Max Richter is one of the most influential and acclaimed composers of all time. His fusion of classical technique and electronic technology, heard across genre-defining solo albums and countless scores for film, dance, art, and fashion, has won him legions of fans around the world and blazed a trail for a generation of musicians. Please note: the NSO does not perform on this program.

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Max Richter

Kennedy Center

Growling marches. Nostalgic lullabies. Thunderous hammer blows of fate. Mahler’s Symphony No. 6 seizes audiences from its very first notes, taking us on a dream-like journey through the composer’s concepts of dark destiny, heroic struggle, and ultimately, quiet bliss. Don’t miss this heartfelt masterpiece conducted by Noseda, whose Mahler performances are celebrated as “devilishly good” (Bachtrack).

Noseda conducts Mahler’s Sixth

The NSO brings you William Dawson’s stirring Negro Folk Symphony—a work one New York critic called “the most distinctive and promising American symphonic proclamation which has so far been achieved.” Joshua Weilerstein completes the program with Bernstein’s ever-popular Symphonic Dances from West Side Story and Gershwin’s jazz-infused Rhapsody in Blue.

Joshua Weilerstein conducts Bernstein & Dawson | John Kimura Parker plays Gershwin

Experience the opulent period epic as the NSO performs the score live-to-picture! Winner of eight Academy Awards including Best Picture, Amadeus tells the story of vindictive composer Antonio Salieri (F. Murray Abraham), who is consumed by jealousy for his rival—the petulant genius Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Tom Hulce).

Amadeus Full Film with Live Orchestra

Few artists embody creativity and innovation quite like Lindsey Stirling. A multi-award-winning electronic violinist, dancer, and New York Times bestselling author, she has captivated audiences worldwide with her high-energy performances and genre-blending sound. Known for her electrifying live shows, Lindsey continues to push boundaries—now bringing her signature style to grand symphonic settings.

Lindsey Stirling

An evening of daring adventures, mythical creatures, sorcery, and romance: the NSO conjures an intoxicating Mediterranean dreamscape with Ravel’s ballet Daphnis et Chloé! Simon Trpčeski, who “looks set to dominate the piano world for a long time to come” (London Times), joins the orchestra for Saint-Saëns’s tender Piano Concerto No. 2.

Daphnis et Chloé & Simon Trpčeski

Hans Graf brings “a brave new world of music-making” (The Straits Times) to Schubert’s romantic Symphony No. 8, the great “Unfinished” masterwork that packs a lifetime of hope, suffering, and joy into just two perfect movements. “Spellbinding soloist” Renaud Capuçon performs Alban Berg’s Violin Concerto—a mysterious, autumnal farewell “to the memory of an angel.”

Schubert’s “Unfinished” Capuçon plays Berg

The former NSO Music Director returns with an all-Beethoven program brimming with lyricism and energy. Acclaimed violinist Isabelle Faust, whose “sound electrifies” (The New York Times), makes her much-anticipated NSO debut in Beethoven’s Violin Concerto. Beethoven’s joyous Symphony No. 7, a work Richard Wagner called “the apotheosis of the dance,” makes an electrifying finale.

Eschenbach returns: An Evening of Beethoven

Two titans of classical music join forces for an intimate performance of Schubert’s song cycle Winterreise: renowned baritone Matthias Goerne and Grammy Award–winning pianist Daniil Trifonov. Set to Wilhelm Müller’s poetry, Winterreise unfolds in 24 heartbreaking, hopeful songs for voice and piano as a wanderer moves through the frozen landscape. Please note: the NSO does not perform on this program.

NSO Presents: Matthias Goerne & Daniil Trifonov

Awaken your heart with two distinct visions of love: Strauss’ Don Juan, a man’s restless pursuit of passion; and Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet, a fated tale of love at its purest. Led by Jader Bignamini, the concert also features Wynton Marsalis’ bold Herald, Holler, and Hallelujah and Gershwin’s jazz-infused Piano Concerto in F with soloist Hélène Grimaud.

Don Juan & Romeo and Juliet Grimaud plays Gershwin

Beethoven’s joyful wit and lyricism make his Piano Concerto No. 1 a perfect showcase for Garrick Ohlsson’s “fingers, fortitude, and freewheeling imagination” (The New York Times). To close, conductor Louis Langrée “draws a lithe, articulate and elegant performance” (The New York Times) of Saint-Saëns’ Symphony No. 3, the mighty “Organ Symphony.”

Saint-Saëns’ “Organ Symphony” Ohlsson plays Beethoven

Principal Conductor of the London Philharmonic Orchestra Edward Gardner leads Tchaikovsky’s ever-popular Symphony No. 5. With soaring melodies, roaring brass, and balletic grace, the Fifth is a wild ride of heart-on-sleeve emotions. Also on the program: Pablo Ferrández makes his NSO debut in Lutosławski’s innovative Cello Concerto.

Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Ferrández plays Lutosławski

Experience the heartbreaking Adagio from Mahler’s unfinished Symphony No. 10 conducted by Gianandrea Noseda, whose Mahler interpretations Bachtrack calls “devilishly good.” Soprano Camilla Nylund and bass-baritone Tomasz Konieczny take the stage in Zemlinsky’s Lyric Symphony, a monumental exploration of love and longing.

Mahler’s Tenth, Adagio Lyric Symphony

Gianandrea Noseda and NSO favorite Daniil Trifonov reunite! First, the virtuoso performs Brahms’ mighty First Piano Concerto, known for its brooding majesty and immense scale. Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring follows—a notorious masterwork that shocked audiences at its premiere and forever changed the course of music with its primal, untamed energy.

The Rite of Spring Trifonov plays Brahms

The Washington Chorus joins Gianandrea Noseda and the NSO for three choral masterpieces by Brahms. Schicksalslied (Song of Destiny) and Gesang der Parzen (Song of the Fates) grapple with fate’s inescapable hand—one offering celestial consolation, the other a foreboding omen. Nänie, named for the Roman goddess, is a powerful requiem set to the poem by Friedrich von Schiller. These mesmeric works choral set the stage for a visceral finale: Schumann’s Symphony No. 2.

Songs of Destiny & Fate

Gianandrea Noseda conducts a program that moves from the rich interplay of Brahms’ Double Concerto to the cosmic vision of Scriabin’s Symphony No. 3, Le Poème Divin. In this deeply personal work, Scriabin creates a musical narrative of, as he puts it, “the evolution of the human spirit, torn from an entire past of beliefs and mysteries… to a joyous and intoxicated affirmation of its unity with the universe.”

Le Poème Divin Brahms’ Double Concerto

Be moved by a program of towering contrasts, drama, and defiance. Behzod Abduraimov, “the most perfectly accomplished pianist of his generation” (The Independent), makes his NSO debut in Tchaikovsky’s thundering Piano Concerto No. 1. Gianandrea Noseda closes the concert with Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 8, an unflinching response to war wrapped in moments of tension, reflection, and strength.

Shostakovich’s Eighth Abduraimov plays Tchaikovsky

Thomas Wilkins leads a true celebration of American music! Experience the charm of Copland’s iconic ballet Rodeo: Four Dance Episodes, followed by Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue with 18-time Grammy-winning banjo virtuoso Béla Fleck. To close, the NSO presents the world premiere of Peter Boyer and Joseph Sohm’s American Mosaic, an NSO co-commission featuring stunning video imagery, powerful live narration, and quintessential American melodies to celebrate the land, people, and spirit of the United States for its 250th birthday.

American Mosaic

Visionary maestro David Robertson conducts a program of movement and transformation. Nielsen’s Helios Overture follows the path of the sun across the sky, while the world premiere of Reena Esmail’s Double Concerto puts star siblings Gil and Orli Shaham center stage. To close, Sibelius’ Symphony No. 5 dances with themes shaped by landscape and time, with its famous finale inspired by the sight of a flock of swans flying overhead.

Shaham & Shaham play Reena Esmail Robertson conducts Sibelius’ Fifth

Superstar Hilary Hahn and Grammy-nominated NSO newcomer Seth Parker Woods come together for the world premiere of Carlos Simon’s Double Concerto, a work that expands the dialogue between violin, cello, and orchestra. Warmth and complexity unfold in Brahms’ Symphony No. 3, blending bravado with introspection.

Orchestral events in Washington, DC

Max Richter

National Symphony Orchestra

Noseda conducts Mahler’s ...

National Symphony Orchestra

Joshua Weilerstein conduc...

National Symphony Orchestra

Amadeus Full Film with Li...

National Symphony Orchestra

Lindsey Stirling

National Symphony Orchestra

Daphnis et Chloé & Simon ...

National Symphony Orchestra

Schubert’s “Unfinished” C...

National Symphony Orchestra

Eschenbach returns: An Ev...

National Symphony Orchestra

NSO Presents: Matthias Go...

National Symphony Orchestra

Don Juan & Romeo and Juli...

National Symphony Orchestra

Saint-Saëns’ “Organ Symph...

National Symphony Orchestra

Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Ferrá...

National Symphony Orchestra

Mahler’s Tenth, Adagio Ly...

National Symphony Orchestra

The Rite of Spring Trifon...

National Symphony Orchestra

Songs of Destiny & Fate

National Symphony Orchestra

Le Poème Divin Brahms’ Do...

National Symphony Orchestra

Shostakovich’s Eighth Abd...

National Symphony Orchestra

American Mosaic

National Symphony Orchestra

Shaham & Shaham play Reen...

National Symphony Orchestra

Hahn & Woods play Carlos ...

National Symphony Orchestra