Spring and Summer Live Concerts
42 Live Concerts
One-hour concerts with limited tickets for socially distanced audiences
Presented in solidarity with musicians who are eager to perform live concerts
Classical Movements is delighted to announce our next series of intimate, socially-distanced concerts and recitals at the Secret Garden of the Rectory on Princess Street, Classical Movements’ home in Old Town Alexandria.
We have an impressive concert series planned from Saturday, March 27 through August 27, 2021, presenting a diverse range of ensembles, including rising stars of opera and jazz, live choral music, cabaret, tango, early music, as well as dazzling programs of instrumental chamber ensembles.
Press Articles
This series is presented with the generous support of:
John H. Hart | Linda Bunce | George & Patti White | Carolyn Fuller
Joan A. Dempsey | Letitia Long | Tara Hardiman & Roger Jackson
Musical Movements for Change
For more details about sponsorship opportunities, please reach out to Alessandra@ClassicalMovements.com
2021 Past Concerts
Saturday, March 27 | 2:30pm, 4pm
Season Opener: “Spring Comes On the World” – Chamber Music
Musicians from the National Symphony Orchestra:
Marissa Regni, violin | Angelia Cho, violin | Peiming Lin, violin | Andrew Eng, viola | Britton Riley, cello
Celebrate the return of springtime and “Sounds of Hope & Harmony” with string musicians from the NSO in charming, seasonal chamber works including Vivaldi’s popular “Spring” concerto from The Four Seasons and Mozart’s “Spring” quartet – as well as a mesemerizing quartet by legendary Jewish-American composer Philip Glass, in honor of Passover
This concert has been generously sponsored by John H. Hart
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Saturday, April 3 | 11am, 12:30pm
“A Garden Full of Angels” – Easter with Brass
Brass Musicians from the National Symphony Orchestra & Guests:
Kevin Gebo, trumpet | Anthony Bellino, trumpet | Robert Rearden, horn | Douglas Rosenthal, trombone | David Murray, bass trombone
Lift your Spring spirits with the vibrant sound of brass! This program will feature light and exuberant works that hearken the festive Easter holiday. Works from Bach, Handel, Haydn, Purcell, Bizet, and more will be performed by members of the NSO and guests.
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Saturday, April 10 | 2:30pm, 4:00pm
Opera in the Garden: Arias in April
Joshua Blue, tenor | Ashley Marie Robillard, soprano | Aurelien Eulert, piano
Returning to DC after captivating audiences in appearances at Washington National Opera and Wolf Trap Opera, award-winning tenor Joshua Blue and soprano Ashley Marie Robillard offer an enchanting program of art songs and operatic excerpts, including arias and duets by Mozart, Verdi, and Donizetti and songs by Claude Debussy, Florence Price, and more.
“I defy any heart to resist Joshua Blue, a smiling, expressive tenor with ringing high notes…” (Washington Post).
“Ashley Marie Robillard […] sang with beauty and precision even in her most comic moments. Hers is the voice I’d most like to hear again.” (The Philadelphia Inquirer)
This concert has been generously sponsored by George & Patti White
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Saturday, April 17 | 4pm, 7pm
Savory Soiree: “The Food of Love” – An Earth Day Celebration of Shakespeare
Ronn McFarlane, lute
A musical birthday feast for William Shakespeare, featuring a musical program of musical works by John Dowland and anonymous popular tunes from the Elizabethan era, performed by Grammy-nominated lutenist Ronn McFarlane – and accompanied by an Earth Day-inspired farm-to-table dinner and wine pairings.
Information and Book Your Table Listen
Sunday, April 25 | 5:30pm, 7pm
“Cello Bloch-buster: Celebrating J.S. Bach and Ernest Bloch”
Amit Peled, cello
Renowned for his profound artistry and charismatic stage presence, Israeli-American cellist Amit Peled pairs Bach’s monumental and joyful Cello Suite No. 6 – “a symphony for solo cello” as described by Mstislav Rostropovich – with haunting work by the Swiss-born American composer Ernest Bloch: From Jewish Life, one of many musical works reflecting Bloch’s deeply personal and individual musical treatment of Judaism. Amit performs on a 1695 cello by the Italian master Giovanni Grancino – nicknamed “Shoko” because its rich sound is like a “hot chocolate bath.”
“A glowing tone, a seductive timbre and an emotionally pointed approach to phrasing that made you want to hear him again.” (The New York Times)
The date has changed to our Sunday rain date.
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Saturday, May 1 | 2:30pm, 4pm
“Mendelssohn in May” – Chamber Music
String Musicians from the National Symphony Orchestra:
Marissa Regni, violin | Natasha Bogachek, violin | Marina Aikawa, violin | Heather LeDoux Green, violin | Tsuna Sakamoto, viola | Ruth Wicker, viola | Eugena Chang, cello | Britton Riley, cello
Our May Day program centers on the teenaged Felix Mendelssohn’s Octet in E-flat a dramatic chamber work of almost symphonic proportions – inspired the supernatural proceedings said to occur on the night according to German folklore and as depicted in Goethe’s Faust – alongside striking contemporary works by Caroline Shaw and Jessie Montgomery.
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Saturday, May 8 | 5:30pm, 7pm
“A Song in My Heart: A Tuneful Gift for Mom”
Anna Bergman, soprano | Howard Breitbart, piano
Celebrate Mother’s Day with internationally acclaimed singer Anna Bergman in favorites from cabaret to operetta. An unforgettable musical treat featuring gems from stage, screen, and popular hits.
Favorites from South Pacific, The Sound of Music, Fiddler on the Roof, and Into the Woods, and other songs made famous by Ella Fitzgerald, Edith Piaf, Julie Andrews, and more.
Enjoy a sparkling toast and a Mother’s Day surprise!
“…a vocal citizen of the world who has triumphed in everything from Broadway tunes to opera arias and the sultry innuendoes of the cabaret chanteuse.” (The Washington Post)
Tickets & Program Discover Anna Bergman Sample Program
Thursday, May 13 | 5:30pm, 7pm
“Bolero, Barcarola, and Bomba”
Choir of Hope and Harmony | Dr. Diana Sáez
The Choir of Hope & Harmony returns to the Secret Garden for a vibrant evening of the syncopated melodies and driving rhythms of the classical, dance, and folk traditions of Latin American music. The program features repertoire from Argentina, Chile, Cuba, Puerto Rico, and Venezuela, by composers Astor Piazzolla, Rafael Hernández, Inocente Carreño, and others, conducted by leading specialist Dr. Diana Sáez.
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Thursday, May 20 | 5:30pm, 7pm
“Meditations and Fantasies”
David Kim, violin | Jeffrey DeVault, piano
Sarasate’s Carmen Fantasy | Massenet’s “Meditation” from Thais | Stravinsky’s Suite Italienne
Concertmaster of the Philadelphia Orchestra since 1999, David Kim comes to the Secret Garden for a brilliant program demonstrating the range of his artistry, from the personal to the virtuosic. Highlights include Jules Massenet’s “Meditation” from Thais and Pablo de Sarasate’s Carmen Fantasy, alongside lesser-known works such as Maria Theresia von Paradis’s Sicilienne and Igor Stravinsky’s Suite Italienne – in honor of the 50th anniversary of the composer’s death.
“Much burden fell on concertmaster David Kim, who carried a number of movements with style and buoyancy.” (The Philadelphia Inquirer)
This concert has been generously sponsored by Carolyn Fuller
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Thursday, May 27 | 5:30pm, 7pm
“Musical Gems from the Opera and Ballet”
Principal Musicians of the WNO and KCOHO:
Adria Sternstein Foster, flute | Susan Robinson, harp | Ko Sugiyama, violin | Allyson Goodman, viola | Amy Frost Baumgarten, cello
Don Giovanni | Carmen | Tosca | Cavalleria Rusticana | and more
From the orchestra pit to our Secret Garden, see the musicians from the Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra and relive stunning moments from the opera and ballet stages. A unique program of excerpts of imaginative arrangements, and a rare opportunity to experience the beguiling sounds of the harp and flute in this intimate and charming setting.
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Friday, June 4 | 5:30pm, 7pm
“I Hear America Singing”
Choral Arts Chamber Singers | Scott Tucker, conductor
Performing in person for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic, singers from the Choral Arts Society of Washington and Music Director Scott Tucker showcase the wide-ranging influences that have shaped American choral music in a program of stunningly beautiful and rarely heard works. From the styles and languages of Asia and Europe to the tradition of African American spirituals that inspired pioneering Black composers Nathaniel Dett and Undine Moore Smith to a world premiere by B. E. Boykin celebrating Mary Church Terrell, an activist in the movements for civil rights and women’s suffrage, commissioned by Classical Movements
Because of the threat of rain, the concert has been moved indoors at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 228 S. Pitt Street, Alexandria VA.
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Thursday, June 10 | 5:30pm, 7pm
“A Haunting Refrain: Jazz in June”
Sweet Something
Retro, smooth, and timeless. Vocalist and front-woman, Ariana Harbin leads jazz quartet Sweet Something in favorite jazz tunes from “Summertime” to “On the Sunny Side of the Street,” and in tribute to the indelible performances of Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole and more.
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Thursday, June 17 | 5:30pm, 7pm
Juneteenth Celebration: “Day of Jubilee!”
With CAAPA – Coalition for African Americans in the Performing Arts
Shana Oshiro, soprano | Jarrod Lee, baritone | Shawna Williams, dancer | Dr. Lester Green, piano | Pamela Simonson, narrator
Join in an uplifting and festive musical celebration of Juneteenth, the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States. Featuring texts by Langston Hughes and Martin Luther King, Jr. and music by trailblazing composers Margaret Bonds and Adolphus Hailstork. A Joyful and reflective celebration through song, narration, and for the first time in the Secret Garden – dance!
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June 24 | 6pm
June 25 & June 26 | 7pm
Mozart’s The Magic Flute
Musicians from the Prague Summer Nights Young Artists Music Program
Mozart’s masterpiece comes to the Secret Garden in an enchanting staging featuring a talented cast of young musicians. An audience favorite for 230 years, experience the delightful story of magic, adventure, and true love – and Mozart’s majestic, sparkling score – like never before.
This concert is part of the Prague Summer Nights 2021 Washington D.C. Residency, which is generously sponsored by John H. Hart.
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Saturday, June 26 | 4:30pm
“The Stars of Tomorrow” – Gala Opera Arias Concert
Musicians from the Prague Summer Nights Young Artists Music Program
Mozart | Donizetti | Strauss | Gounod
Discover the opera stars of tomorrow with an evening of greatest hits from Don Giovanni, Le nozze di Figaro, Faust, L’elisir d’amore, Die Fledermaus and other favorite operas. Featuring the emerging and talented young artists of Prague Summer Night’s Washington, D.C. Residency in delightful, moving, and astonishing moments from the opera stage. Attend this elegant evening of opera and end with a glass of champagne.
This concert is part of the Prague Summer Nights 2021 Washington, D.C. Residency, which is generously sponsored by John H. Hart.
Tickets & Program ListenThursday, July 1 | 5:30pm, 7pm
Schubert’s The Trout Quintet – Chamber Music
Musicians from the National Symphony Orchestra:
Marissa Regni, violin | Ruth Wicker, viola | Loewi Lin, cello | Michael Marks, bass | Efi Hackmey, piano
Schubert’s beloved but rarely heard Trout Quintet is an unmissable and significant addition to our concert series. Washington DC composer Carlos Simon’s “Be Still and Know” completes this stunning program. Hear the NSO musicians perform with a piano for the first time in the Secret Garden. If you have never heard The Trout performed live, don’t miss this piece that is described as “radiating golden sunshine, confident hope, and high spirits”.
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Thursday, July 8 | 5:30pm, 7pm
Jazz in July
Sweet Something Jazz Quartet
Ariana Harbin, vocals | Caleb Nei, piano | Kevin Johnson, upright bass | Aaron Ivy, drums
Jazz quartet Sweet Something returns to the Secret Garden for a new program of favorite jazz tunes. Paying tribute to the legends of yesteryear, vocalist and front-woman Ariana Harbin brings her own unmistakable touch to evergreen classics from “At Last” to “Almost Like Being in Love” and more songs made famous by the likes of Peggy Lee, Ray Charles, Etta James, Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Nat King Cole, Billie Holiday, and Louis Armstrong!
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NOW: Friday, July 23 | 7pm
Very limited availability, for booking inquiries please contact: Alessandra@ClassicalMovements.com
Savory Soiree: “Liberté chérie: A Bastille Day Celebration”
Elizebeth Barnes, mezzo-soprano | Thomas Pandolfi, piano
Celebrate Bastille Day with an epicurean feast paired with champagne and fine French wine and a delectable musical program of French songs and opera arias by Jules Massenet, Claude Debussy, Georges Bizet, Pauline Viardot, Nadia Boulanger, Francis Poulenc, Gabriel Fauré, and more.
Listen
Thursday, July 29 | 5:30pm, 7pm
“Bold as Brass” – Chamber Music
Kennedy Center Horn Duo:
James Nickel, horn | Robert Rearden, horn
Kennedy Center Trombone Quartet
Douglas Rosenthal, trombone | Kevin Carlson, trombone | David Murray, trombone | Matthew Guilford, bass trombone
If you’ve never heard a trombone quartet or a French horn duo, this is your moment. Hear the noble French horn and the characterful trombone showcase the arresting versatility of their instruments in rousing and stunning music by Beethoven, Bruckner, Vaughan Williams, Florence Price – and legend of bossa nova, Antônio Carlos Jobim.
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Thursday, August 5 | 5:30pm, 7pm
“A Caruso and Lanza Celebration”
Errin Duane Brooks, tenor | Carter Sligh, piano
Puccini | Verdi | Bizet | Tosti
In 2019 alone he made his Metropolitan Opera, Carnegie Hall, and Lincoln Center debuts. Derailed by Covid in 2020, tenor Errin Duane Brooks makes his Washington, D.C. debut celebrating the centennial of Enrico Caruso’s death and Mario Lanza’s birth with beloved songs and breathtaking arias by Verdi, Puccini, Bizet and Leoncavallo – including “Nessun dorma”. You heard him here first.
“…a voice like warm steel, superbly controlled to its highest notes” (Parterre Box)
“A tenor with a really big voice.” (All Things Considered – NPR)
This concert has been generously sponsored by Linda Bunce and John H. Hart
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Sunday, August 15 | 4pm, 5:30pm
“Trio to Tango: Celebrating Piazzolla at 100”
The New Trifilio Tango Trio
Emmanuel Trifilio, bandoneon | Julie Huang Tucker, piano | Ali Cook, double bass
Honor the centennial year of Astor Piazzolla with a glass of Malbec wine and the singular sound of the bandoneon in a program featuring the entrancing music of the composer who brought tango to international attention, along with other celebrated tango composers and original music by Emmanuel Trifilio.
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Sunday, August 29 | 5:30pm, 7pm
“Beautiful, Poetic Strings” – Chamber Music
Musicians from the National Symphony Orchestra
Marissa Regni, violin | Derek Powell, violin | Mahoko Eguchi, viola | Rachel Young, cello
Musicians from the National Symphony Orchestra celebrate summer, and offer a program of stimulating music for string quartet including Haydn’s “Lark” Quartet, “The Orangery” by Caroline Shaw, “Oblivion” and “Libertango” by Piazzolla, and more.
“… consistent refinement and interpretive restraint…” (Washington Post about Last Stand Quartet)
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“The presenter took every possible precaution…the dangers posed by the coronavirus felt about as mitigated as they could possibly be.”
– Charles T. Downey, Washington Classical Review
After years of friendship and working closely with local musicians, Classical Movements proudly presents our concert series “Sounds of Hope & Harmony” in solidarity with our clients and friends in the local music community and specially designed to accommodate safe social distancing for performers, audience and staff. Concerts take place on Thursdays and Saturdays with different start times and rain dates for each performance.
Understanding that music lovers are eager for live performances, but also that the current situation demands we find new ways to experience live music, Classical Movements has invited musicians from some of our hometown orchestras as well as choral and rising opera and jazz musicians to join a meaningful and joyous celebration of the illuminating power of music during this period of so much uncertainty and tension.
Classical Movements will take precautions to limit the risk as much as within our power and requests the cooperation of the audience in these preventative measures so that we can again enjoy live music and support musicians in our community.
These measures will include, among others:
- Audience members will be required to bring and wear face coverings; Classical Movements staff will wear masks as well, as will musicians when not performing.
- Seating will be provided for concerts, with chairs wiped down and disinfected between performances.
- Chairs will have at least six feet between individual or family pairs. Wheelchair accessible.
- To maximize social distancing, seating will be assigned by the presenters
- Tickets and programs will be distributed digitally to minimize the need for physical proximity.
- The stage and musicians will be at least 10 feet from the front row.
- Hand-sanitization stations will be available for audiences as they arrive and exit
Additional measures and instructions will be provided to audience members the week of the concert. Be on the lookout for important updates via email and or text.
Transportation to the Rectory and Parking
Classical Movements will provide more information about alternative forms of transportation to access The Rectory on Princess Street, 711 Princess St by email before each event. You can also go to https://www.alexandriava.gov/GOAlex for more information about available options. We encourage all patrons to park off-street through the provision of nearby garages or lots. Many parking garages and lots are located conveniently in the area. There is a parking garage at N. Alfred St Garage, 117 N. Alfred St, $5/hr ($25 daily max, $10 evening max) and a surface parking lot at Cameron/St Asaph Lot, 517 Cameron St, $2.50/hour ($10 daily max, $5 evening/weekend max). Visitors are encouraged to bike, walk or take the Metrorail Yellow or Blue lines to the King Street Station and take the free King Street Trolley, or DASH or Metro buses. For DASH schedule information visit, www.dashbus.com. For Metrobus schedule information, visit www.wmata.com. Bicyclists may visit www.alexandriava.gov/GOAlex for the City’s Bikeways Map, which features the City’s best on-street and off-road bikeways, as well as locations of grouped bicycle parking.
We discourage you from using the on-street parking. To ensure legal parking, read all posted signs before parking.
Limited off-street private parking is available on a first-come-first-serve basis at the following locations:
Classical Movements, 711 Princess Street, Alexandria VA
Fitness Together Alexandria’s main entrance, at the 300 N Washington Street building
Seasons Culinary Services, 715 Princess Street, Alexandria, VA 22314