The National Symphony Orchestra has brought back its wonderful NSO in Your Neighborhood initiative. From January 5-11, Downtown DC and Penn Quarter will be a hive of musical activity as the NSO presents a week’s worth of free events for the entire family.
The American Art Museum, International Spy Museum, MLK Library, community churches, local theatres, and more venues around the Downtown/Penn Quarter area will host a variety of presentations, including chamber music performances, orchestral concerts, and educational events.
The performances highlighted below will likely appeal to families with young children most, but just about all of the events can be appreciated by any age. You can view the complete schedule on the Kennedy Center website.
Saturday, January 9
The Smithsonian American Art Museum, 8th & F Streets NW
All day & 7pm
There will be pop-up performances throughout the day, including the NSO Family Concert: Inspiration! at 2-3pm, plus instrument petting zoos. And the entire National Symphony Orchestra will perform a special evening concert in the Kogod Courtyard.
Calvary Baptist Church, 755 8th Street NW
Master Class, 10:3am – 12:30pm
Audiences are invited to observe NSO musician Holly Hamilton (violin) leading a master class for Symphony Kids of the Prince George’s Philharmonic.
Sunday, January 10
Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, 901 G Street NW
Artistic Exchange: Music and Spoken Word, 2-4pm
NSO musician Glenn Donnellan (violin) performs with spoken word artists from Words, Beats & Life and members of the Hip Hop Orchestra of UMD.
International Spy Museum , 800 F Street NW
Spy-themed music 3-4pm
NSO musicians Nurit Bar-Josef (concertmaster), Natasha Bogachek (violin), Eric deWaardt (viola), and James Lee (cello) perform an espionage-themed program for this family-friendly event. Patrons who attend the performance will also receive a coupon for $5 off the price of admission to visit the museum’s exhibits.
