Hamilton is the story of America then, told by America now. Featuring a score that blends hip hop, jazz, R&B, and Broadway, Hamilton has taken the story of American founding father Alexander Hamilton and created a revolutionary moment in theatre—a musical that has had a profound impact on culture, politics, and education.

Winner of six Tony Awards including Best Musical and the 2018 Grammy Award, Dear Evan Hansen is the deeply personal and profoundly contemporary musical about life and the way we live it. The Washington Post calls Dear Evan Hansen “one of the most remarkable shows in musical theater history.”

The Ethiopian Israeli International musician, Gili Yalo combines an Ethiopian musical legacy with genres such as funk, jazz, & soul. Presented in partnership with the Embassy of Israel in the United States.

For over two decades, Willie Watson has made modern folk music rooted in older traditions. He's a folksinger in the classic sense: a singer, storyteller, and traveler, with a catalog of songs that bridge the gap between the past and present.

Kennedy Center Community Partner Asian Pasifika Arts Collective (APAC) presents AAPI Voices. AAPI Voices began as a storytelling series that celebrates AAPI (Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders) history and heritage. 

Stories build connections. They change minds, open hearts, and they can build enduring bridges between individuals and communities. Global Connections: Stories from the Peace Corps will showcase inspirational stories about the transformational connections made in the Peace Corps.

The Pan American Symphony Orchestra takes you on a musical journey to Spain with a spectacular array of the big moments from the best of popular Spanish lyric opera—the Zarzuela! Beautiful songs of love, ideals, mischief, celebration and even political satire by four talented opera singers from the Spanish lyric scene.

The NSO Season Opening Gala is always a must-see event, especially when one of today’s most in-demand artists joins the party! Be part of the excitement as Grammy Award-winning pianist Daniil Trifonov returns to electrify D.C. audiences with Rachmaninoff’s thrilling Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini.

This major permanent exhibit in the massive roof-level Atrium will explore Kennedy’s appreciation and promotion of the arts and why the Kennedy Center came to be the living memorial to him and his ideals.

The Ethiopian Israeli International musician, Gili Yalo combines an Ethiopian musical legacy with genres such as funk, jazz, & soul. Presented in partnership with the Embassy of Israel in the United States.

For over two decades, Willie Watson has made modern folk music rooted in older traditions. He's a folksinger in the classic sense: a singer, storyteller, and traveler, with a catalog of songs that bridge the gap between the past and present.

Kennedy Center Community Partner Asian Pasifika Arts Collective (APAC) presents AAPI Voices. AAPI Voices began as a storytelling series that celebrates AAPI (Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders) history and heritage. 

Stories build connections. They change minds, open hearts, and they can build enduring bridges between individuals and communities. Global Connections: Stories from the Peace Corps will showcase inspirational stories about the transformational connections made in the Peace Corps.

Experience something extraordinary live from the Kennedy Center. Attend in person or watch our livestreams and explore a video archive from over 20 years of great performances.

Launched as a partnership between Mark Morris Dance Group and the Brooklyn Parkinson Group, this program offers internationally acclaimed dance classes for people with Parkinson’s Disease in more than 250 communities and 24 countries. 

This major permanent exhibit in the massive roof-level Atrium will explore Kennedy’s appreciation and promotion of the arts and why the Kennedy Center came to be the living memorial to him and his ideals.

To reflect on the legacy of John F. Kennedy, young artists (ages 14–26) from across the United States were invited to submit an all-original, creative portrait of the Center’s namesake. See the two winning portraits along with eight Honorable Mentions.

As a part of our 50th anniversary, we are displaying four major acrylic paintings by Alma Thomas, two prints by Andy Warhol, and one print by Robert Rauschenberg showcasing their intense interest in the exploration of space that resulted from JFK's challenge. 

In a further expression of admiration for its namesake, the Kennedy Center unveiled a new artwork featuring the likeness of President John F. Kennedy on December 4, 2021.

Hamilton is the story of America then, told by America now. Featuring a score that blends hip hop, jazz, R&B, and Broadway, Hamilton has taken the story of American founding father Alexander Hamilton and created a revolutionary moment in theatre—a musical that has had a profound impact on culture, politics, and education.

Winner of six Tony Awards including Best Musical and the 2018 Grammy Award, Dear Evan Hansen is the deeply personal and profoundly contemporary musical about life and the way we live it. The Washington Post calls Dear Evan Hansen “one of the most remarkable shows in musical theater history.”

The NSO Season Opening Gala is always a must-see event, especially when one of today’s most in-demand artists joins the party! Be part of the excitement as Grammy Award-winning pianist Daniil Trifonov returns to electrify D.C. audiences with Rachmaninoff’s thrilling Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini.

World-renowned Grammy®, Emmy® and four time Latin Grammy® award winning pianist and composer Michel Camilo performs an intimate solo concert.

Don’t miss the hilarious and groundbreaking show creating a completely improvised “black version” of a popular film suggested by the audience! LA Weekly calls The Black Version “red hot.”

Kansas City Ballet’s seasonal tradition, The Nutcracker, returns to the Kennedy Center to continue our annual holiday presentation of America’s best Nutcrackers. The company’s production is hailed as “positively oozing charm” by The Washington Post, promising grandeur, laughter, and a snowfall of Christmas magic!

Ballet Hispánico returns with internationally-renowned choreographer Annabelle Lopez Ochoa’s Doña Perón—her explosive portrait of Eva “Evita” Perón.

Pianist Jason Moran and bassist Christian McBride are two of the most sought-after artists alive, but they are far more than that. Both musicians hold a deep appreciation for the entire tradition of Jazz, and that love infuses every note they play. Don’t miss Moran and seven-time Grammy winner McBride combine their talents for an unforgettable one-night-only performance.

Visionary impresaria Mary Cardwell Dawson fights and triumphs as she establishes the National Negro Opera Company in Carlos Simon and Sandra Seaton’s new play with music.

Join a two-day convening designed to illustrate the power of music in helping us navigate the “new normal.”

Recognized by Rolling Stone as “one of Americana’s great up-and-coming secrets,” singer/songwriter Amythyst Kiah makes her Kennedy Center debut.

“She falls in love. She eats the guy. She dies.” Jazz meets theater in Ogresse, a new musical journey of myth and song created by award-winning vocalist and master storyteller Cécile McLorin Salvant. With its dark, romantic “fairytale-like” story, Ogresse is a delightfully poignant and playful addition to Salvant’s, award-winning, eclectic body of work.

Saxophonist Javon Jackson, world-renowned poet laureate Nikki Giovanni, and celebrated jazz vocalist Nnenna Freelon stand on the shoulders of their ancestors at this evening of poetry, hymns, and spirituals reimagined as jazzy new compositions.

The great Cuban pianist and composer Chucho Valdés presents “La Creación,” a bold new work for big band, Afro-Cuban percussion, and vocals with elements of Santería ritual music, African music, blues, and what Valdés describes as “an atmosphere in the style of Miles Davis’ Bitches Brew.”

Our beloved Trio-in-Residence welcomes award-winning composer/violist Nokuthula Ngwenyama to premiere her new piano quartet Elegy. This Kennedy Center co-commission was written as a response to the tragic events and social reckoning of 2020.

Kennedy Center favorite Terence Blanchard has blown audiences away with his bands, film scores, operas, and most recently in performance with Herbie Hancock. Called “a brass-wielding force of nature” by the Los Angeles Times, the trumpeter/composer returns with Absence—a powerful tribute to the great Wayne Shorter.

Noseda leads Prokofiev’s rarely performed Symphony No. 6, a masterpiece hailed by many as his greatest symphony. Profoundly relevant for our times, the work depicts Prokofiev’s spiritual journey to understand the tragedies of war and the mystery of death. David Hardy takes the spotlight in Britten’s intense, gorgeous Cello Symphony.

Celebrated Baroque authority Fabio Biondi and four exceptional singers make their NSO debuts at our joyous holiday tradition! Experience all of the hope, redemption, and grace of Handel’s masterwork in the festively decorated Concert Hall as Biondi conducts an intimate performance of Messiah the way it was premiered in Dublin, 1742.

Ring in 2023 in style! This year’s celebration stars the incomparable vocalist Carmen Lundy joined by some of the finest musical talent of our era. Lundy is renowned worldwide for her coolly expert, classic-to-contemporary sound. The Evening Standard describes it best: “in a world of pretenders, Carmen Lundy is a genuine Jazz Singer.”

Three-time Grammy Award-winning platinum selling singer, songwriter, producer, and actor Ne-Yo treats the Concert Hall to his greatest hits and more!

Hamilton is the story of America then, told by America now. Featuring a score that blends hip hop, jazz, R&B, and Broadway, Hamilton has taken the story of American founding father Alexander Hamilton and created a revolutionary moment in theatre—a musical that has had a profound impact on culture, politics, and education.

Winner of six Tony Awards including Best Musical and the 2018 Grammy Award, Dear Evan Hansen is the deeply personal and profoundly contemporary musical about life and the way we live it. The Washington Post calls Dear Evan Hansen “one of the most remarkable shows in musical theater history.”

Classic Broadway at its show-stopping best! Hailed by many as the perfect musical comedy, this Tony-winning favorite follows a rowdy bunch of gamblers, gangsters, and sassy showgirls in a wild game of chance—then love sneaks in! Set in bustling 1950s Manhattan, Guys and Dolls features some of Frank Loesser’s most memorable tunes including the hilarious “Adelaide’s Lament” and the crowd-pleasing classic “Luck Be a Lady.”

The Broadway sensation looks at what happened in the Land of Oz… from a different angle. Long before Dorothy arrives, there is another young woman, born with emerald-green skin—smart, fiery, misunderstood, and possessing an extraordinary talent. When she meets a bubbly blonde who is exceptionally popular, their initial rivalry turns into the unlikeliest of friendships… until the world decides to call one “good,” and the other one “wicked.”

13 Tongues transforms Artistic Director Cheng Tsung-lung’s childhood memory of the sights, sounds, and vitality of Bangka—Taipei’s oldest district—into an exquisite fantasy world.

Mark Morris Dance Group returns with a new must-see production featuring over a dozen legendary hits by composer and songwriter Burt Bacharach.

For its Kennedy Center debut, Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo presents a strikingly original adaptation of the well-known fairy tale Cinderella. Setting the work to Sergei Prokofiev’s classic score, choreographer and director Jean-Christophe Maillot adds his own dramatic flair, mixing emotional characterizations and emphatic choreography with traditional ballet for a magical evening of performance.

Kansas City Ballet’s seasonal tradition, The Nutcracker, returns to the Kennedy Center to continue our annual holiday presentation of America’s best Nutcrackers. The company’s production is hailed as “positively oozing charm” by The Washington Post, promising grandeur, laughter, and a snowfall of Christmas magic!

Ballet Hispánico returns with internationally-renowned choreographer Annabelle Lopez Ochoa’s Doña Perón—her explosive portrait of Eva “Evita” Perón.

Be there for perennial favorites like New York City Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, and Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, plus exciting works from Ballet Hispánico, Red Sky Performance, Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo, and more.

Don’t miss the hilarious and groundbreaking show creating a completely improvised “black version” of a popular film suggested by the audience! LA Weekly calls The Black Version “red hot.”

Award-winning humor writer and master of satire David Sedaris returns to the Kennedy Center. 

Mark Morris Dance Group returns with a new must-see production featuring over a dozen legendary hits by composer and songwriter Burt Bacharach.

Kansas City Ballet’s seasonal tradition, The Nutcracker, returns to the Kennedy Center to continue our annual holiday presentation of America’s best Nutcrackers. The company’s production is hailed as “positively oozing charm” by The Washington Post, promising grandeur, laughter, and a snowfall of Christmas magic!

For its annual Kennedy Center engagement, the beloved company presents Ailey classics and new works, including Ailey’s signature Revelations.

Don’t miss the hilarious and groundbreaking show creating a completely improvised “black version” of a popular film suggested by the audience! LA Weekly calls The Black Version “red hot.”

Award-winning humor writer and master of satire David Sedaris returns to the Kennedy Center. 

Tom Papa is one of the top comedic voices in the country, finding success as an author, in film, TV, radio, and podcasts as well as on the live stage. 

Our beloved Trio-in-Residence welcomes award-winning composer/violist Nokuthula Ngwenyama to premiere her new piano quartet Elegy. This Kennedy Center co-commission was written as a response to the tragic events and social reckoning of 2020.

A Fortas favorite since its debut, the Dover Quartet partners once again with Grammy Award^®–winning artist Mason Bates to present a new work artfully crafted for the quartet and commissioned by the Kennedy Center.

A masterful pairing of Grammy^®–winning musicians! Renowned pianist and virtuoso Evgeny Kissin joins superstar soprano and Kennedy Center Artistic Advisor at Large Renée Fleming to headline an unforgettable evening of music in the Concert Hall.

A co-presentation of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts & Washington Performing Arts

Award-winning duo Coodie & Chike are known for their pioneering digital network CreativeControl.TV; groundbreaking music videos for Through the Wire, Jesus Walks, and Window Seat; and critically acclaimed documentaries. With the release of their new Netflix docu-series jeen-yuhs, these visionary artists join renowned multi-hyphenate and Kennedy Center Hip Hop Culture Council Member Mimi Valdés for an intimate conversation discussing their journey and cutting-edge approach to storytelling.

Encompassing art, inspiration, and creative consciousness, Tarik “Black Thought” Trotter’s Streams of Thought conversation series returns. Join us for an intimate discussion between the acclaimed lyricist/writer/composer and renowned visual artist and 2018 MacArthur Fellow Titus Kaphar. 

As the culminating event of the Making Beats: Production Workshop with Grammy-winning producer 9th Wonder and the Soul Council, rising producers showcase their skills in a public beat battle hosted by 9th Wonder, Khrysis, Kash, Sndtrak, and E. Jones of the Soul Council.

The great Cuban pianist and composer Chucho Valdés presents “La Creación,” a bold new work for big band, Afro-Cuban percussion, and vocals with elements of Santería ritual music, African music, blues, and what Valdés describes as “an atmosphere in the style of Miles Davis’ Bitches Brew.”

Kennedy Center favorite Terence Blanchard has blown audiences away with his bands, film scores, operas, and most recently in performance with Herbie Hancock. Called “a brass-wielding force of nature” by the Los Angeles Times, the trumpeter/composer returns with Absence—a powerful tribute to the great Wayne Shorter.

“She falls in love. She eats the guy. She dies.” Jazz meets theater in Ogresse, a new musical journey of myth and song created by award-winning vocalist and master storyteller Cécile McLorin Salvant. With its dark, romantic “fairytale-like” story, Ogresse is a delightfully poignant and playful addition to Salvant’s, award-winning, eclectic body of work.

The NSO Season Opening Gala is always a must-see event, especially when one of today’s most in-demand artists joins the party! Be part of the excitement as Grammy Award-winning pianist Daniil Trifonov returns to electrify D.C. audiences with Rachmaninoff’s thrilling Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini.

Critics call Leila Josefowicz “a daring, dancing, spectacularly virtuosic soloist.” Witness her perform the work that’s made her the world’s champion of modern classical music: John Adams’s fiery, infectious Violin Concerto. Led by renowned maestro John Storgårds, the program also includes Prokofiev’s playful “Classical” Symphony and Rachmaninoff’s restless, life-affirming Symphony No. 3.

Travel to Arendelle and experience your favorite hits from Disney’s Frozen like never before!

Our holiday celebration returns with carols, sing-alongs, and more! This year, the NSO welcomes Tony Award®–winning actress and singer Laura Benanti to the sparkling festivities.

Three-time Grammy Award-winning platinum selling singer, songwriter, producer, and actor Ne-Yo treats the Concert Hall to his greatest hits and more!

Classic Broadway at its show-stopping best! Hailed by many as the perfect musical comedy, this Tony-winning favorite follows a rowdy bunch of gamblers, gangsters, and sassy showgirls in a wild game of chance—then love sneaks in! Set in bustling 1950s Manhattan, Guys and Dolls features some of Frank Loesser’s most memorable tunes including the hilarious “Adelaide’s Lament” and the crowd-pleasing classic “Luck Be a Lady.”

The Broadway sensation looks at what happened in the Land of Oz… from a different angle. Long before Dorothy arrives, there is another young woman, born with emerald-green skin—smart, fiery, misunderstood, and possessing an extraordinary talent. When she meets a bubbly blonde who is exceptionally popular, their initial rivalry turns into the unlikeliest of friendships… until the world decides to call one “good,” and the other one “wicked.”

In 1986, the Kennedy Center hosted the pre-Broadway run of what has become, undisputedly, one of the world’s most popular musicals. Now, we are bringing her home. Seen by over 130 million people worldwide, this brilliant production has been hailed as “Les Mis for the 21st Century” (Huffington Post). Witness the epic story of love, passion, sacrifice, and redemption—a timeless testament to the survival of the human spirit.

Recognized by Rolling Stone as “one of Americana’s great up-and-coming secrets,” singer/songwriter Amythyst Kiah makes her Kennedy Center debut.

Three time Tony^®- and Grammy^®-nominated actor, writer, and musician Joshua Henry returns to the Kennedy Center after his show-stopping appearance at our 50th Anniversary Celebration Concert.

Star tenor Juan Diego Flórez is joined by talented pianist Vincenzo Scalera.

Internationally renowned singer and actress Ute Lemper returns! From recording a Grammy^®-nominated album of classic Berlin cabaret, to winning an Olivier Award^® for her portrayal of Velma Kelly in the West End production of Chicago, she has established a vast and varied career.

A mother’s tragic past haunts her as she struggles to protect her son in Verdi’s powerful and dramatic masterpiece.

A family and community struggle when a police officer kills a teenager in the D.C. premiere of Jeanine Tesori and Tazewell Thompson’s acclaimed new opera.

Young love soars with joy and heartbreak through bustling cafés and gritty garrets in Puccini’s tribute to bohemian Paris.

Imagine spending your birthday at the museum! Join Mason and his friends for a musical and scientific scavenger hunt through the many exhibits that make any museum special in this National Symphony Orchestra concert with music and story by Karen LeFrak based on her book of the same name.

Take a journey through the musical brain with Mother Dance, Father Rhythm, and the Curious Scientist! D.C.’s own Go-go music and brain science come together for this lively show that’ll have kids singing and dancing to the beat.

Umbrellas fly, fabrics soar over the audience, balloons swallow people, and snow swirls, filling the stage. Air Play transforms ordinary objects into uncommon beauty through a wordless, magical adventure as two siblings journey through a surreal land of air.