbach with the "fleet-fingered energy and poise" (The New York Times) of violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter performing Mendelssohn; and works by Beethoven, Sarasate, and Strauss.

• National Symphony Orchestra: Christoph Eschenbach, conductor / Kelley O'Connor, mezzo-soprano, sings Lieberson

  Oct. 4 - 6, 2012
  Mezzo-soprano Kelley O'Connor brings her "vocally impassioned and daring" (The New York Times) singing to Lieberson's Neruda Songs as Christoph Eschenbach conducts a romantic program that also includes Tchaikovsky's Romeo and Juliet.

• National Symphony Orchestra: Christoph Eschenbach, conductor / Nathalie Stutzmann, contralto, sings Wagner Lieder

  Oct. 11 - 13, 2012
  Richard Wagner said of his Wesendonck-Lieder, "I have done nothing better." Hear acclaimed contralto Nathalie Stutzmann sing this masterpiece led by Christoph Eschenbach on a program that includes a symphony by Wagner devotee Anton Bruckner.

• National Symphony Orchestra: Christoph Eschenbach, conductor / Beethoven: Missa Solemnis

  Nov. 1 - 3, 2012
  The NSO begins the third of its three-year exploration of Beethoven's works, as Maestro Eschenbach conducts the master's Mass Missa Solemnis. A star lineup of vocal talent helps bring this divine yet rarely performed work to life.

• National Symphony Orchestra: Chamber Concert: Christoph Eschenbach, piano / NSO Principal Players: Music of Beethoven

  Fri., Nov. 2, 2012, 8:00 PM
  Christoph Eschenbach takes a seat at the piano alongside NSO principal players for a chamber performance on the Concert Hall stage. The program features works by Beethoven, including his Quintet for Piano and Winds.

• National Symphony Orchestra: In Recital: Lang Lang, piano

  Sun., Nov. 4, 2012, 4:00 PM
  As part of his week in residency with the National Symphony Orchestra and the Kennedy Center, world-renowned Chinese pianist Lang Lang offers a special recital.

• National Symphony Orchestra: In Recital: Lang Lang & Christoph Eschenbach

  Wed., Nov. 7, 2012, 8:00 PM
  As part of his week in residency at the Kennedy Center, pianist Lang Lang takes the stage with mentor and friend Christoph Eschenbach for a recital of works for two pianos.

• National Symphony Orchestra: Christoph Eschenbach, conductor / Lang Lang, piano, plays Beethoven

  Nov. 8 - 10, 2012
  The brilliant yet young "superstar pianist" (The Washington Post) Lang Lang takes the stage with his friend and mentor Christoph Eschenbach for a three-perfomance series of Beethoven Concerti as part of the virtuoso's week in residency.

• National Symphony Orchestra: Vasily Petrenko, conductor / Sergey Khachatryan, violin, plays Tchaikovsky

  Nov. 15 - 17, 2012
  Young violinist Sergey Khachatryan plays with "a staggering control and maturity… magical and chastening" (The Guardian, UK). He returns with Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto led by Vasily Petrenko in his NSO debut.

• National Symphony Orchestra: Vasily Petrenko, conductor / Beyond the Score: Shostakovich's Symphony No. 4

  Fri., Nov. 16, 2012, 8:00 PM
  Take your musical appreciation to the next level with this new NSO initiative that's half concert, half multimedia educational experience. Conductor Vasily Petrenko explores Shostakovich's Symphony No. 4.

• National Symphony Orchestra: Juraj Valcuha, conductor / Jonathan Biss, piano, plays Mozart & Ravel

  Nov. 29 - Dec. 1, 2012
  Juraj Valcuha, who impressed orchestra members and audiences alike in his 2009 NSO debut, returns to conduct "young virtuoso and poetic pianist of the first order" (Chicago Sun Times) Jonathan Biss in Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 13.

• National Symphony Orchestra: Hans Graf, conductor / Yuja Wang, piano, plays Chopin

  Dec. 6 - 8, 2012
  A star on the ascent, the provocative prodigy Yuja Wang brings her "practically superhuman keyboard technique" (San Francisco Chronicle) to performances of Chopin's Piano Concerto No.1, conducted by Hans Graf.

• National Symphony Orchestra: Handel's Messiah

  Dec. 20 - 23, 2012
  Get in the holiday spirit with Handel's epic masterpiece, performed each year with a fresh perspective by the NSO and acclaimed guest artists.

• National Symphony Orchestra: Christoph Eschenbach, conductor / Tzimon Barto, piano, plays Bartók

  Jan. 17 - 19, 2013
  "An American original" (The Washington Post), pianist Tzimon Barto returns to the NSO under the baton of mentor Christoph Eschenbach, playing Bartók's Piano Concerto No. 2, following his acclaimed 2011 appearance.

• National Symphony Orchestra: Christoph Eschenbach, conductor / Dan Zhu, violin, plays Mozart

  Jan. 24 - 26, 2013
  Making his NSO debut, Dan Zhu, "an artist of affecting humility and beautiful tone production" (The Strad), performs Mozart's Violin Concerto No. 5. Maestro Eschenbach conducts a program that includes works by Beethoven and Bartók.

• National Symphony Orchestra: Christoph von Dohnányi, conductor / Renaud Capuçon, violin, plays Mendelssohn

  Feb. 21 - 23, 2013
  One of today's most exciting young violinists, Renaud Capuçon performs Mendelssohn under the baton of the venerable master, Christoph von Dohnányi. Also on the program are Brahms's Symphony No. 4 and selections from Henze's The Bassarids.

• National Symphony Orchestra: Christoph Eschenbach, conductor / Pekka Kuusisto, violin, plays Lindberg

  Feb. 28 - Mar. 2, 2013
  Christoph Eschenbach conducts violinist Pekka Kuusisto, whom The Guardian says "may be the best thing to happen to classical music in years." Hear him play Lindberg's Violin Concerto on a program that includes works by Sibelius and Saariaho.

• National Symphony Orchestra: Christoph Eschenbach, conductor / Music of Mahler, Schubert & Mozart

  Mar. 7 - 9, 2013
  Experience a program of vocal wonder in works by Mahler and Schubert, and Mozart's Requiem. Christoph Eschenbach conducts star vocalists, including mezzo-soprano Anne Sofie von Otter, and the University of Maryland Concert Choir.

• National Symphony Orchestra: Marek Janowski, conductor / Arabella Steinbacher, violin, plays Beethoven

  Mar. 28 - 30, 2013
  The Beethoven exploration continues with the master's Violin Concerto performed by Arabella Steinbacher whom the New York Times says plays with "balanced lyricism and fire… finely polished technique and a beautifully varied palette of timbres."

• National Symphony Orchestra: Hugh Wolff, conductor / Emanuel Ax, piano, plays Chopin

  Apr. 4 - 6, 2013
  With "incisive rhythm, bountiful imagination, and thundering power" (The New York Times), Emanuel Ax plays Chopin's Piano Concerto No. 2 led by Hugh Wolff on a program with Albert's Rivering Waters and Dvorák's Symphony No. 5.

• National Symphony Orchestra: Jaap van Zweden, conductor / Andreas Haefliger, piano, plays Beethoven

  Apr. 25 - 27, 2013
  The young and exciting Amsterdam-born conductor Jaap van Zweden leads Andreas Haefliger in Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 1. Also on the program are Wagenaar's Overture to Cyrano de Bergerac and Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 4.

• National Symphony Orchestra: Jaap van Zweden, conductor / Beyond the Score: Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 4

  Fri., Apr. 26, 2013, 8:00 PM
  Take your musical appreciation to the next level with this new NSO initiative that's half concert, half multimedia educational experience. Conductor Jaap van Zweden explores Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 4.

• National Symphony Orchestra: Christoph Eschenbach, conductor / Alisa Weilerstein, cello, plays Elgar

  May 2 - 4, 2013
  New York Magazine says of cellist Alisa Weilerstein, "whatever she plays sounds custom-composed for her, as if she has a natural affinity with everything." Hear her take on Elgar's Cello Concerto conducted by Christoph Eschenbach.

• National Symphony Orchestra: Christoph Eschenbach, conductor / Music of Schnittke & Shostakovich

  Fri., May 3, 2013, 8:00 PM
  In a preview of the NSO's Carnegie Hall program Spring for Music: A Tribute to Slava, Maestro Eschenbach leads symphonies by two of 20th-century Russia's greatest composers, Dmitri Shostakovich and Alfred Schnittke.

• National Symphony Orchestra: John Adams, conductor / Jeremy Denk, piano, plays Ravel

  May 30 - Jun. 1, 2013
  Incomparable composer John Adams returns to conduct his City Noir as well as Ravel's Piano Concerto performed by Jeremy Denk, whom the New York Times says "plays with clean articulation, warmth, and power."

• National Symphony Orchestra: Jakub Hrusa, conductor / Augustin Hadelich, violin & Nadezhda Serdyuk, mezzo-soprano

  Jun. 6 - 8, 2013
  Augustin Hadelich, whom the Washington Post praises for being "in touch with the sunny side of a violin" makes his much-anticipated NSO debut performing Dvorák's Violin Concerto conducted by another young star, Jakub Hrusa.

• National Symphony Orchestra: Matthew Halls, conductor / David Hardy, cello, plays Dutilleux

  Jun. 13 - 15, 2013
  Dynamic young British conductor Matthew Halls returns after leading last season's Messiah for a program of Dutilleux's Tout un monde lointain featuring NSO Principal Cellist David Hardy, as well as works by Ravel and Vaughan Williams.

• National Symphony Orchestra: Krzysztof Urbanski, conductor / Jean-Yves Thibaudet, piano, plays MacMillan & Saint-Saëns

  Jun. 20 - 22, 2013
  The NSO, conducted by Krzysztof Urbanski, alternates between programs featuring concerti by Macmillan and Saint-Saëns, both with celebrated pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet, who plays with "classical refinement and cool beauty" (New York Times).

All programs are subject to change.