National Symphony Orchestra Composer Portrait concerts are tailored to listeners who wish to know more about a great composer, as well as families who may just be beginning their own musical discoveries. The first half of the performance will consist of background information about the composer, illustrated with symphonic examples appropriate to the time under discussion. By performing excerpts of a composer 's great works in chronological sequence, the National Symphony Orchestra provides different insights into these works and the composer's life as a whole. The second half will then be devoted to an entire single work by the featured composer.

Related Article - "Bridging The Musical Gap"
By Leonard Slatkin
The Washington Post
"Ever wondered how a composer's life affected the way he or she wrote the music?"
Read More...

Antonin Dvorák
Emerge yourself into Antonin Dvorák's life, music, and legacy, with an evening of his greatest works, including the complete Eigth Symphony.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Celebrate the 250th anniversary of Mozart's birth with this fascinating exploration of his life, music, and legacy featuring musical excerpts, commentary, and the complete "Jupiter" Symphony.

Ludwig van Beethoven
How did a deaf man compose symphonies? Learn about Beethoven's legacy by listening to his words and music.