The Kennedy Center

01/24/2025

A sweeping account of the social and political world of the Roman emperors by “the world’s most famous classicist” (Guardian).

In her international bestseller SPQR, Mary Beard told the 1,000-year story of ancient Rome, from its slightly shabby Iron Age origins to its reign as the undisputed hegemon of the Mediterranean. Now, drawing on more than thirty years of teaching and writing about Roman history, Beard turns to the emperors who ruled the Roman Empire, beginning with Julius Caesar (assassinated 44 BCE) and taking us through the nearly three centuries—and some 30 emperors—that separate him from the boy-king Alexander Severus (assassinated 235 CE).

Yet Emperor of Rome is not your typical chronological account of Roman rulers, one emperor after another: the mad Caligula, the monster Nero, the philosopher Marcus Aurelius. Instead, Beard asks different, often larger and more probing questions: What power did emperors actually have? Was the Roman palace really so bloodstained? What kind of jokes did Augustus tell? And for that matter, what really happened, for example, between the emperor Hadrian and his beloved Antinous? Effortlessly combining the epic with the quotidian, Beard tracks the emperor down at home, at the races, on his travels, even on his way to heaven.

About the Author
Mary Beard is the author of the bestselling The Fires of Vesuvius and the National Book Critics Circle Award–nominated Confronting the Classics and SPQR. A popular blogger and television personality, Beard is a regular contributor to the New York Review of Books. She lives in England.

01/23/2025

Members of the Washington National Opera Orchestra play an assortment of chamber music.

Sara Han, clarinet

Amy Frost Baumgarten, cello

Eunice Kim, piano


Ludwig van Beethoven
(1770-1827)
Trio In B-Flat Major, Op. 11 (1791)
I. Allegro con brio
II. Adagio
III. Tema con variazioni
Johannes Brahms
(1833-1897)
Clarinet Trio in A minor, Op. 114 (1891)
I. Allegro
II. Adagio
III. Andantino grazioso
IV. Allegro

01/22/2025

The Guitar Renegades are a guitar quintet comprised of Cristian Perez (founder/leader), Connor Holdridge, Jan Knutson, Parker Spears, and Tommy Holladay.

Although they’re all jazz guitarists at heart, they venture into repertoire as diverse as Bach, Simon & Garfunkel, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jobim, The Beatles, and more.

They balance intricate arrangements and ensemble parts in the style of a classical guitar ensemble, with improvised sections using a jazz aesthetic.

01/22/2025

Celebrate Valentine’s Day with two of Go-Go’s finest, Backyard Band and Black Alley, at For the Love of Go-Go. 💞💘💓

Feb. 14, come with your significant other, your friends, or solo and bask in the glow of love as you sing and dance to your favorite songs and celebrate the power of Go-Go music.

Presented in partnership with The Go-Go Museum. Get tickets👇

https://www.kennedy-center.org/whats-on/explore-by-genre/popular-music/2024-2025/love-of-go-go/

01/21/2025

Did somebody say corn puddin'? 🌽🎼

The cast of : Schmigadoon! performs the Emmy-winning song Corn Puddin' at press day.

Get your tickets for Jan. 31–Feb. 9👇

https://bit.ly/3PLU8Ke

01/20/2025

in 1986, Stevie Wonder headlined a concert at the Kennedy Center that also featured , Eddie Murphy, , , , the Pointer Sisters, and others to celebrate the first national observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. 🎶

The federal holiday was signed into law in 1983, but not observed until 1986. Wonder spent several years trying to establish a national holiday in honor of King, and wrote the song "Happy Birthday" to further his cause.

01/20/2025

Live Tonight on Millennium Stage: The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and Georgetown University celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with a free, ticketed musical tribute, the Let Freedom Ring Celebration. The annual program, part of the Center’s Millennium Stage performance series, will feature musical performances by Christopher Jackson, esperanza spalding, Chelsey Green, Lew Sid, along with the NEWorks Voices of America and NEWorks House Band, led by music producer Nolan Williams Jr. The event is hosted by Taye Diggs.

The event will occur on Sunday, January 19, 2024, at 7:30 p.m. in the Kennedy Center Concert Hall.

Georgetown University will present the annual John Thompson Jr. Legacy of a Dream Award to Paula C. Thompson of Voices for a Second Chance. Voices for a Second Chance (VSC) provides essential reentry support and resources to individuals navigating the complexities of incarceration and reintegration. With a mission centered on empowering justice-involved individuals and fostering family and community connections, VSC has become a vital lifeline for over 2,000 individuals annually. The award is given by Georgetown University to a local individual who exemplifies the spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. For more information about the Legacy of a Dream Award, please visit: https://www.georgetown.edu/mlk-initiative/

01/18/2025

Live Tonight on Millennium Stage: Yeison Landero was born in San Jacinto (Bolívar); that is to say, in the very heart of the mountains of María of our Colombian Caribbean. He carries in his soul a cumbiambero heart inherited from his grandfather Andrés Landero: a musician recognized as the king of cumbia nationally and internationally.

Not only did he inherited his grandfather’s love for cumbia and the accordion, but also the talent to interpret melodies. At the age of seven, Yeison Landero became the most appreciated disciple of his grandfather Andrés learning all the emotions and humility behind the montemariano musician. He grew up in an environment surrounded by music, dances, and serenades. In his early years, his home was visited by great musicians who entertained at parties with their incomparable talents. Artists of the stature of Alfredo Gutiérrez, Lizandro Meza, Calixto Ochoa, Enríquez Díaz, the composer and singer Adolfo Pacheco Anillo, the legendary pipers of San Jacinto, Abel Antonio Villa, and an innumerable bunch of sabanero folklore figures with whom Yeison Landero nurtured his traditional style.

His first group was created by Andrés Landero himself. Presented next to the king of cumbia, Yeison Landero and his sister were introduced as “Los nietos de Andrés Landero,” performing cumbia at festivals, patriotic celebrations, concerts, regional fairs, and toured nationally. Yeison Landero later went on to study music at Bellas Artes, and concluded his law degree at the University of Cartagena. But his love for his ancestral accordion and his passion for cumbia were so great that he decided to turn them into the motor of his life, captivating the hearts of all cumbiamberos. He then decided to release his first album called Landero Vive, as a posthumous tribute to his grandfather’s immortal legacy.



Impactful Connections
This event is part of Impactful Connections, our partnership with the District of Columbia Public Libraries.

At 5 p.m. on Jan. 18, a shuttle will run from the MLK Library to the Kennedy Center so that D.C. residents can attend the performance.

01/18/2025

As we head into the weekend before Inauguration Day, let's look back at an inaugural event from President John F. Kennedy's time: the 1961 Inaugural Concert featuring . 🌟

In this photo, Kennedy and First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy hear from composer John La Montaine. Take a look at the night's program, including Gershwin and Tchaikovsky classics.

01/17/2025

Live Tonight on Millennium Stage: Members of the National Symphony Orchestra play an assortment of chamber music.

Nathan Daughtrey: Burn³
Marc Mellits: Escape
Kate Moore: Blackbird Song
Andy Akiho: intuition) (Expectation
Sarah Kirkland Snider: Thread and Fray
Holly Harrison: Frogstomp


Featuring:

Sarah Frisof, flute

Peter Cain, clarinet

Scott Christian, percussion

01/16/2025

Live Tonight on Millennium Stage: The National Symphony Orchestra Youth Fellowship Program is an orchestral training program for high school musicians with the goal of studying music performance at a music conservatory or university/college school of music in order to pursue a career as a professional musician.

Since its inception in the 1980–1981 season, the program has provided Washington metropolitan area instrumentalists with full scholarships to study privately with NSO and WNO musicians. The program has also provided opportunities to observe NSO rehearsals, attend concerts, and to participate in seminars, discussions, and masterclasses with musicians, conductors, and NSO and Kennedy Center administrative leaders. The program includes chamber music coached by NSO musicians and side-by-side rehearsal opportunities with the NSO.

01/16/2025

Conan O'Brien Must Go—receive a comedy award! Conan is the 26th recipient of the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. 🏆

On March 23, some of the biggest names in comedy will gather at the Kennedy Center to honor the comedian, writer, producer, and late show host at this annual celebration of iconic humorists.

“I am honored to be the first winner of the Mark Twain Prize recognized not for humor, but for my work as a riverboat pilot,” says O'Brien.

The program will premiere exclusively on Netflix date TBA. Learn more👇

https://www.kennedy-center.org/whats-on/marktwain/ Netflix Is A Joke

01/15/2025

Live Tonight on Millennium Stage: Maruja Limón is a female sextet from Barcelona known for their vibrant music that blends flamenco, pop, and Latin rhythms. Formed in 2014, they compose and arrange their own songs and have performed at festivals and venues across Europe, Morocco, and Spain, including Festival Cruilla and Pirineos Sur. They are presenting the EP Te como la cara, where they explore Catalan, flamenco, and Latin rumba fused with experimental electronic sounds, dembow, salsa, and pop, delivering explosive music with lyrics that balance sensitivity and irony. They gained recognition in Billboard’s On the Radar Latin section after their debut in the Latin Alternative Music Conference (LAMC, New York).

01/15/2025

01/14/2025

This week in Kennedy Center history: On Jan. 14, 1978, the musical Timbuktu! opened in the Opera House.

Set in the 14th century Kingdom of Mali, Timbuktu! was directed by Geoffrey Holder and starred Eartha Kitt as Shaleem-La-Lume. Kitt was nominated for a Tony in this role (one of four Tony nominations for the production) when the show opened on Broadway two months later.

📸: Richard Braaten

01/11/2025

Live Tonight on Millennium Stage: Songwriter Vienna Teng reemerges this fall with her mashup song pair We’ve Got You—her first new music in over a decade—but her fans have been here the whole time. They’ve packed concert venues even in years between releases, crowdfunded an ambitious music video in hours, and joined by the hundreds when she launched her “music x climate action” Patreon in 2022.

That kind of devotion has poured forth since 2002’s Waking Hour, which landed her on NPR’s Weekend Edition, The Late Show with David Letterman, and the top of Amazon’s music charts. Across four more studio albums that followed—the chamber folk of Warm Strangers, the jazz-inflected Dreaming Through the Noise, the indie epic Inland Territory, the bright electro-pop in Aims—Teng has paid homage to her genre-bending heroes like Paul Simon and Tori Amos, while carving a path all her own. Together with her captivating live performances and thoughtful online presence, her work has built a loyal following across generations and continents.

Teng’s new mini-EP We’ve Got You reflects the complexity of her life over the past decade: climate change work, community building, parenthood. Two songs, each titled “We’ve Got You,” act like fraternal twins: one an indie-pop tribute to inspiring leaders, the other a chamber-folk paean to unsung caregivers. Played simultaneously, they reveal a new intricate whole: a mashup by design, and a love letter to social movements.

Appropriately, Teng now also hosts climate action workshops on tour and online, which participants have described as “rocket fuel” and “the perfect antidote to despair.” It’s an exciting new chapter in the ever-evolving love story between an artist and her audience.

01/11/2025

Tonight we help D-Nice celebrate 5 years of Club Quarantine. From lockdown to live, D-Nice has spent the last few years creating a community through a love and appreciation of music. We’re blessed to have him as part of the Kennedy Center family. Here's a trip down memory lane ahead of tonight's performance.

01/10/2025

Live Tonight on Millennium Stage: “Raul Midón lives in a world of sound.”
—Felix Contreras, NPR Tiny Desk

“...a one-man band who turns a guitar into an orchestra and his voice into a chorus.”
—The New York Times

Blind singer-songwriter and guitarist Raul Midón is nothing if not prolific. His 14th and latest album Lost & Found is a blend of what he calls “smooth folk,” “alt-pop,” and “jazz.” A master at combining genres, the New York Times says “his music suggests a three way fusion of Stevie Wonder, Bobby McFerrin and José Feliciano.” Midón debuted the album’s first single, the uplifting bluesy pop song “Keep On Keeping On,” on The Jennifer Hudson Show in December of 2023.

Joining him on this body of work are his friends and industry veterans: Andres Forero (Hamilton, Phish, U2), drums and percussion; Richard Hammond (Hamilton), bass; Federico Pena (Black Lives), keyboards and piano.

The anthemic “Next Time,” a “galloping rock waltz” is a co-write with New York fixture Mike Errico, who plays on it as well. String arrangements were provided by Andrew Sherman.

The album’s moniker “Lost & Found,” which Midón calls “smooth folk” or folk with harmonic surprises, is a celebration of redemption. The lyrics were inspired by his listening to Bob Dylan’s reading of his poem, “Last Thoughts On Woody Guthrie.”

“When We Remember” is a country-tinged song that includes a stint of Midón playing banjo. He might have reached out to Bela Fleck, but he’s held his own here and he does it from the comfort of his basement studio. To do this, Midón has had to learn the art of engineering. The technology for the blind is not consistent and it’s a constant struggle, one he continues to confront on a daily basis. He’s been assisted here by New York recording engineer, Michael O’Reilly, whom he met while making his major label debut State of Mind under the careful eye of legendary producer Arif Mardin. Raul has worked with “Mike” extensively on many albums since those early days, including the Grammy®-nominated Bad Ass and Blind.

“A Condition of Love,” co-written with Ethiopian R&B artist Wayna, is a smoldering philosophical love song. “The Ganga Song” is a bouncy ska-ish take on the latest cannabis craze.

This compilation of ten original songs was released in April of 2024. Physical copies of the album are only available at his shows on the upcoming U.S. tour.

This marks Midón’s second album released on his own imprint ReKondite ReKords (ReKo ReKo). Eclectic Adventurist was his first, released in November of 2022. During the lockdown, Midón fulfilled a longtime dream of recording a guitar duets album with some of his favorite guitarists including Lionel Loueke, Romero Lubambo, and Mike Stern. From popular Letterman bass guitarist Will Lee, “Eclectic Adventurist is a great surprise at every turn—a beautifully performed, meticulously recorded collection of gorgeous interplayfulness.” Eclectic Adventurist is now available on vinyl in limited quantities.

He has worked with countless legends in the industry including Bill Withers, Herbie Hancock, and Sting. In 2022 he paid tribute to Joni Mitchell with the National Symphony Orchestra, arranged and conducted by Vince Mendoza at the Kennedy Center alongside Lalah Hathaway, Jimmie Herrod & Renee Fleming (PBS’ Next at the Kennedy Center). He received two Grammy® nominations back-to-back in 2017 and 2018 for his albums Bad Ass and Blind and If You Really Want in the Best Jazz Vocal Category. In 2019 he was awarded the Distinguished Alumni Award from his alma mater, the University of Miami. In 2021 he was given the Disability Rights Ambassador of the Year award, presented to him by his colleague Jason Mraz.



This performance is part of The Rosemary Kennedy Performing & Visual Arts Series.