The Washington Chorus Announces 2023-2024 Season

Anhelos Universales | Universal Longings: Exploring the power of the human voice, in partnership with National Philharmonic. 

A Candlelight Christmas: The Holiday tradition returns! 

L’Éternel: Celebrating the sacred choral works of Lili Boulanger, Igor Stravinsky, and Ludwig van Beethoven, in partnership with National Philharmonic. 

Elijah Reimagined: Innovative production of Felix Mendelssohn’s well-loved oratorio with new visual elements. 

With the National Symphony Orchestra: 
The Planets in HD, Gustav Holst 

Music from the Studio Ghibli Films of Hayao Miyazaki 

Bernard Labadie conducts Fauré’s Requiem 

  

WASHINGTON – The Washington Chorus (TWC), is excited to announce its 2023-24 season. Under the continued leadership of Artistic Director Dr. Eugene Rogers, the season features seven concerts of thought-provoking and socially impactful music, at venues across the DMV. The expansive season opens on July 7 and includes three guest appearances with the National Symphony Orchestra and two concerts in partnership with National Philharmonic. For more information, visit The Washington Chorus. 

 

“I am thrilled about the launch of our 2023-24 season of song, our 63rd, which promises to be nothing short of amazing,” said Rogers.?“As we strive to create transformative musical experiences that bring people together through choral music, our?concerts and collaborations with the National Symphony and National Philharmonic Orchestra celebrate compositional voices of both the past and present. Including the iconic Symphony of Psalms by Igor Stravinsky, the Venezuelan classic Cantata Criolla by Antonio Estevez,?the East Coast premiere of “Breaths of Universal Longings” by James Lee III, and Felix Mendelssohn’s powerful oratorio Elijah featuring Grammy Award-winning baritone Will Liverman, I cannot wait to discover and explore this breadth of choral music together.” 

 

The season opens with the first of three guest appearances with the National Symphony Orchestra (NSO): an immersive film from NASA’s space explorations and Gustav Holst’s iconic suite, The Planets in partnership with the National Symphony Orchestra (NSO). The full feature film will be projected in HD onto screens in-house and on the lawn at Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts on Friday, July 7. 

 

Also at Wolf Trap this summer, TWC joins the NSO once again for a concert celebrating the music of Japanese composer Joe Hisaishi, with music from the Studio Ghibli Films of Hayao Miyazaki on July 14 and 15. Scenes from the iconic films including My Neighbor Totoro and Spirited Away accompany the performance, conducted by Hisaishi himself. 

 

Dr. Rogers steps onto the podium to lead TWC and the National Philharmonic in Anhelos Universales (“Universal Longings”) on Sunday, November 5 at The Music Center at Strathmore. The concert presents a tapestry woven from the human voice and spirit, first through James Lee III’s?Breaths of Universal Longings, celebrating our shared humanity and the universality of singing, and then through Antonio Estévez’s?Cantata Criolla, in which Florentino, a Venezuelan cowboy, musically duels with El Diablo to save his soul, demonstrating the true power of the human voice through vivid storytelling. 

 

A beloved holiday tradition returns with TWC’s, A Candlelight Christmas, December 15-22 at the Kennedy Center Concert Hall and The Music Center at Strathmore. Led by Dr. Rogers and featuring the National Capital Brass and Percussion, Organist Paul Byssainthe, Jr., two local high school choirs, and more—join TWC for this seasonal favorite. 

 

Returning to the Kennedy Center Concert Hall, TWC joins the NSO for Fauré’s Requiem on April 4-6, conducted by French-Canadian maestro Bernard Labadie. An atypical requiem, Fauré’s masterpiece has become one of the most iconic works of the sacred choral repertoire, reaching far beyond the composer’s original Parisian congregation.  

Further exploring faith and divinity, TWC and National Philharmonic partner again to present L’Éternel on May 11 at The Music Center at Strathmore. With Dr. Rogers on the podium, they will share the spiritual works of Lili Boulanger, Igor Stravinsky, and Ludwig van Beethoven. Throughout Psalm 24, Symphony of Psalms, and Mass in C Major, each composer explores their faith using their unique voice. 

 

In a powerful finale, TWC’s brings a biblical prophet to life in their final performance of the season: Elijah Reimagined on June 8 at the Kennedy Center Concert Hall. In this innovative and visual production under the baton of Dr. Rogers, GRAMMY Award-winning baritone Will Liverman performs the title role of Elijah alongside Caitlin Lynch (soprano), Antona Yost (mezzo-soprano), Norman Shankle (tenor), and the Children’s Chorus of Washington. 

 

Season subscriptions are available beginning Friday, May 19 at 10am, including TWC’s brand new digital subscription. Learn more and get tickets at thewashingtonchorus.org. 

 

2023-24 Season Chronology 

The Washington Chorus / Eugene Rogers, Artistic Director 

 

The Planets in HD, Gustav Holst 

In Partnership with the National Symphony Orchestra 

Friday, July 7, 2023, at 8 p.m. 

Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts 

 

Gaze in wonder as breathtaking NASA images and footage are projected onto a giant screen, complementing Holst’s awe-inspiring masterpiece performed by the National Symphony Orchestra. The Planets—inspired by the contrasting astrological qualities of the Solar System—features the much-loved movements “Mars,” “Jupiter,” and more. 

• Nicholas Hersh, conductor 
• Alexander Malofeev, piano 

Tickets start at $25 

 

Joe Hisaishi Symphonic Concert: Music from the Studio Ghibli Films of Hayao Miyazaki 

With the National Symphony Orchestra 

Friday, July 14, and Saturday, July 15, 2023, at 8 p.m. 

Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts 

Legendary Studio Ghibli film composer Joe Hisaishi conducts the NSO in his beloved scores as scenes from My Neighbor Totoro, Spirited Away, and more are projected on the big screen. 

Tickets start at $46 

 

Universal Longings | Anhelos Universales 

In Partnership with the National Philharmonic 

Sunday, November 5, 2023, at 3 p.m. 

The Music Center at Strathmore 

TWC's first concert of the season,?“Anhelos Universales,” explores the power of song, presenting a tapestry woven from the human voice and spirit. We begin with the east coast premiere of James Lee III’s?Breaths of Universal Longings, celebrating our shared humanity and the universality of singing. Then we demonstrate the true power of the human voice through the vivid storytelling of Antonio Estévez’s?Cantata Criolla, in which Florentino, a Venezuelan cowboy, musically duels with El Diablo to save his soul. Co-presented with National Philharmonic and conducted by Artistic Director Eugene Rogers, this concert weaves the thread that connects us all.? 

Guest Artists: 

• Scott Piper, Tenor 

• Juan Tomás Matínez Yépez, Baritone 

Single tickets on sale in late August 2023 (thewashingtonchorus.org) 

 

A Candlelight Christmas  

Fri, Dec 15 at 8 pm | Music Center at Strathmore? 

Sat, Dec 16 at 3 pm | Kennedy Center Concert Hall? 

Wed, Dec 20 at 7 pm | Kennedy Center Concert Hall? 

Thu, Dec 21 at 7 pm | Kennedy Center Concert Hall? 

Fri, Dec 22 at 8 pm | Kennedy Center Concert Hall? 

 

Ring in the holiday season (literally!) at The Washington Chorus' "A Candlelight Christmas!" Featuring spirited brass, a festive chorus, and extra special guests to help you celebrate the season, this concert is among the DC region's most beloved holiday traditions—so don't miss this heartwarming seasonal delight! 

Guest Artists: 

• National Capital Brass and Percussion 
• Paul Byssainthe, Jr., organ and piano 
• Side-by-Side High School Choirs 

Single tickets on sale in late August 2023 (thewashingtonchorus.org) 

 

Bernard Labadie conducts Fauré’s Requiem & Mozart’s “Paris” Symphony 

With the National Symphony Orchestra 

April 4, 2024 at 7 p.m. | April 6, 2024 at 8 p.m.   

Kennedy Center Concert Hall 

This is not your typical Requiem. Anguish, loss, and fear of death are gone, replaced with a tender vision of paradise that awaits. Gabriel Fauré’s masterpiece has become one of the most iconic works of the sacred choral repertoire. French-Canadian maestro Bernard Labadie conducts the divine score, along with two other works that premiered to great acclaim in Paris: Mozart’s Symphony No. 31 and Rigel’s Symphony No. 4. 

Guest Artists: 

• Bernard Labadie, conductor 
• Joélle Harvey, soprano 
• Michael Sumuel, bass-baritone 

Single tickets available fall 2023 (kennedy-center.org) 

 

l’Éternel 

Co-presented with National Philharmonic? 

May 11, 2024 at 7:30 p.m. 

The Music Center at Strathmore?? 

Together again with National Philharmonic and led by Dr. Rogers, TWC celebrates the sacred choral works of Lili Boulanger, Igor Stravinsky, and Ludwig van Beethoven in?“l’Éternel.” Throughout Psalm 24, Symphony of Psalms, and Mass in C Major, each composer explores faith and spirituality using their unique voice, gifting us three individual representations of divinity. 

Guest Artists: 

• Colleen Daly, soprano 

• Magdalena Wor, alto 
• Nicholas Music, tenor 
• Soloman Howard, bass 

Single tickets on sale in late August 2023 (thewashingtonchorus.org) 

 

Elijah Reimagined? 

June 8, 2024, at 7 p.m. 

The Kennedy Center Concert Hall? 

TWC brings its season to its stunning conclusion with “Elijah Reimagined.” This innovative production of Mendelssohn’s well-loved oratorio Elijah is like nothing seen before, promising a visual spectacle to bring the biblical prophet, as performed by GRAMMY Award-Winning Will Liverman, to life. 

Guest Artists:  

• Will Liverman, baritone 

• Caitlin Lynch, soprano 
• Antona Yost, mezzo-soprano? 
• Norman Shankle, tenor 
• Children’s Chorus of Washington 

 

Single tickets on sale in late August 2023 (thewashingtonchorus.org) 

 

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The Washington Chorus (TWC) is a three-time GRAMMY® Award-nominated and two-time GRAMMY® Award-winning ensemble, noted for the superb artistry of its performances and recordings of the entire range of the choral repertoire. Founded in 1961 and the first major symphonic chorus in the United States to be led by a Black artistic director with the appointment of Dr. Eugene Rogers in 2020, TWC is one of the nation’s leading symphonic choruses and a vital and engaged member of the DC community. The 160-voice chorus presents an annual series at prestigious venues in DC, Maryland, and Virginia, such as The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the Music Center at Strathmore, and Wolf Trap. 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). 

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