Classical Month in Washington (October 2015)

October is a banner month for the new classical music season, with six performances already selected for my Top 25 Season Preview. Some other concerts just missed the cut for the year, but here are the ten performances you will not want to miss in October.

KEYBOARD:
Pianist Marc-André Hamelin is an Ionarts favorite. For his latest recital, at the Clarice Smith Center, he will play music by Feinberg, Medtner, and Liszt (October 4, 3 pm).

Pianist András Schiff is undertaking an interesting Last Sonatas cycle. Washington Performing Arts presents the second installment, with the penultimate sonatas by Haydn, Mozart, Schubert, and Beethoven, in the Music Center at Strathmore (October 26, 8 pm).

Any calendar year with two recitals by Evgeny Kissin is a good year for Ionarts. Washington Performing Arts brings the Russian pianist to the Kennedy Center Concert Hall for a recital of music by Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms, Albeniz, and Larregla (October 28, 8 pm).

OPERA:
This is also a month with several operatic rarities to see, beginning with a concert performance of Wagner's Rienzi by the National Philharmonic, in the Music Center at Strathmore. Piotr Gajewski conducts a cast starring tenor Issachah Savage in the title role (October 3, 8 pm).

Virginia Opera opens its season with Offenbach's goofy Orpheus in the Underworld, in an English-language production that comes to the GMU Center for the Arts early in the month (October 3 and 4).

Cantate Chamber Singers revive their winning production of Benjamin Britten's mystery play Noye's Fludde, the delightful one-act mini-opera featured to such brilliant effect in Wes Anderson's Moonrise Kingdom (pictured at left). At the first performance, Bowen McCauley Dance will also perform Gian Carlo Menotti’s ballet The Unicorn, the Gorgon and the Manticore, and both will take place at St. Columba's Episcopal Church (October 17 and 18). This ensemble's Web site has not been updated from last year. Sorry!

The In Series will mount a rare production of Aaron Copland's opera The Tender Land, in its home at GALA Hispanic Theater (October 17 to 25). Not many details to report yet, but worth hearing.

OTHER:
The National Symphony Orchestra opens its subscription season with a program of Mozart (the overture to Magic Flute), Elgar (Serenade for Strings and Enigma Variations), and Strauss (Four Last Songs). The primary reason to hear this is not soprano Olga Peretyatko as soloist in the Strauss, although she is a singer we want to hear, but because Donald Runnicles will be at the podium. He is a fine conductor, and his commitment as music director of the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra ends in 2016. The NSO, let us not forget, is looking for a successor to Christoph Eschenbach, and Runnicles might be a possibility, if experience wins out over youth (October 1 to 3).

Mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton is also one of the singers you want to hear right now, and she gives a recital for Vocal Arts D.C. in the Kennedy Center Terrace Theater (October 15, 7 pm).

Cellist Steven Isserlis plays on wound-gut strings, not always to the best effect in later music. His recital with fortepianist Robert Levin, playing an all-Beethoven program, should be top-notch when presented by Washington Performing Arts in the Kennedy Center Terrace Theater (October 29). (This concert is already sold out, so it does not really count as a recommendation.) [Tickets remain for this concert. -- Ed.]

Composer Meredith Monk has appeared in the Washington suburbs a couple of times in recent years. Any performance of hers is worth hearing, and her concert with her vocal ensemble at the Library of Congress will also be free (October 30).

Also at the Library of Congress and also free are concerts by the contemporary music ensemble yarn|wire, performing music of Luciano Berio (October 10, 8 pm), and by the esteemed Pavel Haas Quartet, playing music by Martinů and Dvořák (October 23, 8 pm).

See the complete calendar after the jump.

COMPLETE CALENDAR:
Last month | Next monthClassical Month in Washington is a monthly feature. If there are concerts you would like to see included on our schedule, send your suggestions by e-mail (ionarts at gmail dot com). Happy listening!

October 1, 2015 (Thu)
7 pm
Bizet, Carmen
Washington National Opera
Kennedy Center Opera Theater

October 1, 2015 (Thu)
7 pm
National Symphony Orchestra
With Donald Runnicles (conductor), Olga Peretyatko (soprano)
Music by Strauss, Mozart, Elgar
Kennedy Center Concert Hall

October 1, 2015 (Thu)
8 pm
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
With Markus Stenz, conductor
Music by Mozart
Meyerhoff Symphony Hall (Baltimore, Md.)

October 2, 2015 (Fri)
7 pm
Bizet, Carmen
Washington National Opera
Kennedy Center Opera Theater

October 2, 2015 (Fri)
8 pm
National Symphony Orchestra
With Donald Runnicles (conductor), Olga Peretyatko (soprano)
Music by Strauss, Mozart, Elgar
Kennedy Center Concert Hall

October 2, 2015 (Fri)
8:15 pm
Off the Cuff: BSO
Mozart, Don Giovanni (scenes)
Music Center at Strathmore

October 3, 2015 (Sat)
1 and 7 pm
Bizet, Carmen
Washington National Opera
Kennedy Center Opera Theater

October 3, 2015 (Sat)
3 pm
Behzod Abduraimov, piano [FREE]
Carver Center for Arts and Technology (Baltimore, Md.)

October 3, 2015 (Sat)
7 pm
Off the Cuff: BSO
Mozart, Don Giovanni (scenes)
Meyerhoff Symphony Hall (Baltimore, Md.)

October 3, 2015 (Sat)
8 pm
National Symphony Orchestra
With Donald Runnicles (conductor), Olga Peretyatko (soprano)
Music by Strauss, Mozart, Elgar
Kennedy Center Concert Hall

October 3, 2015 (Sat)
8 pm
National Philharmonic
Wagner, Rienzi
Music Center at Strathmore

October 3, 2015 (Sat)
8 pm
Kaminsky, As One
UrbanArias
Atlas Center

October 3, 2015 (Sat)
8 pm
Offenbach, Orpheus in the Underworld
Virginia Opera
GMU Center for the Arts

October 4, 2015 (Sun)
2 pm
Kaminsky, As One
UrbanArias
Atlas Center

October 4, 2015 (Sun)
2 pm
Offenbach, Orpheus in the Underworld
Virginia Opera
GMU Center for the Arts

October 4, 2015 (Sun)
3 pm
Marc-André Hamelin, piano
Music by Feinberg, Medtner, Liszt
Clarice Smith Center

October 4, 2015 (Sun)
3 pm
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
With Markus Stenz, conductor
Music by Mozart
Music Center at Strathmore

October 4, 2015 (Sun)
3 pm
Eclipse Chamber Orchestra
Music by Stravinsky, Martinu, others
George Washington Masonic National Memorial (Alexandria, Va.)

October 4, 2015 (Sun)
4 pm
Olivier Cavé, piano
Phillips Collection

October 4, 2015 (Sun)
7 pm
The Knights
Dumbarton Oaks

October 5, 2015 (Mon)
8 pm
The Knights
Dumbarton Oaks

October 6, 2015 (Tue)
12:10 pm
Noontime Cantata [FREE]
Washington Bach Consort
Church of the Epiphany

October 6, 2015 (Tue)
7:30 pm
Aleksey Semeneneko (violin) and Inna Firsova (piano)
Embassy of Ukraine

October 7, 2015 (Wed)
7 pm
Vijay Iyer and Brentano String Quartet
Fortas Chamber Music Concerts
Kennedy Center Terrace Theater

October 7, 2015 (Wed)
7:30 pm
Aleksey Semeneneko (violin) and Inna Firsova (piano)
Embassy of Ukraine

October 7, 2015 (Wed)
7:30 pm
Bella Hristova, violin [FREE]
National Museum of Women in the Arts

October 8, 2015 (Thu)
7 pm
National Symphony Orchestra
With Ludovic Morlot, conductor
Music by Berlioz, Ravel, Dukas
Kennedy Center Concert Hall

October 9, 2015 (Fri)
11:30 am
National Symphony Orchestra
With Ludovic Morlot, conductor
Music by Berlioz, Ravel, Dukas
Kennedy Center Concert Hall

October 9, 2015 (Fri)
8 pm
Kaminsky, As One
UrbanArias
Atlas Center

October 9, 2015 (Fri)
8 pm
Pacifica Quartet
Music by Bartók, Golijov, Mendelssohn
Clarice Smith Center

October 9, 2015 (Fri)
8 pm
UMD Wind Orchestra
Bruckner, Mass in E Minor
Clarice Smith Center

October 9, 2015 (Fri)
8 pm
Folger Consort
Music by Machaut, Dufay
Folger Shakespeare Library

October 10, 2015 (Sat)
5 and 8 pm
Folger Consort
Music by Machaut, Dufay
Folger Shakespeare Library

October 10, 2015 (Sat)
6 pm
Emerson String Quartet
Music by Haydn, Beethoven
National Museum of Natural History

October 10, 2015 (Sat)
8 pm
Kaminsky, As One
UrbanArias
Atlas Center

October 10, 2015 (Sat)
8 pm
National Symphony Orchestra
With Ludovic Morlot, conductor
Music by Berlioz, Ravel, Dukas
Kennedy Center Concert Hall

October 10, 2015 (Sat)
8 pm
yarn|wire [FREE]
Music by Berio
Library of Congress

October 10, 2015 (Sat)
8 pm
UMD Symphony Orchestra
Music by Dvorak, Stravinsky, Elgar
Clarice Smith Center

October 11, 2015 (Sun)
2 pm
Folger Consort
Music by Machaut, Dufay
Folger Shakespeare Library

October 11, 2015 (Sun)
2 pm
Jeremy Denk, piano
WPA
Kennedy Center Terrace Theater

October 11, 2015 (Sun)
3 pm
CUA School of Music [FREE]
Smithsonian American Art Museum

October 11, 2015 (Sun)
3 pm
Petronel Malan, piano [FREE]
Saint Luke Catholic Church (McLean, Va.)

October 11, 2015 (Sun)
3:30 pm
Hermès String Quartet [FREE]
National Gallery of Art

October 11, 2015 (Sun)
4 pm
Sharon Isbin, guitar
Phillips Collection

October 11, 2015 (Sun)
7:30 pm
Ying Quartet and Zuill Bailey (cello)
JCCGW (Rockville, Md.)

October 11, 2015 (Sun)
8 pm
Shen Yun Symphony Orchestra
Kennedy Center Concert Hall

October 13, 2015 (Tue)
12:10 pm
Daria Scarano, piano [FREE]
Church of the Epiphany

October 13, 2015 (Tue)
7 pm
Seiya Ueno (flute) and Wendy Chen (piano)
Young Concert Artists
Kennedy Center Terrace Theater

October 13, 2015 (Tue)
7:30 pm
Jerusalem String Quartet
Evermay

October 14, 2015 (Wed)
8 pm
Mason Symphony Orchestra
GMU Center for the Arts

October 14, 2015 (Wed)
8 pm
William Neal, organ
Kennedy Center Concert Hall

October 15, 2015 (Thu)
7 pm
Jamie Barton (mezzo-soprano) and Bradley Moore (piano)
Vocal Arts D.C.
Kennedy Cener Terrace Theater

October 15, 2015 (Thu)
7:30 pm
Ronn McFarlane (lute) and Mindy Rosenfeld (flute)
Mansion at Strathmore

October 16, 2015 (Fri)
7:30 pm
Char Prescott (cello) and Mohamed Shams (piano)
Evermay

October 16, 2015 (Fri)
8 pm
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
Prokofiev, Romeo and Juliet
With Folger Theater
Meyerhoff Symphony Hall (Baltimore, Md.)

October 16, 2015 (Fri)
8 pm
ATOS Trio [FREE]
Library of Congress

October 16, 2015 (Fri)
8 pm
UMD Wind Ensemble [FREE]
Clarice Smith Center

October 16, 2015 (Fri)
8 pm
Les Bostonades
St. George's Episcopal (Arlington, Va.)

October 17, 2015 (Sat)
2 pm
Herbert Schuch, piano
WPA
Kennedy Center Terrace Theater

October 17, 2015 (Sat)
2 pm
Nicholas Phan (tenor) and Myra Huang (piano) [FREE]
Library of Congress

October 17, 2015 (Sat)
7:30 pm
National Chamber Ensemble
Music by Mozart
Rosslyn Spectrum Theater

October 17, 2015 (Sat)
7:30 pm
Copland, The Tender Land
In Series
GALA Hispanic Theater

October 17, 2015 (Sat)
8 pm
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
Prokofiev, Romeo and Juliet
With Folger Theater
Music Center at Strathmore

October 17, 2015 (Sat)
8 pm
Kelemen Quartet
Candlelight Concert Society
Horowitz Center (Columbia, Md.)

October 18, 2015 (Sun)
2 pm
Kennedy Center Chamber Players
Music by Beethoven, Brahms
Kennedy Center Terrace Theater

October 18, 2015 (Sun)
2:30 pm
Copland, The Tender Land
In Series
GALA Hispanic Theater

October 18, 2015 (Sun)
3 pm
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
Prokofiev, Romeo and Juliet
With Folger Theater
Meyerhoff Symphony Hall (Baltimore, Md.)

October 18, 2015 (Sun)
3:30 pm
Poulenc Trio [FREE]
National Gallery of Art

October 18, 2015 (Sun)
4 pm
Lynn Harrell, cello
Phillips Collection

October 18, 2015 (Sun)
4 pm
Virginia Chamber Orchestra
Music by Russian composers
Ernst Community Cultural Center (Annandale, Va.)

October 20, 2015 (Tue)
12:10 pm
U.S. Navy Band Sea Chanters [FREE]
Church of the Epiphany

October 22, 2015 (Thu)
8 pm
Iva Bittová, composer and violin
Atlas Center

October 22, 2015 (Thu)
8 pm
Imani Winds
Clarice Smith Center

October 23, 2015 (Fri)
12:10 pm
NGA String Quartet [FREE]
National Gallery of Art

October 23, 2015 (Fri)
7:30 pm
Raphaël Sévère (clarinet) and Paul Montag (piano)
Embassy of Luxembourg

October 23, 2015 (Fri)
7:30 pm
Julia Bullock, soprano
Mansion at Strathmore

October 23, 2015 (Fri)
7:30 pm
Jonathan Biss, piano
Barns at Wolf Trap

October 23, 2015 (Fri)
8 pm
Pavel Haas Quartet [FREE]
Music by Martinů, Dvořák
Library of Congress

October 23, 2015 (Fri)
8 pm
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
With Valentina Lisitsa, piano
Meyerhoff Symphony Hall (Baltimore, Md.)

October 24, 2015 (Sat)
12:10 pm
NGA Piano Trio [FREE]
National Gallery of Art

October 24, 2015 (Sat)
7:30 pm
Copland, The Tender Land
In Series
GALA Hispanic Theater

October 24, 2015 (Sat)
8 pm
Ariel Quartet
Kreeger Museum

October 24, 2015 (Sat)
8 pm
A Far Cry
Dumbarton Concerts

October 24, 2015 (Sat)
8 pm
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
With Valentina Lisitsa, piano
Music Center at Strathmore

October 24, 2015 (Sat)
8 pm
WindSync [FREE]
Music by Reicha, Lansky, others
Library of Congress

October 25, 2015 (Sun)
3 pm
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
With Valentina Lisitsa, piano
Meyerhoff Symphony Hall (Baltimore, Md.)

October 25, 2015 (Sun)
3:30 pm
NGA Orchestra [FREE]
National Gallery of Art

October 25, 2015 (Sun)
4 pm
Jasmin Toccata Project
Phillips Collection

October 25, 2015 (Sun)
4:30 pm
City Choir of Washington
Music by Britten, Haydn
National Presbyterian Church

October 25, 2015 (Sun)
5:30 pm
Montrose Trio
Shriver Hall (Baltimore, Md.)

October 25, 2015 (Sun)
7:30 pm
Copland, The Tender Land
In Series
GALA Hispanic Theater

October 26, 2015 (Mon)
7 pm
Salomé Chamber Orchestra
Fortas Chamber Music Concerts
Kennedy Center Terrace Theater

October 26, 2015 (Mon)
8 pm
András Schiff, piano
WPA
Music Center at Strathmore

October 27, 2015 (Tue)
12:10 pm
Ayreheart [FREE]
Church of the Epiphany

October 28, 2015 (Wed)
8 pm
Evgeny Kissin, piano
WPA
Kennedy Center Concert Hall

October 29, 2015 (Thu)
6 pm
Dennis Russell Davies and Maki Namekawa, piano
Phillips Collection

October 29, 2015 (Thu)
7 pm
National Symphony Orchestra
With Lang Lang, piano
Music by Grieg, Wagner, Dvorák
Kennedy Center Concert Hall

October 29, 2015 (Thu)
7 pm
Steven Isserlis (cello) and Robert Levin (fortepiano)
WPA
Kennedy Center Terrace Theater

October 29, 2015 (Thu)
7:30 pm
Eduardo Rojas, piano
Residence of the Colombian Ambassador

October 30, 2015 (Fri)
7 pm
Suzanne Farrell Ballet
Balanchine, Béjart, and the Bard
Kennedy Center Opera House

October 30, 2015 (Fri)
7:30 pm
BSO and S&R Chamber Ensemble
Evermay

October 30, 2015 (Fri)
8 pm
National Symphony Orchestra
With Lang Lang, piano
Music by Grieg, Wagner, Dvorák
Kennedy Center Concert Hall

October 30, 2015 (Fri)
8 pm
Meredith Monk and Vocal Ensemble [FREE]
Library of Congress

October 31, 2015 (Sat)
1 and 7 pm
Suzanne Farrell Ballet
Balanchine, Béjart, and the Bard
Kennedy Center Opera House

October 31, 2015 (Sat)
8 pm
Pomerium [FREE]
Library of Congress

October 31, 2015 (Sat)
8 pm
National Symphony Orchestra
With Lang Lang, piano
Music by Grieg, Wagner, Dvorák
Kennedy Center Concert Hall

October 31, 2015 (Sat)
8 pm
National Philharmonic
Music by Bach
Music Center at Strathmore