Live Concerts in the Secret Garden
28 Live Concerts
One-hour concerts with limited tickets for socially distanced audiences
“Sounds of Hope & Harmony,” the concert series that brought live classical music back to the United States, returns for a limited series of 28 concerts presented in the enchanting Secret Garden of the historic Rectory on Princess Street in the heart of Old Town Alexandria, VA.
Beginning with a gala season-opening performance on Friday, September 24 and continuing until Thursday, June 16, 2022, Classical Movements’ innovative series welcomes back audience favorites and introduces accomplished performers in their first appearances in the Secret Garden in a diverse season of chamber music, opera, jazz, early music, bluegrass, flamenco and more.
Three months into the Covid-19 pandemic that silenced orchestras, choruses, and performances of all sorts across the world, Classical Movements became the first to bring back live classical music in June 2020 in outdoor, socially distanced concerts at the company’s historic home in Old Town Alexandria, The Rectory on Princess Street. Since then, Classical Movements has presented 85 concerts for over 2,000 delighted audience members, through the groundbreaking series “Sounds of Hope & Harmony.”
All concerts will be presented outdoors, following the innovative format that Classical Movements introduced to allow for safe concert experiences: featuring hour-long musical programs presented without an intermission for limited, socially distanced, masked audiences presented in the enchanting surroundings of the Secret Garden at the Rectory, with patio heaters for comfort in colder weather.
Autumn Concerts
Friday, September 24 | 5pm, 7pm (Standing Room Only)
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.
Tickets & Program Listen
Wednesday, September 29 | 5pm, 6:30pm
Afghanistan: A Conversation & Fundraiser
Join us in conversation with four female and male musicians and journalists from Afghanistan, newly arrived to the USA in August 2021, as they describe their alternately inspiring and harrowing experiences.
Many musicians and their families are in hiding in Afghanistan. Those that have been given refuge in the United States are in need of support not only for housing and basic expenses, but also for music lessons, instruments, rehearsal spaces, and much more to continue their musical pursuits and education.
To protect participants’ families, friends, and colleagues still in Afghanistan, we are not publishing names or identifying biographical details before the event.
A portion of proceeds from the event will be directed to support musicians in Afghanistan and their families, as well as those who recently arrived in the United States. This event is presented by Musical Movements for Change, a nonprofit organization associated with Classical Movements.
Thursday, October 7 | 5pm, 6:30pm
An October Opus: The Brahms Clarinet Quintet
Musicians of the Washington National Opera/Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra:
David Jones, clarinet | Oleg Rylatko, violin | Ko Sugiyama, violin | Allyson Goodman, viola | Amy Frost Baumgarten, 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 – and a perfect complement to an autumn evening.
Tickets & Program Listen
Friday, October 22 | 3:30pm, 6:30pm
Japanese Garden Gala: Support Classical Movements Concerts and Artists
Musicians of the National Symphony Orchestra
& Cultural Demonstrations
of Ikebana, Calligraphy, Origami, Koto, and More
In honor of the second anniversary of the enthronement of the Japanese Emperor Naruhito – an avid viola player – join us for a gala inspired by the art and culture of Japan.
Support artists and concerts in the Secret Garden for an unforgettable fundraising event celebrating the art and culture of Japan, featuring musical selections performed by National Symphony violist Tsuna Sakamoto and Japanese cuisine, sake, Japanese tea and whiskey, and cultural demonstrations.
Saturday, October 30 | 5pm, 6:30pm
Violin Masterworks: David Kim plays Handel and Prokofiev
David Kim, violin | Jeffrey DeVault, piano
By popular demand, Philadelphia Orchestra concertmaster makes a second appearance in the Secret Garden with a program of gorgeous, virtuosic showcases for the violin by Handel and Prokofiev – 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
Tickets & Program Listen
Tuesday, November 9 | 5pm, 6:30pm
Blow Those Horns: Music for Horn Quartet
French Horns from the National Symphony Orchestra:
Abel Pereira | Markus Osterlund | James Nickel | Robert Rearden
After 13 concerts since June 2020, audience favorites from the NSO return once again to delight audiences when a quartet of musicians from the horn section performs in beloved staples of chamber repertoire in unexpected arrangements. Details to be announced.
Tickets & ProgramSpring Concerts
Tuesday, March 22 | 5pm, 6:30pm
Wind Sextets by Farrenc and Poulenc
Musicians from the National Symphony Orchestra
Wind Principals of the NSO | Lisa Emenheiser, piano
Welcome spring with principal wind players of the NSO in two sublime sextets for piano and winds by French composers of the 19th and 20th centuries – one by Louise Farrenc as dramatic as Francis Poulenc’s is humorous
Tickets & Program Listen
Thursday, March 31 | 5pm, 6:30pm
Out of Eden: A Concert of Art Songs
Shana Oshiro, soprano | Brian Bartoldus, piano | Jodi Beder, cello
Captivating and rarely performed art songs showcase themes of transformation, feminism, and justice. Shana Oshiro performs classical to contemporary songs by Mozart, Tchaikovsky, Massenet, Jake Heggie, Florence Price and Jasmine Barnes.
Tickets & Program Listen
Thursday, April 7 | 5pm, 6:30pm
The Immortal Beloved: Love Through the Sound of the Cello
Amit Peled, cello
After a breathtaking debut performance in the Secret Garden in April 2021, internationally renowned cellist Amit Peled and his 1695 instrument by the Italian master Giovanni Grancino make a return appearance for a program built around the passion, seduction, longing and despair of Beethoven and Brahms’s hidden love affairs.
“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
“Fiery and intelligent, Peled really shone in a bold and dramatically conceived interpretation” The Strad Magazine
Tickets & Program Listen
Thursday, April 14 | 5pm, 6:30pm
From A to Z: Arias to Zarzuela
Co-Presented with IN Series:
Timothy Nelson, Artistic Director | Judy Yannini, soprano | Emily Baltzer, piano
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.
Tickets & Program Listen
Thursday, April 21 | 5pm, 6:30pm
Old Time Roots: Bluegrass and Americana
Ken Kolodner, hammered dulcimer & fiddle | Brad Kolodner, banjo
The father-son team Ken & Brad Kolodner crosses the boundaries of Old-Time, Bluegrass and American Roots music played on banjo, hammered dulcimer and fiddle featuring distinctive songs by Ola Belle Reed, Kate Wolf, Walt Aldridge, traditional pieces and original music.
“…exceptionally talented musicians and they have created a tight, top-notch sound.” Bluegrass Today
“The Kolodners and their collaborators play with impeccable chops and with great feeling.” Bluegrass Unlimited
Tickets & Program Listen
Tuesday, May 3 | 5pm, 6:30pm
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 “Southern Harmony” by Pulitzer-winning composer Jennifer Higdon, a gentle musical portrait of the South where she grew up. 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!
Tickets & Program Listen
Thursday, May 12 | 5pm, 6:30pm
Fantasia for Two: Early Music for Lute and Viola da Gamba
Ronn McFarlane, lute | Carolyn Surrick, viola da gamba
Grammy Award-winning lutist Ronn McFarlane is joined by collaborator Carolyn Surrick for an imaginative and wide-ranging program of early music for the captivating combination of lute and viola da gamba, the Renaissance precursor to the modern cello.
“Here there is a genuine feeling of engagement and enjoyment here, a sense of sharing material with each other, the idea that after each tune someone says ‘if that then this’, or ‘do listen to this’.” Planet Hugill
Tickets & Program Listen
Thursday, May 19 | 5pm, 6:30pm
The Romantics in the Secret Garden: Beethoven’s “Moonlight” Sonata
Vijay Venkatesh, piano
Hailed by the Herald-Tribune for “effortless technical command and authority with a sense of poetry and refinement that belies his years,” award-winning pianist Vijay Venkatesh comes to the Secret Garden with a program of German Romantic piano music by Clara Schumann, Johannes Brahms – and bookended by two evocative early piano sonatas by Beethoven, including the famous “Moonlight” Sonata.
“Vijay Venkatesh is blessed with it all: transcendent technique, unbridled passion, and irresistible charisma. He breathes with an oxygen of imagination.” The Washington Post
Tickets & Program Listen
Thursday, May 26 | 5pm, 6:30pm
Gypsy Jazz in Translation
Myriam Phiro with Nuage Rhythm
Chanteuse Myriam Phiro and her band Nuage Rhythm bring their international flair and a distinctive blend of Parisian and American Jazz from New York City to the Secret Garden. Inspired by the stylings of Edith Piaf and Nat King Cole, experience your favorite jazz classics in French, English, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish, reimagined through the unmistakable sounds of gypsy jazz.
“…deep, powerful, fun and sexy all at once.” –NYC Culture & Style Magazine
Tickets & Program Listen
Thursday, June 16 | 5pm, 6:30pm
Let Freedom Sing! A Juneteenth Celebration
With the Coalition for African Americans in the Performing Arts
After presenting its first Juneteenth concert just a day after Congress voted to make Juneteenth a national holiday, Classical Movements and CAAPA partner once again to celebrate this day of joy and liberation. Discover the power and significance of this celebration from a new perspective through the combination of narration and chamber music.
“A timely celebration in jubilation of the abolishment of enslavement and involuntary servitude.” The Zebra
Tickets & Program
“The presenter took every possible precaution…the dangers posed by the coronavirus felt about as mitigated as they could possibly be.”
– Charles T. Downey, Washington Classical Review
After years of friendship and working closely with local musicians, Classical Movements proudly presents our concert series “Sounds of Hope & Harmony” in solidarity with our clients and friends in the local music community and specially designed to accommodate safe social distancing for performers, audience and staff. Concerts take place on Thursdays and Saturdays with different start times and rain dates for each performance.
Understanding that music lovers are eager for live performances, but also that the current situation demands we find new ways to experience live music, Classical Movements has invited musicians from some of our hometown orchestras as well as choral and rising opera and jazz musicians to join a meaningful and joyous celebration of the illuminating power of music during this period of so much uncertainty and tension.
Classical Movements will take precautions to limit the risk as much as within our power and requests the cooperation of the audience in these preventative measures so that we can again enjoy live music and support musicians in our community.
These measures will include, among others:
- Audience members will be required to bring and wear face coverings; Classical Movements staff will wear masks as well, as will musicians when not performing.
- Seating will be provided for concerts, with chairs wiped down and disinfected between performances.
- Chairs will have at least six feet between individual or family pairs. Wheelchair accessible.
- To maximize social distancing, seating will be assigned by the presenters
- Tickets and programs will be distributed digitally to minimize the need for physical proximity.
- The stage and musicians will be at least 10 feet from the front row.
- Hand-sanitization stations will be available for audiences as they arrive and exit
Additional measures and instructions will be provided to audience members the week of the concert. Be on the lookout for important updates via email and or text.
Transportation to the Rectory and Parking
Classical Movements will provide more information about alternative forms of transportation to access The Rectory on Princess Street, 711 Princess St by email before each event. You can also go to https://www.alexandriava.gov/GOAlex for more information about available options. We encourage all patrons to park off-street through the provision of nearby garages or lots. Many parking garages and lots are located conveniently in the area. There is a parking garage at N. Alfred St Garage, 117 N. Alfred St, $5/hr ($25 daily max, $10 evening max) and a surface parking lot at Cameron/St Asaph Lot, 517 Cameron St, $2.50/hour ($10 daily max, $5 evening/weekend max). Visitors are encouraged to bike, walk or take the Metrorail Yellow or Blue lines to the King Street Station and take the free King Street Trolley, or DASH or Metro buses. For DASH schedule information visit, www.dashbus.com. For Metrobus schedule information, visit www.wmata.com. Bicyclists may visit www.alexandriava.gov/GOAlex for the City’s Bikeways Map, which features the City’s best on-street and off-road bikeways, as well as locations of grouped bicycle parking.
We discourage you from using the on-street parking. To ensure legal parking, read all posted signs before parking.
Limited off-street private parking is available on a first-come-first-serve basis at the following locations:
Classical Movements, 711 Princess Street, Alexandria VA
Fitness Together Alexandria’s main entrance, at the 300 N Washington Street building
Seasons Culinary Services, 715 Princess Street, Alexandria, VA 22314