World Premiere, DC Premieres & More Set for National Symphony Orchestra 2024-25 Season

The National Symphony Orchestra has unveiled its 2024–2025 season, the orchestra’s 94th season and the eighth season led by Music Director Gianandrea Noseda, honoring tradition alongside innovation and presenting celebrated artists, many of whom are making their debuts with the NSO.

Noseda’s eighth season with the NSO features Noseda leading programs that demonstrate the profound influence he has had on the orchestra with major works including Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 6 and Ludwig van Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis. The NSO also continues the initiative begun in the 2023–2024 season of producing an opera in concert led by Noseda; this season’s offering is Samuel Barber’s Vanessa, with a cast of soloists including Sondra Radvanovsky (NSO debut), mezzo-soprano J’Nai Bridges, tenor Matthew Polenzani, mezzo-soprano Susan Graham, and baritone Thomas Hampson.

This season, Noseda also leads the orchestra on its first domestic tour since 2011. From March 18–24, 2025, the orchestra visits five cities in Florida with violinist Hilary Hahn, reflecting on the NSO’s national role in residence at the Kennedy Center, the National Cultural Center.

Music Director Gianandrea Noseda said of the 2024–2025 season: “I’m very excited about my eighth season and what the artists of the National Symphony Orchestra and I will bring to our incredible audience. The programs we have crafted represent the richness of our musical landscape both familiar and new. Our goal is to always bring a sense of wonder to our music-making and to tell stories that will resonate beyond the performance. We cannot wait to welcome everyone to the Kennedy Center for this experience and all our programs next season.”

“The National Symphony Orchestra's 2024–2025 has been envisioned by Music Director Gianandrea Noseda, who is known for his inquisitive and thoughtful approach to music. It will showcase the orchestra's artistic vibrancy, diversity, and its commitment to engaging with local and national communities. Drawing inspiration from its hometown, Washington, D.C., the NSO aims to be a symbol of the country's creative spirit, welcoming all music lovers,” said National Symphony Orchestra Executive Director Jean Davidson. “Next season's performances will take audiences on a journey to the inner worlds of diverse composers and feature some of the world’s greatest artists. The audience can expect a season that will delight and inspire.”

The season sees D.C. premieres of three NSO co-commissioned works by Julia Wolfe, Alexander Raskatov, and Kennedy Center Composer-in-Residence Carlos Simon. The NSO also reaffirms its commitment to Simon—whose term as Composer-in-Residence was recently extended through the 2026–2027 season—by presenting his Four Black American Dances on the Opening Night Gala Concert, the first subscription program of the season, and on the spring Florida tour. The NSO also presents recent works by Gabriela Ortiz, Cindy McTeend a suite composed for Joshua Bell entitled The Elements, featuring all new works by renowned American composers Kevin Puts, Edgar Meyer, Jake Heggie, Jennifer Higdon, and Jessie Montgomery.

The final three weeks of the season celebrate the close connection between film music and concert music, with live-to-film presentations of Amadeuswith orchestra, and Metropolis with organist Cameron Carpenter performing his own original score to the silent film; classic film scores conducted by Teddy Abrams; a program led by conductor James Gaffigan of film music by Bernstein, Rota, and Shostakovich coupled with concertos by James Newton Howard, Michael Abels, and John Williams; and a program of contemporary film music curated by Academy Award®–winning director, composer, and pianist Kris Bowers.

In addition to its regular subscription concerts, the NSO connects with the larger D.C. community through performances at The Anthem at D.C.’s The Wharf and through its ongoing community engagement initiative, NSO In Your Neighborhood. The Orchestra also engages with future classical audiences through Family Concerts in the fall and spring.

Additional programming, which includes innovative concerts that expand the orchestra’s artistic scope and upend the traditional Classical concert-going experience, will be announced later. Several of NSO’s initiatives that aim to reach new audiences, including its free annual Notes of Honor initiative for active duty and retired service members, Sound Health with the National Institutes of Health, DECLASSIFIED® curated by NSO Artistic Advisor Ben Folds, and concerts at the REACH will also be announced at a later date.

CONCERTS WITH MUSIC DIRECTOR GIANANDREA NOSEDA

The 2024–2025 season opens on September 28, 2024, with Four Black American Dances by Kennedy Center Composer-in-Residence Carlos Simon. The Season Opening Gala Concert program also includes Maurice Ravel’s La Valse, three dances by French composer Mel Bonis, and Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2 with Yunchan Lim—the youngest-ever winner of the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition—in his NSO debut as soloist. Lim’s performance of Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3 at the Cliburn finals in 2022 has been viewed more than 13 million times on YouTube.

The following week, soprano Rachel Willis-Sørensen (in her NSO debut) joins the orchestra for Richard Strauss’ Four Last Songs. Carlos Simon’s Four Black American Dances and Ludwig van Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 complete the program. Willis-Sørensen’s recording of the Four Last Songs with the Gewandhaus Orchester and Andris Nelsons was released in March 2023 on Sony Classical (October 3–5, 2024).

Beethoven and Strauss also make up the next week’s program. Pianist Leif Ove Andsnes joins Noseda and the NSO for Beethoven’s “Emperor” Piano Concerto, and the Orchestra performs Strauss’ tone poem, Ein Heldenleben (October 10, 11, and 13, 2024).
Violinist Joshua Bell joins the NSO for the D.C. premiere of The Elements, a five-movement suite for violin and orchestra collaboratively written by five leading American composers: Kevin Puts (“Earth”), Edgar Meyer (“Water”), Jake Heggie (“Fire”), Jennifer Higdon (“Air”), and Jessie Montgomery (“Space”). In commissioning The Elements, Bell was inspired by thematic works like Antonio Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons and Gustav Holst’s The Planets, seeing the ancient elements as fruitful ground for exploration. The program also includes Johannes Brahms’ Symphony No. 1 (October 17–19, 2024).

Alexei Ogrintchouk is the soloist for Alexander Raskatov’s new Oboe Concerto, Time’s River, an NSO co-commission described as “a hymn to nature in resonance with our time.”

The program also includes Sergei Prokofiev’s Summer Night Suite and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 6, “Pathétique” (October 31, November 1 and 2, 2024).
In the new year, the NSO continues a series begun last season of presenting an opera in concert under Noseda with Samuel Barber’s Vanessa, featuring an all-star cast of soloists: soprano Sondra Radvanovsky, mezzo-soprano J’Nai Bridges, tenor Matthew Polenzani, mezzo-soprano Susan Graham, and baritone Thomas Hampson (January 30 and February 1, 2025).

NSO Principal Trombone Craig Mulcahy steps into the soloist role in Nino Rota’s Trombone Concerto. Noseda also conducts Nicola Campogrande’s Decisamente allegro, Claude Debussy’s Images, and Maurice Ravel’s Boléro (March 6–8, 2025).
The following week’s concerts include Igor Stravinsky’s Petrushka and Dmitri Shostakovich’s Violin Concerto No. 2 with soloist Leonidas Kavakos (March 13–15, 2025). The NSO also presents Kavakos in recital with Daniil Trifonov earlier in the month (see “NSO Presents,” below).

From March 18–24, 2025, the NSO performs in five cities in Florida on its first domestic tour since 2011. Hilary Hahn joins the orchestra for Erich Wolfgang Korngold’s cinematic Violin Concerto; the tour program also includes reprise performances of Carlos Simon’s Four Black American Dances and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5.

Gianandrea Noseda’s closes his eighth season with the NSO with three consecutive weeks in May; the first of these features Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 4 and Alfred Schnittke’s Violin Concerto No. 1 with soloist Lisa Batiashvili (May 1–3, 2025).
Next, Noseda conducts Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 6 (May 8–10, 2025).
Noseda’s concludes his portion of the 2024–2025 season with Beethoven’s late masterpiece Missa Solemnis featuring soprano Erika Grimaldi, mezzo-soprano Rihab Chaieb, tenor Saimir Pirgu, and bass-baritone Marko Mimica (May 15–17, 2025).

THREE NEW COMMISSIONS 

Carlos Simon, Here I Stand (NSO Co-Commission)
September 14, 2024

Eugene Rogers conducts Carlos Simon’s Here I Stand, a new work dedicated to the legacy of trailblazing baritone Paul Robeson, with a libretto by Dan Harder. This one-night-only event features bass-baritone soloist Morris Robinson and The Washington Chorus, of which Rogers serves as artistic director.

Alexander Raskatov, Oboe Concerto—Time’s River (NSO Co-Commission)
October 31, November 1 and 2, 2024

Music Director Gianandrea Noseda conducts the U.S. premiere of Alexander Raskatov’s Oboe Concerto—Time’s River, written for oboist Alexei Ogrintchouk—principal oboe of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra—who performs as soloist for these concerts. The title for the concerto comes from an unfinished poem by Russian poet Gavriil Derzhavin. Of Ogrintchouk, the composer said, “He is a perfect, complete musician. The music does not serve him, but rather it is he who serves the music.”

Julia Wolfe, Her Story (NSO Co-Commission)
February 27 and March 1, 2025

Marin Alsop returns to conduct Julia Wolfe’s Her Story, a major oratorio for 10 women’s voices—performed here by Lorelei Ensemble—with stage direction by Anne Kauffman and production by Bang on a Can. Her Story is the latest in a series of large-scale works by Wolfe exploring major, turbulent issues in American society—in this case, the history of women’s fight for equality. The New York Times wrote of the work, “[Her Story] has a ferocity that is literally written into the score, but also an absence of resolution as it looks back to suffrage with one wary eye toward the future steps this country still needs to take for something resembling true equality.”

NOTES & FRAMES: A FILM AND MUSIC FESTIVAL

The NSO’s 2024–2025 Classical season closes in June with a three-week festival exploring the overlap between film music and concert music, June 4–21, 2025. In the first, the NSO will present a program led by Teddy Abrams and two live-to-film concerts: Amadeus live with orchestra and Metropolisfeaturing organist Cameron Carpenter’s original score to Fritz Lang’s 1927 science-fiction silent film. The second week James Gaffigan will conduct film scores by Bernstein, Rota, and Shostakovich and concertos by James Newton Howard featuring violinist James Ehnes, Michael Abels with an NSO string quartet, and John Williams with NSO Principal Horn Abel Pereira as soloist. The final week of the festival culminates in a world premiere by Academy Award®–winning director, composer, and pianist Kris Bowers (The Last Repair Shop, Green Book, King Richard, and The Color Purple) who will curate and perform a program of contemporary film music to be conducted by Anthony Parnther.

ARTIST DEBUTS

Conductor Eugene Rogers makes his debut leading Carlos Simon’s Here I Stand, an NSO co-commission. Rogers serves as artistic director of The Washington Chorus, who joined the NSO in co-commissioning the work, and who also appear on this program (September 14, 2024).

The NSO’s Opening Night Gala Concert, conducted by Music Director Gianandrea Noseda, features the NSO debut of pianist Yunchan Lim performing Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2 (September 28, 2024).

The following week, soprano Rachel Willis-Sørensen makes her debut as soloist in Strauss’ Four Last Songs, also conducted by Noseda (October 3–5, 2024).
For oboist Alexei Ogrintchouk’s debut, he plays Alexander Raskatov’s Oboe Concerto, Time’s River, a work written for him. Gianandrea Noseda conducts (October 31, November 1 and 2, 2024).

For her NSO debut, pianist Alexandra Dovgan performs Robert Schumann’s Piano Concerto, conducted by Marek Janowski (November 21–23, 2024).

Baroque specialist Masaaki Suzuki, founder of Bach Collegium Japan, makes his NSO debut leading the orchestra’s annual December performances of George Frideric Handel’s Messiah, featuring soloists Jone Martínez (soprano), Reginald Mobley (countertenor), Lunga Eric Hallam (tenor), and Dashon Burton (bass-baritone), all in their NSO debuts, with the University of Maryland Concert Choir directed by Jason Max Ferdinand (December 19–22, 2024).

Jorge Federico Osorio performs Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 3 in his NSO debut, led by Carlos Miguel Prieto (January 16–18, 2025).

Soprano Sondra Radvanovsky, who has performed at the Kennedy Center with Washington National Opera, makes her NSO debut in Samuel Barber’s Vanessa, conducted by Gianandrea Noseda (January 30 and February 1, 2025).

Cellist Sterling Elliott, a 2021 Avery Fisher Career Grant recipient and National Sphinx Competition winner, performs Camille Saint-Saëns’s Cello Concerto No. 1 in his NSO debut, with Vasily Petrenko conducting (February 20–23, 2025). 
Lorelei Ensemble gives its first NSO performances as part of Her Story, Julia Wolfe’s oratorio conducted by Marin Alsop, co-commissioned by the NSO (February 27 and March 1, 2025). Lorelei performed on all previous performances of the work in Nashville, Chicago, Boston, and San Francisco.

Japanese pianist Mao Fujita, Second Prize winner in the 2019 International Tchaikovsky Competition, makes his NSO debut as soloist in Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 25, conducted by Fabio Biondi (April 3, 5, and 6, 2025).

Soloists mezzo-soprano Rihab Chaieb and tenor Saimir Pirgu will make their NSO debuts in Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis with Gianandrea Noseda on the podium (May 15–17, 2025).

RETURNING GUEST CONDUCTORS

Leonard Slatkin, former NSO music director celebrates his 80th birthday with a program featuring Cindy McTee’s Double Play; the work was dedicated to the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and Slatkin, and he conducted its world premiere in 2010 during his tenure there as music director. The program continues with Emanuel Ax as soloist in Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 20 and the program ends with William Walton’s Symphony No. 1 (November 14, 16, and 17, 2024).

Marek Janowski, who just concluded his tenure as music director of the Dresden Philharmonic, conducts Anton Bruckner’s Symphony No. 4 and Robert Schumann’s Piano Concerto with soloist Alexandra Dovgan (November 21–23).

Mexican conductor Carlos Miguel Prieto, who currently serves as music director of the North Carolina Symphony as well as of the D.C.-based Orchestra of the Americas, leads a program featuring Mexican composer Gabriela Ortiz and Mexican pianist Jorge Federico Osorio. The program opens with the D.C. premiere of Ortiz’s Téenek – Invenciones de Territorio; Téenek is the language spoken in the Huasteca region, which encompasses the Mexican states of Veracruz, Tamaulipas, San Luis Potosí, Hidalgo, Puebla, and Querétaro. Osorio is soloist in Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 3. The program concludes with Rachmaninoff’s Symphonic Dances (January 16–18, 2025).

Stéphane Denève returns to lead Guillaume Connesson’s Maslenitsa,Aram Khachaturian’s Piano Concerto with soloist Jean-Yves Thibaudet, and Modest Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition, orchestrated by Maurice Ravel (February 6–8, 2025).

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra music director Vasily Petrenkoconducts Anatoly Lyadov’s Kikimora and Tchaikovsky’s Manfred Cellist Sterling Elliott joins the orchestra for Camille Saint-Saëns’ Cello Concerto No. 1 (February 20, 22, and 23, 2025).

Marin Alsop, who was just named principal guest conductor of The Philadelphia Orchestra, leads Julia Wolfe’s Her Story, an NSO co-commission. Paired with Wolfe’s work is Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade, named for a legendary female storyteller (February 27 and March 1, 2025).

Fabio Biondi collaborates with Japanese pianist Mao Fujita in his NSO debut, performing Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 25. The program opens with Robert Schumann’s Julius Caesar Overture and closes with Felix Mendelssohn’s Symphony No. 4, “Italian” (April 3, 5, and 6, 2025).

Karina Canellakis, chief conductor of the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra and principal guest conductor of the London Philharmonic Orchestra, returns to conduct a program featuring cellist Alban Gerhardt in Dvořák’s Cello Concerto. The program also includes Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde (Prelude and Liebestod) and Scriabin’s The Poem of Ecstasy (April 10–12, 2025).

As part of the NSO’s film festival at the end of the season, James Gaffigan returns to leads three performances of concert music by film composers, with violinist James Ehnes, NSO Principal Horn Abel Pereira, and a quartet of NSO musicians (June 12–14, 2025).
Joshua Weilerstein conducts an all-American program featuring William Dawson’s Negro Folk Symphony, Leonard Bernstein’s West Side Story—Symphonic Dances, and George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue with pianist Jon Kimura Parker (May 29–31, 2025).

NSO PRESENTS

On March 2, 2025, the NSO presents a special recital by violinist Leonidas Kavakos and pianist Daniil Trifonov. Kavakos and Trifonov have been performing chamber music together for over a decade. On this program, they play sonatas by Ludwig van Beethoven, Francis Poulenc, and Johannes Brahms, as well as Béla Bartók’s Rhapsody No. 1 for Violin and Piano.

NSO FAMILY CONCERTS

These afternoon concerts are designed for young audiences, ages five and up, and take place in the Kennedy Center Concert Hall.

Mo @ the NSO (Saturday, September 21, 2024 at 2:00 and 4:00 p.m. and Sunday, September 22, 2024 at 2:00 and 4:00 p.m.)
Mo Willems and the National Symphony Orchestra will use music and storytelling to take kids and former kids on a playful journey of symphonic silliness.

Halloween Spooktacular (Sunday, October 27, 2024 at 2:00 and 4:00 p.m.)
The Halloween Spooktacular continues an annual tradition where costumed musicians perform Halloween-themed repertoire.

Earth to Space (Sunday, March 30, 2025 at 1:00 p.m.)
Get ready to explore the vastness of space with music inspired by the planets, stars, and beyond. Earth to Space is part of the Kennedy Center’s biannual series REACH to NATURE, which explores the connections between art, science, and the environment.

NSO IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD

The NSO’s longest-running community engagement initiative, the In Your Neighborhood (IYN) program, takes the Orchestra and small ensembles into community venues in a particular neighborhood for a concentrated period of activity in a particular neighborhood. Next season, the program enters its 13th year. In the spring of 2024, NSO musicians will perform 24 events throughout Wards Six and Eight.

NOTES OF HONOR

The NSO will present its annual free performance for members of the military and their families as part of the NSO Notes of Honor initiative. This marks the eighth year of the NSO’s initiative that aims to recognize and express the Orchestra’s gratitude to active duty and prior service members, veterans, and retired service members through free programming at the Kennedy Center.

THE KENNEDY CENTER CHAMBER PLAYERS

This Sunday matinee concert series at 2:00 PM in the Terrace Theater offers audiences the opportunity to hear chamber music performed by Principal and Assistant Principal NSO musicians. Additional artists and repertoire to be announced. Performances will take place on November 3, 2024; January 19, 2025; March 16, 2025; and May 11, 2025.

TICKET & SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION

Tickets may be purchased online at kennedy-center.org, in-person at the Kennedy Center Box Office, or by calling (202) 467-4600.

Subscriptions are now available and can be purchased online at kennedy-center.org, or by calling the Subscriptions Office at (202) 416-8500 weekdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. or emailing subs@kennedy-center.org.

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