This Sunday, May 1 at 2 p.m., “The President’s Own” continues its Chamber Music Series with a concert coordinated by percussionist Gunnery Sgt. David Constantine, featuring a unique blend of works and ensembles. The performance will take place at the John Philip Sousa Band Hall at the Marine Barracks Annex in southeast Washington, D.C., and is open to the public with limited seating. The concert will also livestream at youtube.com/usmarineband.

Program and Notes

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“The theme of my program is jazz meets classics,” Constantine said. “I often perform music from both genres and I wanted to find chamber music that encompassed both in an evocative way. The majority of the programmed works feature percussion. As a percussionist myself, I wanted to give my colleagues an opportunity to showcase their playing in a chamber setting through some unique works. Also, within my theme, I wanted to program works with unusual instrumentation. When was the last time you heard a string quartet and jazz trio together, or a timpani and cello duo?”

Constantine said he is especially excited about Étienne Perruchon’s Cinq Danses Dogoriennes, which features a cello and timpani duo. That work, along with works by Chick Corea, both pay homage to their respective composers, each of whom recently passed away.

“My hope is that the audience comes away with a new sense of what chamber music can be, through unusual instrument pairings and through compositional techniques and styles,” Constantine added. “I hope everyone  will feel inspired to seek out the many, many more wonderful pieces in the repertoire that encompass all of these elements.” 

John Philip Sousa Band Hall is located at 1053 7th Street, SE, in Washington, DC. Free parking is available beneath the overpass across from the Annex. Please allow extra time for ID checks. Limited seating is available and the schedule is subject to change.