Classical Music: Spring Arts 2012

ARTISPHERE

1101 Wilson Blvd.
Arlington
703-875-1100
artisphere.com

National Chamber Ensemble – Violinist Leonid Sushansky and pianist Carlos Rodriguez perform Brahms’s sonatas for violin and piano (4/7)
UrbanArias: Positions 1956 – Conrad Cummings and Michael Korie’s Positions 1956, a ”self-help” opera, is the first commission by UrbanArias, the annual mini-festival supporting ”mini modern opera” (4/13, 4/17, 4/19, 4/21, 4/22)
UrbanArias: Before Breakfast and The Filthy Habit – A double-bill performance of two operas about addiction, the first by Thomas Pasatieri and Frank Corsaro, the second by Peter Hilliard and Matt Boresi (4/14, 4/15, 4/18, 4/20, 4/22)

ATLAS PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

1333 H St. NE
202-399-7993
atlasarts.org

Janus Trio – From Debussy to Toru Takemitsu, this Brooklyn new age classical trio combines ”something bowed, something blown and something plucked” (4/5)
Great Noise Ensemble – One of the most important and adventurous ensembles in D.C.’s new music scene, tapped to be in residence at the Atlas next season (5/11)
Capital City Symphony – ”Brahms Meets Jazz” program featuring Brahms’s Symphony No. 3 and Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue with pianist Scott Beard (5/13)
International Contemporary Ensemble – A flexible roster of 33 leading instrumentalists ”advancing the music of our time” (5/17)
Deviant Septet – Featuring some of America’s foremost contemporary and avant-garde classical music interpreters and chamber musicians, focused on fulfilling the vision of Igor Stravinsky and his ”L’histoire du Soldat” ensemble (6/2)
The In Series w/The Washington Ballet – Tom Mallan directs a production of Mozart’s Idomeneo, with English adaptation and lyrics by Charlotte Stoudt (6/9-17)

BACH SINFONIA

Takoma Park/Silver Spring Performing Arts Center
Silver Spring, Md.
301-362-6525
bachsinfonia.org

You Decide: Bach’s Audition at Leipzig – In 1722, the Leipzig Town Council held auditions to fill the post of Cantor, which Johann Christoph Graupner actually won over Bach. The program explores the audition works heard by the people and Leipzig Town Council, concluding by tallying audience votes to see who should have received this coveted position (3/31)
The Bohemian Baroque: Zelenka – First hearing in North America of the complete cycle of works by Jan Dismas Zelenka, whose rich and colorful output equals his better known European contemporaries (5/5)

BALTIMORE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

410-783-8000
bsomusic.org

Tchaikovsky’s Fifth – Marin Alsop conducts the BSO and percussionist Colin Currie in a program that culminates with Tchaikovksy but starts off with American fireworks: Copland’s Fanfare for the Common Man and Joan Tower’s response, Fanfare for the Uncommon Woman, plus Jennifer Higdon’s Percussion Concerto (3/22-24)
Russian Favorites – Lionel Bringuier conducts the BSO and violinist Jonathan Carney in a program of Mussorgsky, Khachaturian, Stravinsky and of course Tchaikovsky, with the Overture to his Romeo and Juliet (4/13-15)
Beethoven’s Violin Concerto – Jun Märkl conducts the BSO and violinist Arabella Steinbacher in a program that includes Weber’s Overture to Euryanthe and Schumann’s Symphony No. 3, ”Rhenish” (4/26-28)
Fleisher Plays Ravel – Celebrated pianist Leon Fleisher joins the BSO, conducted by Marin Alsop, in a performance of Ravel’s Piano Concerto for Left Hand as well as Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 7, ”Leningrad” (5/3-6)
André Watts – Piano superstar joins Marin Alsop and the BSO for a performance of Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2 and Elgar’s Symphony No. 1 (5/10-13)
Beethoven’s Ninth – Peter Oundjian conducts the BSO along with soprano Joyce El-Khoury, mezzo-soprano Mary Phillips, tenor Gordon Gietz, bass Morris Robinson and the Baltimore Choral Arts Society in a performance of Beethoven’s triumphant, joyful symphony, along with Bruckner’s hymn Te Deum (5/24-26)
Beethoven’s Third Piano Concerto – Günther Herbig conducts the BSO and pianist Jonathan Biss in a program that also includes Mozart and Schubert (5/31-6/2)
Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto and The Rite of Spring – BSO concludes its season with a performance of Tchaikovsky, Stravinsky plus Kevin Puts’s Symphony No. 4, joined by violinist Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg (6/7-10)

BARNS AT WOLF TRAP

1645 Trap Road
Vienna, Va.
703-255-1900
wolf-trap.org

Chicago Symphony Orchestra Brass Quintet (3/30)
Rachel Barton Pine – Young violinist performs as part of the Wolf Trap’s Discovery Series (4/13)
Joyce Yang – Pianist concludes Wolf Trap’s Discovery Series with an intimate performance of Bach, Schumann and Brahms (4/27)
Wolf Trap Opera Company: Don Giovanni – Legendary Lothario sizzles on stage over Mozart’s sublime score in a new Wolf Trap Opera Company production (6/29-7/7)
WTOC: Recital with Steven Blier – Recital of songs by Italians and Italian-Americans featuring a quartet of soloists from WTOC (7/15)
WTOC: The Rake’s Progress – Dean Williamson conducts the Wolf Trap Opera Company’s new production of Stravinsky’s opera directed by Tara Faircloth (8/3-8/11)’

CLARICE SMITH PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

University of Maryland
College Park, Md.
301-405-ARTS
claricesmithcenter.umd.edu

Daniel Bernard Roumain with UMD Symphony Orchestra and UMD Wind Orchestra – Haitian violinist and composer offers a Clarice Smith Center-commissioned world premiere, while the orchestras perform Debussy and Mahler (3/29)
The Art of Argento Festival – Clarice Smith Center presents a series of events paying tribute to the music of American composer Dominick Argento in celebration of his 85th birthday. Among the highlights: a UMD School of Music faculty tribute, including soprano Linda Mabbs, tenor Gran Wilson and three pianists (3/30); a Maryland Opera Studio and UMD Symphony Orchestra general tribute (4/20, 4/22, 4/26); Maryland Opera Studio and UMD Symphony Orchestra’s performs Argento’s Miss Havisham’s Fire (4/21, 4/25, 4/27, 4/29); Judith ”Miss Manners” Martin and her husband Dr. Robert Martin join Argento to discuss creation of Miss Manners on Music (4/23); and an Open Masterclass with Frederica von Stade and UMD voice students (4/26)
Larissa Dedova – UMD professor offers ”The Complete Solo Piano Music of Debussy” in four performances (4/1, 4/15, 4/22, 4/29)
U.S. Army Orchestra – A concert featuring the 7th annual Metro DC-area Young Artist Competition, high school junior cellist Jungwook Choo (4/15)
UMD Women’s and Men’s Choruses – ”All’s Fair in Love and War,” a wide-ranging performance of choral works about love and war (4/20)
UMD Repertoire Orchestra (4/25)
Alisa Weilerstein & Inon Barnatan (4/27)
UMD Koto Ensemble & Toho Koto Society (4/29)
Denyce Graves and the Annapolis Symphony Orchestra – Orchestra offers a 50th anniversary concert featuring world-renowned mezzo-soprano (5/6)
Prince George’s Philharmonic – Featuring pianist Awadagin Pratt (5/12)
National Orchestral Institute and Festival – Various events in June, kicking off with an open rehearsal of Brahms 4 by the National Festival Orchestra as conducted by the New York Philharmonic’s Alan Gilbert (6/7)
2012 William Kapel International Piano Competition and Festival – Featuring recitals from various star pianists, including Gloria Cheng, Vijay Iyer and Jeremy Denk (7/7-21)

COOLIDGE AUDITORIUM AT THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS

Thomas Jefferson Building
10 First St. SE
202-707-8000
loc.gov/concerts

Modigliani Quartet – French group offers a program of Arriaga, Beethoven and Dohnányi (3/23)
Elias Quartet with Pianist Jonathan Biss – Young British quartet has formed an artistic partnership with the poetic pianist (3/28)
Arditti Quartet with Pianist Stephen Drury – Irvine Arditti and Stephen Drury mark the John Cage Centennial with a performance of a 1991 Cage violin and piano work (4/10)
Quatuor Diotima – ”Definitely the most serious hope for chamber music in France” raves Le Figaro (4/13)
BachFest Event: Julliard Baroque – Nine sought-after period instrumentalists from the Juilliard School, familiar names for early music lovers worldwide (4/14)
BachFest: Tanya Tomkins – A master on the cello performs Bach’s technically demanding six suites for cello (4/28)
Concerto Köln w/Jan Freiheit – Cellist Freiheit joins the German orchestra of beautiful period instruments, billed as being ”intriguingly close to hearing what might have been the true sound of the Baroque” (4/20)
U.S. Army Band ”Pershing’s Own” – Family-friendly concert featuring music by American mavericks, from Ives to Hovhaness to Cowell (5/5)
Narak Hahknazaryan – Recital by 23-year-old Armenian cellist, pegged to a new special exhibit on the Armenian literary tradition (5/19)

D.C.’S DIFFERENT DRUMMERS

202-269-4868
dcdd.org

My Favorite Things: Spring Concert – The LGBT organization’s Capital Pride Symphonic Band and Capital Pride Wind Ensemble perform (3/31, Columbia Heights’ CHEC Auditorium)
DC Swing Concert (4/19, L2 Lounge)

DAVIS PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

Georgetown University
3700 O St. NW
202-687-ARTS
performingarts.georgetown.edu

Thomas Pandolfi – Virtuosic pianist performs an all-Liszt program as part of the Friday Music Series (3/23)
Vasily Popov & Ralitza Patcheva – Husband-and-wife duo, a cellist and a pianist, performs a program of music by Schubert as part of the Friday Music Series (3/30)
PostClassical Ensemble’s ”Schubert Uncorked” – Unclassifiable bass trombonist David Taylor joins to perform two world premiere arrangements of works by Franz Schubert (3/31)
Jacqueline Horner-Kwiatek – A member of the world-renowned vocal quartet Anonymous 4, this mezzo-soprano performs as part of the Friday Music Series (4/27)
World Percussion Ensemble – Performing works by some of America’s prominent percussion ensemble composers (4/28)
GU Chamber Singers – Choral concert of chamber music celebrating spring, from Claude Le Jeune and Claudio Monteverdi (4/29)

FAIRFAX SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

703-563-1990
fairfaxsymphony.org

Adam Golka – FSO ends its season with a concert featuring this pianist and celebrating the richness of French and English music (5/12)

FOLGER CONSORT

201 East Capitol St. SE
202-544-7077
folger.edu

City of Ladies: The Musical World of 15th-century Burgundy – Countertenor Drew Minter and multi-instrumentalist Tom Zajac join the Consort to toast the French courts of the early 15th-Century, which fostered a culture that treasured its musicians, artists and writers and the revelatory idea of beauty for its own sake (4/13-15)