Performances
2015-2016 season highlights
Schnyderfest: Concerto for Pipa and Orchestra
The Swiss-American composer Daniel Schnyder is a master of stylistic fusion; his influences range from Bach and the demonic Schubert to Kurt Weill and Duke Ellington.
Psycho: A Narrative For String Orchestra
A towering figure in 20th-century American music, Bernard Herrmann (1911-1975) has long been stigmatized as a “Hollywood composer.” Though he is our supreme composer for film (Citizen Kane, Vertigo, North by Northwest, etc.), his concert output remains unknown. He composed the fascinating soundtrack for Psycho, one of Hitchcock’s greatest hits.
Previous season highlights
Shostakovich Festival
Dmitri Dmitriyevich Shostakovich was a Russian pianist and composer of the Soviet period. This three-week festival —interpreting Shostakovich the man, Shostakovich the composer, and specific Shostakovich compositions— comprised three concerts at the National Gallery of Art, Dumbarton Concerts, and Georgetown University, as well as four film events at the National Gallery.
The Gershwin Project: Russian Gershwin
No other American composer straddles as many musical worlds. In the realm of popular song and jazz, Gershwin’s genius has long been celebrated. In the world of classical music, he was long marginalized as a “pops” composer —but no longer. PostClassical Ensemble explores “interpreting Gershwin” —the man and the music.
Falla and Flamenco
Manuel de Falla, Spain’s most famous composer, used Flamenco to revitalize Spanish music after a century of somnolence. El Corregidor y la Molinera (The Magistrate and the Miller’s Wife) is an early version of Falla’s beloved The Three-Cornered Hat and exemplifies the haunting cante jondo of Flamenco song and the dramatic exuberance of Flamenco dance. Choreographed by Spain’s renowned Ramón Oller, this new production –featuring dancers from Barcelona and New York– is part of the international celebration of Spain’s Spring 2010 Presidency of the European Union.