TKC NSO, American Mosaic, February 2026 by Encore Magazine

American Mosaic

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

THE DONALD J. TRUMP AND THE JOHN F. KENNEDY

MEMORIAL CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS, FEBRUARY 19, 2026 AT 7 P.M.; FEBRUARY 21, 2026 AT 8 P.M.; FEBRUARY 22, 2026 AT 3 P.M. | CONCERT HALL

Thomas Wilkins, conductor John Milewski, narrator Lin Ma, clarinet

PETER BOYER JOE SOHM

American Mosaic, World Premiere (2025)

i. Prologue

ii. The New World

iii. American Roots

iv. Rails, Rivers, and Roads

v. West of the Continental Divide

vi. Cities Arising

vii. Faces of America

viii. The North Star

ix. The American Spirit

x. In Defense of Freedom

xi. 250 and Counting

INTERMISSION

AARON COPLAND (1900–1990)

AARON COPLAND

Clarinet Concerto (1947–1948)

i. Slow and expressively – Cadenza

ii. Rather fast Lin Ma, clarinet

Rodeo - Four Dance Episodes (1942)

i. Buckaroo Holiday

ii. Corral Nocturne

iii. Saturday Night Waltz

iv. Hoe-Down

This program is a part of For

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

Rodeo - Four Dance Episodes

AARON COPLAND

Born November 14, 1900, in Brooklyn, New York

Died December 2, 1990, in North Tarrytown, New York

In 1942, the dancer and choreographer Agnes de Mille approached Aaron Copland about writing the music for a piece she had devised titled Rodeo. Copland was reportedly hesitant at first; his tragic ballet Billy the Kid had debuted back in 1938, and he wasn’t sure he wanted to do “another cowboy ballet.” However, he soon learned that the story of the ballet was not typical dancing cowboy fare, and he agreed to the project, completing a piano version of the score in June of 1942.

De Mille describes her ballet as “The Taming of a Shrew—cowboy style,” though her allusion to one of Shakespeare’s more unreservedly sexist plays probably had a twinkle of irony to it. In Rodeo, a lone cowgirl tries to impress a group of cowboys with her riding, hoping to win the affections of the dashing head wrangler. Though skilled, she remains excluded. After some lonely soul searching, the cowgirl manages to gain the interest of a champion roper instead. She puts on a dress, capitulating to the gendered expectations of the cowboys around her, but she also out-dances the men at the competitive, final hoedown. For de Mille, at least, “she is unconquerable.”

Copland’s score includes a blend of originally composed themes and borrowings from American folk music. The joyous, cascading, opening scale played by the strings and winds—answered by a cacophonous brass fanfare—perfectly introduces the composer’s energetic style. Much of the first episode of the ballet, “Buckaroo Holiday,” concerns renditions and developments of pre-existing folk tunes. One such song, “Sis Joe,” is among the most complex entries in Our Singing Country, an anthology of American folk music that Copland consulted when writing his score to Rodeo. The sudden meter changes and short melodic fragments of the original tune fit naturally with Copland’s jaunty, angular, rhythmically unpredictable musical language.

In the second scene of the ballet, “Corral Nocturne,” the mood and texture are deceptively stable. Thoughtful offbeats in the bass voices of the orchestra give the ruminating melodic lines a bit of lilt, almost disguising how the music constantly oscillates between a stable 4/4 meter and measures of lopsided 5/4 time. The “Saturday Night Waltz” incorporates a tune requested by de Mille, “I Ride an Old Paint,” with light modifications. Copland contrasts the simplicity of this melody with a chirping, syncopated reverie, making it almost impossible to track the waltzing beat pattern. For the final “Hoe-Down,” Copland again uses a smattering of borrowed themes, most notably the rollicking, fiddling “Bonaparte's Retreat,” but he modifies, splices, and combines these found tunes in clever and provocative ways. For the last six measures, the whole orchestra hammers away on an evolving sequence of beat patterns. It seems to ask an emphatic question—answered with a thud (or three) in the final bar. Copland’s open harmonies and sweeping, folk-inspired melodies might be the qualities that have made him a paradigmatic composer of American music, but his infectious rhythmic ingenuity is the quality that stands out most in these four episodes from Rodeo.

—Nicholas Swett

Clarinet Concerto AARON COPLAND

The legendary Pied Piper of Hamelin was a wind-playing rat catcher. When townspeople didn’t compensate him satisfactorily for taking care of their rodent infestation, he wanted retribution, and he charmed the children of the town with his magical pipe, spiriting them away to parts unknown. By the 20th century, “pied piper” had become shorthand for a deceitful but charismatic demagogue who attracts followers with false promises. For the choreographer Jerome Robbins, who produced a ballet called The Pied Piper for the New York City Ballet in 1951, the piper was a clarinetist whose entrancing sounds drove a ballet troupe away from their classical training, toward a looser, jazzier, more contemporary style.

Enter Aaron Copland’s Clarinet Concerto. Copland wrote the piece between 1947 and 1948 for the eminent American clarinetist Benny Goodman. Together, they worked out the Concerto’s kinks—Goodman asked to change a few sections that were too high for him to play, and the composer hesitantly obliged—and the concerto got its first performance in the autumn of 1950. Robbins, a close friend of Copland’s, quickly took the Concerto in hand, creating a wild, cheeky dance piece that a New York Times critic aptly described as a “mild madhouse.” Copland, of course, did not have a pied piper in mind when he wrote the work for Goodman. Still, the Concerto’s sense of seduction and calamity make the legend an appealing lens through which to interpret the piece.

The concerto opens with a lullaby of almost frightening tenderness. With this overwhelming sense of love comes the knowledge that the object of one’s love could disappear at any moment. The clarinet floats above the lightly waltzing strings in a melody that recalls the keening late-Romanticism of Sergei Rachmaninoff, but with the unpredictable rhythms and wide-open intervals that give Copland his characteristic American sound. The composer described this first movement as a pas de deux, an intricate, emotional partner dance. When writing it, Copland fully expected the moment to bring audiences to tears. The sweetness of this opening section is quickly recruited for ulterior aims. Copland moves into a solo cadenza in which the same musical ideas— expressed plaintively at first—become gruff, insistent, and virtuosic. When the orchestra enters again, different sections play in different keys, giving the ensemble texture an eerily enticing, otherworldly sheen.

In the saw-toothed, tooting section that follows, the clarinet whips the ensemble into a syncopated, jazzy frenzy. During a down-tempo interlude, the low strings provide a walking bassline, building the framework of a jazz combo. When this theme returns later in the movement, the harp and keyboard plonk out the same, low line, as if assimilating to the aesthetic milieu of the piper. By the end of the piece, the entire ensemble is chasing the clarinetist around, trying to keep up with—and impress—their bewitching commander, and following the leader into a rowdy, hysterical spin.

—Nicholas Swett

Notes on the Program

American Mosaic

PETER BOYER & JOE SOHM

Script by Joe Sohm and Peter Boyer

Video editing by Joe Sohm

Spanning orchestral composition, video imagery, and scripted narration, American Mosaic ties together the expansive careers of medium-defying composer Peter Boyer and photohistorian Joe Sohm. Ahead of the work’s premiere, Boyer and Sohm sat down to discuss American Mosaic, a joint commission between the National Symphony Orchestra, Des Moines Symphony, Pacific Symphony, Williamsburg Symphony Orchestra, and Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra for the Cincinnati Pops.

Presented as part of the Center’s 250 Years of US celebration, the piece finds its premise in a line from Benjamin Franklin about hoping to see the future of America, quoted in the work itself: “I have sometimes almost wish’d it had been my Destiny to be born two or three Centuries hence.” In American Mosaic, Boyer and Sohm aim to satisfy Franklin’s curiosity, addressing the 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Yet, Sohm noted, “Even Ben Franklin would say, ‘Well, I don't have a lot of time, so say it to me in 32 minutes and 33 seconds.’” With sweeping shots of every state in the nation, quotations from iconic figures in American history, and a blend of original composition and iconic moments from Boyer’s discography, their work tiles together a geography of today’s America. “This is our CliffsNotes. Here’s what you missed.”

A Missouri native, Sohm first approached Boyer, a Rhode Islander, about the project in 2023, when they were both living in Southern California. Given their shared eye for American history and a common taste for the cinematic, an obvious sentiment emerged: Boyer’s music sounds like Sohm’s imagery, and Sohm’s imagery looks like Boyer’s music. Why not pair the two together? With Boyer’s entire discography on repeat, Sohm took his RV to the open road, set on filling any geographical blanks in his videography and determining the most appropriate clips from Boyer’s oeuvre.

Structurally, the piece takes the form of a large symphonic suite with narration, split into eleven sections. Tackling topics like natural wonders, urban development, infrastructure, and the armed forces, among many others, the sections are delineated by one or more quotes from across American history. Quite purposefully, the work’s Prologue and final section, “250 and Counting,” touch on a shared national responsibility. “The language of the Preamble sets up the challenges that we still have to attempt to live up to,” Boyer explained, “Challenges that we obviously are still struggling with today.” Towards the end of the piece, Franklin returns to remind the audience of that challenge—and privilege: “I must soon quit the Scene, but you may live to see our Country flourish.”

“I have felt this in general over the years,” said Boyer, “but I feel it even more acutely now—in times of strife and division, music can be something that brings us together. This piece celebrates a history that is worthy of celebration.”

—Sarina Benezra Bell

Meet the Artists

Thomas Wilkins, conductor

Devoted to promoting a lifelong enthusiasm for music, Thomas Wilkins brings energy and commitment to audiences of all ages. Wilkins is Principal Conductor of the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, the Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO)’s Artistic Partner for Education and Community Engagement, BSO Germeshausen Youth and Family Concert Conductor, Principal Guest Conductor of the Virginia Symphony Orchestra, and the Henry A. Upper Chair of Orchestral Conducting at Indiana University, established by the late Barbara and David Jacobs as a part of that University’s “Matching the Promise Campaign.” He completed his long and successful tenure as Music Director of the Omaha Symphony Orchestra at the close of the 2020–2021 season.

During his conducting career, he has led orchestras throughout the United States, including the New York Philharmonic, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, and the National Symphony Orchestra.

His commitment to community has been demonstrated by his participation on several boards of directors, including the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce, the Charles Drew Health Center (Omaha), and the Center Against Spouse Abuse in Tampa Bay.

A native of Norfolk, Virginia, Wilkins is a graduate of the Shenandoah Conservatory and the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston. He and his wife, Sheri-Lee, are the proud parents of twin daughters, Erica and Nicole.

John Milewski , narrator

John Milewski is a veteran broadcast journalist and communications professional with extensive experience as a moderator, interviewer, anchor, reporter, and producer. He most recently served as Director of Digital Programming for the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars,

producing the center’s flagship interview program, Wilson Center NOW, and its top-rated podcast, Need to Know.

For 20 years, he served as executive producer, moderator, and managing editor of Close Up on C-SPAN, one of the longest-running news and public affairs discussion programs in cable television history. He also served as host of the award-winning radio and television program Dialogue, a production of the Wilson Center. The program was syndicated on 200 radio stations nationwide and was televised internationally via the MHz Networks.

Milewski was also an instructor for Penn State University, where he taught a course on politics and media for 20 years. He also served as vice president for the Wana Initiative on Conflict and Cultural Dialogue and is co-creator, co-writer, and co-producer of the initiative’s flagship program, Waziristan to Washington: A Muslim at the Crossroads, featuring Ambassador Akbar Ahmed.

He was part of the team that moved the Newseum to its DC location in April 2008. As Special Programs Manager and one of the hosts of the interview program Inside Media, he was a key contributor to the early programming success of the critically acclaimed museum and was a co-creator of the popular series Reel Journalism with Nick Clooney

As a documentary filmmaker, he has served as executive producer, managing editor, and correspondent for a series of award-winning productions. The documentaries have been recognized internationally through awards such as the CINE Golden Eagle, the ABA’s Silver Gavel, the Columbus International Film Festival’s Chris Award, and the New York Festivals’ World Gold Medal and Best of Show Awards.

Lin Ma, clarinet

Appointed by Music Director Gianandrea Noseda in 2018, Lin Ma is Principal Clarinet of the National Symphony Orchestra. He joined the NSO following a distinguished tenure as a member of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, where he served as assistant principal and E-flat clarinetist. Beyond his resident roles, he has also performed as guest principal clarinetist with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra.

Originally from Hunan, China, Ma began his musical training on the alto saxophone at age

Meet the Artists

nine before dedicating himself to the clarinet two years later. After initial studies at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing with Yuanfu Huang, he moved to the United States to study with Yehuda Gilad at the Idyllwild Arts Academy. Ma earned his Bachelor of Music from the Oberlin Conservatory under Richard Hawkins, followed by a master’s degree and Artist Diploma from Rice University under the tutelage of Richie Hawley. His professional career launched in earnest in 2014 when, a year prior to graduation, he received a one-year contract with the Houston Symphony and appeared as soloist in Carl Maria von Weber’s Clarinet Concerto No. 2.

In 2023, Ma co-founded the Meridian Clarinet Quartet with three other principal clarinetists from prominent orchestras across the United States. The Quartet has since performed and given masterclasses in the US and abroad, most recently traveling to Taiwan for their first international tour. Together, they showcase the highest level of clarinet playing, commission new works, and foster the next generation of talented clarinetists.

A Buffet Crampon artist, Ma performs exclusively on Buffet Crampon clarinets and Vandoren products. He currently resides in Vienna, Virginia, with his wife and daughter.

Peter Boyer, composer

Peter Boyer is one of the most frequently performed American orchestral composers of his generation. His works have received over 800 public performances by more than 300 orchestras and tens of thousands of broadcasts on classical radio stations around the United States and abroad. He has conducted recordings of his music with three of the world’s finest orchestras: the London Symphony Orchestra, the Philharmonia Orchestra, and the London Philharmonic Orchestra. His Grammy-nominated work Ellis Island: The Dream of America has received over 300 performances and was nationally televised on PBS’ Great Performances. Boyer has received commissions from prestigious American institutions, including the National Symphony Orchestra, Boston Pops, Cincinnati Pops Orchestra, Pacific Symphony, and U.S. Marine Band, which premiered his Fanfare for Tomorrow at the inauguration of President Joe Biden. Other orchestras that have performed his music

include the Philadelphia Orchestra, Cleveland Orchestra, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Nashville Symphony, and Hollywood Bowl Orchestra. www.PropulsiveMusic.com

Joe Sohm, imagery

Joe Sohm’s Americana imagery has been published more than one million times in major publications such as National Geographic, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal; on television stations like NBC, CBS, PBS, CNN, MSNBC, and Fox TV; in Al Gore’s Oscar®-winning film An Inconvenient Truth; and 24 hours a day worldwide on the Internet. Sohm’s imagery, scripts, and editing have been featured by the Boston Pops, Philly Pops, New West Symphony, and the Kansas City Symphony. His “photo-symphonies” have featured narrations by Clint Eastwood and William Shatner, and his Presidential music video was featured during President Bill Clinton’s 1993 inauguration on worldwide television on MTV. Sohm’s work was featured in the “Concert for America” at the Trump Kennedy Center on the first anniversary of 9/11, attended by President George W. Bush and broadcast on NBC. In 2013, Sohm co-published, with Reader’s Digest, his award-winning Visions of America tabletop book, featuring an introduction by Paul Theroux.

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 Composerin-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,

250 Years of US: Many Voices, One Nation

On July 4, 2026, the United States celebrates 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence. From Mississippi blues to New Orleans jazz to the emergence of a more ‘populist’ classical style, Americans have always sought to ponder and paint our history through music. This year, the National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) honors that legacy with a series of world-premiere commissions, each a contemporary reflection on the American experience.

Shaham & Shaham play Reena Esmail | Robertson conducts Sibelius’ Fifth February 26–28, 2026

Visionary maestro David Robertson returns, as the world premiere of Kennedy Center Citizen Artist Fellow Reena Esmail’s Double Concerto puts star siblings Gil Shaham and Orli Shaham center stage.

Hahn & Woods play Carlos Simon | Brahms’ Third March 12–14, 2026

Superstar Hilary Hahn and Grammy®-nominated NSO newcomer Seth Parker Woods come together for the world premiere of Kennedy Center Composer-in-Residence Carlos Simon’s Double Concerto.

Cann plays Coleman June 5 & 6, 2026

Pianist Michelle Cann returns to perform a world premiere by Valerie Coleman. Conductor Kellen Gray frames the evening with Dvořák’s American Suite and the Catfish Row suite from Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess

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.

Shaham & Shaham play Reena Esmail | Robertson conducts Sibelius’ Fifth

Nielsen’s Helios Overture follows the path of the sun across the sky, while the world premiere of Kennedy Center Citizen Artist Fellow Reena Esmail’s Double Concerto puts star siblings Gil and Orli Shaham center stage.

February 26, 2026 at 7 p.m.

February 27, 2026 at 11:30 a.m.

February 28, 2026 at 8 p.m.

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.

Hahn & Woods

play Carlos Simon | Brahms’ Third

Superstar Hilary Hahn and Grammy-nominated NSO newcomer Seth Parker Woods come together for the world premiere of Carlos Simon’s Double Concerto.. 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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.