Broadway | Jazz | Chamber Music | Folk | Tango | Chinese Music
Saturday, January 17, 2026 | 5:30pm, 7pm
Jazz in January: An Evening of Duke Ellington
Quentin Walson, piano | Jacob Pembelton, bass | Daniel Kelly II, drums
Celebrate Washington’s own Duke Ellington through an intimate concert of his most cherished compositions. The Quentin Walston Trio explores the breadth of Ellington’s genius from Roaring 20s-era compositions like “Black and Tan Fantasy“, to iconic big band hits like “Take the A Train” to the sophisticated tone poems of “Come Sunday.” Pianist and jazz educator Quentin Walston brings scholarly insight and passionate performance to this journey through Ellington’s career, revealing why the D.C. native remains one of America’s greatest composers.
Saturday, January 31, 2026 | 5:30pm concert and reception
Chinese Jazz Fusion: The Guzheng Reimagined
Qi Yu, Guzheng & Chinese zither | Jack Gruber, piano | Michael McSweeney, percussion
Through the expressive artistry of guzheng virtuoso Qi Yu, a Strathmore Hall Artist in Residence, this performance bridges traditional Chinese music with contemporary genres, blending the guzheng’s ethereal tones with jazz, Latin music, and other global music styles. Originally from Inner Mongolia and now based in the Washington, D.C. area, Qi Yu brings new life to centuries-old melodies, offering a concert that honors the depth and grace of Chinese musical heritage.
Opening remarks will be given by the Minister-Counselor of Culture and Tourism of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the United States.
At the heart of the trio is the guzheng – a traditional Chinese zither with a 2,500-year history – backed by an ensemble of versatile collaborators on piano and percussion. The group breathes new life into both ancient melodies and original compositions.
Tuesday, February 10, 2026 | 5:30pm, 7pm
Improvised Journeys: Blues, Klezmer, Swing & Jazz
Maximillian Jacobs, violin | Samuel Farthing, guitar | Jack Gruber, piano | David Marsh, bass
Blending the rhythmic vitality of swing, the expressive soul of blues, the infectious spirit of klezmer, the twang of bluegrass, and the harmonic richness of jazz, this concert promises a fresh and captivating musical journey across traditions and styles. With bold original works and in-the-moment improvisations, this quartet will explore the edges of genre and the heart of musical expression. Experience the fusion of traditions and innovation in a concert that celebrates the freedom and energy of modern improvisational music.
Saturday, February 21, 2026 | 5:30pm, 7pm
MY FAVORITE THINGS: The Songs of Richard Rodgers
Anna Bergman, Soprano | Howard Breitbart, Musical Director & Pianist
Richard Rodgers is one of the world’s most brilliant and prolific composers. Anna Bergman celebrates songs he wrote with such iconic lyricists as Lorenz Hart, Oscar Hammerstein II and Stephen Sondheim and shares some first-hand stories from Anna’s Broadway colleagues and friends. You’ll enjoy classic songs from Rodgers Broadway and Hollywood musicals including Blue Moon, My Funny Valentine, My Favorite Things, Climb Ev’ry Mountain, Bewitched and Some Enchanted Evening.
“Wonderful, poignant and breathtaking, Anna makes classic songs seem vibrant and new.” (BROADWAYWORLD)
Sunday, March 8, 2026 | 4:00pm
Last Stand Quartet Plays Haydn and Ravel
Musicians of the National Symphony Orchestra: Joel Fuller, Violin | Derek Powell, Violin | Mahoko Eguchi, Viola | Rachel Young, Cello
Experience the National Symphony Orchestra up close and personal! These four stellar musicians are part of the NSO and perform together as the Last Stand Quartet. Stay for a post-concert reception, where the NSO musicians will meet-and-greet with the audience.
This program pairs two landmark works that illuminate the evolution of the string quartet. Haydn’s String Quartet in D Major, Op. 71, No. 2 opens the program with its bold, orchestral introduction, graceful inner movements, and a finale full of wit and rhythmic vitality. Ravel’s String Quartet in F Major, M.35 offers a striking contrast, unfolding a luminous palette of color and texture, from its glowing opening theme to the atmospheric slow movement and the driving, brilliant finale. Together, the works trace a journey from classical clarity to modern expressive richness.
This concert is sponsored by Tres Lorton & Nancy Prosser.
Friday, March 13, 2026 | 5:30pm
Chamber Music: Serenade to the Stars
Musicians of the Washington National Opera Orchestra: Adria Sternstein Foster, principal flute | Kayla Moffet, principal 2nd violin | Erika Gray, viola | Amy Frost Baumgarten, principal cello | Susan Robinson, principal harp
An evening of chamber music by women, performed by some of today’s finest female musicians. The evening’s program includes Maddalena Sirmen’s spirited Trio in D Major, Fanny Mendelssohn’s tender Romance from her String Quartet (arranged for flute and strings), and Stella Sung’s evocative Dance of the White Lotus for flute and harp. Rounding out the program are Three Dances by Lera Auerbach and Libby Larsen’s imaginative Trio for flute, viola, and harp—bringing a contemporary voice to this rich musical celebration.
Tuesday, March 24, 2026 | 5:30pm, 7pm
VIDA – A Tango Life
QuinTango: Emmanuel Trifilio, bandoneon | Regino Madrid, violin | Joan Singer, violin | Hai Jin, piano | Ali Cook, double bass
Tango returns to the Secret Garden with the captivating sound of the bandoneon, violin, piano, and double bass, in a program featuring the entrancing music of Astor Piazzolla, the composer who brought tango to international attention, along with other celebrated tango composers and original music by Emmanuel Trifilio, the leading bandoneon musician in the Washington, D.C. area.
Tuesday, April 14, 2026 | 5:30pm
Four hands, One Piano: Barber, Schubert, Saint-Saëns
Vieness Piano Duo: Vijay Venkatesh, piano | Eva Schaumkell, piano
Hailed for “effortless technical command and authority with a sense of poetry,” award-winning pianists Vijay Venkatesh and Eva Schaumkell return to the Secret Garden Concert Series as they play together on one piano with a program of Franz Schubert’s Fantasy in F Minor, Saint-Saëns’ Carnival of the Animals, and Barber’s Souvenirs.
“Vijay Venkatesh and Eva Schaumkell, at the height of their abilities combine the profane and sacred, nature and poetry – they transcend whatever they touch.” (Star-Ledger, New Jersey)
“Vijay Venkatesh is blessed with it all: transcendent technique, unbridled passion, and irresistible charisma. He breathes with an oxygen of imagination.” (The Washington Post)
Eva Schaumkell is praised for her “astonishing combination of depth of expression and thrilling virtuosity” (Nassauische Neue Presse)
