The Washington Chorus Announces 2025-2026 Season

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Jennie Weyman | The Washington Chorus
jennie@thewashingtonchorus.org | 703.303.3135

Contact: Katlyn Morahan | Morahan Arts and Media
katlyn@morahanartsandmedia.com | 646.378.9386

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THE WASHINGTON CHORUS ANNOUNCES A FRESH, NEW BRAND
ALONGSIDE ITS 2025-2026 SEASON

One Song: Exultávit!: With National Philharmonic, featuring Bach’s Magnificat
alongside Reena Esmail’s This Love Between Us.

A Candlelight Christmas: The holiday tradition returns for its 16th year

Songs of Destiny and Fate: Guest appearance with the National Symphony Orchestra,
conducted by Gianandrea Noseda

Faith, Hope, and Light: Returning to National Presbyterian Church for the first time since 2019
with an eclectic concert designed to pay homage to the beautiful space

Puccini’s Il trittico: Guest appearance with the National Symphony Orchestra,
first performance at Carnegie Hall since 2015, and first NSO tour since 1997

Verdi’s Rigoletto: Guest appearance with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
conducted by Jonathon Heyward

TheWashingtonChorus.org

Washington, D.C. (June 9, 2025) – The Washington Chorus (TWC) — led by conductor and Artistic Director Dr. Eugene Rogers — announces its new brand and logo, as well as its 2025-2026 season. With concerts exploring light and love (in all its forms), the upcoming season features guest appearances with the National Symphony Orchestra and Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, TWC’s annual collaboration with National Philharmonic, the beloved A Candlelight Christmas, and a return to National Presbyterian Church for the first time since 2019. For more information, please visit The Washington Chorus’ website.

The unveiling of TWC’s new logo has been many years in the making. The new logo and brand were created by local DC design firm, Eighty2degrees, who has been the Chorus’ concert art designer since A Candlelight Christmas in 2022. The vibrant colors, organic movement, and symbolism found in the brand bolsters the chorus’ mission of transformative and joyous choral music, with bold and exciting new energy. The logo mark itself is designed as an abstract representation of TWC’s choristers as they stand to perform, centering them and The Washington Chorus’ core community within the brand itself.

“The last five years in particular, our goal has been to be a more inclusive community,” said Artistic Director Eugene Rogers. “And to me, a logo that shows people together as a choir, side by side, to reflect that community and unity is so exciting. It’s active, engaging, and reminds us exactly who we are.”

The new logo is the third logo for The Washington Chorus since its formal name change in 1998, when it was previously known as the Oratorio Society of Washington. Since 2018, the organization has utilized a logo that was originally designed as a placeholder.

“When I first joined this organization in 2022, it was clear that a new brand was a priority,” said Jennie Weyman, TWC’s Director of Marketing and Communications. “There had been several unsuccessful attempts to rebrand prior to 2022, and there was an overwhelming sense that we needed to regroup. Instead of rushing into the process again, we really leaned into our collaboration with Eighty2degrees over the last several years, so that they could learn who we are through our concerts and performances. That way when we finally took the bold step towards the rebrand, we knew we were working with a firm who truly understood The Washington Chorus, with whom we’d established mutual trust and admiration. By leveraging their expertise and redesigning our internal process to better incorporate the voices of our varied stakeholders, we are so thrilled that we were finally able to see this project through.”

The new brand and logo are immediately on display through the simultaneous announcement of TWC’s 2025-2026 season, featuring vibrant concerts with vibrant art to match.

The season begins with their next collaboration with National Philharmonic, One Song: Exultávit! This program pairs J.S. Bach’s beloved setting of the Magnificat and Reena Esmail’s profound work This Love Between Us. The latter juxtaposes Western classical music and Hindustani musical traditions and has seven movements featuring texts from the seven major religious traditions of India (Buddhism, Sikhism, Christianity, Zoroastrianism, Hinduism, Jainism, and Islam). Esmail composed the work in 2017 to be paired with Bach’s Magnificat, as both works feature baroque orchestra and explore the power of prayer, humility, kindness—all to forge a future where the least among us matter the most. (Saturday, October 25, 2025 at the Music Center at Strathmore.)

“The core inspiration for this concert comes from the blending of East and West,” Rogers said. “Esmail composed her piece as a representation of her own hybrid identity as an Indian-American, created from the union of the two halves of her background. But at the core of it, those identities long for the same thing. For me, the perfect way to represent that is through the Rumi text in the final movement, which says, ‘The lamps may be different, but the light is the same.’ Side by side with Bach’s classic Magnificat, it's the perfect way to highlight that there is so much more that unites us than divides us.”

Then it’s time to celebrate the holiday season with the chorus’ annual performance of A Candlelight Christmas. Led by Rogers, and featuring the National Capital Brass and Percussion, the Detroit School of the Arts, Annandale High School, Paul Byssainthe, Jr., and more, this annual and ever-popular tradition returns with interactive carols, holiday favorites, and special guests for the entire family. Alongside fan-favorites such as Glenn Rudolph’s “The Dream Isaiah Saw,” this year’s featured guest artist, Rod Vester (piano), returns to Candlelight with new jazzy Christmas favorites. (Select Dates December 13 – 21, Exact Dates TBA, The Music Center at Strathmore and the Kennedy Center Concert Hall.)

“A Candlelight Christmas is about celebrating tradition and ensuring there is something for everyone by including a diverse repertoire,” said Rogers. “That said, we always try to include something new in addition to the classics, and we’re excited to continue doing that this year. It’s important to keep people on their toes!”

In January, The Washington Chorus joins the National Symphony Orchestra for Songs of Destiny & Fate, performing three choral masterpieces by Johannes Brahms: Schicksalslied (Song of Destiny), Gesang der Parzen (Song of the Fates), and Nänie. Gianandrea Noseda conducts, pairing the three choral works with Antonio Vivaldi’s Sinfonia “Al Santo Sepolcro,” J.S. Bach’s Sinfonia from cantata Ich hatte viel Bekümmernis, and Robert Schumann’s Symphony No. 2, all of which are meant to demonstrate resilience and renewal in the face of hardship and tribulation. (January 22 – 24, 2026 at the Kennedy Center Concert Hall.)

Turning back to its own season, TWC presents Faith, Hope, and Light at National Presbyterian Church in March, its first performance in the space since 2019. This concert is specifically designed to feature the reverberate acoustics in the beautiful sanctuary, and each of the eclectic works on this program speak to thematic echoes of persistent dreams, exploring the interconnected themes of faith, hope, and light. The program features Timothy Takach’s “Everything is Made of Light,” Gustav Holst’ “Nunc Dimittis,” and William Grant Still’s “Plain-Chant for America.” It also highlights songs by founding members of DC’s three-time Grammy Award-nominated, all-woman, African American a cappella ensemble Sweet Honey in the Rock: Bernice Johnson Reagon and Ysaÿe Barnwell. And finally, the concert culminates in a new arrangement of Antonín Dvorák’s Mass in D major for woodwind quintet. (Saturday, March 14, 2026.)

“While we rehearse every week at National Presbyterian Church, I haven’t yet presented a concert there,” said Rogers. “The sanctuary has these beautiful stained-glass windows in a mid-century style, as well as a really live acoustic, so it is going to give us the perfect opportunity to explore sounds and works that might not work in our other venues. We’re even exploring the idea of performing surrounding the audience at several moments in this concert, so it’s really exciting for both our singers and our audiences.”

The season concludes with two very exciting collaborations with both the National Symphony Orchestra and the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra to perform some of classical music’s greatest works.

First, Gianandrea Noseda conducts The Washington Chorus and the National Symphony Orchestra through Giacomo Puccini’s Il trittico, a trio of one-act operas: Il tabarro, Suor Angelica, and Gianni Schicchi. The concert features a phenomenal lineup of internationally acclaimed soloists, including Roman Burdenko (baritone), Sabrina Gárdez (soprano), Erika Grimaldi (soprano), Agnieszka Rehlis (mezzo-soprano), Jonathan Tetelman (tenor), and more. After performing in DC, The Washington Chorus will join the NSO on tour to perform Puccini’s complete Il trittico at Carnegie Hall. This marks TWC’s first performance in Carnegie Hall in over a decade, and the first time touring with National Symphony Orchestra since 1997, when TWC was still named the Oratorio Society of Washington. (April 29 – May 1, 2026 at the Kennedy Center Concert Hall and Sunday, May 3, 2026 at Carnegie Hall.)

Closing the season is Verdi’s Rigoletto conducted by the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra Music Director, Jonathon Heyward. This will be the season finale for both the BSO and TWC and the second production of Jonathon Heyward’s four-year Verdi Opera Initiative. Performed in Italian, this in-concert presentation features an all-star cast of artists famous for bringing their roles to life on international stages, including Quinn Kelsey (Rigoletto), Raven McMillon (Gilda), Andrew Owens (Duke of Mantua), Peixin Chen (Sparafucile), J'Nai Bridges (Maddalena), and Christian Pursell (Count Monterone). (Friday, June 12, 2026 at Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall and Sunday, June 14, 2026 at the Music Center at Strathmore.)

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Performance Information:

One Song: Exultávit!
Saturday, October 25, 2025 at 7:30pm
The Music Center at Strathmore
Tickets: Available as NatPhil Subscription. Single tickets on sale July 2025.
Link: https://thewashingtonchorus.org/one-song-exultavit

ARTISTS:
Dr. Eugene Rogers, conductor
Juliet Schlefer, soprano
Heather Petrie, contralto
Jacob Perry, tenor
Edmund Milly, bass-baritone

PROGRAM:
J.S. Bach: Magnificat
Reena Esmail: This Love Between Us: Prayers for Unity

The Washington Chorus and National Philharmonic are thrilled to present their next collaboration, One Song: Exultávit! This program features J.S. Bach’s beloved setting of the Magnificat and Reena Esmail’s extraordinary new work This Love Between Us, which juxtaposes Western classical music and Indian musical traditions. Both works explore the power of prayer, humility, and kindness while also presenting a bold vision for the future where more unites us than divides us—and the least among us matter the most.

The lamps may be different, 
but the Light is the same.
All religions, all this singing, one song.
Concentrate on the Light.
– Rumi

My soul doth magnify the Lord…
He hath put down the mighty
from their seat: and hath exalted
the humble and meek.
– Mary, The Gospel of Luke
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A Candlelight Christmas – The Beloved Holiday Experience!
December 13 – 21, 2025 (Exact Dates and Times TBA)
The Music Center at Strathmore
Kennedy Center Concert Hall
Tickets: Donor Pre-Sale Monday, July 14, 2025. On Sale July 21, 2025.
Link: https://thewashingtonchorus.org/candlelight-christmas-2025

ARTISTS:
Dr. Eugene Rogers, conductor
Rod Vester, guest piano soloist
Paul Byssainthe, Jr., organ
National Capital Brass and Percussion
Side-By-Side High School Ensembles:
          Detroit School of the Arts (Julian Goods, director)

          Annandale High School (Patrick Vaughn, director)

Join The Washington Chorus for one of the DC region’s most beloved holiday traditions: A Candlelight Christmas! Returning for its 16th year, we invite you to lift your voices with us for beloved carols and new classics alike, ringing in the holiday season with joy, spirit, and togetherness. Featuring our joyous 200-voice chorus, brass, organ, magical lights, and extra special guests, this family-friendly concert celebrates the pervasive hope of the holidays for a better, kinder world. These performances will sell out, so don’t miss your chance to celebrate the season with TWC!
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Songs of Destiny & Fate
Guest Appearance with the National Symphony Orchestra
Thursday, January 22, 2026 at 7:00pm
Friday, January 23, 2026 at 8:00pm
Saturday, January 24, 2026 at 8:00pm
Kennedy Center Concert Hall
Tickets: Available in NSO Subscriptions

ARTISTS:
Gianandrea Noseda, conductor
The Washington Chorus
          Eugene Rogers, Artistic Director

PROGRAM:
Johannes Brahms: Schicksalslied (Song of Destiny)
Antonio Vivaldi: Sinfonia “Al Santo Sepolcro”
Johannes Brahms: Nänie
Johann Sebastian Bach: Sinfonia from Cantata Ich hatte viel Bekümmernis
Johannes Brahms: Gesang der Parzen (Song of the Fates)
Robert Schumann: Symphony No. 2

The Washington Chorus joins the National Symphony Orchestra 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 set the stage for Schumann’s Symphony No. 2, a testament to humanity’s resilience and renewal.
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Faith, Hope, and Light
Saturday, March 14, 2026 at 7:30pm
National Presbyterian Church
Tickets: Available July 2025
Link: https://thewashingtonchorus.org/faith-hope-and-light

ARTISTS:
Eugene Rogers, conductor
Deborah Sternberg, soprano
Melissa Cregger, mezzo-soprano
David Miranda, tenor
Andrew Smith, baritone
Wei-Han Wu, piano

PROGRAM:
Timothy Takach: Everything is Made of Light
Gustav Holst: Nunc Dimittis
William Grant Still: Plain-Chant for America
Bernice Johnson Reagon: Ella’s Song
Ysaÿe Barnwell: Spiritual
Antonín Dvorák: Mass in D major

We invite you to join The Washington Chorus for its third and final concert of the 2025-26 Season: Faith, Hope, and Light. Returning to National Presbyterian Church for the first time since 2019, this concert is specifically designed to feature the reverberate acoustics in the beautiful sanctuary.

Like fractures of light and the sound of our voices in the space, each of the eclectic works on this program speak to thematic echoes of persistent dreams. By exploring these interconnected themes of faith, hope, and light, we endeavor to take contemplative steps forward, listening to the lingering voices of those who came before us, while asking ourselves what comes next.
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Opera in Concert: Puccini’s Il trittico
Guest Appearance with the National Symphony Orchestra

Wednesday, April 29, 2026 at 7:00pm
Friday, May 1, 2026 at 7:00pm
Kennedy Center Concert Hall

Sunday, May 3, 2026 at 2:00pm
Carnegie Hall Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage (NYC)

Tickets: Available in NSO Carnegie Hall Subscriptions

ARTISTS:
Gianandrea Noseda, conductor
Roman Burdenko, baritone
Sabrina Gárdez, soprano
Erika Grimaldi, soprano
Agnieszka Rehlis, mezzo-soprano
Jonathan Tetelman, tenor
The Washington Chorus
Eugene Rogers, Artistic Director

PROGRAM:
Giacomo Puccini, Il trittico:
          Il tabarro
          Suor Angelica
          Gianni Schicchi

Step into a world of passion, tragedy, and deception with Puccini’s Il trittico, a trio of one-act operas led by world-renowned opera conductor Gianandrea Noseda. Il tabarro unveils a shadowy tale of love and betrayal along the Seine. Suor Angelica plunges into the depths of sacrifice behind convent walls. Gianni Schicchi turns deception into delight in a sharp-witted comedy of intrigue. Three stories, three distinct worlds—one unforgettable evening of Opera in Concert.

This complete, three-part performance—a first at Carnegie Hall—is conducted by 2023 Puccini Award winner Gianandrea Noseda, one of today’s most celebrated opera and concert conductors. An international cast of all-star singers brings each tale to life—from intense tragedy to comical farce—alongside the National Symphony Orchestra and The Washington Chorus.
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Heyward Conducts Verdi’s Rigoletto
Guest Appearance with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra

Friday, June 12, 2026 at 7:00pm
Meyerhoff Symphony Hall

Sunday, June 14, 2026 at 3:00pm
Music Center at Strathmore

Tickets: Available as BSO Subscription

ARTISTS:
Jonathon Heyward, conductor
Quinn Kelsey, Rigoletto
Raven McMillon, Gilda
Andrew Owens, Duke of Mantua
Peixin Chen, Sparafucile
J'Nai Bridges, Maddalena
Christian Pursell, Count Monterone
The Washington Chorus
          Eugene Rogers, Artistic Director

PROGRAM:
Giuseppe Verdi: Rigoletto

Experience the thrilling conclusion of the BSO 2025-26 season with a concert performance of Verdi’s Rigoletto, a powerful tale of love, betrayal, and vengeance, featuring artists famous for bringing their roles to life on international stages. This is the second production of Music Director Jonathon Heyward’s ambitious four-year Verdi Opera Initiative.

Giuseppe Verdi's Rigoletto is a tragic opera that tells the story of a court jester, Rigoletto, whose efforts to protect his innocent daughter, Gilda, from the predatory Duke of Mantua lead to heartbreak and unintended consequences. Deception and vengeance intertwine as Rigoletto's scheme to punish the Duke backfires, resulting in Gilda's tragic death.

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About The Washington Chorus
The Washington Chorus (TWC) is one of the foremost symphonic choruses in the nation and a cultural leader in our nation’s capital—creating joyous and transformative choral music since 1961. TWC is noted for the superb artistry of its performances and recordings of the entire range of the choral repertoire. A three-time nominated and two-time Grammy-award winner, the 220-voice Chorus presents performances annually at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the Music Center at Strathmore, and National Presbyterian Church. TWC is also a longtime artistic partner and collaborator with many of the nation’s leading organizations and artists, including the National Symphony Orchestra (NSO), National Philharmonic (NatPhil), Washington Performing Arts (WPA), and the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra (BSO). 

About Eugene Rogers
Lauded for leading performances of “pure magic” (Washington Post), conductor Eugene Rogers is at the vanguard of American musicians, recognized for his musical and educational leadership around the world. Rogers is a committed conductor, teacher, arranger, and industry thought leader, championing timely new works, bringing historically overlooked music to life, and supporting next-generation talents. 

Rogers is a two-time Michigan Emmy Award winner, a 2017 Sphinx Medal of Excellence recipient, and was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2015. Musical America magazine has named him one of the top music industry professionals, and his work has been profiled on CNN, PBS, and on radio stations and in print and online publications across the world. 

Since 2020, Rogers has served as Artistic Director of The Washington Chorus. He is also the Founding Director for EXIGENCE, a professional vocal ensemble affiliated with the world-renowned Sphinx Organization, highlighting artistry within Black and Latinx communities. Alongside his own appearances as guest conductor for orchestra, chorus, and opera, he has also proudly acted as chorus master to leading conductors including Gianandrea Noseda, Marin Alsop, Joe Hisaishi, and James Conlon. 

Rogers is an Associate Professor of Music and the Director of University Choirs at the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre, and Dance. He currently serves on the board of Chorus America and is the former national chair of the Diversity Initiatives Committee for the American Choral Directors Association. Rogers is also active as an arranger, with publications including the Eugene Rogers Choral Series and the EXIGENCE Choral Series for Mark Foster Publishing.

Photo at top of release by Elman Studio

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