The Time is NOW! New Orchestra of Washington 10th Anniversary Concert

• Laura Choi Stuart, soprano

Takashi Yoshimatsu — Threnody to Toki, Op. 12
Joseph Turrin — Equinox
Joseph Turrin — That thing, which makes the vastness bearable
Aaron Copland — Appalachian Spring

New Orchestra of Washington’s Artistic Director Alejandro Hernandez-Valdez conducts this special tenth anniversary concert, dedicated to the most urgent issue for the next decade: nature and the environment. The program includes Threnody to Toki by Takashi Yoshimatsu—a lament for an endangered Japanese bird, Equinox by Joseph Turrin—a celebration of all life on earth, and That thing, which makes the vastness bearable by Turrin—about the connection between science, nature, and our human experience. The final piece of the concert is the full, original version of Appalachian Spring by Copland, to bookend NOW's beginning and the milestone season, as the same piece was performed at NOW's very first concert in June 2012. Through the transformative power of music, NOW would like to inspire its community to recognize the environmental problems faced by all life on earth and to ultimately create change for a better future for our planet. Because The Time is NOW!

Join us at 6:30pm for a special kNOWit panel discussion featuring composer Joseph Turrin, narrator and conservationist David Rockefeller, Jr., conservationist and artist Susan Rockefeller, and NOW Artistic Director and conductor Alejandro Hernandez-Valdez. The concert will follow at 7:30pm.

Please review the Kennedy Center's current COVID-19 policy details and requirements at https://www.kennedy-center.org/visit/covid-safety/ before attending this event.

About New Orchestra of Washington (NOW)

Reimagining what have been the limited definitions of "classical music," the New Orchestra of Washington (NOW) welcomes audiences into a transformative musical experience that lessens the distance between our identities and compels listeners to feel something in the sound.

We create what we call "great music without labels." It represents the robust cultural and ethnic diversity in metropolitan Washington, DC, where we're intentional about making orchestral music beautiful and accessible to people from all backgrounds. Our hallmark is small, intimate performances that put audiences at the heart center of musicians who pour the best of themselves and their cultures into immersive concerts that leave attendees inspired.

NOW is guided by six values—collaboration, representation, education, access, technology, and experimentation (CREATE)—to foster innovative, inclusive programming; nurture enriching partnerships; and infuse the global flavors of all music. We lead with love for the experiential music we create and, most important, the people we want to absorb it.

https://neworchestraofwashington.org/

About Laura Choi Stuart, soprano

https://laurachoistuart.com/