Composer and chess expert François-André Danican Philidor

With the Memorial Day holiday next weekend, this week’s concert schedule is light. You can celebrate the memory of the fallen with music, next Sunday (May 30, 8 p.m.) at the annual NSO National Memorial Day Concert, free and open to the public, on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol. Earlier in the day (May 30, 2 p.m.) there is also the National Memorial Day Choral Festival in the Kennedy Center Concert Hall.

>> On Monday evening (May 24, 7:30 p.m.) at the Kennedy Center Terrace Theater, Opera Lafayette will present the modern American premiere of François-André Danican Philidor’s 1762 opera Sancho Pança. Philidor, a celebrated composer who is almost completely unknown today, was also an expert on chess and the author of Analyse des échecs (1749). At a pre-performance discussion, chess authority Bruce Pandolfini, who was portrayed by Ben Kingsley in the film Searching for Bobby Fisher, will speak about Philidor’s contributions to the history of the game.

>> Wednesday’s concert (May 26, 7:30 p.m.) by the Philadelphia Orchestra at Strathmore promises to be a highlight of the Washington Performing Arts Society. Charles Dutoit will conduct a new, corrected edition of Glinka’s overture to Ruslan and Ludmilla, Stravinsky’s Petrouchka, as well as Nikolai Lugansky as soloist in Rachmaninov’s third piano concerto.

>> Earlier on Wednesday, there will be a free lunchtime concert (May 26, 12:10 p.m.) featuring baritone Randall Scarlata and pianist Thomas Bagwell performing music by Mendelssohn, Schubert and Schumann at the National Gallery of Art (in the ground floor lecture hall of the West Building).