NSO Showcase

Strauss Program

January 7, 2009, 9:00 pm

Russian Program

February 5, 2009, 9:00 pm

Music Director Leonard Slatkin conducts Rachmaninoff’s Symphony No. 2, a work with which he has a familial connection: the Symphony was given its U.S. premiere at Carnegie Hall on January 14, 1909, with the Russian Symphony Society of New York conducted by Modest Altschuler, Leonard Slatkin’s great-uncle.

Bach St. Matthew Passion

March 26, 2009, 9:00 pm

Verdi Requiem

November 5, 2008, 9:00 pm

NSO Showcase presents guest conductor Stéphane Denève, leading the National Symphony Orchestra, chorus and soloists in a performance of Verdi's monumental Requiem. This 2005 performance, recorded live at the Kennedy Center features The Washington Chorus, directed by Robert Shafer, as well as soprano Marina Mescheriakova, mezzo-soprano Olga Bordodina, tenor Marcus Haddock, and bass Ildar Abdrazakov.

• Stéphane Denève, conductor
• Marina Mescheriakova, soloist
• Olga Borodina, soloist
• Marcus Haddock, soloist
• Ildar Abdrazakov, soloist
• The Washington Chorus (Robert Shafer, Director)

Verdi: Requiem

Vive La France

October 1, 2008, 9:00 pm

October's NSO Showcase presents "Vive La France" featuring works by French composers, conducted by Leonard Slatkin, Stéphane Denève, and Vladimir Ashkenazy.

• Eduard Lalo: Overture to Le Roi d'Ys
• Guillaume Connesson (b. 1970): Une lueur dans l'age sombre
• Maurice Ravel: Piano Concerto for the Left Hand featuring Jean-Yves Thibaudet, piano
• Gabriel Fauré: Pavane (with The Washington Chorus)
• Albert Roussel: Suite No.2 from Bacchus et Ariane
• Henri Duparc: Songs featuring Frederica von Stade, mezzo-soprano
• Maurice Ravel: Daphnis et Chloé - Suite No.2

NSO Soloists

September 3, 2008, 9:00 pm

The focus is on the orchestra, as members of the NSO play concertos by Mozart, Sibelius, Dutilleux, Frank Martin, and John Williams.

• W.A. Mozart: Sinfonia concertante in E-flat major for Violin and Viola, K. 364
  Nurie Bar-Josef, violin; Daniel Foster, viola
• John Williams: The Five Sacred Trees: Concerto for Bassoon and Orchestra
  Sue Heineman, bassoon
• Henri Dutilleux: "Tout un monde lointain..." for Cello and Orchestra
  David Hardy, cello
• Jean Sibelius: The Swan of Tuonela
  Kathryn Meany, English horn
• Frank Martin: Concerto for 7 Wind Instruments (1949)

An American in Britain

August 6, 2008, 9:00 pm

Leonard Slatkin’s affinity for British music is well-known; he leads a program of works by Britten and Elgar.

American Classics

July 2, 2008, 9:00 pm

Music Director Leonard Slatkin leads a program of American music, including works by Gershwin, Barber, Bernstein, Creston, and Hovhaness.

Czech Choice

June 4, 2008, 9:00 pm

• Leonard Slatkin, conductor
• Iván Fischer, conductor
• Jiří Bělohlávek, conductor

• Janáček: Sinfonietta (Leonard Slatkin)
• Dvořák: Symphony No. 6 (Leonard Slatkin)
• Smetana: Vltava (Iván Fischer)
• Dvořák: Overture To Othello (Jiří Bělohlávek)

A Tribute to Mstislav Rostropovich

May 7, 2008, 9:00 pm

• Mstislav Rostropovich, conductor
• Mayu Kishima, violin

• Shostakovich: Symphony No. 9
• Tchaikovsky: Violin Concerto in D, Op. 64
• Prokofiev: Symphony No. 5

Beethoven from A to C Minor

April 2, 2008, 9:00 pm

Classical WETA's inaugural broadcast of the NSO Showcase series features great Beethoven performances conducted by Ilan Volkov, Leonard Slatkin and Kurt Masur.

Leonard Slatkin, conductor Kurt Masur, conductor Emanuel Ax, piano

• Ilan Volkov, conductor Beethoven: Symphony No. 4 in B-flat major (Ilan Volkov)
• Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 3 in C minor (Leonard Slatkin/Emanuel Ax)
• Beethoven: Symphony No. 7 in A major (Kurt Masur)