Issuu

Shaham & Shaham play Reena Esmail

Robertson conducts Sibelius’ Fifth

Chris Lee

Pacific Symphony & Matthew Morgan

THE DONALD J. TRUMP AND THE JOHN F. KENNEDY MEMORIAL CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS, FEBRUARY 26, 2026 AT 7 P.M.; FEBRUARY 27, 2026 AT 11:30 A.M.; FEBRUARY 28, 2026 AT 8 P.M. | CONCERT HALL

David Robertson, conductor

Gil Shaham, violin

Orli Shaham, piano

CARL NIELSEN (1865–1931)

REENA ESMAIL

JEAN SIBELIUS (1865–1957)

Helios Overture, Op. 17 (1903)

Double Concerto (2025)

i. ii. iii.

Gil Shaham Orli Shaham

INTERMISSION

Symphony No. 5 in E-flat major, Op. 82 (1915–1919)

i. Tempo molto moderato – Allegro moderato ii. Andante mosso, quasi allegretto iii. Allegro molto

This program is a part of

For more information, visit tkc.co/250

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

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 celebrate 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,

Jean Davidson 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. This is only the beginning. The 95th season is filled with musical discovery, celebrated artists, and unforgettable experiences.

This season features iconic works that have stood the test of time, from classic masterpieces to thrilling contemporary music. The NSO also has the opportunity to share the stage with an exceptional lineup of guest artists and conductors—beloved icons and rising stars alike. Performing new music is something the NSO truly believes in. Make history with us as we present innovative new works, including five world premieres.

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

Music Director, National Symphony Orchestra

Director, National Symphony Orchestra

Che la musica vi porti gioia e ispirazione—may music bring you joy and inspiration.

Notes on the Program

Helios Overture, Op. 17

CARL NIELSEN

Born June 9, 1865, in Sortelung, Denmark

Died October 3, 1931, in Copenhagen, Denmark

In 1884, Carl Nielsen left his native village on the Danish island of Funen and enrolled at the Copenhagen Conservatory, where he majored in violin while also studying composition, theory, piano, and—with Niels Gade—music history. He completed the Conservatory’s curriculum in 1886 but continued studying theory at the school while freelancing in chamber concerts and with the orchestra at Tivoli Gardens. He turned seriously to composition during that time, and his first major success came with the premiere of the Little Suite for Strings by the Tivoli Orchestra on September 8, 1888.

On September 1, 1889, Nielsen joined the second violin section of the Royal Chapel Orchestra, a post he held for the next sixteen years while continuing to foster his reputation as a leading figure in Danish music. He received a leave of absence during the 1890–1891 season to study Wagnerian music drama in Germany under a government grant. That spring, he made a swing through Paris to immerse himself in the city’s artistic treasures. Paris worked its charms on him, and so did a young Danish sculptress—Anne Marie Broderson—who was studying there that year. They were married only a month after they first met, and the couple honeymooned in Italy to indulge their shared interest in art. When they returned to Copenhagen in the summer of 1891, Nielsen was inspired to undertake his First Symphony (he dedicated the score to Anne Marie).

Nielsen’s reputation grew with his works of the ensuing decade, most notably the Second Symphony and the opera Saul and David, but he was still financially unable to quit his job with the Chapel Orchestra and devote himself fully to composition. It was therefore with considerable excitement that he signed a contract with the prestigious publishing firm Wilhelm Hansen early in 1903 that would provide him with a regular income and the chance, two years later, to leave behind his performing chores. Fortune smiled again that year on the Nielsens, when Anne Marie was awarded the Ancker Fellowship. The couple celebrated their flourishing careers with a stay in Greece, and Carl found a studio at the Odeion Conservatory in Athens; they took rooms overlooking the Aegean Sea.

Nielsen’s immersion in ancient Greek culture and the beneficent climate inspired him to begin a concert overture depicting the sun’s traversal of the heavens. “It’s blistering hot here now,” he wrote to a friend at home. “Helios burns the whole day, and I write away at my new solar system; a long introduction with sunrise and morning song is finished, and I’ve begun the Allegro.” Nielsen finished his Helios Overture before returning to Copenhagen that summer, and participated among the second violins at the premiere, given by the Royal Chapel Orchestra under the direction of Johan Svendsen on October 8, 1903. Though the work was met with mixed responses initially, it soon established itself in the Danish concert repertory and has become a regular part of the country’s New Year’s celebrations.

Nielsen headed the Helios Overture with the following legend: “Silence and darkness— then the sun climbs in joyous paean of praise—wanders its golden path—sinks tranquilly into the sea.” The work opens with a spacious, slow introduction that rises from an anticipatory hum in the deep bass and soft rising calls in the horns to encompass the full orchestra, depicting the dawn. Trumpet fanfares lead to the main body of the composition: a quick-tempo, sonata-form construction with a heroic main theme pronounced by the violins and a lyrical subsidiary melody initiated by the cellos. The center of the Overture is occupied by a spirited fugato. The main theme returns in a grand setting before a passage of atmospheric, slow-moving chords suggests the twilight. The work ends with a brief, quiet reference to the music of the introduction to indicate the descent of night.

—Dr. Richard E. Rodda

Double Concerto REENA ESMAIL

“I hope it’s inviting. I hope it’s alluring. I hope it makes them curious to hear more.” When star siblings Gil and Orli Shaham approached Reena Esmail about composing a double concerto for violin and piano, two things slowly rose to mind: First, Esmail’s upbringing in late-’80s, early-’90s Los Angeles. Her father, an immigrant from Pakistan, received the Shahams’ Dvorák for Two as part of his classical CD subscription service. Both its cover— “Two chairs, a doorway, light coming between them,” Esmail remembered—and its content had a profound impact on the young composer. Second, working within both the Western tradition and the Hindustani tradition of northern and western India, Esmail saw how the piece could serve as an invitation. “So many times, especially when we’re dealing with music from different cultures, people are quick to say, ‘Well, I’m not the expert,’” Esmail described. “My music lives or dies based on whether a performer feels that it can come through their body and their practice. I want Gil and Orli to feel that they have the authority to make it their own.”

Ahead of the premiere of her Double Concerto, a co-commission between the National Symphony Orchestra, Aspen Music Festival, and Virginia Arts Festival, Esmail sat down to discuss the piece’s origins, her relationship with the American 250th, and a few key aspects of Hindustani music. Distinct ragas, for example, delineate the Concerto’s three movements. A raga is a collection of pitches with embedded themes, similar to Western scales but with more aesthetic information. “It’s the melody, it’s the ornamentation, and it’s that front-end texture that feel a little bit more Indian-classical,” said Esmail of her approach. “Then the backend form and the larger harmonic structures feel a little bit more Western.”

The Double Concerto begins with a combination of metered and unmetered passages in the Puriya Dhanashree and Bhimpalasi ragas. This opening movement, presented by the composer as “normal” compared to her often “super weird” first movements, uses these darker ragas to create a sense of shifting weight. The second movement is in Pratiksha, which sometimes reads major and other times minor to the Western ear. Writing the second movement, Esmail imagined a plane disappearing and reappearing among clouds. There’s a “yearning” quality: “The piano and violin emerge in these clear lines as if they've always been there, but things sometimes cover them, and things sometimes expose them,” described Esmail. “In this moment in our world, I wanted to write about having that kind of clarity, even when you can’t see yourself, even when other people can’t see you, even in the total chaos that’s surrounding you.”

The third and final movement, dedicated to “absolute brilliance,” moves between Megh, Hindol, and Malkauns, three ragas whose tonics—core ‘home notes’—are a half step apart. Where the first movement focuses on the improvisational element of Hindustani music, and the second movement centers on melodic clarity, the last movement makes space for a bit of off-kilter fun—a true “virtuosic romp.”

Under the added context of the American 250th, Esmail reflected on how her identity has shaped her compositional interests. “I, myself, am not from a monolithic tradition,” she explained. “I am Indian, but my parents are from two very different parts of India—it would be as if my dad were from Alabama and my mom were from Hawaii. And they met in pre-Disney-World Orlando.” With a Muslim father, a Catholic mother, and a Hindu husband, the composer sees her music as an expression of her multiculturalism. “In my own life experience, I live in these multiple worlds, and that is really only possible in a country like this.”

Growing up in Hollywood, Esmail maintains a deep-seated interest in the portrayal of American culture. With her work, she strives for a “synthesized” style: a “pidgin language.” “I try to marry these two worlds in a really generous way. You move it one percent in one direction, and it falls apart from the Western side. You move it one percent in the other direction, and it falls apart from the Indian side. It is about threading a needle, otherwise you’re actually proving the opposite point—that these traditions

Notes on the Program

are so different from each other.” Still deeply in the editing period at time of interview, the composer noted, “The simplicity is what has been so tough. It’s almost like each movement has a fatal flaw, and you have to figure out the exact Venn diagram where that fatal flaw isn’t true.”

In pushing to unite these traditions, however, Esmail hopes to create two equally valid entry points into the work—one from the Western side, and another from the Indian side. “For every person that’s involved in the piece, I’m trying to give them something that they know how to do well, that shows who they are, and then something that makes them think about their instrument through a different context.”

For audiences, a similar philosophy applies. The composer imagines a plate-glass window: “If people are coming in through the lens of Indian culture, they can see straight into American culture. If they’re coming in through the lens of Western culture, they can see straight into Indian culture. And if they want to take that next step into those cultures, they certainly can, but the music is what makes that connection.”

—Sarina Benezra Bell

Symphony No. 5 in E-flat major, Op. 82

JEAN SIBELIUS

Born December 8, 1865, in Hämeenlinna, Finland

Died September 20, 1957, in Järvenpää, Finland

For the three years after he issued his brooding Fourth Symphony in 1911, Sibelius was largely concerned with writing program music—compositions meant to convey a narrative, image, or other extramusical idea. He even considered composing a ballet titled King Fjalar at that time, but rejected the idea: “I cannot become a prolific writer. It would mean killing all my reputation and my art. I have made my name in the world by straightforward means. I must go on in the same way. Perhaps I am too much of a hypochondriac, but I cannot waste on a few ballet steps a motif that would be excellently suited to symphonic composition.”

As early as 1912, he envisioned a successor to the Fourth Symphony, but did not have any concrete ideas for the work until shortly before he left for a visit to the United States in May 1914. He returned to Finland in July; war erupted on the Continent the next month. In September, he described his mood over the terrifying political events as emotionally “in a deep dale,” but added, “I already begin to see dimly the mountain I shall certainly ascend…. God opens the door for a moment, and His orchestra plays the Fifth Symphony.”

Early in 1915, Sibelius learned that a national celebration was planned for his fiftieth birthday (December 8) and that the government was commissioning from him a new symphony for the festive concert in Helsinki. He withdrew into the isolation of his country home at Järvenpää, thirty miles north of Helsinki, to devote himself to the gestating work. He admitted to his diary, “I love this life so infinitely, and feel that it must stamp everything that I compose.” He had to rush to finish the work for the concert in December, even making changes in the parts during the final rehearsal, but the Symphony was presented as the centerpiece of the tribute to the man the program described as “Finland’s greatest son.”

Though the Fifth Symphony pleased its first audience, it did not completely please its composer. Sibelius regarded it as one of his most important scores and expended enormous effort on polishing the work during the four years after its premiere. He first returned to the piece in 1916 with “a view to [its] still greater concentration in form and content.” This version, intended for a Stockholm performance in 1917 that was cancelled because of the deteriorating political situation, was first presented under Sibelius’ direction in Helsinki on December 14, 1916. Sibelius again took up the score in 1918, despite the miserable times spread throughout the country by the civil war, which erupted in Finland in the wake of the Russian Revolution. The composer’s isolated home was broken into twice by combatants searching for weapons (Sibelius played piano during

the episode to calm his family); his brother, a physician, was killed in the hostilities. Convinced by friends to move to the relative safety of Helsinki, Sibelius continued the Symphony’s revision, noting on May 20, 1918, “[It is] in a new form, practically composed anew; I work at it daily.” The Symphony No. 5 achieved its definitive form the following year, and it was first heard in that version on November 24, 1919, in Helsinki; Sibelius conducted.

While working on the final revision of the Fifth Symphony, Sibelius wrote that the ending was “triumphal,” a description that seemed to invite programmatic interpretations of the score. When asked to be more specific, however, he said, “I do not wish to give a reasoned exposition of the essence of the Symphony. I have expressed my opinion in my works. I should like, however, to emphasize a point that I consider essential: the directly symphonic [i.e., abstract] is the compelling vein that goes through the whole. This in contrast to its being a depiction.” For the London premiere in 1921, he asked that a note appear in the printed program stating, “The composer desires his work to be regarded as absolute music, having no direct poetic basis.” Though no specific story or program can be reconciled with the Fifth Symphony, it is impossible to deny the life-giving, heroic optimism with which it ends, especially when compared with the introspective Symphony No. 4. Thus, it is understandable that some critics and listeners heard here an affirmation of the human spirit at a time when the First World War was threatening the very foundations of Western culture. Time has not diminished the work’s overwhelming emotional impact.

Theorists have long debated whether Sibelius’ Fifth Symphony is in three or four movements; even the composer himself left contradictory evidence on the matter. The contention centers on the first two sections, a broad essay in leisurely tempo and a spirited scherzo, played without pause and related thematically. The opening portion is in a sort of truncated sonata form. The scherzo grows seamlessly from the music of the first section. At first dance-like and even playful, it accumulates dynamic energy as it unfolds, ending with a whirling torrent of sound. The following Andante, formally a theme and variations, is predominantly tranquil in mood, though punctuated by several piquant jabs of dissonance. “There are frequent moments in the music of Sibelius,” wrote Charles O’Connell of the Symphony’s finale, “when one hears almost inevitably the beat and whir of wings invisible, and this strange and characteristic effect almost always presages something magnificently portentous. We have it here.” The second theme is a bell-tone motive led by the horns that serves as background to the woodwinds’ long melodic lines. The whirring theme returns, after which the bell motive is treated in ostinato fashion, repeated over and over, building toward a climax until it seems about to burst from its own excitement, which it does. The forward motion abruptly stops, and the Symphony ends with six stentorian chords, separated by silence, proclaimed by the full orchestra.

—Dr. Richard E. Rodda

Meet the Artists

David Robertson, conductor

David Robertson— conductor, artist, composer, thinker, American musical visionary— occupies the most prominent podiums in orchestral and new music, and opera. He is a champion of contemporary composers and an ingenious programmer. Robertson has served in numerous leadership positions, including Chief Conductor and Artistic Director of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and a transformative 13-year tenure as St. Louis Symphony Orchestra Music Director, as well as with Orchestre National de Lyon, BBC Symphony Orchestra, and, as protégé of Pierre Boulez, Ensemble InterContemporain. In the 2024–2025 season, Robertson celebrated the Boulez Centennial on four musical occasions, with The Juilliard Orchestra and the New York Philharmonic, as well as at the Aspen Music Festival and Lucerne Festival. He appears with the world’s great orchestras, such as those of New York, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, and Cleveland; Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra; Wiener Philharmoniker; Berliner Philharmoniker; Leipzig Gewandhausorchester; and major ensembles and festivals on five continents. Since his 1996 Metropolitan Opera debut, Robertson has conducted a breathtaking range of Met projects, including the 2019 production premiere of Porgy and Bess, winning the Grammy Award® for Best Opera Recording. In 2022, he conducted its Met revival, and made his Rome Opera debut. In the 2025–2026 season, he returns to the St. Louis and Sydney Symphony Orchestras, as well as to the New York

Philharmonic; National Symphony Orchestra; HR-Sinfonieorchester; Budapest Festival Orchestra; Czech Philharmonic; and the orchestras of Dallas, Leipzig, and Vancouver, in addition to conducting in Hong Kong, Korea, and Taiwan. Robertson is The Juilliard School’s Director of Conducting Studies, Distinguished Visiting Faculty, and serves on the Tianjin Juilliard Advisory Council. He concludes his three-year term this season as the Utah Symphony and Opera’s inaugural Creative Partner. Robertson is a Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres of France.

One of the foremost violinists of our time, Gil Shaham’s flawless technique, combined with his generosity of spirit, has solidified his renown as an American master. He is sought after throughout the world for concerto appearances with leading orchestras and conductors, and regularly gives recitals and appears with ensembles on the world’s great concert stages and at the most prestigious festivals. Highlights of recent years include a recording and performances of J.S. Bach’s complete sonatas and partitas for solo violin and recitals with his long-time duo partner, pianist Akira Eguchi. He regularly appears with the Berlin Philharmonic, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony, Israel Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, New York Philharmonic, and Orchestre de Paris, as well as in multi-year residencies

Gil Shaham, violin

with the Orchestras of Montreal, Stuttgart, and Singapore.

Mr. Shaham has more than two dozen concerto and solo CDs to his name, earning multiple Grammy Awards®, a Grand Prix du Disque, a Diapason d’Or, and a Gramophone Editor’s Choice. Many of these recordings appear on Canary Classics, the label he founded in 2004. His 2016 recording 1930s Violin Concertos Vol. 2 as well as his 2021 recording of Beethoven and Brahms Concertos with The Knights were nominated for Grammy Awards®. Mr. Shaham was born in ChampaignUrbana, Illinois, in 1971. He moved with his parents to Israel, where he began violin studies at the Rubin Academy of Music. In 1981, he made debuts with the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra and Israel Philharmonic, and, the following year, took the first prize in Israel’s Calirmont Competition. He then studied at The Juilliard School and Columbia University.

Gil Shaham was awarded an Avery Fisher Career Grant in 1990, and, in 2008, he received the coveted Avery Fisher Prize. In 2012, he was named “Instrumentalist of the Year” by Musical America. He plays the 1699 “Countess Polignac” Stradivarius and performs on an Antonio Stradivari violin, Cremona c1719, with the assistance of Rare Violins In Consortium, Artists and Benefactors Collaborative. He lives in New York City with his wife, violinist Adele Anthony, and their three children.

Orli Shaham, piano

A consummate musician recognized for her grace, subtlety, and brilliance, the pianist Orli Shaham is hailed by critics on four continents. The New York Times called her a “brilliant pianist,” The Chicago Tribune referred to her as “a first-rate Mozartean,” and London's Guardian said Ms. Shaham's playing at the Proms was “perfection.”

Orli Shaham has performed with many of the major orchestras around the world and has appeared in recital internationally, from Carnegie Hall to the Sydney Opera House. She has been Artistic Director of Pacific Symphony’s chamber series Café Ludwig in California since 2007 and was Artistin-Residence at Vancouver Symphony Orchestra from 2022 to 2024.

Highlights of Ms. Shaham’s 2025–2026 concert season include Beethoven’s “Emperor” Concerto at the Classical Tahoe Musical Festival, performances of Light forming by David Robertson with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra and Nashville Symphony, and the premiere of a concerto for violin and piano by Reena Esmai— commissioned with her brother, the violinist Gil Shaham, with the National and Virginia Symphony Orchestras.

In 2026, Orli Shaham releases an album of American chamber music with members of the Pacific Symphony, including works by Margaret Brouwer, Avner Dorman, Reena Esmail, and Viet Cuong. Her 2024 box set of the complete sonatas by Mozart received accolades worldwide. Ms. Shaham’s discography also includes her acclaimed solo album, Brahms Inspired; John Adams’ Grand Pianola Music with the pianist

Meet the Artists

Marc-André Hamelin and the San Francisco Symphony, with the composer conducting; and American Grace, featuring Steven Mackey’s Stumble to Grace, written for her, with the Los Angeles Philharmonic.

Orli Shaham is on the piano and chamber music faculty at The Juilliard School and is Chair of the Board of Trustees of Kaufman Music Center. She is a major presence on public radio as Co-Host and Creative for NPR’s From the Top and was host of Dial-aMusician, a radio feature series she created. She is regularly featured on the popular music education platform Tonebase, including masterclasses on Mozart's piano sonatas and a lectureperformance about Clara Schumann. Orli Shaham is a Steinway Artist.

Reena Esmail, composer

Indian-American composer Reena Esmail works between the worlds of Indian and Western classical music, and brings communities together through the creation of equitable musical spaces.

Esmail’s life and music were profiled on Season 3 of PBS’s Great Performances series, Now Hear This, as well as Frame of Mind, a podcast from the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Esmail divides her attention evenly between orchestral, chamber, and choral work. She has written commissions for ensembles including the Los Angeles Master Chorale, Seattle Symphony, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, and Kronos Quartet, and her music has featured on multiple Grammy®-nominated albums, including The Singing Guitar

by Conspirare, BRUITS by Imani Winds, and Healing Modes by Brooklyn Rider. Many of her choral works are published by Oxford University Press. Esmail is the Los Angeles Master Chorale’s 2020–2025 Swan Family Artist-in-Residence, and was Seattle Symphony’s 2020–2021 Composer-inResidence. She has been in residence with Tanglewood Music Center (Co-Curator, 2023) and Spoleto Festival (Chamber Music Composerin-Residence, 2024). She also holds awards/fellowships from United States Artists, the S&R Foundation, the American Academy of Arts and Letters, and the Trump Kennedy Center.

Esmail holds degrees in composition from The Juilliard School (BM’05) and the Yale School of Music (MM’11, MMA’14, DMA’18). Her primary teachers have included Susan Botti, Aaron Jay Kernis, Christopher Theofanidis, Christopher Rouse, and Samuel Adler. She received a Fulbright-Nehru grant to study Hindustani music in India. Her Hindustani music teachers include Srimati Lakshmi Shankar and Gaurav Mazumdar, and she currently studies and collaborates with Saili Oak. Her doctoral thesis, entitled Finding Common Ground: Uniting Practices in Hindustani and Western Art Musicians, explores the methods and challenges of the collaborative process between Hindustani musicians and Western composers.

Esmail was Composer-in-Residence for Street Symphony (2016–2018), and is currently an Artistic Director of Shastra, a non-profit organization that promotes cross-cultural music connecting music traditions of India and the West.

She currently resides in her hometown of Los Angeles, California.

National Symphony Orchestra

The 2025–2026 season is the National Symphony Orchestra’s 95th and Music Director Gianandrea Noseda’s ninth season. Gianandrea Noseda serves as the orchestra’s seventh music director, joining the NSO’s legacy of distinguished leaders: Christoph Eschenbach, Leonard Slatkin, Mstislav Rostropovich, Antal Doráti, Howard Mitchell, and Hans Kindler. Its artistic leadership also includes Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor Steven Reineke.

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 96-member 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 Classical 90.9 FM.

Since launching its eponymous recording label in 2020, the NSO has embarked on ambitious recording projects, including its first complete Beethoven Symphony cycle and the release of the first-ever cycle of George Walker’s Sinfonias, both led by Noseda. Recent projects include Four Symphonic Works by Kennedy Center Composer-in-Residence Carlos Simon conducted by Noseda, and William Shatner’s So Fragile, So Blue, recorded live in the Concert Hall with the NSO under Steven Reineke. Forthcoming releases with Gianandrea Noseda include music by Gustav Mahler and William Grant Still, as well as Samuel Barber’s opera Vanessa.

The NSO’s community engagement and education projects are nationally recognized, and career development opportunities for young musicians include the NSO Youth Fellowship Program and its acclaimed, tuition-free Summer Music Institute.

Symphony

Loud and Clear

Terms to know in the Concert Hall, loosely defined.

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.

Sonata

Originally, a musical composition played on instruments. In modern usage, “sonata” can mean a piece for a soloist or an ensemble, often with two to four movements.

If a work or a movement is written in sonata form, it is structured in three sections: exposition, development, and recapitulation.

Overture

An orchestral instrumental introduction to a dramatic musical work, such as an opera or a ballet. Composers, particularly those of the Romantic Period, sometimes composed independent concert overtures, intended to begin a larger musical program.

Romantic Music

Works associated with the 19th-century Romantic Period. Building off the intellectual innovation of the Romanticism movement, Romantic music emphasizes self-expression, emotion, and experimentation.

Tempo Markings

Largo - slow, broad

Adagio - slow, at ease

Andante - moderately slow, walking pace

Andantino - slightly faster than andante

Moderato - moderate

Allegretto - slightly slower than allegro

Allegro - fast, bright

Vivace - fast, lively

Presto - very fast

Prestissimo - rapidly

Additional Markings

Pochettino - very little

Poco - a little Meno - less

Ma non troppo - but not too much

Più - more

Molto - very Assai - very Quasi - almost, as if Maestoso - majestically

Semplice - simply

Con fuoco - with fire

Mosso - with motion and speed

Tranquillo - peacefully

Misterioso - mysteriously

Ritenuto - abruptly slowed

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**

Meredith 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, Assistant Artistic Administrator

DEVELOPMENT

Laney Pleasanton, Manager, NSO Individual Giving

Pamela Wardell, Senior Director of Development

EDUCATION

Vanessa Thomas, Director of Education Activation & Engagements

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

Michael Granados, Marketing Manager, NSO, Fortas & New Music

Lily Maroni, Senior Manager, Advertising Communications

Elizabeth Stoltz, Advertising Production & Special Projects Assistant Manager

Derek Younger, Director, Sales & Ticketing Service

ORCHESTRA OPERATIONS & CONCERT PRODUCTION

Brooke Bartolome, Orchestra Personnel and Operations Manager

Joseph Benitez, Media & OPAS Support Coordinator

N. Christian Bottorff, Assistant Stage Manager

Cayley Carroll, Director, Production & Orchestra Operations

Karyn Garvin, Director of Orchestra Personnel

David Langrell, Stage Manager

Sufyan Naaman, Personnel and Auditions Coordinator

Ava Yap, Operations Assistant

PUBLIC RELATIONS

Amanda Fischer, Deputy Director of Public Relations

Kennedy Center Staff

Trump Kennedy Center Staff

KENNEDY CENTER EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP

TRUMP KENNEDY CENTER EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP

KENNEDY CENTER EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP

President, John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts

President, John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing

President, John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts

President, John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing

Chief Financial Officer

Ambassador Richard Grenell

Ambassador Richard Grenell Chief Financial Officer

Donna Arduin

Ambassador Richard Grenell Financial Officer

General Counsel

Donna Arduin

Chief Financial Officer Donna Arduin

Donna Arduin General Counsel

General Counsel

Berke

General Counsel Elliot Berke

Berke

Donna Arduin General Counsel

Senior Vice President, Development

Dale

Senior Vice President, Development

Vice President of Human

Dale

Senior Vice President, Marketing

Senior Vice President,

Senior Vice President, Marketing

Senior Vice President,

Osborne

Senior Vice President, Marketing�� Robin Osborne

Senior Vice President, Special

Senior Vice President, Special Events

Donlon

Senior Vice President, Special Events

Donlon

Senior Vice President, Development Lisa Dale

Vice President, Human

Vice President, Human Ta’Sha Bowens

Vice President, Public Relations Roma Daravi

Vice President, Human

Vice President, Operations

Executive Director, National Symphony Orchestra Jean Davidson

Vice President,

Vice President, Education

Vice President, Special Events

Bronagh Donlon

Vice President, Public

Vice President, Public Relations

Vice

Vice President, Public Relations

Vice President, Facilities Matt Floca

Vice President, Public Relations

Chief

Chief Information Officer

Chief Information

Vice President, Education Jordan LaSalle

Chief Information Officer

Executive Director, National Symphony

Executive Director, National Symphony Orchestra

Executive Director, National

Executive Director, National Symphony Orchestra

Executive Director, National Symphony

Chief Information Officer Bob Sellappan

General Director, Washington National

General Director, Washington

General Director, Washington National

General Director, Washington

Concert Hall Staff

Theater Manager Allen V. McCallum Jr.

Theater Manager

Theater Manager Allen V. McCallum Jr.

Box Office Treasurer

Allen V. McCallum Jr.

Theater Manager Allen V. McCallum Jr.

Deborah Glover

Box Office Treasurer Deborah Glover

Deborah Glover

Box Office Treasurer

Deborah Glover

Box Office Treasurer Deborah Glover

Head Usher

Head Usher Cathy Crocker

Head Usher

Stage Crew

Cathy Crocker

Head Usher Cathy Crocker

Cathy Crocker

Head Usher Cathy Crocker

Stage Crew Zach Boutilier, Michael Buchman, Paul Johannes, April King, John Ottaviano, and Arielle Qorb

Boutilier, Michael Buchman, Paul Johannes, April King, John Ottaviano, and Arielle Qorb

Stage Crew Zach Boutilier, Michael Buchman, Paul Johannes, April King, John Ottaviano, and Arielle Qorb

Zach Boutilier, Michael Buchman, Paul Johannes, April King, John Ottaviano, and Arielle Qorb

Stage Crew Zach Boutilier, Michael Buchman, Paul Johannes, April King, John Ottaviano, and Arielle Qorb

*Represented by ATPAM, the Association of Theatrical Press Agents and Managers.

Steinway Piano Gallery is the exclusive area representative of Steinway & Sons and Boston pianos, the official pianos of the Kennedy Center.

Steinway Gallery is the exclusive area representative of Steinway & Sons and Boston pianos, the official pianos of the Kennedy Center.

Steinway Piano Gallery is the exclusive area representative of Steinway & Sons and Boston pianos, the official pianos of the Kennedy Center.

Steinway Piano Gallery is the exclusive area representative of Steinway & Sons and Boston pianos, the official pianos of the Trump Kennedy Center.

Steinway Piano Gallery is the exclusive area representative of Steinway & Sons and Boston pianos, the official pianos of the Kennedy Center.

The box office at the Kennedy Center is represented by I.A.T.S.E, Local #868.

The box office at the Trump Kennedy Center is represented by I.A.T.S.E, Local #868.

The box office at the Kennedy Center is represented by I.A.T.S.E, Local #868.

The technicians at the Kennedy Center are represented by Local #22, Local #772, and Local #798 I.A.T.S.E.

The technicians at the Trump Kennedy Center are represented by Local #22, Local #772, and Local #798 I.A.T.S.E.

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.

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.

AFL-CIO-CLC, the professional union of theatrical technicians.

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 American Guild 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.

National Symphony Orchestra musicians are represented by the Metropolitan Washington, D.C. Federation of Musicians, AFM Local 161-710.

National Symphony Orchestra musicians are represented by the Metropolitan Washington, D.C. Federation of Musicians, Local 161-710.

National Symphony Orchestra musicians are represented by the Metropolitan Washington,

Thank You to Our Supporters

National Symphony Orchestra Board of Directors

Officers

Joan Bialek, Chair

Ashley Davis, Vice Chair

Stanley Pierre-Louis, Treasurer

Brian Boyle, Secretary

Executive Committee

Carl Bergeron, Chair, Pension Committee

Brian Boyle, Co-Chair, Development Committee

Ashley Davis, Chair, Nominating and Governance Committee

Shannon McCormick Davis, Co-Chair, Development Committee

Ronald D. Abramson

Anne K. Altman

Michael F. Brewer

Jean Davidson, ex officio

Barbara H. Franklin

Directors

Ernest Abbott

Andrita J. Andreas

Jane Lipton Cafritz

Ronya Corey

Pierre de Lucy

Debbie Driesman

Larry Driver

William Finnerty

Brian L. Gevry

David Ginsberg

Cindy Green

Thomas C. Green

Kathryn Jones

Christina Co Mather

Michael Mayton

Richard Moxley

Stephanie Guyett

Dana Hearn

Helen Jackson

Ann D. Jordan, Lifetime Dir.

Vlad Khomenko

Gerald L. Kohlenberger, ex officio

Michael Lipsitz

Jan M. Lodal

Timothy R. Lowery

Heidi Narang

David B. Novy

Michael Salzberg

Roger W. Sant

Susan Silverstein Scott

Tina B. Small

Cathy McCulloch

Sarah Mills

Jeanne Weaver Ruesch

Sheryl Schwartz

Jeffrey M. Senger

Jeff Shockey

Raghu Srinivasan

Courtney Straus

Stuart Winston

National Symphony Orchestra National Trustees

Officers

Gerald L. Kohlenberger, VA, Chairman

Ross Ain, DC, Vice Chairman

Ken Leibowitz, DC, Vice President of Membership

Purvi Patel Albers, TX, Vice President of Development

Jeannette J. Segel, AZ, Vice President of Special Events & Meetings

Ex-Officio Positions

Michael Mayton, AR, Past Chairman

Jessine Monaghan, DC, Past Chairman

Mary K. Abercrombie, ID, Past Chairman

Members

Susan Ain, FL

Ralph Baxter, WV

Jeri Crawford, NV

Nancy Jean Davis, FL

Gail Charnley Elliott, CT

Glenn Finch, VA

Mary Galvin, IL

Larry Kellogg, FL

Laura Kerr-Engstrom, OK

Tom Mims, FL

Theresa Thompson, VA

James Ward, NM

John Wohlstetter, SC

Stephen T. Young, GA

Individual and Foundation donors contributing $1,800 or more to the National Symphony Orchestra annually are recognized in the following lists. For a full listing of Trump Kennedy Center supporters, please visit: tkc.co/Support

$500,000+

Anonymous

The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation

$100,000-499,999

Mr. Martin K. Alloy and Mrs. Daris M. Clifton-Alloy

Paul M. Angell Family Foundation

The Galena-Yorktown Foundation

$50,000-99,999

Anonymous (2)

Mrs. Byrle M. Abbin

The Andreas Family Foundation

Eve E. Bachrach

Joan Bialek and Louis Levitt, MD

$25,000-49,999

Anonymous

Ernest and Catherine Abbott

Ms. Anne K. Altman

Bender Foundation, Inc.

Brian and Sheila Boyle

Michael Brewer and Janet Brown

Shannon and Jim Davis

Pierre de Lucy and Jodie McLean

Ms. Kirby Heller and Mr. Stephen Dennett

Dr. Christine A. Dingivan

The Honorable Barbara H. Franklin

Ann and Tom Friedman

Mary B. Galvin

Brian and Kendra Gevry

David and Ellen Ginsberg

Cindy and Andy Green

Greg and Stephanie Guyett

Daniel Heider

$10,000-14,999

Anonymous (2)

Mary K. Abercrombie

Ross and Judy Ain

Mr. and Mrs. Michael Baly, III

Ralph H. Baxter, Jr.

Mr. and Mrs. Richard T. Crawford

Gail Charnley and E. Donald Elliott

Mr. and Mrs. Glenn Finch

$6,000-9,999

Janice and Larry Clark

Phil and Joan Currie

Mr. and Mrs. Dennis de Tray

Mr. Edward A. Farquhar

Henrietta “Etta” Fielek

Drs. Jorge R. Gallardo-García and Viviana Vélez-Grajales

Mr. Woolf P. Gross

Dr. Elaine S. Jaffe and Mr. Michael Evan Jaffe

The Dallas Morse Coors Foundation for the Performing Arts

Dr. Gary Mather† and Ms. Christina Co Mather

Dana A. Hearn and Kevin J. McCloskey

Thelma Z. Lenkin

Jacqueline Badger Mars

Eric Shin

Larry Driver

Tom and Pamela Green

Janet and Jerry Kohlenberger

The Honorable Jan M. Lodal

Stella Boyle Smith Trust, Catherine and Michael Mayton, Trustees

Ms. Judy Honig and Mr. Stephen Robb

Mr. Frank F. Islam and Ms. Debbie Driesman

Helen Jackson and Joseph Sassoon

Admiral Jay L. Johnson and Sydney McNiff Johnson

Kathryn and J. Stephen Jones MD

Michael and Terri Lipsitz

Cathy and Scot McCulloch

Kathe and Bill McDaniels

Mr. Devon McFadden and Ms. Ronya Corey

Sarah and Christopher Mills

Jessine A. Monaghan

RJ and Heidi Narang

David Novy

Melanie and Larry† Nussdorf

Stanley Pierre-Louis and Natalie Williams

Josh Harris

Frederic Harwood and Nedda di Montezemolo

Sarosh Khan

The Kiplinger Foundation

Richard S. and Karen LeFrak

Charitable Foundation

Ken Leibowitz

Glen M. Johnson

Helen and David Kenney

Jane Mary Kwass

Sharon and Alan Levy

Heidi and Bill Maloni

RADM Dan and Jackie March, USN Ret

Joan and John McAvoy

Leah Chang and Ryan Naftulin

Mr. Robert K. Oaks

Mellon Foundation

Roger Sant and Doris Matsui

The Leonard and Elaine Silverstein Family Foundation Fund for the National Symphony Orchestra

The Volgenau Foundation

The Moxley Family Foundation

Jeanne Weaver Ruesch

Jeffrey Shockey

Tina and Albert Small, Jr.

Drs. Robert and Gail† Wilensky

Howard and Geraldine Polinger Family Foundation

Steven Portnoy and Ryan Manning

Mrs. Harriet Rogers

Michael and Deborah Salzberg

Brad and Sheryl Schwartz

Susan Silverstein Scott

Jeffrey and Leigh Senger

Dr. Heather Turnbow and Mr. Raghu Srinivasan

John and Eunice Thomas

Nina Totenberg and David Reines

Jerry and Carol Trautschold

Mr. John C. Wohlstetter

Mr. Georges Markow-Totevy

Jeannette J. Segel

Fredda S. Sparks

The Linda and Isaac Stern Charitable Foundation

Theresa Thompson

Steve and Jena Young

Mr. Joseph A. Page and Ms. Martha Gil-Montero

Ashley Rose and Jerry Horak

Justin A. Shirk

Claire and Jack Tozier

Michael and Alice Weinreb

Dr. and Mrs. Peter L. Willson

Thank You to Our Donors

$4,000-5,999

Anonymous (2)

Pennie and Gary Abramson

Ken and Liz Babby

David M. Bachman, M.D.

Dr. Mark Cinnamon and Ms. Doreen Kelly

George and Phyllis† Cohen

Helen Darling and Brad Gray

Gretchen and Douglas Davies

Tom Ehrgood

Robert Fahs

Jack Firestone

Alma Gildenhorn

Maggie Givens

Mr. and Mrs. Jurgen O. Gobien

Mr. and Mrs. Rolf Graage

Richard and Pamela Hinds

Joe† and Lynne Horning

$1,800-3,999

Anonymous (4)

Anja Allen

Mr. John Ausink and Ms. Elaine S. Simmons

Ann and Russel Bantham

Mr. and Mrs. Mitchell J. Bassman

Herschel V. Beazley

John† and Priscilla Becker

Elaine and Richard Binder

Robert Bleimann and May Chin

Jane B. Boynton

Mary Breiner

Ms. Linda Bunce

Mr. Vincent Careatti

Frank and Victoria Chang

Helen Chason

Susan Christie

Donna Christy

Robin Rowan Clarke

Robert M. Coffelt, Jr.

Mr. and Mrs. Anthony C. Collins

Sandra Cummins-Haid and Allen Haid

Col. and Mrs. James Dandridge II, Ret

Justin W. Danowski

Mr. Michael J. Dean

The Charles Delmar Foundation

Dr. Darrin and Mrs. April DeReus

Tracy Dietz

Peter and Sally DiGiovanni

Dr. Earl W. Donaldson

Aaron and Jackie Epstein

John Evans

Anita Fendrock

Ms. Nina M. Fite

Charles and Mita Forsyth

Dr. Stanley and Ronna Foster

Catherine French

Richard L. Gaiani

Carol Galaty and Kenneth Shuck

Ms. Pamela J. Garvie

Professor Joseph L. Gastwirth

Laura Genero, in memory of Elizabeth H. Genero

Brenda A. Pommerenke and Dr. Larry George

Karyn C. Gill and George M. Gill, MD

Dr. and Mrs. Michael Gold

Mr. Barry D. Goldberg

Jesse Goodman and Nicole Lurie

Thomas Graves and Jennifer Eubanks

Marianne Gustafson

Brian and Kaitlin Haggerty

Mr. and Mrs. Kevin Kampschroer

Isabelle Katzer

Henry B. & Jessie W. Keiser Foundation, Inc.

Erna and Michael Kerst

SooJung Kim

Edward Lenkin and Roselin Atzwanger

John and Jaime Martinez

Catherine McGuire

Sis and Jim McKay

In Honor of Jenny Mondie

Beret and Homer Moyer

Ronald Mueller and Larry Anthony

Ms. Madeline C. Nelson

Elise and Dennis Reeder

Jane† and David Reese

Admiral William Roberts and Patricia Roberts

Ms. Susan Z. Haller

Dr. and Mrs. H. Keith Hellems

Virginia Hendrickson

Lenese C. Herbert

Daniel Hicks and John McCall

Mr. and Mrs. J. Paul Horne

Christiane B. Huff

Stephen and Neda Humenik

Brian Hunter

Dr. Brian M. Ilfeld

Ms. Nancy E. Johnson

Ann L. Jones

Dr. Rachel Kaiser and Dr. Yves Konigshofer

Dr. Martha Kanter

Peter and Carol Kaplan

Irene and Louis Katz

Diane and Brian Keller

Stephanie Smith Kinney

Mr. and Mrs. William H. Kirchhoff

Jennifer Knoops

Mr. Michael and Young Hee Kreps

Janet Platt Lambert

Dr. and Mrs. Keith M. Lindgren

Michael Long

Judge and Mrs. Alan D. Lourie

Dr. Joyce S. Lowenstein

Mr. and Mrs. Frank Maddox

Hon. and Mrs. Kenneth L. Marcus

Dan and Karen Mayers

Ms. Kathleen T. McCollom

Mary Kay and Dorn McGrath

Susan McGrath

Alan and Ruth Melvin

Catherine Michaels

Mr. Jim Miller

Mr. Joseph J. Minarik

Arthur Mitchell

Clara Montanez

Susan and Fred Morhart

James Morris

Ms. Sakura Namioka

Kara Nath

Bruce and Son Young Nelson

Anna Nichols

Rich Oakley

David O’Connor

David and Marina Ottaway

Michael Pasich

Michael and Barbara Phillips

Tracy Pless

Mr. and Mrs. James J. Pohlman

Ellen and Roy Rosenthal

MG (Ret) and Mrs. Alan B. Salisbury

Steven and Donna Shriver

Christine J. Steiner

Dr. Barbara S. and Dr. Howard D. Stowe

Ms. Mary K. Sturtevant and Mr. Alan V. Asay

Paul and Chandler Tagliabue

Marilyn Walz Taylor

Charles Trozzo and Gail Rothrock

Mr. and Mrs. James G. Vaughter

Gloria M. Weissberg, PhD

Dr. Linda E. Wetzel

Kathleen G. Wicks

Mr. Christopher Wolf and Mr. James L. Beller, Jr.

David Worby

Mahy Polymeropoulos

George and Virginia Potts

Ms. Shannon Quill and Mr. Brian Miller

Jane Evans Ramsay

Mrs. Barbara Rapaport

William Reed

In Memory of Jane Reese

Henry & Anne Reich Family Foundation, Lee G. Rubenstein, Co-President

Thomas Richardson and Kyra Cheremeteff

Gerd and Duncan Ritchie

Mr. and Mrs. James P. Roach

Mr. and Mrs. William Ronsaville

Mr. and Mrs. Harry Rosen

Dr. Shirley Ross and Mr. Joseph Pinciaro

Robert and Fran Rubin

Mr. Charles A. Rubio, Jr.

Enric Sala

Ms. Patricia A. Sarcone

Mr. Ronald J. and Mrs. Rise F. Schlesinger

The Honorable Carol L. Schwartz

Cheryl L. Sharp

Byron and Elva Siliezar

Patricia L. Sims, Esq. and David M. Sims, Esq.

Ronald and Margaret Stehman

Douglas Struck

Evelyn A. Sweet

Kathy Szot

Kathleen M. Thies

Pauline Labbé Thompson

Kenneth Timmer

Steven and Prudence Traut

Raya Bakalov Treiser and Max Johnson

Capt. and Mrs. Eric Vanderpoel II, USN, Ret.

Laura and Kirk Wade

Pearl Y. Wang

Judy Ann and Richard Webster

Judith Weintraub

Ms. Rebecca Welch

Ms. Carla Wheeler and Mr. Jeffrey P. Naimon

Lawrence Wilkerson

Leslie-Ann Williams

Al Wilson

Dr. Ursula R. Wolfman

Robert Woodward and Elsa Walsh

Clinton B. Wright

Daniel Zak

Orchestrated Lives

Each month, the National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) spotlights a different staff member. For this program, bass player Charles Nilles discusses Bassgiving, bassist stereotypes, and the true meaning of bass face.

Name: Charles Nilles

Hometown: Chicago, Illinois

Instrument: Bass

Years with the NSO: 15

Is there a stereotypical bassist personality, and, if so, do you think you fit it? I think so. I think our whole bass section fits that personality. Bass players tend to be pretty laid back and silly, and our section in particular gets along so well. That dynamic goes beyond a performance or a rehearsal day—we’ve got this awesome text thread, we have bass hangs…. We actually started this thing called Bassgiving. There’s always a Pops concert the day after Thanksgiving, and we’ll bring a big plate of leftovers and a bottle of something and have a potluck between the rehearsal and the concert. Anyone’s invited.

Would you say the bass section has the most fun? Well, we’re kind of sitting in the back of the bus. Where the violins are in a long row, spread out across the stage, we’re just in this blob in the back. That allows us to get away with more than people may realize: there’s some of us that will provide a little more commentary under our breath throughout the happenings of rehearsal. You’ll see someone giggling silently—“shoulder wiggles,” we call it. And whenever the bass players have stuff on the low extension (an added mechanism for playing lower notes), the trombone players will look over like prairie dogs, and we’ll make faces back. We have some inter-section shenanigans.

In your own words, what is bass face? Bass face is an angry yet satisfied acknowledgement of what is going on—disgusted, but nodding in approval. It usually happens when we’re playing a famous bass lick or something very loud. Jauvon Gilliam, our principal timpani, and I share a mutual timpani-bass face; oftentimes, there are unison timpani and double bass parts, like in a Bruckner symphony. Even in the concerts, when we’re done playing, Jauvon and I will look at each other and flex the guns—give our biceps a kiss.

What’s one favorite backstage memory at the NSO? My kids adore our stage door security gal, Ms. B. She’s always like, “Where are my babies at?” Once, when we were working with the children’s book author Mo Willems, I was backstage with my son Steven. Mo saw me with my son, and he’s such a nice, approachable guy, so we stopped. I said, “Steven, this is Mo Willems. He drew and wrote the Elephant & Piggie books.” Steven was holding my hand, and he looked at Mo, then he looked at me, and he said, “Can we go see Ms. B now?”

What’s your favorite part of your life outside of the NSO? My family, first of all. I’m lucky that we work lots of nights and weekends, so I have a lot of daytime availability. I like camping, hiking, biking, target sports—outside stuff. I just started winter league trap and skeet, and I’ve been doing compound archery for over a decade now. I like to hunt and grow my own food; I haven’t bought four-legged animal meat more than a handful of times in the last five years. A sub-hobby from that is sausage-making—that’s a worldwide culture in itself.

If you could say one thing to NSO audiences, what would it be? Watch the bass section, and you’ll see how much fun we’re having. And thank you. Because you’re all here, I’m allowed to have my dream job.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Support your ORCHESTRA

The mission of the National Symphony Orchestra 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, highlevel 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 Our Supporters

The Trump Kennedy Center Board of Trustees

National Symphony Orchestra Board of Directors

The Trump Kennedy Center President’s Council

The Trump 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

The Trump Kennedy Center Circles Board

The Trump Kennedy Center Community Advisory Board

The Trump Kennedy Center Corporate Fund Board

The Trump Kennedy Center 50th Anniversary Committee

Corporate Donors

Individual and Foundation Donors

Endowment Gifts, Bequests, and Legacy Donors

Building the Future Campaign Donors

Visit tkc.co/Support for a full listing of donors and to learn how you can join us by becoming a Member.

Andrew Geraci

More Concerts this Season!

Winter Daydreams:

Gianandrea Noseda & Simon Trpčeski

Simon Trpčeski takes center stage to dazzle us with Saint-Saëns’ Piano Concerto No. 5, “Egyptian,” a virtuosic display of fireworks and exotic flair. The evening concludes with Tchaikovsky’s sweeping Symphony No. 1, “Winter Daydreams.”

March 6, 2026 at 11:30 a.m.

March 7, 2026 at 8 p.m.

Carlos Simon World Premiere | Brahms’ Third

Music Director Gianandrea Noseda conducts the world premiere of Carlos Simon’s Double Concerto Suite. Warmth and complexity unfold in Brahms’ Symphony No. 3.

March 12, 2026 at 7 p.m.

March 13, 2026 at 8 p.m.

March 14, 2026 at 8 p.m.

Alexandra Dovgan has become a teenage piano phenomenon with sold-out concerts worldwide. Witness her extraordinary talent in a performance of Chopin’s passionate Piano Sonata No. 3, Prokofiev’s complex Piano Sonata No. 2, and more. Please note: the NSO does not perform on this program.

March 14, 2026 at 3 p.m.

2025–2026 CLASSICAL SEASON PERFORMANCE CALENDAR

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.

Winter Daydreams: Noseda conducts Tchaikovsky’s First Trpčeski plays Saint-Saëns

Fri., Mar. 6 at 11:30 a.m.

Sat., Mar. 7 at 8 p.m.

Carlos Simon World Premiere

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.

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.

Gaffigan conducts Ives and Copland

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.

Dalene plays Barber

Fri., June 12, 2026 at 8 p.m.

Sat., June 13, 2026 at 8 p.m.

*Please

For 250 years, America’s story has been told through the voices of its artists, the rhythm of its music, the words of its writers, and the movement of its dancers. It is a story of resilience and reinvention, of dreams daring enough to redefine what was possible, and of creativity that has not only shaped a nation, but the world.

As the nation marks 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the Center invites Americans everywhere to take part in 250 Years of US, a yearlong exploration of who we are, where we’ve been, and where we’re going. Through music, theater, dance, and visual art, 250 Years of US celebrates the boundless imagination of a people united by creativity.

Create an experience... that will last a lifetime.

WEDDINGS AT THE REACH

REACH wedding rentals offer a variety of indoor and outdoor venues to create an unforgettable celebration of love. Situated on the south end of the Trump Kennedy Center Campus, the REACH is a premier Washington, D.C. event venue. With stunning views of the Potomac River, the largest green roof in D.C., and multifunctional event spaces, the REACH provides new elegance with a modern aesthetic.

Visit tkc.co/weddings or scan the QR code for more information.

SHARE THE JOY of the ARTS

A toast before the show. A meal with a view. A selfie in the foyer. At the Trump Kennedy Center, it’s not just about the performance, it’s the moments you share before and after the curtain rises.

Here, you’ll find joy and awe, surprise and wonder. When you come for a performance, you’ll leave with something more. Because what you feel—and who you feel it with— becomes the memory you both carry.

HOME TO FIVE WORLD-CLASS THEATERS FOR RENT

UNIQUE EVENT AND MEETING VENUES

CATERING AND PRODUCTION SERVICES

INDOOR AND OUTDOOR SPACES

Build a unique event... on a creative campus. Visit tkc.co/rentals or scan the QR code for more information.

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

The Keys give you a show above and below the surface. From art galleries to museums and live music, no place inspires more freedom of expression. In The Keys, you’re part of the performance.

VisitFloridaKeys.com/arts-culture 1.800.Fla.Keys