Performances take place Sundays at 7:00 p.m. and Mondays at 8:00 p.m. The cost of a full-season subscription is $350. Additional seats may become available for single concerts. Individual ticket sales may be arranged by contacting the Music at Dumbarton Oaks office. The ticket price is $54 per person. All subscription and ticket sales are nonrefundable.
If you wish to purchase a season subscription, require further information, or have questions about accessibility, please contact us via email at concerts@doaks.org or by phone at 202-339-6436.
To find out more about performances from past concert seasons, see the Dumbarton Oaks Annual Reports. For information about performing at Dumbarton Oaks, or to be considered for the series, please contact Valerie Stains, Director of Music.
2018–2019 Series
Poulenc Trio
October 14 & 15, 2018
America’s best-known piano-wind trio plays dynamic, beautiful works spanning three centuries in performances “shot through with an irrepressible sweetness” (Washington Post). They have performed in 45 states and at festivals worldwide, including a tour of Russia with violinist Hilary Hahn. Their Dumbarton Oaks debut features works by Dmitri Shostakovich, André Previn, and Alfred Schnittke; the group’s signature trio by Francis Poulenc; and Trains of Thought, a commission by the brilliant young American composer Viet Cuong.
LES DÉLICES
November 4 & 5, 2018
This delightful period instrument ensemble’s program, Age of Indulgence, presents daring, experimental French rococo works—music from the eve of an aesthetic revolution. These works from the 1740s and ’50s mix the humor and wit of early classical composers with characteristically lush French harmonies. Les Délices performs works for oboe, strings, and harpsichord by François-André Philidor, Jean-Philippe Rameau, Michel Blavet, Jean-Pierre Guignon, and others.
BLUE HERON
December 2 & 3, 2018
Combining a commitment to vivid live performance with the study of original source materials and historical performance practices, the vocal ensemble Blue Heron has been hailed by the New Yorker for the “expressive intensity” of its interpretations. Christmas in 15th-Century France and Burgundy offers a mix of mysticism and merriment, with music by the greatest French and Flemish musicians of the day, including Guillaume Dufay, Johannes Regis, Josquin des Prez, Jacob Obrecht, and Antoine Brumel.
ZOFO
January 13 & 14, 2019
Since joining forces as a professional duo in 2009, internationally acclaimed solo pianists Eva-Maria Zimmermann and Keisuke Nakagoshi have electrified audiences from Carnegie Hall to Tokyo with their dazzling artistry and outside-the-box thematic programming for “one piano four hands.” The Grammy-nominated ensemble makes its Dumbarton Oaks debut playing works by Franz Schubert, Samuel Barber, Urmas Sisask, and Terry Riley.
POLONSKY-SHIFRIN-WILEY TRIO
February 10 & 11, 2019
In early 2018, renowned clarinetist David Shifrin announced the formation of a new trio. Shifrin’s colleagues in this ensemble are distinguished cellist Peter Wiley (formerly of the Beaux Arts Trio and Guarneri String Quartet), and rising star pianist Anna Polonsky. This outstanding collaboration of talents makes its US debut at Dumbarton Oaks, with works by Nino Rota, Samuel Barber, Claude Debussy, and Gabriel Fauré.
HOWLING GAELS
March 17 & 18, 2019
Just in time for St. Patrick’s Day, the Howling Gaels of eastern Washington play and sing traditional Irish music and songs—lively jigs and reels, love songs, drinking songs, and sing-alongs. Their music also draws from the broader reaches of Celtic music—Brittany, Scotland, Canada, and America. These five top traditional musicians include soloists on violin and tin whistle and a masterful rhythm section of bouzouki, bass, and traditional Irish percussion.
THE KNIGHTS, WITH KINAN AZMEH
March 31 & April 1, 2019
The Knights are a collective of adventurous musicians dedicated to transforming the orchestral experience and eliminating barriers between audiences and music. Guest artist Kinan Azmeh’s distinctive sound across different musical genres has gained him international recognition as a clarinetist and composer. The ensemble performs a DC premiere by Azmeh as well as works by Thomas Adès and Caroline Shaw.
