Secret Garden Concerts at The Rectory

Saturday, February 25, 2023 | 5pm, 6:30pm
If I Loved You: Falling In & Out of Love
Gershwin, Porter, Kern, Sondheim, Richard Rodgers & more 

Anna Bergmann, soprano | Howard Breitbart, musical director & piano

Hailed by New York & London critics as “an artist at the top of her game” and “a soaring vocal talent,” acclaimed soprano, Anna Bergman, serenades you with her new show, an international musical journey of courtship, romance, heartbreak and love rekindled. With inspired arrangements by her musical director/pianist Howard Breitbart, Anna performs songs & arias by such songwriters as George & Ira Gershwin, Cole Porter, Jerome Kern, Stephen Sondheim, Richard Rodgers with Hammerstein & Hart, Michel Legrand, Noel Coward, Franz Lehar, Giacomo Puccini & others.  This event takes place in our glass enclosed atrium.

“…a vocal citizen of the world who has triumphed in everything from Broadway tunes to opera arias and the sultry innuendoes of the cabaret chanteuse.” (The Washington Post)

Sunday, April 30, 2023 | 6:00pm | Special Concert and Reception
April Allegria: Mozart’s Clarinet Quintet

Principal Musicians from the National Symphony: Nurit Bar-Josef, concertmaster | Lin Ma, principal clarinet | Marissa Regni, principal violin | Daniel Foster, principal viola | Loewi Lin, cello

The stellar musicians of the National Symphony Orchestra perform Mozart’s sublime clarinet quintet, as well as a piece for violin and cello by the up-and-coming composer Carlos Simon, artist in residence at the Kennedy Center. Join us for a reception and a meet-and-greet with the artists after the concert.

June 8 & 9, 2023 | 5pm | Opera in the Secret Garden
June 11 | 3pm | George Washington Masonic Temple
Alexandria Summer Nights: The Magic Flute

Musicians from the Alexandria Summer Nights Young Artists Music Program

Mozart’s masterpiece comes to the Secret Garden in an enchanting staging featuring a talented cast of young musicians. An audience favorite for 230 years, experience the delightful story of magic, adventure, and true love – and Mozart’s majestic, sparkling score – like never before. Performances include two in the Secret Garden, and a Sunday matinee at the George Washington Masonic Temple. 

This concert is part of the Alexandria Summer Nights 2023, with is generously sponsored by John H. Hart

Sunday, February 27, 2022 | 5pm, 7:30pm

Savory Soiree: “A Chopin Salon at the Rectory”
Thomas Pandolfi, concert pianist

This event has been rescheduled due to weather and will now be on February 27th.

Enjoy 3-courses of culinary delights from Poland accompanied by French champagne and wine during this evening of Chopin in the Atrium. Thomas Pandolfi joins us for the second time at The Rectory on Princess Street. He will debut our 1928 Grand Haines Piano in our beautiful glass-enclosed atrium!

Masks will be required indoors at all times and seats socially distanced.

Thursday, March 10, 2022 | 7pm, 8:30pm
Flamenco Guitar Meets Tabla

Wadih Ettabbakh, guitar and voice | Hamid Habib Zada, tabla

Sip Spanish wine as you journey from Southern Spain, through North Africa, all the way to Afghanistan. Join us in the Atrium for a dazzling pre-season display of improvisation, virtuosity, and an unforgettable exchange between cultures. Guitarist Wadih Ettabbakh returns after opening our autumn season with his distinctive blend of flamenco and Moroccan music, joined by newly arrived Afghan musician Hamid Habib Zada playing the tabla, the ancient hand drums central to musical traditions across South Asia. 

Thursday, March 31, 2022 |  6:30pm
MOZART | TCHAIKOVSKY | MASSENET
PRICE | HEGGIE | BARNES

Shana Oshiro, soprano | Dr. Brian Bartoldus, piano | Jodi Beder, cello

Join us at 6pm for a reception in the Atrium and enjoy a “Maya Angelou” cocktail before the concert. 

Shana Oshiro combines her radiant voice with exquisite poise and beauty and offers a program of Mozart’s rarely heard Abendemfindung (“Evening Sentiment”) with the unforgettable Dans un bois solitaire (“Alone in a Forest”), and on to Tchaikovsky’s well known Serenade and Massenet’s soulful On Dit (“One Says”). The program continues with a powerful story of transformation, feminism, equality, and Justice with songs by the extremely popular Florence Price, Jake Heggie (Dead Man Walking), and Jasmine Barnes. Accompanied by pianist, conductor, and composer Brian Bartoldus and cellist Jodi Beder.

This concert has been generously sponsored by Louise Meng

Thursday, April 14, 2022 | 5pm, 6:30pm
Bolero, Zarzuela & Arias

Co-Presented with IN Series:
Timothy Nelson, Artistic Director | Judy Yannini, soprano | Emily Baltzer, piano

Sip a virgin margarita while you listen to an artist fast on the rise, Mexican soprano Judy Yannini makes her Secret Garden debut in an incandescent program of selections from vibrant zarzuelas and beloved operas, presented in partnership with IN Series.

“Yannini displayed a warm, maternal tone at both top and bottom, easily negotiating the distances between them” Washington Classical Review

Concert Postponed due to Illness
Haydn’s “Joke” for Strings
Musicians from the National Symphony

Marissa Regni, violin | Marina Aikawa, violin | Tsuna Sakamoto, viola | Eugena Chang, cello

“The String Thing” – Heather LeDoux Green, violin | Paul DeNola, bass | Jeffrey Weisner, bass

Musical laughs meet exquisite harmony when musicians from the National Symphony play Haydn’s witty String Quartet in E-flat – nicknamed “The Joke,” appropriately for a composer noted for his sense of humor as well as for being the “Father of the String Quartet.” The program also features Pulitzer Prize-winning Jennifer Higdon’s gentle musical portrait, “Southern Harmony.” Then hilarious duo “The String Thing” (Heather LeDoux Green, Paul DeNola) leads a Guess the Composer Challenge. Test your knowledge of the great works of classical music – and see if special guest Jeff Weisner can keep his NSO colleagues on their best behavior!

Thursday, May 19, 2022 | 5pm, 6:30pm
The Romantics in the Secret Garden: Beethoven’s “Moonlight” Sonata

Vijay Venkatesh, piano

Hailed for “effortless technical command and authority with a sense of poetry,” award-winning pianist Vijay Venkatesh plays a program of Romantic piano music by Clara Schumann, Johannes Brahms, Frederic Chopin and Beethoven’s famous “Moonlight” Sonata.  A glass of Spätburgunder wine will be served during the performance.

“Vijay Venkatesh is blessed with it all: transcendent technique, unbridled passion, and irresistible charisma. He breathes with an oxygen of imagination.” The Washington Post

The event is made possible with the support of the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany, Washington DC.
The Lead sponsor for this concert is Anne Carlucci & Mitchell Hertz.

June 3 & 4, 2022
Le nozze di Figaro

Musicians from the Prague Summer Nights Young Artists Music Program & Washington National Opera Cafritz Young Artists  

Opera returns to the Secret Garden with Mozart’s beloved comedy in a delightful, immersive staging featuring a talented cast of young musicians. An audience favorite since 1786, discover the madcap comedy and radiant score as never before.

This concert is part of the Prague Summer Nights 2022 Washington D.C. Residency, which is generously sponsored by John H. Hart, and George & Patti White.

Friday, June 24, 2022 | 5pm, 6:30pm
Cuban: A Night in Havana

Luis Faife & Cuban Roots Featuring: Luis Faife (alto saxophone, flute, trumpet, background vocal, Leader) | Manuel “Memo” Pelayo (lead vocals, tenor saxophone, clarinet) | Bienvenido Dinzey (piano, background vocals) | Daniel Vargas (percussion)

Enjoy a mojito during this exuberant celebration of the golden age of Cuban music in the secret garden including favorite songs of the Buena Vista Social Club like Chan Chan, Guantanamera, Lágrimas Negras, El Cuarto de Tula, Que le den Candela and more. 

The lead sponsor for this concert is Carolyn Fuller

Friday, August 12, 2022 | 6pm, 7:30pm
Shakespeare in the Garden: “The summer’s flower is to the summer sweet”

Cole Manel, lute | Mara Yaffee, soprano | Sarah Shodja, recorder | Michael Crowley, Shakespearean Actor

Shakespeare’s works are bursting with picturesque descriptions of blooming gardens, birds, music, love and beautiful flowers. Immerse yourself into his words like never before – surrounded by our very own gorgeous garden! Music from the playwright’s time paired with captivating narrations from his sonnets, plays and poems will make you see the world around you with entirely different eyes.  Enjoy pieces by John Dowland, William Byrd, Robert Johnson, and more.

Thursday, October 6, 2022 | 5pm, 6:30pm
It Takes Two (and a Trio) to Tango

New Trifilio Tango Trio: Emmanuel Trifilio, bandoneon | Julie Huang Tucker, piano | Zoë Jorgenson, double bass
Sean Ericson and Jackie Pham, tango dancers

Tango returns to the Secret Garden with beautiful movements of dancers accompanied by the captivating sound of the bandoneon, 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 DC area. 

This concert has been generously sponsored by Norma Dugger

Sunday, November 13, 2022 | 5pm, 6:30pm
Bold as Brass: From Bach to Bernstein

Musicians from the National Symphony Orchestra and the Washington National Opera/Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra

William Gerlach, NSO Principal Trumpet | Michael Harper, NSO Assistant Principal Trumpet | Robert Rearden, NSO Horn | Colin Wise, US Navy Band Principal Trombone | Seth Cook, WNO/KCOHO Principal Tuba

Celebrate the Fall season with the vibrant sound of brass! This program will include exciting works from Bach to Bernstein and works by Dukas, Cheetham, Maurer, and Ewald, and more will be performed by Principal brass members of the National Symphony Orchestra and the Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra and the US Navy Band.

Saturday, March 27, 2021 | 2:30pm, 4pm
Season Opener: “Spring Comes On the World” – Chamber Music

Musicians from the National Symphony Orchestra:

Marissa Regni, violin  |  Angelia Cho, violin  |  Peiming Lin, violin  |  Andrew Eng, viola  |  Britton Riley, cello

Celebrate the return of springtime and “Sounds of Hope & Harmony” with string musicians from the NSO in charming, seasonal chamber works including Vivaldi’s popular “Spring” concerto from The Four Seasons and Mozart’s “Spring” quartet – as well as a mesemerizing quartet by legendary Jewish-American composer Philip Glass, in honor of Passover

This concert has been generously sponsored by John H. Hart

Saturday, April 10, 2021 | 2:30pm, 4:00pm
Opera in the Garden: Arias in April

Joshua Blue, tenor  |  Ashley Marie Robillard, soprano  |  Aurelien Eulert, piano

Returning to DC after captivating audiences in appearances at Washington National Opera and Wolf Trap Opera, award-winning tenor Joshua Blue and soprano Ashley Marie Robillard offer an enchanting program of art songs and operatic excerpts, including arias and duets by Mozart, Verdi, and Donizetti and songs by Claude Debussy, Florence Price, and more.

“I defy any heart to resist Joshua Blue, a smiling, expressive tenor with ringing high notes…” (Washington Post).

“Ashley Marie Robillard […] sang with beauty and precision even in her most comic moments. Hers is the voice I’d most like to hear again.” (The Philadelphia Inquirer)

This concert has been generously sponsored by George & Patti White

Sunday, April 25, 2021 | 5:30pm, 7pm
“Cello Bloch-buster: Celebrating J.S. Bach and Ernest Bloch”

Amit Peled, cello

Renowned for his profound artistry and charismatic stage presence, Israeli-American cellist Amit Peled pairs Bach’s monumental and joyful Cello Suite No. 6 – “a symphony for solo cello” as described by Mstislav Rostropovich – with haunting work by the Swiss-born American composer Ernest Bloch: From Jewish Life, one of many musical works reflecting Bloch’s deeply personal and individual musical treatment of Judaism. Amit performs on a 1695 cello by the Italian master Giovanni Grancino – nicknamed “Shoko” because its rich sound is like a “hot chocolate bath.”

“A glowing tone, a seductive timbre and an emotionally pointed approach to phrasing that made you want to hear him again.” (The New York Times)

The date has changed to our Sunday rain date.

Saturday, May 8, 2021 | 5:30pm, 7pm
“A Song in My Heart: A Tuneful Gift for Mom”

Anna Bergman, soprano  |  Howard Breitbart, piano

Celebrate Mother’s Day with internationally acclaimed singer Anna Bergman in favorites from cabaret to operetta. An unforgettable musical treat featuring gems from stage, screen, and popular hits.

Favorites from South Pacific, The Sound of Music, Fiddler on the Roof, and Into the Woods, and other songs made famous by Ella Fitzgerald, Edith Piaf, Julie Andrews, and more.

Enjoy a sparkling toast and a Mother’s Day surprise!

“…a vocal citizen of the world who has triumphed in everything from Broadway tunes to opera arias and the sultry innuendoes of the cabaret chanteuse.” (The Washington Post) 

Thursday, May 20, 2021 | 5:30pm, 7pm
“Meditations and Fantasies”

David Kim, violin  |  Jeffrey DeVault, piano

Sarasate’s Carmen Fantasy | Massenet’s “Meditation” from Thais | Stravinsky’s Suite Italienne

Concertmaster of the Philadelphia Orchestra since 1999, David Kim comes to the Secret Garden for a brilliant program demonstrating the range of his artistry, from the personal to the virtuosic. Highlights include Jules Massenet’s “Meditation” from Thais and Pablo de Sarasate’s Carmen Fantasy, alongside lesser-known works such as Maria Theresia von Paradis’s Sicilienne and Igor Stravinsky’s Suite Italienne – in honor of the 50^th anniversary of the composer’s death.

“Much burden fell on concertmaster David Kim, who carried a number of movements with style and buoyancy.” (The Philadelphia Inquirer)

This concert has been generously sponsored by Carolyn Fuller

Friday, June 4, 2021 | 5:30pm, 7pm
“I Hear America Singing”

Choral Arts Chamber Singers  |  Scott Tucker, conductor

Performing in person for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic, singers from the Choral Arts Society of Washington and Music Director Scott Tucker showcase the wide-ranging influences that have shaped American choral music in a program of stunningly beautiful and rarely heard works. From the styles and languages of Asia and Europe to the tradition of African American spirituals that inspired pioneering Black composers Nathaniel Dett and Undine Moore Smith to a world premiere by B. E. Boykin celebrating Mary Church Terrell, an activist in the movements for civil rights and women’s suffrage, commissioned by Classical Movements

Because of the threat of rain, the concert has been moved indoors at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 228 S. Pitt Street, Alexandria VA.

Thursday, June 17, 2021 |  5:30pm, 7pm
Juneteenth Celebration: “Day of Jubilee!”

With CAAPA – Coalition for African Americans in the Performing Arts

Shana Oshiro, soprano | Jarrod Lee, baritone | Shawna Williams, dancer | Dr. Lester Green, piano | Pamela Simonson, narrator

Join in an uplifting and festive musical celebration of Juneteenth, the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States. Featuring texts by Langston Hughes and Martin Luther King, Jr. and music by trailblazing composers Margaret Bonds and Adolphus Hailstork.   A Joyful and reflective celebration through song, narration, and for the first time in the Secret Garden – dance!  

Saturday, June 26, 2021  |  4:30pm
“The Stars of Tomorrow” – Gala Opera Arias Concert

Musicians from the Prague Summer Nights Young Artists Music Program
Mozart | Donizetti | Strauss | Gounod

Discover the opera stars of tomorrow with an evening of greatest hits from Don Giovanni, Le nozze di Figaro, Faust, L’elisir d’amore, Die Fledermaus and other favorite operas. Featuring the emerging and talented young artists of Prague Summer Night’s Washington, D.C. Residency in delightful, moving, and astonishing moments from the opera stage.  Attend this elegant evening of opera and end with a glass of champagne.

This concert is part of the Prague Summer Nights 2021 Washington, D.C. Residency, which is generously sponsored by John H. Hart.

Thursday, July 8, 2021  |  5:30pm, 7pm
Jazz in July

Sweet Something Jazz Quartet
Ariana Harbin, vocals  |  Caleb Nei, piano  |  Kevin Johnson, upright bass  |  Aaron Ivy, drums

Jazz quartet Sweet Something returns to the Secret Garden for a new program of favorite jazz tunes. Paying tribute to the legends of yesteryear, vocalist and front-woman Ariana Harbin brings her own unmistakable touch to evergreen classics from “At Last” to “Almost Like Being in Love” and more songs made famous by the likes of Peggy Lee, Ray Charles, Etta James, Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Nat King Cole, Billie Holiday, and Louis Armstrong!

Thursday, July 29, 2021  |  5:30pm, 7pm
“Bold as Brass” – Chamber Music

Kennedy Center Horn Duo:
James Nickel, horn  |  Robert Rearden, horn

Kennedy Center Trombone Quartet
Douglas Rosenthal, trombone  |  Kevin Carlson, trombone  |  David Murray, trombone  |  Matthew Guilford, bass trombone

If you’ve never heard a trombone quartet or a French horn duo, this is your moment. Hear the noble French horn and the characterful trombone showcase the arresting versatility of their instruments in rousing and stunning music by Beethoven, Bruckner, Vaughan Williams, Florence Price – and legend of bossa nova, Antônio Carlos Jobim.

Sunday, August 15, 2021 |  4pm, 5:30pm
“Trio to Tango: Celebrating Piazzolla at 100”

The New Trifilio Tango Trio
Emmanuel Trifilio, bandoneon  |  Julie Huang Tucker, piano  |  Ali Cook, double bass

Honor the centennial year of Astor Piazzolla with a glass of Malbec wine and the singular sound of the bandoneon in a program featuring the entrancing music of the composer who brought tango to international attention, along with other celebrated tango composers and original music by Emmanuel Trifilio.

Friday, September 24, 2021 | 5pm, 7pm
A Spanish September: An Evening of Flamenco and Moroccan Music

Wadih Ettabbakh, guitar and voice | Coco Barez, percussion | Mariana Gatto, dance

Don your finery for an elegant and festive season-opening, infused with the distinctive music of Andalusia and Morocco. Dance returns to the Secret Garden as the fiery rhythms and passionate melodies of flamenco take you on a musical journey to Southern Spain – then across the Strait of Gibraltar to Morocco for a fusion with Arabic musical traditions. After the performance, join Classical Movements for a 30-minute celebratory toast to the beginning of the season.

Thursday, October 7, 2021 | 5pm, 6:30pm
An October Opus: The Brahms Clarinet Quintet

Principal Musicians of the Washington National Opera/Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra:

David Jones, principal clarinet | Oleg Rylatko, concertmaster | Ko Sugiyama, assistant concertmaster | Allyson Goodman, principal viola | Amy Frost Baumgarten, principal cello

Principal musicians from the Kennedy Center Opera House play one of the most gorgeous works of chamber music in their return to Secret Garden, following sold-out concerts in spring 2021. Composed in a fit of creativity that drew Johannes Brahms out of retirement, the haunting character of the quintet for clarinet and strings is interrupted by moments of intense inner warmth, this is one of the most ravishing works of chamber music.  Then enjoy the lighthearted and enjoyable George Gershwin piece “Promenade – Walking The Dog” from the famed movie “Shall we Dance?” which featured Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers  – and a perfect complement to an autumn evening.

Saturday, October 30, 2021 | 5pm, 6:30pm
Violin Masterworks: David Kim plays Handel, Prokofiev & Kreisler

David Kim, violin | Jeffrey DeVault, piano

David Kim was sensational in May of 2021 and is now back by popular demand. The Philadelphia Orchestra concertmaster makes a second appearance in the Secret Garden with a program of gorgeous, virtuosic showcases for the violin by Handel, Prokofiev, & Kreisler – and also featuring John Williams’ heartbreaking violin theme from the film “Schindler’s List.” Don’t miss the opportunity to hear one of the world’s great violinists in a program that will take your breath away and move your soul in equal measure.

“Style and buoyance” The Philadelphia Inquirer

SATURDAY, JULY 25, 2020: “The Four B’s: Barrière, Bologne, Bartok, and Beethoven” – Chamber Music

Musicians from the National Symphony Orchestra:

Cello Duos & String Quartets
Eugena Chang, cello  |  Britton Riley, cello 
Alexandra Osborne, violin  |  Angelia Cho, violin  |  Mahoko Eguchi, viola  |  Rachel Young, cello

Vibrant, daring and ravishing music by Beethoven, Bartok, Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges, Barrière, Joplin and others

SATURDAY, AUGUST 8, 2020:  “Night-Shining White: Music for Percussion and Brass” – Chamber Music

Musicians from the National Symphony Orchestra: 

Scott Christian, Percussion
William Gerlach, trumpet | Amy McCabe, guest trumpet | Robert Rearden, horn | David Murray, trombone | Stephen Dumaine, tuba

Rousing, rhythmic and dynamic music by living composers Joyce, Singleton, Akiho, Zhou, as well as Ewald and the celebrated Duke Ellington

Presented with the generous support of:
IDEA*TECH Associates, your local Alexandria IT System Support
Fitness Together: Private, Personalized, Training & Nutrition in Alexandria, VA

SATURDAY, AUGUST 29, 2020: “Sweet Songs of Sorrow and Joy” * – An Evening of Music Celebrating Civil Rights on the Anniversary of the March on Washington

Alexandria Crichlow, soprano | V. Savoy McIlwain, baritone | Lester Green, piano | Pamela Simonson, the narrator

Newly Added Concert Program in collaboration with CAAPA (Coalition for African Americans in the Performing Arts)

SPIRITUALS  |  FREEDOM SONGS  |  GOSPEL  |
CIVIL RIGHTS ANTHEMS

*“God has wrought many things out of oppression. He has endowed his creatures with the capacity to create—and from this capacity has flowed the sweet songs of sorrow and joy that have allowed man to cope with his environment and many different situations… This is triumphant music.” – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2020: “An Evening of Novel Ensembles” – Chamber Music

Musicians from the National Symphony Orchestra

 Alexander Jacobsen, bass | Michael Marks, bass | Charles Nilles, bass | Jeffrey Weisner, bass
Jamie Roberts, oboe | Paul Cigan, clarinet | Ying Fu, violin | Daniel Foster, viola | Alexander Jacobsen, bass

An ambitious, imaginative and eclectic program featuring Prokofiev’s famous Quintet in G minor for oboe, clarinet, violin, viola, and double bass and one-of-a-kind arrangements for double-bass quartet of classical and pop hits by Gershwin, Bach, O’Connor, Bjork, Seal and the Beatles

Presented with the generous support of:
IDEA*TECH Associates, your local Alexandria IT System Support

SATURDAY, OCT. 3 and SUNDAY, OCT. 4, 2020: Alexandria Symphony Orchestra Special Event

Beethoven’s uplifting Septet for winds and strings and Piazzolla’s iconic tango “Oblivion” will mingle in the fresh outdoor air of the “Secret Garden” in the heart of Alexandria’s Old Town. Featured bandoneonist Emmanuel Trifilio will transport us to a night club in Buenos Aires, even as Beethoven’s melodies linger in the garden atmosphere. ASO Music Director Jim Ross steps to the podium for the first time since February to conduct musicians of the ASO in this remarkably creative program. The Secret Garden series is a creation of ASO partners Classical Movements, owners of the historic Rectory on Princess, built in 1785.  

Rain dates: October 10 and October 11