Kennedy Center, Daphnis et Chloé & Simon Trpěeski, October 2025
Daphnis et Chloé & Simon Trpčeski
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OCTOBER 2 – 4 | CONCERT HALL
Gianandrea Noseda, conductor
Simon Trpčeski, piano
Choral Arts Society of Washington
Marie Bucoy-Calavan, artistic director
MEL BONIS
CAMILLE SAINT-SAËNS
Three Dances
Pavane, Op. 81
Sarabande, Op. 82
Bourrée, Op. 62
Piano Concerto No. 2
Simon Trpčeski, piano
INTERMISSION
MAURICE RAVEL
D aphnis et Chloé – complete ballet
Choral Arts Society of Washington
THANK YOU TO OUR SEASON SPONSORS
The NSO Music Director Chair is generously endowed by Roger Sant and Congresswoman Doris Matsui Noseda Era Fund Supporters
The Amici di Gianandrea
Stage flowers for Thursday’s performance are presented in loving memory of Bessie Huidekoper Fay.
Patrons are requested to turn off cell phones and other electronic devices during the performance. Any video and/or audio recording of this production is strictly prohibited.
Welcome
Dear Friends,
As we open the National Symphony Orchestra’s 95th season, I want to take a moment to express my heartfelt thanks to you—our devoted patrons, supporters, and friends. Your presence this evening, and your unwavering support throughout the year, mean more than words can convey. It is your love of music, your generosity, and your steadfast belief in the arts that delight this remarkable orchestra.
In 1931, Hans Kindler founded the NSO with a bold vision: to build a world-class symphony orchestra in the heart of our nation’s capital. Nearly a century later, that vision continues to be our driving force. Today, under the dynamic artistic leadership of Gianandrea Noseda, we are more inspired than ever to share powerful performances with our audiences. The NSO is not simply an orchestra; it is a family of artists joined together through a shared love of music, unity of purpose, and commitment to something greater than us.
The NSO is more than what you see on stage—it is a living, breathing institution devoted to enriching lives. Our robust education and community engagement programs reach thousands of students, educators, and families each year. Between our Youth Fellowship Program and Summer Music Institute, to Young People’s Concerts, we strive to make music accessible to everyone—especially the next generation.
This commitment to connect with broader audiences is also seen through our vibrant, genre-defying series, led by the remarkable Steven Reineke, our Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor. Steven brings a wide-reaching musical vision to the NSO, bridging genres and generations. His programming has opened the door for new audiences to discover a love for orchestral music, while continuing to captivate longtime fans with the highest levels of artistry.
As we embark on this milestone season, we are reminded that our journey would not be possible without you. Thank you for being an essential part of this vibrant and enduring musical community.
With deepest gratitude and warmest regards,
Executive Director
National Symphony Orchestra
From the Music Director
Cari amici,
It is with immense joy and anticipation that I welcome you to the National Symphony Orchestra’s 95th anniversary season. This moment is more than a milestone—it is a celebration of our deep musical legacy and a renewed commitment to bringing powerful, moving performances to our community and beyond.
Our season opened in grand fashion this September with a celebratory Gala Concert featuring the incomparable Yuja Wang, whose artistry never fails to astound. She brought her brilliant intensity to Tchaikovsky’s First Piano Concerto, a work that pulses with drama, lyricism, and triumph.
As we move into October, I will lead the orchestra in Maurice Ravel’s enchanting Daphnis et Chloé, music born in collaboration with the legendary Ballets Russes and which remains one of the most intoxicating sound worlds ever created. This is music that seems to float between dream and daylight.
We are also proud to welcome back wonderful guest conductors. Hans Graf will guide us through Schubert’s poignant Unfinished Symphony, a masterpiece of introspection, paired with Alban Berg’s emotionally profound Violin Concerto, performed by the great Renaud Capuçon. Then, from October 16 to 19, we open our doors to a cherished member of the NSO family—our esteemed former Music Director, Christoph Eschenbach—for an all-Beethoven program featuring the luminous violinist Isabelle Faust. And this is only the beginning. The 95th season is filled with musical discovery, celebrated artists, and unforgettable experiences.
I am deeply grateful to share this journey with you. Your presence in the Concert Hall is what brings our music fully to life. Thank you for being a part of the NSO family—for your passion, your applause, and your unwavering support.
Con tutto il cuore,
Gianandrea Noseda Music Director, National Symphony Orchestra
Che la musica vi porti gioia e ispirazione—may music bring you joy and inspiration.
Meet the Artists
Gianandrea Noseda, conductor
Gianandrea Noseda is one of the world’s most sought-after conductors, equally recognized for his artistry in both the concert hall and opera house. The 2025–2026 season marks his ninth as music director of the National Symphony Orchestra. Noseda’s leadership has inspired and reinvigorated the National Symphony Orchestra, which makes its home at the Kennedy Center. The renewed artistic recognition and critical acclaim have led to invitations to Carnegie Hall and international concert halls, as well as digital streaming and a record label distributed by LSO Live, for which Noseda also records as principal guest conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra. Noseda’s discography of over 80 recordings includes dozens of critically acclaimed albums with a wide range of orchestras and repertoire for various labels, including Deutsche Grammophon and Chandos.
Noseda became General Music Director of the Zurich Opera House in September 2021 and reached an important milestone in May 2024, conducting two highly praised complete Ring Cycles. He was recognized as “Best Conductor” by the jury of the German OPER! AWARDS, specifically for his Wagner interpretations.
From 2007 to 2018, Noseda served as Music Director of the Teatro Regio Torino, where his leadership marked the opera house’s golden era.
Noseda has conducted the most important international orchestras, opera houses, and festivals, and had significant roles at the BBC Philharmonic (chief conductor), Israel Philharmonic Orchestra (principal guest conductor), Mariinsky Theatre (principal guest conductor), Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionale della RAI (principal guest conductor), Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra (Victor de Sabata Chair), Rotterdam Philharmonic (principal guest conductor), and Stresa Festival (artistic director).
Working with the next generation of musicians is important to Noseda, and in the summer of 2025, he led a tour of major concert halls in China, Korea, and Japan with Carnegie Hall’s National Youth Orchestra of the USA. In 2019, he was appointed the founding Music Director of the Tsinandali Festival and PanCaucasian Youth Orchestra in the village of Tsinandali, Georgia.
A native of Milan, Noseda is Commendatore al Merito della Repubblica Italiana, marking his contribution to the artistic life of Italy. He has been honored as Conductor of the Year by both Musical America and the International Opera Awards. He is also a recipient of the Puccini Award, whose past recipients include legendary opera stars Maria Callas, Birgit Nilsson, and Luciano Pavarotti.
Simon Trpčeski
Macedonian pianist Simon Trpčeski has established himself as one of the most remarkable musicians on the global stage, performing with over 100 orchestras on four continents, with leading conductors and at the most prestigious venues. Mr. Trpčeski is recognized for his powerful virtuosity and deeply expressive approach, as well as his charismatic ability to connect with diverse audiences worldwide and his commitment to strengthening Macedonia’s cultural heritage.
Mr. Trpčeski has collaborated with a long list of prominent conductors, including Lorin Maazel, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Marin Alsop, Gustavo Dudamel, Gianandrea Noseda, Charles Dutoit, Antonio Pappano, Michael Tilson Thomas, Cristian Măcelaru, and Vasily Petrenko. As an experienced pianist, he is also a popular collaborator among the next generation of high-profile conductors, including Jakub Hrůša, Gabriel Bebeșelea, Dalia Stasevska, Elim Chan, Alpesh Chauhan, and Dima Slobodeniouk.
National Symphony Orchestra
The 2025–2026 season is the National Symphony Orchestra’s 95th season and Music Director Gianandrea Noseda’s ninth season. Since its founding in 1931, the NSO has been committed to performances that enrich the lives of its audience and community members. In 1986, the National Symphony became an artistic affiliate of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, where it has performed since the Center opened in 1971. The NSO participates in events of national and international importance, including the annual nationally televised concerts on the lawn of the U.S. Capitol, live-streamed performances on medici.tv, and local radio broadcasts on WETA 90.9 FM.
Since launching its eponymous recording label in 2020, the NSO has embarked on ambitious recording projects, including the Orchestra’s first complete Beethoven Symphony cycle and the release of the firstever cycle of George Walker’s Sinfonias, both led by Noseda. Recent projects include a new series, Four Symphonic Works by Kennedy Center Composer-inResidence Carlos Simon, conducted by Noseda, and William Shatner’s So Fragile, So Blue, recorded live with the NSO in the Concert Hall.
The NSO’s community engagement and education projects are nationally recognized, including Notes of Honor and Sound Health. Career development opportunities for young musicians include the NSO Youth Fellowship Program and its acclaimed, tuition-free Summer Music Institute.
Notes on the Program
Three Dances
Pavane, Op. 81
Sarabande, Op. 82
Bourrée, Op. 62
MEL BONIS
Born January 21, 1858, in Paris, France
Died March 18, 1937, in Sarcelles, France
Mélanie Hélène Bonis, who presented herself professionally using the more androgynous pseudonym Mel Bonis, showed great promise when she studied composition at the Paris Conservatoire in the late 1870s. Still, her parents had little interest in music and were suspicious of her career prospects in the field. They pulled her out of the school, organizing an advantageous marriage to widowed industrialist Albert Domange in 1883, and, for many years, she did not write much. In the 1890s, she reconnected with the singer Amédée Landély Hettich, with whom she had shared a romantic relationship while they were both studying at the Conservatoire, and he encouraged her to resume composing. They exchanged artistic ideas, collaborated on a few pieces, and eventually began an affair.
In the first decade of the 20th century, Bonis released a slew of piano, voice, chamber, and orchestral works with publisher Eugène Demets, many of which received high-profile performances, critical acclaim, and composition prizes. In 1909, during this period of great productivity, she collected three piano miniatures modelled on dance forms from the baroque era and put them out as a set along with her own orchestral transcriptions of the pieces. Bonis dedicated each short number to one of the three children she had with her husband, Albert.
The chipper Bourrée, which she had first published in 1904, was for her oldest son, Pierre Domange. The main theme has the steady, swinging rhythm of a baroque bourrée, while the cheeky, folkish melody recalls the Slavonic Dances of Antonín Dvořák. In a contrasting, down-tempo interlude introduced by the oboe, we might hear the sigh of an exhausted parent trying to keep up with an energetic child. Bonis dedicated her Pavane, the second in this set of three dances, to her youngest son Édouard. It features a steady, almost childlike accompaniment and a long, floating melody, both of which are typical of this lazy, luxuriant dance type. In contrast to earlier pavanes by French composers like Maurice Ravel and Gabriel Fauré, Bonis splits the main expressive line among several voices of the orchestra, lending the feeling of a chorus of individuals forming a continuous statement from their collaborative discourse.
In 1899, Bonis and Hettich secretly had a daughter together, whom they named Madeleine. Bonis was never able to officially acknowledge the child, and the separation, lies, and guilt caused her religious and moral doubts for the rest of her life. Her greatgranddaughter and biographer, Christine Géliot, has suggested that much of her compositional output following Madeleine’s birth related to these complex feelings. It would perhaps not be a stretch to imagine that there is a touch of sadness sitting between the entries in this set of works dedicated to the three children whom she got to recognize—some space for a fourth piece that had to remain unwritten. I hear it in the touching Sarabande, which Bonis dedicated to her first daughter, Jeanne. The primary motif is a solemn set of two or three rising notes, followed by the shortest of gaps and a long, lamenting descent. She builds these simple gestures up to a dissonant, pained climax, before suddenly returning to the melody as it appeared at the opening and bringing the piece to a close without true resolution.
Nicholas Swett
Piano Concerto No. 2 in G minor, Op. 22
CAMILLE SAINT-SAËNS
Born October 9, 1835, in Paris, France
Died December 16, 1921, in Algiers, Algeria
At the start of the 19th century, the music of Johann Sebastian Bach wasn’t particularly familiar to concert audiences nor to many professional musicians. It took the efforts of Felix Mendelssohn, who organized successful performances of his works in the 1820s and ’30s, to bring Bach to the attention of listeners in Germany. Interest in Bach came even later in France. According to the recollections of Camille Saint-Saëns, well into the century, prominent French composers like Hector Berlioz continued to view the baroque master as a “kind of giant brainbox, engineering tremendously clever fugues, but devoid of charm and poetry.” Saint-Saëns took credit for convincing Berlioz of Bach’s beauty, and, together with fellow French organists like César Franck, Saint-Saëns motivated many others in the nation to look back to the baroque era for inspiration.
The opening of his Piano Concerto No. 2 in G minor is perhaps the best evidence he provided that the sounds and styles of Bach remained relevant to Romantic-era composition. Saint-Saëns wrote the piece in 1868, while he was working as the organist at the Church of Saint Mary Magdalene in Paris and regularly touring as a piano soloist. The concerto begins in the manner of a prelude from one of Bach’s keyboard suites or partitas. The solo piano climbs up an arpeggio and then splits into two melodic lines that converse in solemn counterpoint, gradually building to a freely flowing toccata. The orchestra’s dramatic entry has the double-dotted rhythms of a typical French baroque overture. Yet when the piano comes in again with the first passionate, Romantic melody of the piece, it doesn’t come off as a stark contrast; rather, the antique-sounding building blocks with which Saint-Saëns started are artfully re-organized to present a more contemporary story.
Saint-Saëns follows this dramatic and formally idiosyncratic opening movement with a pair of romps. In the second movement, a bubbly Allegro scherzando, the timpani introduces a rhythm that the piano takes up and turns into a playful theme. At the ends of phrases, the pace of the notes increases humorously, sometimes to speeds at which the figures become flutters of sound rather than clean sequences of notes. For variety, he writes triumphant arias for assorted instruments of the ensemble, accompanied by a bounding keyboard figure.
The concerto closes with a frantic Presto in the style of a tarantella, a vigorous folk dance named for the city of Taranto in Southern Italy. The dire triplets heard throughout this movement—which create a dense and ominous buzz—give a sense of urgency to the skipping piano melody that serves as a refrain. Saint-Saëns had written a popular tarentella in 1857, but where that earlier piece embraced the wit and playfulness of the form, the final movement of this concerto gives the Italian dance a rather diabolical spin.
Like many of Saint-Saëns’s works, the concerto freely juxtaposes music of different national, historical, and stylistic characters. This aspect of his writing led some 19th-century critics to accuse him of incoherence, but there is almost always a clear throughline—a flow of meaningful similarities and differences—that unifies the disparate sections of his compositions. In response to these criticisms, Saint-Saëns himself maintained that his diverse tastes were sincere and not open for compromise: “Ultimately, it is not Bach or Beethoven or Wagner that I love; it is art. I am an eclectic. It may be a serious fault, but I am unable to cure myself of it; one cannot change one’s nature.”
Daphnis et Chloé – complete ballet
MAURICE RAVEL
Born March 7, 1875, in Ciboure, France
Died December 28, 1937, in Paris, France
Daphnis and Chloe, a romance by the second-century ancient Greek author Longus, is a parable of what can happen to young lovers in the absence of clear and open-hearted sex education. The title characters, a goatherd and shepherdess living in pastoral bliss on the island of Lesbos, are bewildered as they discover their romantic feelings for one another. The advice they receive about relationships and lovemaking is always either too vague or too frightening to be helpful, so they exist in a constant state of tension and agitation that leads to several misadventures.
To choreographer Michel Fokine, this story of frustrated desire seemed perfect fodder for a new ballet. He developed an interest in using the tale as early as 1907, though it was only when the director of the Ballet Russes, Sergey Diaghilev, formally brought Maurice Ravel on board as a composer in 1909 that the project fully got underway. In letters from that year, Ravel described some early frustrations he had with Fokine, who didn’t speak French. Preparation and rehearsal of the work were also encumbered by conflict between Diaghilev, Fokine, and the lead dancer of the troupe, Vaslav Nijinsky. The ballet premiered in Paris in 1912 to middling reviews, and, after further performances in 1914, it fell out of the dance repertoire.
Ravel quickly transcribed two suites from his score to Daphnis et Chloé, and these arrangements helped give the music from this ballet a life of its own. Though he was happy with the performances of these shorter versions, he thought of the complete piece as a through-composed, developing “choreographic symphony.” In his 1928 autobiography, he explained that his goal with the piece was “to compose a vast musical fresco, less scrupulous as to archaism than faithful to the Greece of my dreams.” It requires a large orchestra with a stocked percussion section and a wordless chorus. His writing makes extraordinary technical demands of the players, particularly the wind and brass instruments. Today, many clarinet, flute, and trumpet players must show off their chops on excerpts from the piece to earn positions in symphony orchestras.
The piece opens with a serene religious gathering praising the nymphs and the god Pan, in which prominent flute and oboe lines allude to the clarion timbre of shepherd’s pipes. The young women of the community dance in a carefree manner to music in 7/4 time, a lopsided meter that gives the number a joyous lilt. The two main characters enter, tentatively dance for one another, and are pursued by various rivals. Throughout this section, Ravel underscores their hesitance by having the music stop and start and by repeating individual measures and longer phrases several times in a row, as if the lovers are too nervous to move forward. Eventually, a band of pirates storms into the scene, heralded by a menacing trumpet call. They kidnap Chloé, and Daphnis collapses in desperate prayer. In a haunting nocturne that closes the first part of the ballet, three nymphs—represented in sequence by flute, English horn, and clarinet—take pity on him. These eerie wind solos are supported by a bed of shimmering, dissonant strings—a texture that anticipates the glistening orchestral sound worlds that composer Kaija Saariaho would create a century later.
Ravel starts the second section with an a cappella chorale, in which the harsh edges of the harmonies are softened by mesmerizing, humming syncopations. The pirates dance a frenzied number that builds to an astonishing climax, and, in a dance of supplication, the captive Chloe must appeal to the leader of the marauders without compromising her love for Daphnis. With the help of Pan, she escapes, and when Daphnis awakes the next day, all has been resolved. Ravel’s “Daybreak” music, which opens the third and final part of the piece, is quite extraordinary. Creative mixtures of wind and percussion instruments play fast, bright, accompanying arpeggios, while the strings make attempt after attempt to rise on a hopeful melody, working towards a revelatory apotheosis—climax. At the end of this number, Chloe returns to Daphnis, they flirtatiously act out Pan’s ill-fated seduction of the nymph Syrinx, and they uninhibitedly dance with one another at last, joining the full group for an orgiastic bacchanal. The wordless chorus, which until this point had been an agent of serene, celestial purity, contributes to the pandemonium of the orchestra with a sequence of shocking, primal grunts that bring the work to an ecstatic cadence.
Loud and Clear
Nine terms to know in the Concert Hall.
Symphony
An extended work with multiple sections—typically four movements.
A “symphonic” piece is a long piece with multiple interpretations of a musical idea. A repeated, transformed musical idea is called a theme.
Orchestra
A group of musicians who play together.
In the Western European tradition, an orchestra often includes the four major instrument families—brass, woodwinds, strings, and percussion. An especially large orchestra is called a symphony orchestra. A smaller orchestra is called a chamber orchestra.
Movement
A section of a musical work. Movements are often separated by silences, and they typically differ in tempo—speed.
Concerto
A piece pairing a technically advanced soloist with the support of an orchestra, usually in three movements. Though there may be multiple soloists, the contrast between a larger ensemble and a soloing group defines a concerto.
Suite
Multiple pieces intended to be performed together. Suites may take from larger works such as an opera or a ballet. For 17th- and 18th-century works, “suite” often refers to a sequence of dances in the same key.
Romantic music
Works associated with the 19th-century Romantic period. Building off of the intellectual innovation of the Romanticism movement, Romantic music emphasizes self-expression, emotion, and experimentation.
Uppercase-“C” Classical music
Works associated with the 18th-century Classical period. Characteristics include an emphasis on formal structures, balance, and clear-cut melodies. Lowercase-“c” classical music may also refer to formal compositions invested in technical depth, usually derived from the European tradition.
Fanfare
A brief piece, typically played on brass instruments with percussion accompaniment. Fanfares are often lively and ceremonial.
Tone poem
An orchestral piece meant to convey a non-musical subject such as an art piece, landscape, story, or mood.
National Symphony Orchestra
GIANANDREA NOSEDA , MUSIC DIRECTOR
The Roger Sant and Congresswoman Doris Matsui Chair
STEVEN REINEKE , PRINCIPAL CONDUCTOR AND ARTISTIC ADVISOR
VIOLINS
Nurit Bar-Josef, Concertmaster
Ying Fu, Associate Concertmaster, The Jeanne Weaver Ruesch Chair
Ricardo Cyncynates, Assistant Concertmaster
Xiaoxuan Shi, Second Assistant Concertmaster
Jane Bowyer Stewart
Heather LeDoux Green
Lisa-Beth Lambert
Jing Qiao
Marina Aikawa
Peiming Lin
Derek Powell
Regino Madrid**
Merdith Riley**
Marissa Regni, Principal
Dayna Hepler, Assistant Principal
Cynthia R. Finks
Deanna Lee Bien
Glenn Donnellan
Natasha Bogachek
Carole Tafoya Evans
Jae-Yeon Kim
Wanzhen Li
Hanna Lee
Benjamin Scott
Malorie Blake Shin
Angelia Cho
Kei Sugiyama**
VIOLAS
Daniel Foster, Principal, The Mrs. John Dimick Chair
Dana Kelley, Assistant Principal
Denise Wilkinson
Nancy Thomas
Jennifer Mondie
Tsuna Sakamoto
Ruth Wicker
Mahoko Eguchi
Abigail Evans Kreuzer
Rebecca Epperson
Chiara Dieguez**
Jacob Shack**
CELLOS
David Hardy, Principal, The Hans Kindler Chair, The Strong Family and the Hattie M. Strong Foundation
Raymond Tsai, Assistant Principal
David Teie
James Lee
Rachel Young
Mark Evans
Eugena Chang Riley
Loewi Lin
Britton Riley
Noah Krauss
BASSES
Robert Oppelt, Principal
Richard Barber, Assistant Principal
Jeffrey Weisner
Ira Gold
Paul DeNola
Charles Nilles
Alexander Jacobsen
Michael Marks
HARP
Adriana Horne, Principal
FLUTES
Aaron Goldman, Principal
Leah Arsenault Barrick, Assistant Principal
Matthew Ross
Carole Bean, Piccolo
OBOES
Nicholas Stovall, Principal, The Volunteer Council Chair
Jamie Roberts, Assistant Principal
Harrison Linsey***
Kathryn Meany Wilson***, English Horn
CLARINETS
Lin Ma, Principal
Eugene Mondie, Assistant Principal
Paul Cigan
Peter Cain, Bass Clarinet
BASSOONS
Sue Heineman, Principal
David Young, Assistant Principal
Steven Wilson
Sean Gordon, Contrabassoon
HORNS
Abel Pereira, Principal, The National Trustees’ Chair
James Nickel, Acting Associate Principal
Markus Osterlund***
Scott Fearing
Robert Rearden
Geoffrey Pilkington**
TRUMPETS
William Gerlach, Principal, The Howard Mitchell Chair, The Strong Family and the Hattie M. Strong Foundation
Michael Harper, Assistant Principal
Michail Thompson
Tom Cupples
TROMBONES
Craig Mulcahy, Principal
Evan Williams, Assistant Principal
David Murray
Matthew Guilford, Bass Trombone
TUBA
Stephen Dumaine, Principal, The James V. Kimsey Chair
TIMPANI
Jauvon Gilliam, Principal, The Marion E. Glover Chair
Scott Christian, Assistant Principal
PERCUSSION
Eric Shin, Principal, The Hechinger Foundation Chair
Erin Dowrey, Assistant Principal
Scott Christian
Jason Niehoff*
KEYBOARD
Lambert Orkis, Principal
Lisa Emenheiser*
ORGAN
William Neil*
LIBRARIANS
Elizabeth Cusato Schnobrick, Principal
Zen Stokdyk, Associate
Karen Lee, Assistant
PERSONNEL
Karyn Garvin, Director
Sufyan Naaman**, Coordinator
STAGE MANAGERS
David Langrell, Manager
N. Christian Bottorff, Assistant Manager
The National Symphony Orchestra uses a system of revolving strings. In each string section, untitled members are listed in order of length of service.
*Regularly Engaged Extra Musician
** Temporary Position
***Leave of Absence
National Symphony Orchestra Staff
ADMINISTRATION
Jean Davidson, Executive Director
Sabryn McDonald, Executive Assistant
EXECUTIVE TEAM
Kasama Apfelbaum, Vice President, Financial Planning & Analysis
Nigel Boon, Vice President, Artistic Planning
John Roloff, Vice President, Orchestra Operations
ARTISTIC PLANNING
Justin Ellis, Senior Producing Director
Ana Vashakmadze, Artistic Assistant Administrator
DEVELOPMENT
Kate Baker, Assistant Manager, NSO Board and Leadership Campaigns
Laney Pleasanton, Manager, NSO Individual Giving
Pamela Wardell, Senior Director of Development
EDUCATION
Stephanie Baker, Manager, Career and Development Programs
FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION
Eric Rubio, Director of Finance & Administration
HUMAN RESOURCES
Tony Amato, Director, Total Rewards
Chanel Kemp, Talent Acquisition Manager
Patrice McNeill, Director, HR Operations
Lisa Motti, HRIS Coordinator
Ericka Parham, Benefits Analyst
John Sanford, Senior Business Partner
MARKETING & ADVERTISING
Scott Bushnell, Senior Director, Creative and Brand Strategy
*Represented by ATPAM, the Association of Theatrical Press Agents and Managers.
The technicians at the Kennedy Center are represented by Local #22, Local #772, and Local #798 I.A.T.S.E.
AFL-CIO-CLC, the professional union of theatrical technicians.
Zach Boutilier, Michael Buchman, Paul Johannes, April King, John Ottaviano, and Arielle Qorb
Steinway Piano Gallery is the exclusive area representative of Steinway & Sons and Boston pianos, the official pianos of the Kennedy Center.
The American Guild of Musical Artists, the union of professional singers, dancers and production personnel in opera, ballet and concert, affiliated with the AFL-CIO, represents the Artists and Staging Staff for the purposes of collective bargaining.
The box office at the Kennedy Center is represented by I.A.T.S.E, Local #868.
National Symphony Orchestra musicians are represented by the Metropolitan Washington, D.C. Federation of Musicians, AFM Local 161-710.
Orchestrated Lives
Each month, the National Symphony Orchestra spotlights a different member of the Orchestra. For this program, Principal Horn Abel Pereira talks about offstage memories, the particular love affair between the cello and the horn, and the open sea.
Name: Abel Pereira
Hometown: Porto, Portugal
Instrument: Horn
Years with the NSO: 11
How did you find your way into the world of professional musicianship? When I was 14, before I went to art school, I thought I was going to become a fisherman just like my dad. Then I met this horn teacher, and he said, “You have two options. One is you spend the week fishing—going to the ocean and taking risks and being on a boat. Then you can come on weekends and play some music with the community band. Or you practice, practice, practice, and one day you will spend the whole week playing music. Then on weekends you can go on a boat and enjoy yourself.” I thought, “Well, I guess [the second’s] a better option for me,” and that's basically what I've been doing.
Have you been able to get out to the water much during your tenure? I have a boat that I like to take out. I spend the weekend days enjoying the water, because I miss that part of my life. There’s a good complement between music and the ocean. We don't have the ocean, unfortunately, but we have the bay. We have the river. It’s fine.
What attracted you to the horn? The sound of the horn can be powerful, but it can also be very mellow. It can be soft and kind, but it can also be harsh and aggressive. Some people say that the cello is the closest instrument to the human voice, but I would say it’s the horn as well as the cello. In a lot of the symphonic repertoire, the horn passages are together with the celli and violas. I think it's because the composers realized that the sound of the horn can match very, very well with the cello. It can also match very well with the woodwinds, but, curiously, it's a brass instrument. We are kind of amphibious.
What is one favorite memory from your time with the NSO? I have many great memories, right from the start during my trial year. In April of that first season, I was offered the job, which is unusual because usually it takes at least one entire season. I remember that was the week of Mahler [Symphony No.] 5, which is a big, big piece for the horn. I have a great memory of being on stage and being told by the orchestra manager that I got the job. I got very excited.
And offstage? You know, whenever we go on tour, we play in different halls every night, and it's always very, very exciting to bring our music to other cultures and let them know what we're doing here. Offstage, too. During the tours, we have more opportunities to hang out with other colleagues and friends—go out for dinner, have a drink, or just walk around visiting. Those memories will stay forever.
Support your ORCHESTRA
The mission of the National Symphony Orchestra, an affiliate of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, is to engage audiences locally, across the country, and around the world through excellence in performance and education. Each year, the NSO offers approximately 150 concerts as well as some of the country’s most extensive community and educational programming. It regularly participates in events of national and international importance, including performances for state occasions, high-level government events, and regularly televised holiday appearances for Capitol Concerts and local radio broadcasts on WETA, making the NSO one of the most-heard orchestras in the country.
Give your support in this 95th season by becoming a Member, joining the NSO Circles, or pledging a Legacy Gift. Visit tkc.co/SupportNSO or scan the QR code.
Thank You to Kennedy Center Supporters
The Kennedy Center Board of Trustees
National Symphony Orchestra Board of Directors
Washington National Opera Board of Trustees
The Kennedy Center President’s Council
The Kennedy Center International Committee on the Arts
President’s Advisory Committee on the Arts
National Committee for the Performing Arts
National Symphony Orchestra National Trustees
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Andrew Geraci
Schubert’s “Unfinished” | Capuçon plays Berg
Hans Graf brings “a brave new world of musicmaking” (The Straits Times) to Schubert’s romantic Symphony No. 8, the great “Unfinished” masterwork. Renaud Capuçon performs Alban Berg’s Violin Concerto—a mysterious, autumnal farewell “to the memory of an angel.”
October 9, 2025 at 7 p.m.
October 10, 2025 at 11:30 a.m.
October 11, 2025 at 8 p.m.
Eschenbach returns: An Evening of Beethoven
The former NSO Music Director returns with an all-Beethoven program brimming with lyricism and energy. Acclaimed violinist Isabelle Faust makes her much-anticipated NSO debut in Beethoven’s Violin Concerto.
October 16, 2025 at 7 p.m.
October 18, 2025 at 8 p.m.
October 19, 2025 at 3 p.m.
NSO Presents: Matthias Goerne & Daniil Trifonov
Two titans of classical music join forces for an intimate performance of Schubert’s song cycle Winterreise: renowned baritone Matthias Goerne and Grammy Award–winning pianist Daniil Trifonov. Please note: the NSO does not perform on this program.
October 21, 2025 at 7 p.m.
Simon Fowler
Manu
Theobald
Marie Staggat
2025–2026 CLASSICAL SEASON PERFORMANCE CALENDAR
Daphnis et Chloé & Simon Trpčeski
Thu., Oct. 2, 2025 at 7 p.m.
Fri., Oct. 3, 2025 at 8 p.m.
Sat., Oct. 4, 2025 at 8 p.m.
Schubert’s “Unfinished” Capuçon plays Berg
Thu., Oct. 9, 2025 at 7 p.m.
Fri., Oct. 10, 2025 at 11:30 a.m.
Sat., Oct. 11, 2025 at 8 p.m.
Eschenbach returns: An Evening of Beethoven
Thu., Oct. 16, 2025 at 7 p.m.
Sat., Oct. 18, 2025 at 8 p.m.
Sun., Oct. 19, 2025 at 3 p.m.
NSO Presents*
Matthias Goerne & Daniil Trifonov
Tue., Oct. 21, 2025 at 7 p.m.
Don Juan & Romeo and Juliet Grimaud plays Gershwin
Thu., Oct. 30, 2025 at 7 p.m.
Fri., Oct. 31, 2025 at 11:30 a.m.
Sat., Nov. 1, 2025 at 8 p.m.
NSO Presents*
Alexandre Kantorow
Sat., Nov. 1, 2025 at 3 p.m.
Saint-Saëns’ “Organ Symphony” Ohlsson plays Beethoven
Thu., Nov. 13, 2025 at 7 p.m.
Fri., Nov. 14, 2025 at 11:30 a.m.
Sat., Nov. 15, 2025 at 8 p.m.
Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Ferrández plays Lutosławski
Thu., Nov. 20, 2025 at 7 p.m.
Sat., Nov. 22, 2025 at 8 p.m.
Sun., Nov. 23, 2025 at 3 p.m.
Handel’s Messiah
Thu., Dec. 18, 2025 at 7 p.m.
Fri., Dec. 19, 2025 at 8 p.m.
Sat., Dec. 20, 2025 at 8 p.m.
Sun., Dec. 21, 2025 at 1 p.m.
The Rite of Spring Trifonov plays Brahms
Thu., Jan. 15, 2026 at 7 p.m.
Fri., Jan. 16, 2026 at 8 p.m.
Sat., Jan. 17, 2026 at 8 p.m.
Songs of Destiny & Fate
Thu., Jan. 22, 2026 at 7 p.m.
Fri., Jan. 23, 2026 at 8 p.m.
Sat., Jan. 24, 2026 at 8 p.m.
Le Poème Divin
Brahms’ Double Concerto
Thu., Jan. 29, 2026 at 7 p.m.
Fri., Jan. 30, 2026 at 11:30 a.m.
Sat., Jan. 31, 2026 at 8 p.m.
Shostakovich’s Eighth
Abduraimov plays Tchaikovsky
Thu., Feb. 5, 2026 at 7 p.m.
Fri., Feb. 6, 2026 at 11:30 a.m.
Sat., Feb. 7, 2026 at 8 p.m.
American Mosaic
Thu., Feb. 19, 2026 at 7 p.m.
Sat., Feb. 21, 2026 at 8 p.m.
Sun., Feb. 22, 2026 at 3 p.m.
Shaham & Shaham play Reena Esmail
Robertson conducts Sibelius’ Fifth
Thu., Feb. 26, 2026 at 7 p.m.
Fri., Feb. 27, 2026 at 11:30 a.m.
Sat., Feb. 28, 2026 at 8 p.m.
Hahn & Woods play
Carlos Simon Brahms’ Third
Thu., Mar. 12, 2026 at 7 p.m.
Fri., Mar. 13, 2026 at 8 p.m.
Sat., Mar. 14, 2026 at 8 p.m.
*Please note: The National Symphony Orchestra does not perform in these concerts.
NSO Presents*
Alexandra Dovgan
Sat., Mar. 14, 2026 at 3 p.m.
Death and Transfiguration
Khachatryan plays Sibelius
Thu., Apr. 2, 2026 at 7 p.m.
Fri., Apr. 3, 2026 at 11:30 a.m.
Sat., Apr. 4, 2026 at 8 p.m.
Bruckner’s Seventh Gerlach plays Haydn
Fri., Apr. 10, 2026 at 8 p.m.
Sat., Apr. 11, 2026 at 8 p.m.
Mozart’s “Jupiter” & Bach’s Brandenburg No. 1
Wed., Apr. 15, 2026 at 7 p.m.
Thu., Apr. 16, 2026 at 7 p.m.
Fri., Apr. 17, 2026 at 8 p.m.
NSO Presents*
Khatia Buniatishvili
Fri., Apr. 24, 2026 at 8 p.m.
Opera in Concert
Puccini’s Il trittico
Wed., Apr. 29, 2026 at 7 p.m.
Fri., May 1, 2026 at 7 p.m.
Renée Fleming’s Voice of Nature: The Anthropocene
Fri., May 29, 2026 at 8 p.m.
Sat., May 30, 2026 at 8 p.m.
Cann plays Coleman
Fri., June 5, 2026 at 8 p.m.
Sat., June 6, 2026 at 8 p.m.
Philip Glass’ “Lincoln”
Dalene plays Barber
Fri., June 12, 2026 at 8 p.m.
Sat., June 13, 2026 at 8 p.m.
Concerts for Young Audiences
Super
Cello!
The city is safe with the help of a unique cellist: professional musician by day, superhero by night. The day begins as usual—from waking up in the morning, to traveling to rehearsal, to getting ready for a concert…but things take a turn when robots and aliens try to take over the music hall. It’s up to Super Cello to use the soothing power of music to save the day! Most enjoyed by ages 5+
Collaboration with Teller Productions of Atlanta, GA
October 18 & 19, Family Theater
Halloween Spooktacular
Trick or treat over to the Concert Hall for some scary good tunes! The Concert Hall transforms into a ghostly sight when ghoulishly attired National Symphony Orchestra musicians perform spooky fun classics—new and old. Join in the fun of this Halloween celebration concert, conducted by Evan Roider. Arrive early for trickor-treating and a special Haunted Hall Musical PLAYspace! Most enjoyed by ages 5+
October 26, Concert Hall
Musical Tails
A National Symphony Orchestra piano quintet takes you on a journey through the timeless tales of the Mother Goose Suite by Maurice Ravel and the magical world of tails from Camille Saint-Saëns’ The Carnival of the Animals. The young and young-at-heart are invited to listen and experience these playful stories narrated in English and Spanish and performed through chamber music. Most enjoyed by ages 5+
January 24 & 25, Family Theater
A look back at our history
1939
NSO Music Director Hans Kindler leads the Orchestra in a summer outdoor concert on a floating barge anchored at the foot of the stone steps below the Lincoln Memorial.
Harris & Ewing Collection, Library of Congress
A look back at our history
1958
Music Director Howard Mitchell conducts the NSO at Constitution Hall. Photographer unknown, Courtesy of the Kennedy Center Archives
1970s A look back at our history
NSO Music Director Antal Doráti conducts the NSO.
Photo by Richard Braaten, Courtesy of the Kennedy Center Archives
A look back at our history
1987
NSO Music Director Mstislav Rostropovich conducts the NSO with guest soloist soprano Galina Vishnevskaya, his wife.
Photo by Joan Marcus, Courtesy of the Kennedy Center Archives
A look back at our history
1996
Music man Bobby McFerrin wowed Washingtonians when he conducted the National Symphony Orchestra concerts for families and school children.
Photo by Carol Pratt, Courtesy of the Kennedy Center Archives
2000 A look back at our history
Pianists John Browning, Sara Davis Buechner, Brian Ganz, Joseph Kalichstein, Lambert Orkis, and Jeffrey Siegel play Franz Liszt’s Hexameron with the National Symphony Orchestra conducted by Music Director Leonard Slatkin for the Piano 2000 festival.
Photo by Carol Pratt, Courtesy of the Kennedy Center Archives
2015 A look back at our history
Kendrick Lamar and the NSO led by Principal Pops Conductor Steven Reineke delivered a one-night-only performance featuring some of Lamar’s biggest hits and the first-ever live performances of music from his lyrical masterpiece “To Pimp a Butterfly.”
Photo by Elman Studio, Courtesy of the Kennedy Center Archives
2022 A look back at our history
As the concluding event of Kennedy Center’s 50th Anniversary celebration, Leonard Bernstein’s MASS returned 51 years after its world premiere at the Center in a dynamic staging featuring the NSO, guest conductor James Gaffigan, and baritone Will Liverman in the role of Celebrant.
Photo by Scott Suchman, Courtesy of the Kennedy Center Archives
Take home... a musical memory.
Mozart Magic
Flute Earrings
These exquisite earrings bring Mozart’s masterpiece to life with fluteinspired details that create a visual symphony. $42
NSO Cap and T-shirt
Our new National Symphony Orchestra cap and tee let you show your pride in our world-class symphony. $30 each
Make Your Own Music Mug
No better way to start your day than with a coffee mug imprinted with blank sheet music and sticker notes so you can compose your own melody. $20
Visit our two gift shops on Level A and in the Hall of States. Shop online 24/7 at tkc.co/shop
