Well, people, you had to get through a few weeks without your DCist Classical Music Agenda, and now the agony is over. Yes, there are once again concerts worth your while in Washington, and we are here to tell you where to go. If you are one of those classical fans who has somehow not heard, this year the world celebrates the 250th anniversary of Mozart’s birth, on January 27. As a result, everyone and his brother will be playing and singing something by Mozart for the next several months. Judging by how cranky we got just from a couple weeks of endless Christmas music, you should probably start avoiding mentioning Mozart.
OPERA AT THE SYMPHONY:
>> The National Symphony Orchestra returns to the Kennedy Center this week, with guest conductor James Conlon, future director of the Los Angeles Opera. Conlon is coming off conducting the premiere of a new opera, An American Tragedy, at the Metropolitan Opera in New York. From Thursday to Saturday (January 12, 7 p.m., January 13 and 14, 8 p.m.), he will conduct Mozart’s Linz Symphony and a concert version of the first act of Wagner’s Die Walküre. This will get you ready for the most exciting event of the spring season at Washington National Opera, the inauguration of a new production of Wagner’s Ring cycle by Francesca Zambello. Described as “an American Ring,” this production draws on Native American traditions for some of its set and costume ideas. We’ll let you know more about that when we see the WNO Das Rheingold in March.
