August 24, 2022
(NORTH BETHESDA, MD) — National Philharmonic (NatPhil) launches its 2022–2023 Concert Season with three programs in October and November: two classical concerts led by Music Director Piotr Gajewski and Artistic Director of the National Philharmonic Chorale Stan Engebretson, and one pops concert led by Principal Pops Conductor Luke Frazier.
Gajewski leads the season-opening program in October, Vive La France with Violinist Gil Shaham, which highlights works by French composers from varying eras, including symphonies by Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges and Louise Farrenc and a violin concerto by Camille Saint-Saëns featuring acclaimed soloist Gil Shaham. In November, Frazier conducts Broadway’s Brightest Lights, a salute to best and hardest-working talents in the theater industry, featuring singers Megan Hilty and Michael Maliakel and dancer Luke Hawkins. Later that month, Engebretson leads the NatPhil Orchestra and Chorale in Hector Berlioz’s epic Requiem, with tenor Norman Shankle as soloist.
All three Concert Season programs take place at the Music Center at Strathmore, National Philharmonic’s home in Maryland. Vive la France with Violinist Gil Shaham and Broadway’s Brightest Lights are also being presented at Capital One Hall in Northern Virginia.
In addition, National Philharmonic presents the first Family Series and Chamber Series performances of its 2022-2023 Season. In October, Frazier leads the children’s show A Very Silly Vaudeville at AMP by Strathmore. In November, NatPhil musicians perform a chamber music program curated by Concertmaster Laura Colgate at the Mexican Cultural Institute.
October and November 2022 Full Concert Schedule:
Sunday, October 16, 2022 at 2:00 p.m. at AMP by Strathmore
A Very Silly Vaudeville
Luke Frazier, conductor
A Very Silly Vaudeville, an original children’s show filled with American popular music, will guide you on a journey through NatPhil’s modern take on the classic American vaudeville acts of yesteryear. This talent extravaganza features magic, dancing, singing, and lots of audience engagement, including a Q&A with actors and musicians following the performance!
Thursday, October 20, 2022 at 7:30 p.m. at Capital One Hall
Saturday, October 22, 2022 at 8:00 p.m. at The Music Center at Strathmore
Vive La France with Violinist Gil Shaham
Piotr Gajewski, conductor
Gil Shaham, violin
NatPhil’s 2022-2023 Season gets off to a spectacular start with some of the best symphonic music by diverse and celebrated French composers. Experience Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges’ Symphony No. 1 in G Major, a piece that many say rivals the best of Mozart’s work, and Symphony No. 3, a neglected masterpiece by musical genius Louise Farrenc. Violinist Gil Shaham joins NatPhil for Camille Saint-Saëns’ Violin Concerto No. 3, bringing its melodic invention and impressionistic subtlety to life. Together, these three compositions make for a joyful and magical aural experience. Venez voir la magie!
Program:
Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges, Symphony No. 1 in G Major
Camille Saint-Saëns, Violin Concerto No. 3 in B minor, Op. 61
Louise Farrenc, Symphony No. 3 in G minor, Op. 36
Friday, November 4, 2022 at 8:00 p.m. at The Music Center at Strathmore
Sunday, November 6, 2022 at 7:00 p.m. at Capital One Hall
Broadway’s Brightest Lights
Luke Frazier, conductor
Megan Hilty, vocalist
Michael Malakiel, vocalist
Luke Hawkins, dancer
After months of dimmed marquees and ghost-lit theaters, Broadway’s Brightest Lights puts the spotlight on some of the best and brightest talents working today, under the direction of NatPhil Principal Pops Conductor Luke Frazier. Tony Award nominee Broadway diva Megan Hilty (Wicked, 9 to 5: The Musical, Noises Off) is joined by Michael Maliakel (Disney’s Aladdin, The Phantom of the Opera, Monsoon Wedding) and Luke Hawkins (Annie Live, Xanadu, Singin’ in the Rain) to perform some of the greatest hits straight from Broadway. From Gershwin to Lerner and Loewe, Kander and Ebb to Sondheim, this program has something for every Broadway baby to love and will have you dancing in your seat and singing all the way home.
Saturday, November 12, 2022 at 8:00 p.m. at The Music Center at Strathmore
Berlioz’s Requiem
Stan Engebretson, conductor
Norman Shankle, tenor
with the National Philharmonic Chorale
Stan Engebretson, artistic director of the National Philharmonic Chorale, celebrates his storied tenure with the ensemble with Berlioz’s visionary and masterfully orchestrated Requiem. Engebretson brings Berlioz’s bombastic Opus No. 5, also known as “The Grand Messe des Morts,” to life with the power of the NatPhil Chorale and soloist Norman Shankle, a tenor who has risen to worldwide prominence through acclaimed performances with the Metropolitan and San Francisco Operas, at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., and the Dresden Semperoper in Germany.
Come see why Berlioz said, “If I were threatened with the destruction of the whole of my works save one, I should crave mercy for the Messe des Morts.”
Program:
Hector Berlioz, Requiem, Op. 5 (Grande Messe des Morts)
Sunday, November 20, 2022 at 3:00 p.m. at The Mexican Cultural Institute
NatPhil Chamber Series: Now & Then
Curated by Concertmaster Laura Colgate
Curated by Concertmaster Laura Colgate, the first installment of NatPhil’s 2022-2023 Chamber Series features music from the past and present, including composers J.S. Bach, Charles Wuorinen, Josquin des Prez, Caroline Shaw, and Arvo Pärt.
Program:
J.S. Bach, Cantata BWV 4 “Christ Lag in Todesbanden” (arranged for string quartet and brass quartet by David Miller)
Charles Wuorinen, Josquiniana
Josquin des Prez, Selections for 3-5 Voices (arranged for brass quartet by David Miller)
J.S. Bach, Chorale from St. Matthew Passion
Caroline Shaw, Punctum
Arvo Pärt, Fratres
Ticket Information
Tickets ($19–$99) are available online at nationalphilharmonic.org. Kids 17 and under can attend National Philharmonic performances for free through the All Kids. All Free. All the Time. initiative.
Health and Safety Protocols
Patrons are no longer asked to show proof of vaccination to enter our venues, but we encourage everyone to stay up to date on their COVID vaccinations and boosters.
At this time, patrons are still required to wear masks in the venues and through the duration of NatPhil performances. For the safety of our NatPhil family, please stay home if you feel sick or present any of the symptoms of COVID-19.
We anticipate updates to the above policy as health and safety recommendations and best practices evolve. For the latest safety protocols, please visit nationalphilharmonic.org/safety.
About the National Philharmonic
Celebrated for showcasing world-renowned guest artists in time-honored symphonic masterpieces, National Philharmoniccontinuously strives to create remarkable educational opportunities in the community while promoting diversity and representation in classical music.
National Philharmonic is an accessible, enriching component in the Greater Washington D.C. Metropolitan Area, believing that music has the power to spark imagination and shape the world around us. As the only organization with a united orchestra and chorus in the region, over the years National Philharmonic has expanded its footprint beyond its home at Strathmore, with year-round masterclasses along with Summer String and Summer Chorale Institutes for youth, armed services programs, and partnerships with community organizations. In addition to these programs, National Philharmonic fosters a love of music in young people across the region by offering free admission to all children between the ages 7 to 17 years old.
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Media Contact:
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