Embark on a musical journey through the whimsical realms of imagination with the Washington Metropolitan Philharmonic's opening concert of the 2024|2025 Season, "Fantastical Explorations." Leading the audience through a landscape of wonder, the program features compositions that vividly paint fantastical landscapes. Female composer, Dan Wei, sets the stage in her new work “The Dancing Moonlight” with its rich tapestry of orchestral colors inviting listeners into a world of boundless thought and creativity. Continuing the exploration, Leoš Janáček's "Symphony Fantasy” from his opera Jenůfa, delves into the emotional depths of fantasy.  Josef Suk's "Scherzo Fantastique" evokes a sense of playful enchantment through his innovative use of sonic parameters and expressive melodies. The mesmerizing concert finale "Concerto Fantasy for Two Timpanists and Orchestra" by Philip Glass showcases the virtuosity of timpanists Glenn Paulson and Scott Christian in a dazzling display of rhythmic intensity and prowess.

Fantastical Explorations

Washington Metropolitan Philharmonic Association

Celebrating the timeless legacy of Antonín Dvořák, the Washington Metropolitan Philharmonic joins forces with the talented musicians of our Youth Orchestra for an unforgettable side-by-side concert. Showcasing the depth and breadth of Dvořák's oeuvre, the program features his beloved Cello Concerto in B minor featuring virtuoso cellist Amit Peled. The orchestras shine in a lively rendition of Dvořák's Slavonic Dance No. 1, capturing the folkloric spirit and rhythmic vitality of this beloved collection. Concluding the concert with Symphony No. 8 in G major, both ensembles unite in a grand finale, bringing Dvořák's lyrical melodies and lush orchestrations to life with passion and unity.

Dvořák Side By Side

WMP’s electrifying season finale ‘Music of the Americas’ features a splendid array of music from North, Central and South America. Puerto Rican composer Angélica Negrón’s (currently based in Brooklyn, New York) work has been described as “wistfully idiosyncratic and contemplative". Her piece Tornasol (Spanish for sunflower) is a work that focuses on the vibrancy of color and how it changes through scientific experimentation, all portrayed in various sections of the orchestra. In contrast, guest artist Colin Davin will perform Concierto del Sur, a masterpiece for guitar and orchestra by Mexican composer Manuel Ponce. The second half of the program includes music that is lively, rhythmic, and exciting. El Salón México by Aaron Copland depicts scenes and imagery from his experience at a popular dance hall in Mexico City. Four Dance Episodes from Alberto Ginastera’s ballet La Estancia incorporates Argentinian folk music that represent dance, character, and settings of life on the ranch. We conclude the program with Danzon No. 2 by Arturo Marquez – a seductive, yet melancholy and irresistible ballroom dance inspired by the Cuban Habanera performed by full orchestra.

Music of the Americas

The George Washington Masonic National Memorial

WMYO & WMCO Spring Concert

As we celebrate 275 years of this terrific city entrenched with a vibrant, rich history, we are delighted to perform an All-American program to include favorites new and old. Jennifer Higdon’s blue cathedral has become a staple in the modern-day orchestral repertoire known for its spiritual expression and symbolism for life’s journey. Barber’s Symphony in One Movement is an expressive and lyrical, yet synthetic treatment of the traditional four-movement scheme compressed into one movement. By contrast, John Alden Carpenter’s Krazy Kat was one of the earliest works to incorporate jazz and Latin/Spanish-flavored “popular” music into the symphonic genre that brings verve and panache to the popular Concertino for piano and orchestra. Also influenced by jazz idioms, our finale includes a timeless, iconic, American masterpiece – Rhapsody in Blue featuring local sensation, Thomas Pandolfi. Gershwin’s epic concerto presents forthright thematic material from an oscillating bluesy tune, a brazen march-like melody, and finally, a grandly romantic, jubilant theme enjoyed by all.

Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue @ 100 ​and Alexandria VA's 275 Birthday!

Proudly featuring WMP artists, Crystal Lee and Heidi Sturniolo in Mozart’s Concerto for Flute and Harp, our production of ‘Mozart and the Movies’ will be a crowd favorite! This concert brings to life many moments inspired by dramatic scenes in film such as Pulitzer Prize Winner, Caroline Shaw’s deeply-affecting Entr’acte for string orchestra which is a soulful work inspired by the classical traditions of Haydn. Shaw says, "I love the way some music (like the minuets of Haydn's Op. 77) suddenly takes you to the other side of Alice’s looking glass, in a kind of absurd, subtle, technicolor transition". For those drawn to mid-century Hollywood film, Bernard Hermann’s (composer extraordinaire) Scene d'Amour from 'Vertigo' is a lush, timeless classic sure to jog some movie memories. The program will conclude with Erich Korngold’s music from The Sea Hawk – a film score that continues to captivate listeners and bring audiences together for a heroic, victorious finale.

Mozart and The Movies

​The Rhythm of Christylez Bacon is a concert inspired by American composers that have embraced the point of musical intersection between different cultures throughout our country. We are honored to present Migrations in Rhythm: a Concerto for Beatbox and Rhyme with music by Evan Meier and lyrics and beats by Christylez Bacon, a GRAMMY-nominated Progressive Hip-Hop Artist based in Washington DC. The concerto provides a musical setting for Christylez Bacon's storytelling and virtuosic rhythmic explorations in the styles of  Hip-hop, Agbadza, ring shout, rumba, New Orleans jazz, funk, and Go-go. This program includes other works by two female composers. Valerie Coleman’s Umoja, Anthem of Unity is the Swahili word for "unity" and is the first day in the African American celebration of Kwanzaa and was first meant to be a simple family sing-along song. The concert concludes with Florence Price’s Symphony No. 1, her first full-scale composition and first symphony by a Black woman to be performed by a major American orchestra in 1933.  This work is inspired by both the Western classical tradition and Black musical idioms such as the Juba dance and spirituals. 

The Rhythm of Christylez Bacon

Our season opener ‘Celebrating A New Season!’ features cello sensation Nicholas Canellakis ("impassioned... with the audience seduced by Mr. Canellakis's rich, alluring tone" -The New York Times) in the Saint-Saëns Cello Concerto No. 1 and continues to honor the progressive orchestral tradition of 19th century France. Louise Farrenc was a piano virtuoso and trailblazing composer who was the only female to hold a position at the esteemed Paris Conservatory during this time. Her overtures and symphonies have upheld their significance in the standard Romantic repertoire of today. To compliment the French influence, we will close the program with Berlioz’ masterpiece, Symphonie Fantastique. A work that transpired great advancement in the world of orchestration, musical story-telling, and compositional techniques that continue to captivate audiences of all ages today, and the final movement ‘The Witches Sabbath’ will be sure to capture the upcoming Halloween spirit for all!

Celebrating a New Season!

The Ulysses James Celebration Concert & Toast Reception

Rebecca Bryant Novak, guest conductor  |  Emad Zolfaghari, viola

​Glen Cortese, guest conductor  |  Miranda Cuckson, violin

Anna Binneweg, guest conductor  |  Michael Stephen Brown, piano

Erin Freeman, guest conductor  |  Meredith Riley, violin / Britton Riley, cello

Transporting audiences into a realm of festive delight, "Holiday Dreams" offers a captivating blend of seasonal cheer and musical charm. Grace-Evangeline Mason's "The Imagined Forest" sets a magical tone, weaving together melodies that evoke the spirit of the holidays. Tchaikovsky's classic "Nutcracker Suite" is reimagined by local legend Duke Ellington by infusing familiar melodies with jazz-inflected brilliance that captivates listeners with its exuberant energy and nostalgia. The second half of the concert features a selection of holiday choral works, filling the hall with the joy of the season as we collaborate with the stunning Alexandria Choral Society! 

Holiday Dreams

In a poignant exploration of human conflict and resolution, "War and Peace" delves into the depths of emotion with a program that juxtaposes turbulence with tranquility. Augusta Holmés' evocative "Irlande" sets a contemplative mood, reflecting on the complexities of national identity and struggle. Myroslav Skoryk's Piano Concerto No. ?, featuring Ukrainian-American pianist Stanislav Khristenko, offers a powerful testament to resilience and hope amid adversity. Concluding the program with a timeless masterpiece, Beethoven's iconic Symphony No. 5 in C minor delivers a cathartic journey from darkness to triumph, leaving audiences with a sense of profound reflection, hope and renewal.

Washington Metropolitan Philharmonic Association

Dec 8, 2024

Holiday Dreams

Mar 2, 2025

War and Peace

Oct 6, 2024

Fantastical Explorations

May 18, 2024

Dvořák Side By Side

Washington Metropolitan Philharmonic Association