A trip out to Fairfax requires some justification, which the concerts hosted by the George Mason University Center for the Arts occasionally provide. This was the case Saturday night, when that venue distinguished itself as the only local stop for the current U.S. tour of the orchestra of the Leipzig Gewandhaus (recently in Chicago and Boston, but also in smaller places like Schenectady). That venerable ensemble, founded in 1781, is one of the oldest orchestras in the world. The musicians, who have always played at a high technical level, are making news again because of their new conductor, Riccardo Chailly, who now holds the podium occupied at various times by Kurt Masur, Bruno Walter, Wilhelm Furtwängler, Carl Reinecke, and Felix Mendelssohn. How embarrassing that the hall at GMU was not sold out, although the audience that filled perhaps three-fourths of the modest house was certainly appreciative. more ›

Does anyone else need a vacation from their vacation? Some good classical music is just the thing to calm your nerves after battling the traffic or the airport crowds. Happily, we have some excellent things on the agenda for this week, before the Holiday Concert Madness truly sets in, beginning with some of the big guns. STAR CONCERTS: >> The main event this week as far as I am concerned is the recital by powerhouse... more ›

We thank my Ionarts colleague Jens F. Laurson, who has stepped in to contribute this week's installment of DCist Goes to the Symphony, a review of a concert I had to miss because of a last-minute conflict. more ›

Well, it's almost June now, which means that most of the free concert series have ended. There are still some good things to hear this coming month, although you will have to pay for them. Concerts will start to trickle off as summer gets hotter, so take your friend and hear some music. THE BIG GUNS: >> This week Kurt Masur appears for the first time as guest conductor with the National Symphony, in an... more ›