WNO Opera Gala and Concert

The 2019 WNO Gala pays tribute to John J. Pohanka for his legacy and leadership with Washington National Opera. Serving nearly 30 years as a member of the Board of Trustees, including a term as Chairman from 2003–2005, Pohanka has been influential in building the company’s success, including playing a central role in negotiating WNO’s artistic affiliation with the Kennedy Center in 2011. His longstanding relationship with and institutional knowledge of WNO proves to be a valuable historical resource, which guides the Board in its decision-making. An opera aficionado and founding member of D.C.’s Wagner Society, Pohanka’s financial support over the decades has been instrumental for WNO. His generous contributions have empowered Artistic Director Francesca Zambello to mount three full cycles of Richard Wagner’s epic four-part Ring of the Nibelung in 2016, while also producing WNO’s educational recordings with musicologist Saul Lilienstein; these CDs have provided musical analysis and historical context on every opera presented by WNO for thousands of listeners for the past 22 years.

The Gala is WNO’s largest fundraising event and one of Washington’s most anticipated events of the year. Proceeds from the Gala play a crucial role in advancing WNO’s artistic, educational, and community engagement programs.

Special packages to attend all Gala festivities are available. The Gala evening will begin with a cocktail reception on the Kennedy Center’s River Terrace at 4:30 p.m., followed by the 6 p.m. Gala concert performance. The event concludes with elegant black-tie dinners hosted by Ambassadors and foreign dignitaries at embassies and residences throughout Washington, a longtime tradition of the Opera’s season-ending social gathering.

Tickets for the Gala concert, starting at $45, are on sale starting February 19 at 10 a.m. to Kennedy Center members. Tickets go on sale to the general public on February 20 at 10 a.m.

Tickets will be available online, in person at the Kennedy Center Box Office, and by calling (202) 467-4600 or (800) 444-1324. For all other ticket-related customer service inquiries, call the Advance Sales Box Office at (202) 416-8540.

Gala ticket packages start at $500 and include the VIP cocktail party and priority seating for the Gala concert. Packages that also include seating at the private embassy dinners following the performance start at $1,000. Information is available online or by contacting the Special Events office at (202) 416-8496 or operagala@kennedy-center.org.