Annual free Labor Day weekend concert
This year’s program relocated from the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol to the Kennedy Center’s South Plaza
A celebration of American composers in a program spanning
patriotic to popular music
Award-winning singer-songwriter and NSO Artistic Advisor Ben Folds,
saxophonist Charlie Young among guest artists
Sunday, September 5 at 8:00 p.m.
(WASHINGTON)—A beloved tradition since 1979, the National Symphony Orchestra’s (NSO) free annual Labor Day weekend concert returns on Sunday, September 5, at 8:00 p.m. and is relocated this year from the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol to the Kennedy Center South Plaza. Conducted and hosted by Larry Loh, Music Director of West Virginia Symphony, the concert features multi-platinum singer-songwriter and NSO Artistic Advisor Ben Folds and saxophonist Charlie Young. Featuring music from Duke Ellington, new Kennedy Center Composer-in-Residence Carlos Simon, Jessie Montgomery, and Michael Abels, amidst patriotic music like the Star Spangled Banner, the program spans a wide spectrum of American composers.
The performance is FREE to attend, no tickets required. Seating is first-come, first serve. Masks are optional outdoors, but required to enter the building to use the restrooms.
In case of inclement weather, the concert will move indoors to the Kennedy Center Concert Hall. For the most up to date information regarding the concert, please check the Kennedy Center website and social media channels. The concert will be approximately 80 minutes long, with no intermission.
The full program is located below.
Full Program (with Composers)
Star Spangled Banner………………………………………………………………
The Block…………………………………………………………………
Three Black Kings…………………………………………………………………
Starburst………………………………………………………
Tribute……………………………………………………………
Ben Folds Set
Star and Stripes Forever……………………………………………………………
TICKET INFORMATION
This is a free concert, first-come, first served for seating. No tickets required.
CREDITING:
Support provided by the U.S. Department of the Army and the U.S. Department of the Interior; the National Park Service; the National Capital Region; and the National Mall and Memorial Parks.
To mark the 20th anniversary of 9/11, reflect on the ongoing loss from Covid-19, and honor the healthcare professionals who have been on the front lines throughout the pandemic, the National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) will perform a free concert on Friday, September 10, 7:30 p.m. in the Concert Hall.
Conducted by NSO music director Gianandrea Noseda, this special concert experience will feature the “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band and award-winning mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard with music by Leonard Bernstein, William Grant Still, the Kennedy Center’s new Composer-in-Residence Carlos Simon, Aaron Copland, among others. The concert will include remarks by notable participants throughout the evening. Representatives and guests from the Washington metropolitan community working in positions of service will also be in attendance.
To mark the 20th Anniversary of 9/11, James Lee III’s An Engraved American Mourning will receive its world premiere, commissioned by the NSO. Inspired by a quote from former President George W. Bush in 2011, Lee uses a four-note descending motive throughout the piece to represent the phrase ‘we re-em-ber.’
The performance is FREE to attend. Tickets are first-come, first serve. RSVPs are strongly suggested to ensure a seat and can be made via the Kennedy Center website here.
To ensure patrons’ health and security, as well as the safety of performers and staff, beginning September 1, 2021, the Kennedy Center is requiring proof of full vaccination against COVID-19 to attend all indoor performances and events at the Center. Children under 12 years of age and patrons with a medical condition or a closely-held religious belief that prevents vaccination must provide proof of a recent negative PCR COVID-19 test to attend an indoor performance. Masks are required at all times for all patrons and visitors regardless of vaccination status in all indoor spaces at the Center. For further details, please see here.
Washington Arts Ensemble’s Inaugural Concert
The program includes:
BRAHMS Sonata for Cello and Piano No. 1 in E minor, Op. 38
LILI BOULANGER Three Pieces for Cello and Piano
TCHAIKOVSKY Piano Trio in A minor, Op. 50
Artists featured:
Natalia Kazaryan, piano
Christopher Schmitt, piano
Zino Bogachek, violin
Loewi Lin, cello
Upcoming dates in this series:
- Tuesday, October 20, 2021 at 6:30 PM
- November 19, 2021 at 6:30 PM
- December 10, 2021 at 6:30 PM
TICKETS
Inspired by the bustling open-air night markets of East and Southeast Asia, Peter Chang of DC’s No Kings Collective creative agency and Events DC are teaming up to create the first annual REDEYE Night Market on November 6 in Washington, DC. REDEYE will occupy four blocks of Pennsylvania Avenue NW from 3rd through 7th Streets NW and bring together over 50 treasured local vendors to showcase an array of food and beverages like one might find at a night market abroad, including Filipino pastries, Taiwanese shaved ice, bao and Korean fried chicken. In addition to sampling signature dishes from celebrated local restaurants including Incheon, Tiger Fork, Maketto, China Chilcano, Thip Khao, Nihao, attendees will enjoy cultural and musical performances throughout the evening. Admission is free of charge with food and beverages available for purchase.
The REDEYE, set for 4 pm to 11 pm, is intended to serve as a celebration of Washington, DC’s rich AAPI community and to acknowledge the challenges and economic disenfranchisement that impacted small businesses across the nation in the past year.
“This past year was especially challenging for the AAPI community, as well as for the food industry. The REDEYE is a celebration of what we are overcoming together,” says Chang.
“The REDEYE Night Market is an incredible opportunity to celebrate our city’s diversity and showcase DC’s dynamic hospitality offerings,” said Greg O’Dell, president and CEO of Events DC. “We are thrilled to bring together residents, visitors and the AAPI community for an exceptional experience of authentic cuisine and culture from some of DC’s most well-known restaurateurs and performers.”
For details and a list of participants and performances, please visit: https://theredeye.
The REDEYE Night Market will be held in accordance with all health and safety protocols as outlined by the Executive Office of the Mayor and DC Department of Health.
The United States Navy Band woodwind quintet on Thursday at 1pm will be honoring Veterans Day with a special concert at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library.
The third “For the Love of D.C.” concert highlights the future of D.C.’s dynamic go-go movement. Guests will enjoy an immersive experience celebrating the next wave of go-go music and its cultural impact on the District.
The event gives go-go fans and avid music lovers the opportunity to learn more about D.C.’s culturally rich genre and showcase what those unique sounds mean to the city and the entire DMV region.
Local comedian Mckenton Russell will host the evening, featuring live performances from the city’s favorite go-go bands including TCB, New Impressionz, TOB, Made Sessions, and The Made Band. There will also be a go-go market featuring merchandise and themed swag from local vendors like MadeInTheDMV’s Angela Byrd.
In recognition of the importance of go-go and its role in DC’s local economy and culture, Events DC established the Go-Go Industry Relief Fund designed to support go-go-related programming in the District. Totaling $1 million dollars, the program provided direct payments to qualifying go-go bands and artists as well as grants for in-studio performances and concert production. Bounce Beat + Beyond is one of the final events stemming from the Fund.
The keepers of the go-go culture are nothing if not resilient. They’ve continually reinvented ways to stay relevant as the local music scene shifts. Today, the genre is reasserting itself into the District’s bloodstream.
And we, the allies championing its cause, know it can be so much more. Our community’s continued love of go-go is a great sign for the future, and now is the time to build on it. Don’t miss our celebration of this iconic genre on November 21.
For tickets and more information about the event, visit
WHEN: Sunday, November 21, 2021
TIME: 5-10 p.m.
COST: $10 per person
WHERE: Lincoln Theatre: 1215 U St. NW, DC
National Chamber Ensemble presents a spectacular holiday concert for the community on Saturday, December 18 at 7:30 PM at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Arlington. NCE’s Holiday Cheer concert highlights the finest classical and contemporary masterpieces and holiday favorites together for the whole family. After a season of virtual performances NCE is thrilled to bring the Reuniting With The Masters LIVE season in person. A streaming video option is available for those unable to join at the venue. Chamber music is about intimacy of communication with the other musicians but also with the audience. We are excited to make music live.
The festivities include Leroy Anderson’s “Sleigh Ride”, “Chanukkah Festival” and “Rejoice” from Handel’s “Messiah”, Strauss Waltzes, the gorgeous music from Tchaikovsky’s “The Nutcracker” and more. Young Artist Piano Competition winners will join the ensemble to perform following the competition finals on Dec 4. A Carols Sing-Along concludes the program to get everyone in the holiday spirit.
Star soprano Sharon Christman joins the ensemble to sing ” Rejoice” from Handel’s Messiah, Caccini’s Ave Maria and some holiday carols. In addition to being professor of voice at Catholic University in Washington D.C., Ms. Christman has performed leading roles with opera companies around the globe including the Metropolitan Opera, New York City Opera and Dallas Opera among many others. Peter Davis of New York Magazine has called Ms. Christman’s singing “dazzling.” Daniel Webster of The Philadelphia Enquirer called her “a polished stylist with a gleaming voice.” Ms. Christman has been a guest soloist at The White House and a recitalist in numerous Artist Series including the National Gallery of Art. She was privileged to present the Washington premiere of John Corigliano’s new song cycle, The Tambourine Man, at the request of the composer, first with National Musical Arts and then for the Cosmos Club Artist Series.
4444 Arlington Blvd, Arlington 22204
Free on-site parking
The 7th annual Jazz & Freedom Festival will bring together some of the finest musicians in D.C. (and beyond) with community activists confronting racial injustice and anti-Black violence in our communities. Presented by CapitalBop in partnership with Shannon Gunn and the Eaton DC, this year’s JAFF will take place all afternoon and evening on Saturday, Feb. 26, at the Eaton’s Beverly Snow warehouse space, and 100 percent of the proceeds will go directly to Harriet’s Wildest Dreams.
Jazz & Freedom Festival
Saturday, February 26, 2022
Eaton DC: 1201 K St. NW, WDC
Suggested donation $20/give what you can
3 p.m. Doors
3:30 Panel featuring Harriet’s Wildest Dreams
4:30-9:00 Five sets of music & poetry
9:00 Open jam session
Following Eaton policy and D.C. law, proof of full Covid-19 vaccination is required for entry. Vaccination cards and IDs will be checked at the door of the building; a negative test is not a substitute for proof of vaccination. Face masks required.
The centerpiece of the festival, of course, is the music. And the incredible lineup that the JAFF’s creative team — led by CapitalBop cofounder Luke Stewart, Shannon Gunn and Kelsye Adams — has assembled is stacked with brilliant talent from start to finish.
The acclaimed steel pan virtuoso and composer Victor Provost will play a headlining set with his band. A pair of incredible duos will also perform: bassist Corcoran Holt with percussionist/poet Jabari Exum, and Jupiter Blue (featuring Tara Middleton and DM Hotep, both members of the Sun Ra Arkestra).
Trombonist and co-organizer Shannon Gunn will lead the Jazz & Freedom Ensemble, a D.C. supergroup with a rotating lineup that anchors every JAFF. And to close out the evening, the Collect!v Crew — a DMV musicians’ collective anchored by bassist Dennis Turner and drummer Biscuit Bynum — will close out the night, bringing its groove-based take on contemporary Black music back to the Eaton, where it has been a regular presence over the past few years.
The festival will feature five sets of live music and poetry, as well as a panel discussion moderated by Harriet’s Wildest Dreams cofounder Qiana Johnson, featuring Ty Hobson Powell of Concerned Citizens DC, Jessica Teachey of The MusicianShip, Beth Yirga of the Palm Collective and musician Onrae Lateel.
Lionel Yu, the DC-based pianist behind the hit YouTube channel MusicalBasics (1,000,000+ Subscribers), makes his debut at the Kennedy Center, performing MUSICALBASICS, A Transcendental Experience at the Terrace Theater on Sunday, March 13 at 2:00 PM. An ambitious program of his most popular piano pieces, the concert will feature Yu’s remixes of pieces by Beethoven and his biggest hits “Fires of a Revolution” and “Rolling Thunder”. Yu, whose YouTube performance videos regularly go viral, takes the Terrace Theater stage after a memorable few months. In October, Yu performed to a sold-out crowd at the Europäische Musikstage Festival in Heidelberg, Germany. In January 2022, he released the second volume of his 2021 album, MusicalStories Volume II, which has been streamed over 900,000 times on Spotify. Yu subsequently reached 1 million YouTube subscribers.
Yu will be joined onstage by Korean-born violinist Soo Yeon Kim, a multi-faceted artist who regular appears in recitals in major concert halls and giving masterclasses throughout the U.S., Europe, and Asia, and cellist Jeremy Russo, a winner of the University of Nevada at Las Vegas Concerto Competition who has performed in major festivals such as Schlern International Music Festival in Italy, Jeju Music Festival in Korea and Summit Music Festival in New York.
“The Kennedy Center show will be my biggest concert to date. I’ll be featuring all new arrangements of my own original piano pieces accompanied by violin and cello,” said Yu. “I’m also excited to perform a few interpretations of Beethoven’s work, including EDM dubstep remixes of his 5th Symphony, Fur Elise and Moonlight Sonata.”
Tickets to MUSICALBASICS, A Transcendental Experience are $38 – $55and available now at https://www.kennedy-center.org/whats-on/explore-by-genre/classical-music/2021-2022/musicalbasics/.
