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SHIFT
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 by creating an immersive festival experience in the nation's capital. The week-long festival is composed of mini-residencies, with each participating orchestra presenting education events, symposia, and community events in venues around Washington, D.C., along with full-orchestra performances in the Kennedy Center Concert Hall.
SHIFT Orchestra Concerts — All seats just $25!
The following events will take place in the Kennedy Center Concert Hall.
Jacksonville Symphony (part of SHIFT Festival of American Orchestras)
The Jacksonville Symphony’s program explores the many influences that jazz artists and composers have had on traditional classical composers. Their theme for the SHIFT festival is “Bridges,” and their Composer-in-Residence, Courtney Bryan, will have a significant presence in the mainstage concert as well as in the Symphony’s residency activities.
- Tuesday, March 24, 2020 8:00 PM
- Concert Hall
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra (part of SHIFT Festival of American Orchestras)
The Baltimore Symphony presents a program celebrating the changing faces of America, from Dvořák's grand vision for American music, to a forgotten treasure by the first African American woman recognized as a symphonic composer, to a tour de force concerto that draws influence from all over the world.
- Wednesday, March 25, 2020 8:00 PM
- Concert Hall
Knoxville Symphony Orchestra (part of SHIFT Festival of American Orchestras)
Every good journey begins and ends at home. This program celebrates the artistic legacy of Knoxville, interweaving music with narrative excerpts by Pulitzer Prize-winning Knoxville native James Agee. The KSO highlights two pieces inspired by Agee texts: Barber's Knoxville: Summer of 1915, which vividly captures a young Agee’s memories of his family and home, and Copland’s Suite from The Tender Land, inspired in part by Let Us Now Praise Famous Men.
- Friday, March 27, 2020 8:00 PM
- Concert Hall
Orpheus Chamber Orchestra (part of SHIFT Festival of American Orchestras)
Orpheus Chamber Orchestra and Classical Theatre of Harlem offer a collaborative portrait of the cultural diversity and vitality of New York City through a musical and theatrical performance of Shakespeare’s classic tale A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
- Saturday, March 28, 2020 8:00 PM
- Concert Hall
Generous support of the SHIFT Festival is provided through a matching grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation; by the D.C. Commission on the Arts & Humanities, which receives support from the National Endowment for the Arts; by Dr. Gary Mather and Ms. Christina Co Mather; and by Michael F. and Noémi K. Neidorff and The Centene Charitable Foundation.
Additional support is provided by Abramson Family Foundation, Betsy and Robert Feinberg, and Morton and Norma Lee Funger.
SHIFT is presented in cooperation with the League of American Orchestras.
SHIFT is also made possible by the Amphion Foundation, Mr. and Mrs. John V. Thomas, and Mr. and Mrs. Harry M. Linowes.