Classical Music Agenda (January 2016)

Bass viol by Barak Norman, 1692 Metropolitan Museum of Art

The New Year is just around the corner, so it is not too early to start planning your concert schedule. Here are our Top Ten concert picks for the month of January.

EARLY MUSIC:
Some of the most beautiful music you have likely never heard was composed for the viol consort, a set of instruments rarely heard anymore. In its first concerts of the year, the Smithsonian Consort of Viols will perform music for the combination by John Dowland and William Lawes (January 9 and 10), in the unusual setting of the Smithsonian Castle National Museum of American History.

One of Europe's leading historically informed performance ensembles, Europa Galante, comes to Baltimore's Shriver Hall with their leader, violinist Fabio Biondi (January 17). They will perform their intriguing Diario di Chiara program, already reviewed on disc.

The Folger Consort's New Year concerts at Washington National Cathedral are pushed later into the month this year. The group shares the stage with Stile Antico and Arcadia Viols in a program marking the 500th anniversary of Shakespeare's death (January 22 and 23).

ORCHESTRAS:
The National Symphony Orchestra's parade of guest conductors continues in the New Year, with an appearance by Neeme Järvi, who will conduct Sibelius's second symphony and Eller's Five Pieces for String Orchestra. Violinist Baiba Skride joins for Prokofiev's first violin concerto (January 14 to 16).

Jakub Hrůša conducts the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra in an unusual combination of Janáček's Jealousy and Brahms's fourth symphony, plus violinist Sergey Khachatryan in the Sibelius violin concerto (January 30 at Strathmore; January 29 and 31 in Baltimore).

Washington Performing Arts presents the Orchestre National de France, with Daniele Gatti at the podium for Dutilleux's Métaboles and Tchaikovsky's fifth symphony, plus Julian Rachlin as soloist in Shostakovich's first violin concerto (January 31), in the Kennedy Center Concert Hall.

Bach, Sacred Arias and Cantatas, D. Daniels, English Concert, H. Bicket (Virgin Classics, 2008)

CHAMBER MUSIC:
Washingtonians should take advantage of opportunities to hear pianist Brian Ganz. The next one is a solo recital of Chopin, the latest in the series sponsored by the National Philharmonic in the Music Center at Strathmore (January 9).

A cancellation by bass Alexander Tsymbalyuk on the series of Vocal Arts D.C. yielded an unexpected upgrade, a concert by countertenor David Daniels and pianist Martin Katz in the Kennedy Center Terrace Theater (January 31). Music by Purcell, Handel, Brahms, Hahn, and Vaughn Williams will be featured.

The Arditti Quartet returns to Washington on the same day, with a concert at the Phillips Collection (January 31). The program includes the Washington premiere of Pascal Dusapin's Quatour V (2004–2005).

DANCE:
The first major visit of the ballet season is American Ballet Theater's production of the historically renewed version of The Sleeping Beauty by Alexei Ratmansky, which will take over the Kennedy Center Opera House at the end of the month (January 27 to 31). The Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra provides the sounds of Tchaikovsky's score.

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!

January 3, 2016 (Sun)
3 pm
Strauss Symphony of America
New Year's in Vienna
Music Center at Strathmore

January 3, 2016 (Sun)
3:30 pm
New York Opera Society [FREE]
National Gallery of Art

January 6, 2016 (Wed)
12:10 pm
Janet Yieh, organ [FREE]
St. John, Lafayette Square

January 7, 2016 (Thu)
8 pm
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
With Leon Fleisher, piano
Meyerhoff Symphony Hall (Baltimore, Md.)

January 8, 2016 (Fri)
7 pm
Luna Pearl Woolf, Better Gods
Washington National Opera
Kennedy Center Terrace Theater

January 8, 2016 (Fri)
8:15 pm
Off the Cuff: Rachmaninoff
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
Music Center at Strathmore

January 9, 2016 (Sat)
11 am and 1:30 pm
NSO Kinderclassics
Kennedy Center Family Theater

January 9, 2016 (Sat)
7 pm
Off the Cuff: Rachmaninoff
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
Music Center at Strathmore

January 9, 2016 (Sat)
7 pm
Luna Pearl Woolf, Better Gods
Washington National Opera
Kennedy Center Terrace Theater

January 9, 2016 (Sat)
7:30 pm
Smithsonian Consort of Viols
National Museum of American History

January 9, 2016 (Sat)
8 pm
Brian Ganz, piano
Music of Chopin
Music Center at Strathmore

January 9, 2016 (Sat)
8 pm
Brentano Quartet
Candlelight Concert Society
Horowitz Center (Columbia, Md.)

January 10, 2016 (Sun)
3 pm
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
With Leon Fleisher, piano
Music Center at Strathmore

January 10, 2016 (Sun)
3:30 pm
Yael Weiss, piano [FREE]
National Gallery of Art

January 10, 2016 (Sun)
4 pm
Stewart Goodyear, piano
Phillips Collection

January 10, 2016 (Sun)
7 pm
Christopher Taylor, piano
Dumbarton Oaks

January 10, 2016 (Sun)
7:30 pm
Smithsonian Consort of Viols
National Museum of American History

January 11, 2016 (Mon)
8 pm
Christopher Taylor, piano
Dumbarton Oaks

January 14, 2016 (Thu)
7 pm
National Symphony Orchestra
With Neeme Järvi (conductor) and Baiba Skride (violin)
Kennedy Center Concert Hall

January 14, 2016 (Thu)
8 pm
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
Music of Beethoven, Rouse
Music Center at Strathmore

January 15, 2016 (Fri)
8 pm
National Symphony Orchestra
With Neeme Järvi (conductor) and Baiba Skride (violin)
Kennedy Center Concert Hall

January 15, 2016 (Fri)
8 pm
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
Music of Beethoven, Rouse
Meyerhoff Symphony Hall (Baltimore, Md.)

January 16, 2016 (Sat)
2 pm
Alban Gerhardt (cello) and Anne-Marie McDermott (piano) [FREE]
Library of Congress

January 16, 2016 (Sat)
6 pm
Apollo Orchestra [FREE]
Kennedy Center Millennium Stage

January 16, 2016 (Sat)
7:30 pm
Diderot String Quartet
With Dashon Burton and Doug Balliett (bass)
Schubert, Winterreise
Washington National Cathedral

January 16, 2016 (Sat)
8 pm
National Symphony Orchestra
With Neeme Järvi (conductor) and Baiba Skride (violin)
Kennedy Center Concert Hall

January 16, 2016 (Sat)
8 pm
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
Music of Beethoven, Rouse
Meyerhoff Symphony Hall (Baltimore, Md.)

January 16, 2016 (Sat)
8 pm
National Philharmonic
With Colin Sorgi, violin
Music Center at Strathmore

January 16, 2016 (Sat)
8 pm
Steven Beck, piano
Bach, Goldberg Variations
Dumbarton Concerts

January 17, 2016 (Sun)
2 pm
Kennedy Center Chamber Players
Music of Strauss, Mozart, Mendelssohn
Kennedy Center Terrace Theater

January 17, 2016 (Sun)
4 pm
Tessa Lark (violin) and Timo Andres (piano)
Phillips Collection

January 17, 2016 (Sun)
4 pm
Atlantic String Quartet
Mansion at Strathmore

January 17, 2016 (Sun)
5:30 pm
Europa Galante
With Fabio Biondi, violin
Shriver Hall (Baltimore, Md.)

January 17, 2016 (Sun)
6 pm
Lawrence Dutton, viola
National Museum of Natural History

January 18, 2016 (Mon)
11 am and 2:30 pm
New Orchestra of Washington
Prokofiev, Peter and the Wolf
JCCGW (Rockville, Md.)

January 19, 2016 (Tue)
7 pm
National Ballet of Canada
Talbot, The Winter's Tale
Kennedy Center Opera House

January 20, 2016 (Wed)
7 pm
National Ballet of Canada
Talbot, The Winter's Tale
Kennedy Center Opera House

January 20, 2016 (Wed)
7 pm
Alyson Cambridge, soprano
Washington Performing Arts
Kennedy Center Terrace Theater

January 20, 2016 (Wed)
8 pm
Musicians from Marlboro II [FREE]
Library of Congress

January 21, 2016 (Thu)
7 pm
National Ballet of Canada
Talbot, The Winter's Tale
Kennedy Center Opera House

January 21, 2016 (Thu)
7 pm
National Symphony Orchestra
With Daniel Müller-Schott, cello
Kennedy Center Concert Hall

January 22, 2016 (Fri)
7 pm
National Ballet of Canada
Talbot, The Winter's Tale
Kennedy Center Opera House

January 22, 2016 (Fri)
8 pm
Folger Consort: Shakespeare Anniversary
With Stile Antico and Arcadia Viols
Washington National Cathedral

January 22, 2016 (Fri)
8 pm
National Symphony Orchestra
With Daniel Müller-Schott, cello
Kennedy Center Concert Hall

January 23, 2016 (Sat)
1 and 7 pm
National Ballet of Canada
Talbot, The Winter's Tale
Kennedy Center Opera House

January 23, 2016 (Sat)
7:30 pm
Axelrod and Excelsa Quartets
National Museum of American History

January 23, 2016 (Sat)
8 pm
Folger Consort: Shakespeare Anniversary
With Stile Antico and Arcadia Viols
Washington National Cathedral

January 23, 2016 (Sat)
8 pm
National Symphony Orchestra
With Daniel Müller-Schott, cello
Kennedy Center Concert Hall

January 24, 2016 (Sun)
1 pm
National Ballet of Canada
Talbot, The Winter's Tale
Kennedy Center Opera House

January 24, 2016 (Sun)
3 pm
Ariel Horowitz, violin
JCCGW (Rockville, Md.)

January 24, 2016 (Sun)
3 pm
Philadelphia Orchestra Chamber Ensemble
Barns at Wolf Trap

January 24, 2016 (Sun)
3:30 pm
Aspen String Trio [FREE]
Bach, Goldberg Variations
National Gallery of Art

January 24, 2016 (Sun)
4 pm
Nadia Sirota, viola
Phillips Collection

January 24, 2016 (Sun)
6 pm
Rob Kapilow, lecture-concert
Church of the Epiphany

January 24, 2016 (Sun)
7:30 pm
Axelrod and Excelsa Quartets
National Museum of American History

January 25, 2016 (Mon)
7 pm
Thymos Quartet
With Christoph Eschenbach (piano) and Yann Dubost (bass)
Kennedy Center Terrace Theater

January 26, 2016 (Tue)
7 pm
Edgar Moreau (cello) and Jessica Osborne (piano)
Young Concert Artists
Kennedy Center Terrace Theater

January 27, 2016 (Wed)
7 pm
American Ballet Theater
Tchaikovsky, The Sleeping Beauty (chor. A. Ratmansky)
Kennedy Center Opera House

January 28, 2016 (Thu)
7 pm
American Ballet Theater
Tchaikovsky, The Sleeping Beauty (chor. A. Ratmansky)
Kennedy Center Opera House

January 28, 2016 (Thu)
7 pm
National Symphony Orchestra
Music of Beethoven, Brahms, Schubert
Kennedy Center Concert Hall

January 28, 2016 (Thu)
7 pm
Chad Hoopes (violin) and David Fung (piano)
Washington Performing Arts
Kennedy Center Terrace Theater

January 29, 2016 (Fri)
7 pm
American Ballet Theater
Tchaikovsky, The Sleeping Beauty (chor. A. Ratmansky)
Kennedy Center Opera House

January 29, 2016 (Fri)
8 pm
National Symphony Orchestra
Music of Beethoven, Brahms, Schubert
Kennedy Center Concert Hall

January 29, 2016 (Fri)
8 pm
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
With Jakub Hrůša (conductor) and Sergey Khachatryan (violin)
Music by Janáček, Sibelius, Brahms
Meyerhoff Symphony Hall (Baltimore, Md.)

January 30, 2016 (Sat)
1 and 7 pm
American Ballet Theater
Tchaikovsky, The Sleeping Beauty (chor. A. Ratmansky)
Kennedy Center Opera House

January 30, 2016 (Sat)
2 pm
Behzod Abduraimov, piano
Washington Performing Arts
Kennedy Center Terrace Theater

January 30, 2016 (Sat)
3 pm
Michelle Shin, violin [FREE]
Baltimore Museum of Art

January 30, 2016 (Sat)
8 pm
National Symphony Orchestra
Music of Beethoven, Brahms, Schubert
Kennedy Center Concert Hall

January 30, 2016 (Sat)
8 pm
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
With Jakub Hrůša (conductor) and Sergey Khachatryan (violin)
Music by Janáček, Sibelius, Brahms
Music Center at Strathmore

January 30, 2016 (Sat)
8 pm
Polish Baltic Philharmonic Orchestra
GMU Center for the Arts

January 30, 2016 (Sat)
8 pm
Alkemie
Music of 14th and 15th century
St. George's Episcopal Church (Arlington, Va.)

January 31, 2016 (Sun)
1 and 6:30 pm
American Ballet Theater
Tchaikovsky, The Sleeping Beauty (chor. A. Ratmansky)
Kennedy Center Opera House

January 31, 2016 (Sun)
2 pm
David Daniels (countertenor) and Martin Katz (piano)
Vocal Arts D.C.
Kennedy Center Terrace Theater

January 31, 2016 (Sun)
3 pm
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
With Jakub Hrůša (conductor) and Sergey Khachatryan (violin)
Music by Janáček, Sibelius, Brahms
Meyerhoff Symphony Hall (Baltimore, Md.)

January 31, 2016 (Sun)
3 pm
Chantry
Music of Josquin, Morales
St. Mary Mother of God

January 31, 2016 (Sun)
3 pm
American Youth Philharmonic
GMU Center for the Arts

January 31, 2016 (Sun)
3:30 pm
NGA Vocal Ensemble [FREE]
National Gallery of Art

January 31, 2016 (Sun)
4 pm
Orchestre National de France
With Daniele Gatti (conductor) and Julian Rachlin (violin)
Washington Performing Arts
Kennedy Center Concert Hall

January 31, 2016 (Sun)
4 pm
Arditti Quartet
Phillips Collection

January 31, 2016 (Sun)
4 pm
Apollo Orchestra [FREE]
Chevy Chase Presbyterian Church