Washington Classical Review

03/12/2023

Washington Concert Opera served up a season highlight with a rare and star-studded performance of Rossini's musically rich "Ermione' Saturday night.

https://washingtonclassicalreview.com/2023/12/03/concert-opera-revives-rossinis-rich-ermione-in-season-highlight/

01/12/2023

Dima Slobodeniouk made a commanding NSO debut Thursday night leading the orchestra in music of Tchaikovsky and Brahms, the latter with a stellar solo outing from Yefim Bronfman.

Dima Slobodeniouk conducted the National Symphony Orchestra in music of Brahms and Tchaikovsky Thursday night at the Kennedy Center. Photo: Zach Mahone

30/11/2023

IN Series has revived "The Promised End," an intriguing yet flawed theatrical retooling of Verdi's "Requiem."

Running at the Source Theatre through December 17.

As an opera director Timothy Nelson has often retooled classic works in a way that can bring new meanings. He has continued in that vein since becoming artistic director of the IN Series in 2018.

27/11/2023

Ballet West's spirited "Nutcracker" returned to the Kennedy Center for a welcome revival over Thanksgiving weekend.

Nutcracker season is upon us. The Kennedy Center has taken to presenting its sumptuous performances of the Tchaikovsky favorite over Thanksgiving weekend, with a different American company invited each year in a pleasing rotation of different productions.

20/11/2023

The Orion String Quartet are still on top of their game, as shown in their swan song appearance at Wolf Trap on Sunday.

The Orion String Quartet, which formed in 1987 and has maintained its current lineup since 1993, stopped at The Barns at Wolf Trap on Sunday afternoon for its final Washington-area performance; the much-decorated quartet will disband at the close of the 2023-24 concert season.

20/11/2023

Renée Fleming opened the season for the Fairfax Symphony Orchestra in style Saturday night.

The Fairfax Symphony Orchestra opened its fall season with a gala-style concert Saturday night. The orchestra, amped up to around 80 musicians, sounded full-bodied in grandly romantic selections by Wagner and Strauss.

17/11/2023

Subbing for Michael Tilson Thomas, Ken-David Masur made a worthy NSO debut Thursday night, highlighted by a bracing account of Mendelssohn’s “Scottish” symphony.

Ken-David Masur led the National Symphony Orchestra in music of Mozart and Mendelssohn Thursday night at the Kennedy Center.

13/11/2023

The Kronos Quartet marked its 50th anniversary by looking towards the future in a concert presented by Washington Performing Arts Saturday night.

On Saturday night Washington Performing Arts presented the Kronos Quartet in a recital celebrating the group’s 50th anniversary. Comprised of violinists David Harrington and John Sherba, violist Hank Dutt, and cellist Paul Wiancko, the ensemble has come to occupy a singular perch over the years fo...

10/11/2023

Yuja Wang lights a fire and a young conductor adds the gas in a blazing NSO concert Thursday night.

Conductor Tarmo Peltoski and soloist Yuja Wang play a Brahms encore duet following Wang’s performance of Bartok’s Piano Concerto No. 2 with the National Symphony Orchestra Thursday night. Photo: Scott Suchman

06/11/2023

Eugene Rogers, the National Philharmonic Orchestra and Washington Chorus made a rousing case for Antonio Estevez's "Cantata Criolla" on Sunday.

Eugene Rogers conducted the National Philharmonic Orchestra and Washington Chorus Sunday in the Music Center at Strathmore. Photo: Elman Studio 2

05/11/2023

WNO puts the grand back in grand opera with a powerful production of Gounod's "Romeo et Juliette."

After last week’s disappointing world premiere of Grounded, Washington National Opera was in need of a hit. As of Saturday night, it has one in this colorful new production of Charles Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette, running in repertory in the Kennedy Center Opera House. With a near-perfect cast, t...

05/11/2023

Anna Kiskachi's infernal dance assayed and exploded the harpsichord in singular fashion Saturday night for Capriccio Baroque.

Anna Kiskachi opened her harpsichord program with Handel Saturday night, presented by Capriccio Baroque at Live! At 10th and G.

04/11/2023

Pinchas Zukerman marked his platinum birthday at Wolf Trap Friday night with a mixed chamber program.

One repeat on Saturday.

Pinchas Zukerman turned 75 last summer. The star violinist has certainly earned his laurels, having played with the likes of Daniel Barenboim, Jacqueline du Pré, and Itzhak Perlman, starting in the late 1960s and 70s. He marked the milestone Friday night with a chamber music program in the Barns at...

03/11/2023

Cellist Camille Thomas provdied the evening's strongest moments in the NSO's romantic program Thursday night.

Camille Thomas performed Elgar’s Cello Concerto with Gustavo Gimeno conducting the National Symphony Orchestra Thursday night at the Kennedy Center. Photo: Derek Baker

02/11/2023

Yuri Temirkanov, former music director of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, has died.

The Russian conductor served as music director of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra from 2000 to 2006, and continued to lead performances in the Washington area as guest conductor, music director emeritus, or on tour with the St. Petersburg Philharmonic. He served that last ensemble as music director...

29/10/2023

Even with a radiant performance by Emily D'Angelo, Jeanne Tesori's "Grounded" proved a misfire in its world premiere at Washington National Opera Saturday night.

Emily D’Angelo stars in Jeanne Tesori’s Grounded, presented in its world premiere by Washington National Opera Saturday night. Photo: Scott Suchman

27/10/2023

Kevin John Edusei led the National Symphony Orchestra in a refreshingly national program Thursday night at the Kennedy Center.

Kevin John Edusei conducted the National Symphony Orchestra in music of Ellington, Hailstork and Adams Thursday night at the Kennedy Center. Photo: Scott Suchman

26/10/2023

Opera Lafayette enters a new era by reaffirming its French baroque focus Wednesday night at the Kennedy Center.

Christopher Rousset (at harpsichord) led Opera Lafayette in a French Baroque program with bass-baritone Jonathan Woody (center) Wednesday night at the Kennedy Center. Photo: Caitlin Oldham

24/10/2023

The Australian Haydn Ensemble provided a fascinating blast from the past Saturday night in the Candlelight Concert Society series.

The Australian Haydn Ensemble concluded its first U.S. tour Saturday night with a concert presented by the Candlelight Concert Series in Columbia, Maryland. Led by violinist and artistic director Skye McIntosh, the ensemble’s 18 musicians approximate the chamber forces available to Joseph Haydn du...

19/10/2023

META4 made a remarkable DC debut Wednesday night at the Library of Congress performing music of Saariaho, Shostakovich and Sibelius.

The Finnish string quartet known as META4, founded in 2001, does not come to the United States often. The group made its debut at the Library of Congress Wednesday evening. The event inaugurated the return of this distinguished classical music series to its home venue, Coolidge Auditorium, reopened....

16/10/2023

Armed with an extraordinary new Guarneri, Augustin Hadelich launched the 2023-24 season of the Fortas Chamber Music Concerts in style Sunday afternoon.

Augustin Hadelich sold out the Kennedy Center Terrace Theater on Sunday afternoon for the opening performance of this season’s Fortas Chamber Music Concerts series. The violinist played with an astounding assurance and musicality, as he has in every local appearance since his debut in 2009. This t...

14/10/2023

The Thirteen made a glorious sound Friday night in a Monteverdi vesper feast.

Two repeats this weekend.

The Thirteen, the chamber choir directed by Matthew Robertson, opened last season with the composer’s sacred masterpiece known as The 1610 Vespers. On Friday night, at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Alexandria, the group followed that up with a vespers program cobbled together from the extensive...

11/10/2023

Maryland Lyric Opera is shutting down its operations effective immediately.

Javier Arrey and Mary Feminear as the Count and Countess in Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro at Maryland Lyric Opera in 2022. Photo: Julian Thomas

09/10/2023

The Inscape Chamber Orchestra reveled in rarities Sunday at Linehan Concert Hall.

Soprano Mandy Brown performed Kaija Saariaho’s Quatre Instants with the Inscape Chamber Orchestra Sunday at Linehan Concert Hall. Photo: Jim Williams

08/10/2023

The Cantate Chamber Singers opened their season with a program of morning and evening music Saturday night.

The Cantate Chamber Singers opened the new season on Saturday evening, with a program of choral music on the theme of morning and evening. Artistic director Victoria Gau conducted this 90-minute concert, performed without intermission, in the sanctuary of Bethesda Presbyterian Church.

06/10/2023

Jader Bignamini stepped in for ailing compatriot Gianandrea Noseda, to lead the NSO's program of Respighi's complete Roman Trilogy Thursday night.

Jader Bignamini conducted the National Symphony Orchestra in music of Respighi Thursday night at the Kennedy Center. Photo: Scott Suchman

02/10/2023

The Faure Quartett opened the season for Candlelight Concert Society with music of Faure (of course) and Brahms on Sunday.

When you go to hear a group called the Fauré Quartett play music by Gabriel Fauré, you expect the best. On Sunday afternoon the German piano quartet did its namesake proud to open the Candlelight Concert Society’s 51st season at Howard Community College’s Smith Theatre.

29/09/2023

Usual suspects avoided in Noseda's Rachmaninoff program with the NSO Thursday night.

Gianandrea Noseda conducted the National Symphony Orchestra in an all-Rachmaninoff program Thursday night at the Kennedy Center. Photo: Scott Suchman

25/09/2023

As he starts his seventh season in Washington, a happy and energized Gianandrea Noseda looks forward to new challenges with the NSO.

Gianandrea Noseda opened the National Symphony Orchestra’s 2023-24 season Saturday night at the Kennedy Center. Photo: Scott Suchman

25/09/2023

Aided by a stellar soloist in a rarely heard American concerto, the Apollo Orchestra ups its game in season opener.

Hai-Ye Ni performed Barber’s Cello Concerto with David Neely conducting the Apollo Orchestra on Sunday. Photo: Eddie Sanders

24/09/2023

Gianandrea Noseda opened his seventh season leading the NSO in style Saturday night.

Gianandrea Noseda conducted the National Symphony Orchestra’s gala opening concert Saturday night at the Kennedy Center. Photo: Scott Suchman

23/09/2023

Opera Philadelphia's Festival 023 continued Friday night with a rewarding performance of Verdi's "Simon Boccanegra."

Opera Philadelphia’s Festival O23 continued Friday night with the premiere of a rewarding revival of Verdi’s Simon Boccanegra at the Academy of Music, with Quinn Kelsey in the title role. A failure with audiences at its premiere in 1857, the work had a special place in Verdi’s heart. He revisi...

22/09/2023

Opera Philadelphia explores notions of "madness" in Rene Orth's compelling "10 Days in a Madhouse," which had its world premiere Thursday night.

Opera Philadelphia’s 2023 festival opened Thursday night at the Wilma Theatre with the world premiere of 10 Days in a Madhouse. With music by Rene Orth and a libretto by Hannah Moscovitch, the work is based on a series of articles and book by journalist Nellie Bly. In 1887 Bly feigned insanity in ...

22/09/2023

Anthony Roth Costanzo's freewheeling program opened the season for Vocal Arts DC with mixed rewards Thursday night.

Anthony Roth Costanzo and pianist Bryan Wagorn performed a recital for Vocal Arts DC Thursday night at the Kennedy Center Terrace Theater. Photo: Courtney Ruckman