To symphony aficionados, a brand-new season is like an extended vacation: lots to explore, and the sadness of one day’s end soon replaced by the next day’s exciting jaunt.
Music Director Christoph Eschenbach, along with principal Pops conductor Marvin Hamlisch, will drive the musical tour bus that is the National Symphony Orchestra’s 2010-11 Season.
Day trips on this symphonic excursion include Classical, Pops and Family Concerts. The first half of the trip is jam-packed for the choosing.
The subscription season opener features Eschenbach at the podium Sept. 30, Oct. 1 and 2, along with guest soloists and the Choral Arts Society of Washington in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9. October’s concerts welcome guest violinist Christian Tetzlaff performing Beethoven’s Violin Concerto. Mid-October showcases the work of Gustav Mahler in a performance featuring his “Kindertotenlieder” and Symphony No. 5. All of these shows will be presented in the grand Kennedy Center Concert Hall.
The Kennedy Center Chamber Players set up at the Terrace Theatre on Oct. 17 for an afternoon of Haydn, Schumann and the Washington Premier of Andre Previn’s “Piano Trio.” October closes with a Hamlisch Pops Concert featuring vocalist Idina Menzel. The Halloween Day Family Concert highlights Brett Mitchell conducting the orchestra in “Spooky Sounds and Scary Tales.”
November is the month of guest conductors, beginning with Xian Zhang making a National Symphony Orchestra debut and violinist Gil Shaham. Featured repertoire here includes Debussy’s “Prelude a l’apres-midi d’un faune” and Prokofiev’s Violin Concerto No. 2. Later in the month, Maestra Susanna Malkki makes her conducting debut with the NSO in a program that features Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 5 (“Emperor”). Hamlisch brings on the Pops to ring out the end of the month, along with the Washington Chorus in a celebration of the 100th anniversary of Frank Loesser. The program includes rousing selections from “Guys and Dolls,”
“How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying,” “The Most Happy Fella” and “Where’s Charley?”
December features Hamlisch and the Pops presenting “Happy Holidays” with the City Choir of Washington followed midmonth by Handel’s “Messiah” featuring guest conductor Rinaldo Alessandrini (in his NSO debut) and the University of Maryland Concert Choir.
A taste of 2011’s musical journey includes January Family Concerts; February Pops goes Disney; March and the Classics taking Beethoven and Rossini; April with Mahler and Mendelssohn; May with Tchaikovsky and June with Bernstein and Shostakovich.
