The Emerson String Quartet continues its season at the National Museum of Natural History (December 8), with string quartets by Mozart (K. 428, E-flat major), Beethoven (op. 59, no. 2), and Bartók (no. 2).
If the Emerson Quartet concerts are too expensive for your budget, try the Parker Quartet in a free concert at the Library of Congress (December 18). The group, with its new second violinist, Ying Xue, will be joined by violist Kikuei Ikeda.
The next installment of the Leading Composers Series at the Phillips Collection will be Slovenian composer Dušan Bavdek (December 12), with musicians from the Academy of Music in Ljubljana performing several of his pieces, including Awakening, String Quartet No. 1, Intermezzo, Dark Memory, and The Gestures of Dead Era.
BAH, HUMBUG:
You cannot escape the holiday cheer, and if you must have a Christmas concert, here are the ones we think will be the least cringe-inducing. The vocal ensemble Cantus presents a program called All is Calm: The Christmas Truce of 1914 at the Kennedy Center Terrace Theater (December 5 -- already sold out).
The Folger Consort has won the coveted Ionarts Christmas Concert Award in many past years. Their holiday concert program, Christmas in New Spain (December 13 to 22), in the Elizabethan Theater of the Folger Shakespeare Library, promises to be a contender once again.
Washington National Opera, instead of the more traditional Hansel and Gretel, offers up the world premiere of a new holiday opera for children. J.D. McClatchy has adapted the libretto for The Lion, the Unicorn, and Me from the book by Jeanette Winterson, with music by Jeanine Tesori (December 14 to 22). Francesca Zambello will direct the production in the Kennedy Center Terrace Theater, with singers from the Domingo-Cafritz Young Artists program.
Regular readers will think I have gone off the deep end, but I am indeed recommending the National Symphony Orchestra's performances of Handel's Messiah, because they are once again using the Eugène Goossens orchestration of the work (December 19 to 22). Not for the Baroque purist.
Britten's Ceremony of Carols was one of the highlights of last December, and it is featured again this year, in a concert by the Washington Bach Consort at National Presbyterian Church (December 22), paired with a new Christmas work by John La Montaine.
If you are still in town by that point, you can also hear a medieval and Renaissance Christmas with a free concert by Ensemble Galilei at the National Gallery of Art (December 22).
The full calendar will run through the sidebar.
December 1, 2013 (Sun)
1:30 and 7:30 pm
Tchaikovsky, The Nutcracker
Joffrey Ballet
Kennedy Center Opera House
December 1, 2013 (Sun)
4 pm
Anne-Marie McDermott, piano
Phillips Collection
December 1, 2013 (Sun)
6:30 pm
NGA Piano Trio [FREE]
National Gallery of Art
December 1, 2013 (Sun)
7 pm
Piffaro, the Renaissance Band
Dumbarton Oaks
December 1, 2013 (Sun)
7:30 pm
Alexander Fiterstein (clarinet) and Friends
2013 Hanukkah concert, Pro Musica Hebraica
Kennedy Center Terrace Theater
December 2, 2013 (Mon)
8 pm
Piffaro, the Renaissance Band
Dumbarton Oaks
December 3, 2013 (Tue)
12:10 pm
Noontime Cantata [FREE]
Bach, Schwingt freudig euch empor, BWV 36
Washington Bach Consort
Church of the Epiphany
December 3, 2013 (Tue)
7:30 pm
Ji-Yong, piano
Young Concert Artists
Kennedy Center Terrace Theater
December 4, 2013 (Wed)
7:30 pm
Brandon Cedel, bass-baritone
Vocal Arts D.C.
Kennedy Center Terrace Theater
December 4, 2013 (Wed)
7:30 pm
Teatro alla Scala Academy Orchestra
Music Center at Strathmore
December 4, 2013 (Wed)
7:30 pm
CUA Wind Ensemble
Catholic University
December 4, 2013 (Wed)
8 pm
New Music at Maryland [FREE]
Clarice Smith Center
December 5, 2013 (Thu)
1:30 pm
Bach Cantata Series [FREE]
Gottes Zeit ist die allerbeste Zeit (BWV 106)
Clarice Smith Center
December 5, 2013 (Thu)
7:30 pm
Ryo Yanagitani, piano
Evermay
December 5, 2013 (Thu)
7 pm
National Symphony Orchestra
Music by Brahms, Mozart
Kennedy Center Concert Hall
December 5, 2013 (Thu)
7:30 pm
Cantus
All is Calm: The Christmas Truce of 1914
Kennedy Center Terrace Theater
December 5 to 29, 2013 (Thu)
Tchaikovsky, The Nutcracker
Washington Ballet (with recorded music)
Warner Theater
December 6, 2013 (Fri)
7:30 pm
Handel, Messiah
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
Meyerhoff Symphony Hall (Baltimore, Md.)
December 6, 2013 (Fri)
7:30 pm
Christmas Concert for Charity
Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception
December 6, 2013 (Fri)
7:30 pm
Handel, Messiah
Washington National Cathedral
December 6, 2013 (Fri)
8 pm
National Symphony Orchestra
Music by Brahms, Mozart
Kennedy Center Concert Hall
December 6, 2013 (Fri)
8 pm
University of Maryland Symphony
Music by Tchaikovsky, Copland
Clarice Smith Center
December 6, 2013 (Fri)
8 pm
Great Noise Ensemble
Atlas Center
December 6, 2013 (Fri)
8 pm
Mozart, The Magic Flute
Virginia Opera
GMU Center for the Arts
December 7, 2013 (Sat)
2 pm
Mozart, The Magic Flute
Virginia Opera
GMU Center for the Arts
December 7, 2013 (Sat)
4 pm
Handel, Messiah
Washington National Cathedral
December 7, 2013 (Sat)
5 pm
21st Century Consort [FREE]
Smithsonian American Art Museum
December 7, 2013 (Sat)
7:30 pm
Handel, Messiah
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
Meyerhoff Symphony Hall (Baltimore, Md.)
December 7, 2013 (Sat)
7:30 pm
CUA Women's Chorus
Catholic University, St. Vincent de Paul Chapel
December 7, 2013 (Sat)
7:30 pm
Strauss, Die Fledermaus
Opera Bel Cantanti
Randolph Road Theater (Silver Spring, Md.)
December 7, 2013 (Sat)
8 pm
National Symphony Orchestra
Music by Brahms, Mozart
Kennedy Center Concert Hall
December 7, 2013 (Sat)
8 pm
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
Music by Vivaldi, Piazzolla
Music Center at Strathmore
December 8, 2013 (Sun)
3 pm
Strauss, Die Fledermaus
Opera Bel Cantanti
Randolph Road Theater (Silver Spring, Md.)
December 8, 2013 (Sun)
3 pm
Amy Lin, piano [FREE]
Smithsonian American Art Museum
December 8, 2013 (Sun)
3 pm
Eclipse Chamber Orchestra
George Washington Masonic Memorial (Alexandria, Va.)
December 8, 2013 (Sun)
4 pm
Behzod Abduraimov, piano
Phillips Collection
December 8, 2013 (Sun)
4 pm
University of Maryland Wind Orchestra
Music by Schoenberg, Berlioz, Puts
Clarice Smith Center
December 8, 2013 (Sun)
4 pm
Handel, Messiah
Washington National Cathedral
December 8, 2013 (Sun)
4 pm
Montgomery County Youth Orchestra
Dawn of a Musical Season
Music Center at Strathmore
December 8, 2013 (Sun)
6 pm
Emerson String Quartet
National Museum of Natural History
December 8, 2013 (Sun)
6:30 pm
United States Navy Band Commodores [FREE]
National Gallery of Art
December 9, 2013 (Mon)
8 pm
University of Maryland Percussion Ensemble [FREE]
Clarice Smith Center
December 10, 2013 (Tue)
6 pm
Suspicious Cheese Lords
Delegation of the European Union
December 10, 2013 (Tue)
7:30 pm
Ismaël Margain, piano
Austrian Embassy
December 11, 2013 (Wed)
7:30 pm
Jewish Community Choir of Washington
Mansion at Strathmore
December 11, 2013 (Wed)
8 pm
University of Maryland Orchestral Ensembles [FREE]
Clarice Smith Center
December 12, 2013 (Thu)
6:30 pm
Leading European Composers: Dušan Bavdek
Phillips Collection
December 12, 2013 (Thu)
7:30 pm
miXt
Embassy Series
Spanish Ambassador's Residence
December 13, 2013 (Fri)
8 pm
Festival of Lessons and Carols
University of Maryland Choirs
Memorial Chapel, University of Maryland
December 13, 2013 (Fri)
8 pm
Christmas in New Spain
Folger Consort
Folger Shakespeare Library
December 13, 2013 (Fri)
8 pm
Vienna Boys Choir: Christmas in Vienna
GMU Center for the Arts
December 14, 2013 (Sat)
2 and 7:30 pm
The Lion, the Unicorn, and Me
Washington National Opera
Kennedy Center Terrace Theater
December 14, 2013 (Sat)
5 and 8 pm
Christmas in New Spain
Folger Consort
Folger Shakespeare Library
December 14, 2013 (Sat)
7:30 pm
Strauss, Die Fledermaus
Opera Bel Cantanti
Randolph Road Theater (Silver Spring, Md.)
December 14, 2013 (Sat)
7:30 pm
Cantate Chamber Singers
Music by Britten
Faith United Methodist Church (Rockville, Md.)
December 14, 2013 (Sat)
8 pm
miXt (violin, clarinet, piano)
Candlelight Concert Society
Howard Community College (Columbia, Md.)
December 14, 2013 (Sat)
8 pm
Bach Sinfonia
Baroque Holiday Festival
Cultural Arts Center (Silver Spring, Md.)
December 14, 2013 (Sat)
8 pm
National Philharmonic
Handel, Messiah
Music Center at Strathmore
December 15, 2013 (Sun)
2 pm
The Lion, the Unicorn, and Me
Washington National Opera
Kennedy Center Terrace Theater
December 15, 2013 (Sun)
2 and 5 pm
Christmas in New Spain
Folger Consort
Folger Shakespeare Library
December 15, 2013 (Sun)
3 pm
University of Maryland Chamber Singers
Images of the Christmas Feast
Clarice Smith Center
December 15, 2013 (Sun)
3 pm
National Philharmonic
Handel, Messiah
Music Center at Strathmore
December 15, 2013 (Sun)
3 pm
Strauss, Die Fledermaus
Opera Bel Cantanti
Randolph Road Theater (Silver Spring, Md.)
December 15, 2013 (Sun)
4 pm
Barry Banks, tenor
Phillips Collection
December 15, 2013 (Sun)
5 pm
A Candlelight Christmas
Washington Chorus
Kennedy Center Concert Hall
December 15, 2013 (Sun)
5:30 pm
Miró Quartet with Shai Wosner (piano)
Shriver Hall (Baltimore, Md.)
December 15, 2013 (Sun)
6 pm
What Makes It Great?: Schubert, Wanderer Fantasy
Lecture-recital (Rob Kapilow, Yuliya Gorenman)
National Museum of Natural History
December 15, 2013 (Sun)
6:30 pm
New York Opera Society [FREE]
National Gallery of Art
December 15, 2013 (Sun)
7 pm
Jewish Community Choir of Washington
Mansion at Strathmore
December 15, 2013 (Sun)
7:30 pm
Hermitage Piano Trio
JCCGW (Rockville, Md.)
December 16, 2013 (Mon)
7 pm
An Enchanted Christmas
Choral Arts Society of Washington
Kennedy Center Concert Hall
December 17, 2013 (Tue)
7:30 pm
Christmas in New Spain
Folger Consort
Folger Shakespeare Library
December 18, 2013 (Wed)
7:30 pm
Christmas in New Spain
Folger Consort
Folger Shakespeare Library
December 18, 2013 (Wed)
8 pm
Parker Quartet with Kikuei Ikeda [FREE]
Library of Congress
December 19, 2013 (Thu)
7 pm
National Symphony Orchestra
Handel, Messiah (Goossens orchestration)
Kennedy Center Concert Hall
December 19, 2013 (Thu)
7:30 pm
Christmas in New Spain
Folger Consort
Folger Shakespeare Library
December 19, 2013 (Thu)
7:30 pm
Parker Quartet with Kikuei Ikeda (viola)
Evermay
December 19, 2013 (Thu)
7:30 pm
Washington Chorus: A Candlelight Christmas
Music Center at Strathmore
December 20, 2013 (Fri)
7:30 pm
The Lion, the Unicorn, and Me
Washington National Opera
Kennedy Center Terrace Theater
December 20, 2013 (Fri)
8 pm
National Symphony Orchestra
Handel, Messiah (Goossens orchestration)
Kennedy Center Concert Hall
December 20, 2013 (Fri)
8 pm
Christmas in New Spain
Folger Consort
Folger Shakespeare Library
December 21, 2013 (Sat)
1 pm
A Candlelight Christmas
Washington Chorus
Kennedy Center Concert Hall
December 21, 2013 (Sat)
2 and 7:30 pm
The Lion, the Unicorn, and Me
Washington National Opera
Kennedy Center Terrace Theater
December 21, 2013 (Sat)
2 and 5 pm
Christmas in New Spain
Folger Consort
Folger Shakespeare Library
December 21, 2013 (Sat)
4 pm
An Enchanted Christmas
Choral Arts Society of Washington
Kennedy Center Concert Hall
December 21, 2013 (Sat)
8 pm
National Symphony Orchestra
Handel, Messiah (Goossens orchestration)
Kennedy Center Concert Hall
December 22, 2013 (Sun)
1 pm
National Symphony Orchestra
Handel, Messiah (Goossens orchestration)
Kennedy Center Concert Hall
December 22, 2013 (Sun)
2 pm
The Lion, the Unicorn, and Me
Washington National Opera
Kennedy Center Terrace Theater
December 22, 2013 (Sun)
2 pm
Christmas in New Spain
Folger Consort
Folger Shakespeare Library
December 22, 2013 (Sun)
3 pm
Washington Bach Consort
Music by Britten, John La Montaine
National Presbyterian Church
December 22, 2013 (Sun)
4 pm
Washington Symphonic Brass
Music Center at Strathmore
December 22, 2013 (Sun)
6:30 pm
Ensemble Galilei [FREE]
National Gallery of Art
December 22, 2013 (Sun)
7 pm
A Candlelight Christmas
Washington Chorus
Kennedy Center Concert Hall
December 23, 2013 (Mon)
7:30 pm
Washington Chorus: A Candlelight Christmas
Music Center at Strathmore
December 23, 2013 (Mon)
8 pm
Messiah Sing-Along [FREE]
Kennedy Center Concert Hall
December 24, 2013 (Tue)
1 pm
An Enchanted Christmas
Choral Arts Society of Washington
Kennedy Center Concert Hall
December 29, 2013 (Sun)
3 pm
Salute to Vienna
Music Center at Strathmore
December 29, 2013 (Sun)
6:30 pm
NGA Vocal Ensemble [FREE]
National Gallery of Art
December 30, 2013 (Mon)
7:30 pm
Last Stand Quartet
An Evening of Shakespeare in Words and Music
Kennedy Center Terrace Theater
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