News

Marine Chamber Orchestra: Musical Firsts - Sunday, March 3 at 2 p.m. - From two different centuries and very different worlds, Sergei Prokofiev and Georges Bizet both wrote their first symphonies while students, Prokofiev at the St. Petersburg Conservatory in 1917, and Bizet at the Conservatoire de Paris in 1855. While already an established composer, Johann Nepomuk Hummel followed Joseph Haydn in composing a trumpet concerto for a well-known Viennese virtuoso, and has since become one of the most performed works for trumpet. Hear these contrasting musical firsts in our first performance at the Ernst Theater in Northern Virginia Community College’s Annandale campus. The concert is free and no tickets are required.

Chamber Music Series - Sunday, Feb. 24 at 2 p.m. - Coordinated by trumpeter Staff Sgt. Robert Bonner, the concert will feature various ensembles formed by members of "The President's Own" performing unique selections, including a violin and piano duo; brass ensembles; a trombone quartet; and woodwind and string ensembles. The concert, which is free and open to the public, will take place at John Philip Sousa Band Hall in southeast Washington, D.C., and stream live on the Marine Band website.

Marine Band Concert: Signs and Symbols - Sunday, Feb. 10 at 2 p.m. - This program takes its inspiration from the deeper meaning expressed in certain fascinating symbols and signs found in the everyday world. From the American patriotism embodied by the form of the eagle and the ancient religious meaning imbued in other animals, to the symbolism found in poetry and song, the collection of new and classic works on this concert explore the way in which music brings these signs and symbols to life. The second half of the program is dedicated to the colorful music of Spanish composer Manuel de Falla and his beautifully crafted ballet The Three-Cornered Hat, celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. The concert, which is free and open to the public, will take place at Northern Virginia Community College's Schlesinger Concert Hall in Alexandria. Cover images credit: Pablo Picasso / Original Set and Costume Designs for the Ballet The Three-Cornered Hat

Concerto Competition Finals - Saturday, Feb. 16 at 2 p.m. - Five high school students from around the nation were selected for the final round of the Marine Band Concerto Competition, presented as a recital open to the public. The winner will receive a $2,500 scholarship, presented by the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation, and perform his or her solo with the Marine Band in concert on March 31. The recital, which is free and no tickets required, will take place at John Philip Sousa Band Hall in southeast Washington, D.C. and will live stream on the Marine Band website.

Marine Band Concert: Portraits - Sunday, Feb. 10 at 2 p.m. - From Don Quichotte, Dulcinee, and Desi Arnaz to Sir Edward Elgar’s “friends pictured within” his magnum opus, this concert paints a series of musical portraits culminating in the renowned Enigma Variations, which celebrates its 120th anniversary this year. The gallery will also feature James Syler’s new work Love Among the Ruins for viola, winds, and percussion, inspired by Robert Browning’s riveting poem of the same name. The concert, which is free and open to the public, will take place at Northern Virginia Community College's Schlesinger Concert Hall in Alexandria.