Rachmaninoff | Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, Op. 31

The Thirteen explores the vocal music of Sergei Rachmaninoff, following our “finely tune[d]… expert, highly responsive” (Washington Classical Review) performances of his All Night Vigil in 2023. Written five years before the Vigil, in 1910, the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom is a work on a yet grander scale. “Beautiful and grandly mystical… exud[ing] a spiritual force that is deeply moving and restorative” (New York Times), Rachmaninoff’s Liturgy exalts the power, beauty, and emotive range of the human voice. This concerto for choir in a symphonic palette has moved audiences for over 100 years with soaring melodies, rich harmonies, and vocal pyrotechnics.

This program is made possible by a generous gift from Charles Cerf & Cindy Dunbar and J. Penny Clark. The Thirteen’s Vocal Fellows Program is made possible by a gift from the Andrew Warnock Clarke & Martin ‘Chip’ Sherrill Family Foundation.

Pricing:
Preferred Seating: $70 ($10 more if purchased at the door)
General Admission: $45 ($10 more if purchased at the door)
Student Tickets (with Current Student ID): $15 ($10 more if purchased at the door)
Non-resident virtual only ticket: $40
Kids ages 5-17 come free with the purchase of a General Admission ticket for a caregiver.
All in person tickets include access to the virtual performance On Demand.

Rachmaninoff | Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, Op. 31

The Thirteen explores the vocal music of Sergei Rachmaninoff, following our “finely tune[d]… expert, highly responsive” (Washington Classical Review) performances of his All Night Vigil in 2023. Written five years before the Vigil, in 1910, the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom is a work on a yet grander scale. “Beautiful and grandly mystical… exud[ing] a spiritual force that is deeply moving and restorative” (New York Times), Rachmaninoff’s Liturgy exalts the power, beauty, and emotive range of the human voice. This concerto for choir in a symphonic palette has moved audiences for over 100 years with soaring melodies, rich harmonies, and vocal pyrotechnics.

This program is made possible by a generous gift from Charles Cerf & Cindy Dunbar and J. Penny Clark. The Thirteen’s Vocal Fellows Program is made possible by a gift from the Andrew Warnock Clarke & Martin ‘Chip’ Sherrill Family Foundation.

Pricing:
Preferred Seating: $70 ($10 more if purchased at the door)
General Admission: $45 ($10 more if purchased at the door)
Student Tickets (with Current Student ID): $15 ($10 more if purchased at the door)
Non-resident virtual only ticket: $40
Kids ages 5-17 come free with the purchase of a General Admission ticket for a caregiver.
All in person tickets include access to the virtual performance On Demand.

Rachmaninoff | Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, Op. 31

The Thirteen explores the vocal music of Sergei Rachmaninoff, following our “finely tune[d]… expert, highly responsive” (Washington Classical Review) performances of his All Night Vigil in 2023. Written five years before the Vigil, in 1910, the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom is a work on a yet grander scale. “Beautiful and grandly mystical… exud[ing] a spiritual force that is deeply moving and restorative” (New York Times), Rachmaninoff’s Liturgy exalts the power, beauty, and emotive range of the human voice. This concerto for choir in a symphonic palette has moved audiences for over 100 years with soaring melodies, rich harmonies, and vocal pyrotechnics.

This program is made possible by a generous gift from Charles Cerf & Cindy Dunbar and J. Penny Clark. The Thirteen’s Vocal Fellows Program is made possible by a gift from the Andrew Warnock Clarke & Martin ‘Chip’ Sherrill Family Foundation.

Pricing:
Preferred Seating: $70 ($10 more if purchased at the door)
General Admission: $45 ($10 more if purchased at the door)
Student Tickets (with Current Student ID): $15 ($10 more if purchased at the door)
Non-resident virtual only ticket: $40
Kids ages 5-17 come free with the purchase of a General Admission ticket for a caregiver.
All in person tickets include access to the virtual performance On Demand.

Handel | Messiah
December 21, 2025, 5PM
Bradley Hills Presbyterian Church
6601 Bradley Blvd.
Bethesda, MD

This performance will also be performed on Saturday, December 20th at National City Christian Church in DC. For information about that performance, please click here.

Due to its ubiquity, Handel’s Messiah is a piece that we all think we know. And yet, at each return, the work still surprises us through the overwhelming power and beauty of its music and the Christmas story. The Thirteen returns to Handel’s masterpiece this year as we establish a new holiday tradition for the region.

The Thirteen performs all three parts of Messiah—including the iconic “Hallelujah Chorus”— telling the greatest story ever told in song. Featuring the region’s only all-professional Messiah, our orchestra of the nation’s finest period instrumentalists, and our “dazzling” choir, whose members—center-stage soloists all—will sing Messiah’s iconic solos and duets in a kaleidoscope “of distinctive approaches to these famous arias” (Washington Classical Review).

This program is made possible by a generous gift from Robert & Lynn Downing and Clint & Missy Kelly. The musicians of our orchestra are supported, in part, by a gift to The Thirteen’s Building for Tomorrow fund by Sue Berryman.

INDIVIDUAL TICKETS
Premium Orchestra (first third of nave): $95
Preferred Orchestra (second third of nave): $80
Rear Orchestra: $60
Rear Balcony (Maestro’s Favorite): $60
West Side Transept (Side view): $45
East Side Transept (Obstructed View): $25
Choir Loft (Conductor View - behind ensemble): $30
Student Tickets are $15 and are West Side Transept Tickets.
Non-resident virtual only ticket: $40
Tickets are $10 more if purchased at the door.

Kids ages 5-17 come free with the purchase of a ticket for a caregiver. Kids come free tickets are limited to Rear Orchestra, Rear Balcony, Transept, and Choir Loft tickets.

All in-person tickets include access to the virtual performance On Demand.

Pre-Concert Talk with Charles King
(Included with concert ticket)

The performance will be preceded by a concert talk with Charles King, author of Every Valley - The Desperate Lives and Troubled Times That Made Handel’s Messiah. Learn more about Mr. King’s book here. The talk will begin one hour before curtain time, 4pm.

Handel | Messiah
December 20, 2025, 4PM
National City Christian Church
5 Thomas Circle, NW
Washington, DC

This performance will be repeated on Sunday December 21st at Bradley Hills Presbyterian Church in Bethesda. For information about that performance, please click here.

Due to its ubiquity, Handel’s Messiah is a piece that we all think we know. And yet, at each return, the work still surprises us through the overwhelming power and beauty of its music and the Christmas story. The Thirteen returns to Handel’s masterpiece this year as we establish a new holiday tradition for the region.

The Thirteen performs all three parts of Messiah—including the iconic “Hallelujah Chorus”— telling the greatest story ever told in song. Featuring the region’s only all-professional Messiah, our orchestra of the nation’s finest period instrumentalists, and our “dazzling” choir, whose members—center-stage soloists all—will sing Messiah’s iconic solos and duets in a kaleidoscope “of distinctive approaches to these famous arias” (Washington Classical Review).

This program is made possible by a generous gift from Robert & Lynn Downing and Clint & Missy Kelly. The musicians of our orchestra are supported, in part, by a gift to The Thirteen’s Building for Tomorrow fund by Sue Berryman.

INDIVIDUAL TICKETS

Preferred Seating: $70 ($10 more if purchased at the door)
General Admission: $45 ($10 more if purchased at the door)
Student Tickets (with Current Student ID): $15 ($10 more if purchased at the door)
Non-resident virtual only ticket: $40
Tickets are $10 more if purchased at the door.

Kids ages 5-17 come free with the purchase of a General Admission ticket for a caregiver.

All in-person tickets include access to the virtual performance On Demand.

Pre-Concert Talk with Charles King
(included with concert ticket)

The performance will be preceded by a concert talk with Charles King, author of Every Valley - The Desperate Lives and Troubled Times That Made Handel’s Messiah. Learn more about Mr. King’s book here. The talk will begin one hour before curtain time, 3pm.

Light of a Clear Blue Morning | Quartet Edition

Amy Broadbent, soprano
Kristen Dubenion-Smith, mezzo-soprano
Oliver Mercer, tenor
Gilbert Spencer, baritone

The Thirteen invites audiences to experience our work through the intimate configuration of a vocal quartet, with Artistic Director Matthew Robertson at the piano. The close alliance between nature and music dates to the earliest written treaties of philosophers and composers. In this concert featuring works by Barber, Brahms, Hindemith, Palestrina, and by contemporary masters, The Thirteen presents music on themes of the natural world and on nature as viewed through the kaleidoscope of love, in all its faces: divine, filial, and romantic. In what is sure to be a highlight of our 2025-2026 season, The Thirteen continues our reputation for reimagining the potential of vocal music.

This program is made possible by generous gifts from Cheryl Naulty & Walter Hill, and Stephen & Maygene Daniels.

Pricing:
Preferred Seating: $70 ($10 more if purchased at the door)
General Admission: $45 ($10 more if purchased at the door)
Student Tickets (with Current Student ID): $15 ($10 more if purchased at the door)
Non-resident virtual only ticket: $40
Kids ages 5-17 come free with the purchase of a General Admission ticket for a caregiver.
All in person tickets include access to the virtual performance On Demand.

Light of a Clear Blue Morning | Quartet Edition

Amy Broadbent, soprano
Kristen Dubenion-Smith, mezzo-soprano
Oliver Mercer, tenor
Gilbert Spencer, baritone

The Thirteen invites audiences to experience our work through the intimate configuration of a vocal quartet, with Artistic Director Matthew Robertson at the piano. The close alliance between nature and music dates to the earliest written treaties of philosophers and composers. In this concert featuring works by Barber, Brahms, Hindemith, Palestrina, and by contemporary masters, The Thirteen presents music on themes of the natural world and on nature as viewed through the kaleidoscope of love, in all its faces: divine, filial, and romantic. In what is sure to be a highlight of our 2025-2026 season, The Thirteen continues our reputation for reimagining the potential of vocal music.

This program is made possible by generous gifts from Cheryl Naulty & Walter Hill, and Stephen & Maygene Daniels.

Pricing:
Preferred Seating: $70 ($10 more if purchased at the door)
General Admission: $45 ($10 more if purchased at the door)
Student Tickets (with Current Student ID): $15 ($10 more if purchased at the door)
Non-resident virtual only ticket: $40
Kids ages 5-17 come free with the purchase of a General Admission ticket for a caregiver.
All in person tickets include access to the virtual performance On Demand.

Light of a Clear Blue Morning | Quartet Edition

Amy Broadbent, soprano
Kristen Dubenion-Smith, mezzo-soprano
Oliver Mercer, tenor
Gilbert Spencer, baritone

The Thirteen invites audiences to experience our work through the intimate configuration of a vocal quartet, with Artistic Director Matthew Robertson at the piano. The close alliance between nature and music dates to the earliest written treaties of philosophers and composers. In this concert featuring works by Barber, Brahms, Hindemith, Palestrina, and by contemporary masters, The Thirteen presents music on themes of the natural world and on nature as viewed through the kaleidoscope of love, in all its faces: divine, filial, and romantic. In what is sure to be a highlight of our 2025-2026 season, The Thirteen continues our reputation for reimagining the potential of vocal music.

This program is made possible by generous gifts from Cheryl Naulty & Walter Hill, and Stephen & Maygene Daniels.

Pricing:
Preferred Seating: $70 ($10 more if purchased at the door)
General Admission: $45 ($10 more if purchased at the door)
Student Tickets (with Current Student ID): $15 ($10 more if purchased at the door)
Non-resident virtual only ticket: $40
Kids ages 5-17 come free with the purchase of a General Admission ticket for a caregiver.
All in person tickets include access to the virtual performance On Demand.

On That Distant Day

Maurice Duruflé | Requiem, Op. 9
Frank Martin | Cantate pour le 1er Août
Palestrina | Missa Papae Marcelli

Eric Plutz, organ

The Thirteen performs works of remembrance and celebration with Duruflé’s poignant Requiem and, in honor of the 500th anniversary of Palestrina’s birth, the composer’s most renowned work, the Missa Papae Marcelli. Palestrina’s mass represents the high point of Renaissance polyphony, with a purity of counterpoint, deeply affecting dissonance, and clear text setting—qualities that formed the basis of an enduring myth that through this work, Palestrina saved Church music. Duruflé’s 1941 Requiem, also based on Gregorian chant, was begun under the Vichy occupation but completed after the liberation of France. Paired with Swiss composer Frank Martin’s celebratory 1941 Cantate pour le 1er août (the text of which inspires this concert’s title), this concert is sure to “transfigure the listener” (The Washington Post). Princeton University Chapel organist Eric Plutz, hailed as a “master craftsman… sensitive, emotional, stunningly accurate, and spectacularly musical… world-class” (The Diapason) joins The Thirteen in this tour-de-force performance.

This program is made possible, in part, by a generous gift from Sara Fein.

Pricing:
Preferred Seating: $70 ($10 more if purchased at the door)
General Admission: $45 ($10 more if purchased at the door)
Student Tickets (with Current Student ID): $15 ($10 more if purchased at the door)
Non-resident virtual only ticket: $40
Kids ages 5-17 come free with the purchase of a General Admission ticket for a caregiver.
All in person tickets include access to the virtual performance On Demand.

On That Distant Day

Maurice Duruflé | Requiem, Op. 9
Frank Martin | Cantate pour le 1er Août
Palestrina | Missa Papae Marcelli

Eric Plutz, organ

The Thirteen performs works of remembrance and celebration with Duruflé’s poignant Requiem and, in honor of the 500th anniversary of Palestrina’s birth, the composer’s most renowned work, the Missa Papae Marcelli. Palestrina’s mass represents the high point of Renaissance polyphony, with a purity of counterpoint, deeply affecting dissonance, and clear text setting—qualities that formed the basis of an enduring myth that through this work, Palestrina saved Church music. Duruflé’s 1941 Requiem, also based on Gregorian chant, was begun under the Vichy occupation but completed after the liberation of France. Paired with Swiss composer Frank Martin’s celebratory 1941 Cantate pour le 1er août (the text of which inspires this concert’s title), this concert is sure to “transfigure the listener” (The Washington Post). Princeton University Chapel organist Eric Plutz, hailed as a “master craftsman… sensitive, emotional, stunningly accurate, and spectacularly musical… world-class” (The Diapason) joins The Thirteen in this tour-de-force performance.

This program is made possible, in part, by a generous gift from Sara Fein.

Pricing:
Preferred Seating: $70 ($10 more if purchased at the door)
General Admission: $45 ($10 more if purchased at the door)
Student Tickets (with Current Student ID): $15 ($10 more if purchased at the door)
Non-resident virtual only ticket: $40
Kids ages 5-17 come free with the purchase of a General Admission ticket for a caregiver.
All in person tickets include access to the virtual performance On Demand.

On That Distant Day

Maurice Duruflé | Requiem, Op. 9
Frank Martin | Cantate pour le 1er Août
Palestrina | Missa Papae Marcelli

Eric Plutz, organ

The Thirteen performs works of remembrance and celebration with Duruflé’s poignant Requiem and, in honor of the 500th anniversary of Palestrina’s birth, the composer’s most renowned work, the Missa Papae Marcelli. Palestrina’s mass represents the high point of Renaissance polyphony, with a purity of counterpoint, deeply affecting dissonance, and clear text setting—qualities that formed the basis of an enduring myth that through this work, Palestrina saved Church music. Duruflé’s 1941 Requiem, also based on Gregorian chant, was begun under the Vichy occupation but completed after the liberation of France. Paired with Swiss composer Frank Martin’s celebratory 1941 Cantate pour le 1er août (the text of which inspires this concert’s title), this concert is sure to “transfigure the listener” (The Washington Post). Princeton University Chapel organist Eric Plutz, hailed as a “master craftsman… sensitive, emotional, stunningly accurate, and spectacularly musical… world-class” (The Diapason) joins The Thirteen in this tour-de-force performance.

This program is made possible, in part, by a generous gift from Sara Fein.

Pricing:
Preferred Seating: $70 ($10 more if purchased at the door)
General Admission: $45 ($10 more if purchased at the door)
Student Tickets (with Current Student ID): $15 ($10 more if purchased at the door)
Non-resident virtual only ticket: $40
Kids ages 5-17 come free with the purchase of a General Admission ticket for a caregiver.
All in person tickets include access to the virtual performance On Demand.

What creates identity? What inspires belonging? In this program, The Thirteen explores themes of identity and kinship through compositions by American composers from the end of the second World War through today. In so doing, we hope to suggest the beginnings of an inclusive, diverse, and ever-expanding New American Songbook.

 We begin with Aaron Copland’s In the Beginning, a seminal work by the composer most commonly credited with establishing an ‘American’ sound. But in this towering and difficult-to-classify work, Copland turns to origins and beginnings. Next we perform Ted Hearne’s Privilege (2009), a collection of five short pieces that address socio-economic inequality and conclude with a tribute to the power of music to fight oppression. The program culminates in the premiere of a new work by Indian American composer Juhi Bansal. Hailed as a “composer to watch” by The Washington Post and “radiant and transcendent” by New Classic LA, Bansal explores the themes of cultural and musical diversity and the environment in her works.

This program is made possible by generous gifts from Anonymous. The commissioning of the World Premiere by Juhi Bansal is made possible by a gift to The Thirteen’s Building for Tomorrow fund by J. Penny Clark.

INDIVIDUAL TICKETS
(on sale 09/01/2024)

Preferred Seating: $65 ($10 more if purchased at the door)
General Admission: $45 ($10 more if purchased at the door)
Student Tickets with Current Student ID: $15 ($10 more if purchased at the door)
Non-resident virtual-only ticket: $40

All in-person tickets include access to the virtual performance On Demand.

What creates identity? What inspires belonging? In this program, The Thirteen explores themes of identity and kinship through compositions by American composers from the end of the second World War through today. In so doing, we hope to suggest the beginnings of an inclusive, diverse, and ever-expanding New American Songbook.

 We begin with Aaron Copland’s In the Beginning, a seminal work by the composer most commonly credited with establishing an ‘American’ sound. But in this towering and difficult-to-classify work, Copland turns to origins and beginnings. Next we perform Ted Hearne’s Privilege (2009), a collection of five short pieces that address socio-economic inequality and conclude with a tribute to the power of music to fight oppression. The program culminates in the premiere of a new work by Indian American composer Juhi Bansal. Hailed as a “composer to watch” by The Washington Post and “radiant and transcendent” by New Classic LA, Bansal explores the themes of cultural and musical diversity and the environment in her works.

This program is made possible by generous gifts from Anonymous. The commissioning of the World Premiere by Juhi Bansal is made possible by a gift to The Thirteen’s Building for Tomorrow fund by J. Penny Clark.

INDIVIDUAL TICKETS
(on sale 09/01/2024)

Preferred Seating: $65 ($10 more if purchased at the door)
General Admission: $45 ($10 more if purchased at the door)
Student Tickets with Current Student ID: $15 ($10 more if purchased at the door)
Non-resident virtual-only ticket: $40

All in-person tickets include access to the virtual performance On Demand.

What creates identity? What inspires belonging? In this program, The Thirteen explores themes of identity and kinship through compositions by American composers from the end of the second World War through today. In so doing, we hope to suggest the beginnings of an inclusive, diverse, and ever-expanding New American Songbook.

 We begin with Aaron Copland’s In the Beginning, a seminal work by the composer most commonly credited with establishing an ‘American’ sound. But in this towering and difficult-to-classify work, Copland turns to origins and beginnings. Next we perform Ted Hearne’s Privilege (2009), a collection of five short pieces that address socio-economic inequality and conclude with a tribute to the power of music to fight oppression. The program culminates in the premiere of a new work by Indian American composer Juhi Bansal. Hailed as a “composer to watch” by The Washington Post and “radiant and transcendent” by New Classic LA, Bansal explores the themes of cultural and musical diversity and the environment in her works.

This program is made possible by generous gifts from Anonymous. The commissioning of the World Premiere by Juhi Bansal is made possible by a gift to The Thirteen’s Building for Tomorrow fund by J. Penny Clark.

INDIVIDUAL TICKETS
(on sale 09/01/2024)

Preferred Seating: $65 ($10 more if purchased at the door)
General Admission: $45 ($10 more if purchased at the door)
Student Tickets with Current Student ID: $15 ($10 more if purchased at the door)
Non-resident virtual-only ticket: $40

All in-person tickets include access to the virtual performance On Demand.

Before Bach wrote his end-of-life B Minor Mass, he summoned his youthful vigor to compose four exquisite masses in Latin. While Bach’s cantatas were often performed only once and were the result of quick compositional work, his Masses represent his finest music that he would have returned to frequently. They exhibit all of the mastery of the late B Minor Mass in the form of smaller and digestible delights, written by a composer at a highpoint of his career. The Thirteen performs two of his most exciting early masses, paired with some of his finest instrumental writing.

 A choir of twelve soloists joins violinist and concertmaster Adriane Post and an orchestra of period instrumentalists, featuring The Thirteen’s “outstanding” natural horn and “charming” oboes (Washington Classical Review).

This program is made possible by generous gifts from Charles Cerf & Cindy Dunbar and Sherman & Maureen Katz.

INDIVIDUAL TICKETS
(on sale 09/01/2024)

Preferred Seating: $65 ($10 more if purchased at the door)
General Admission: $45 ($10 more if purchased at the door)
Student Tickets with Current Student ID: $15 ($10 more if purchased at the door)
Non-resident virtual-only ticket: $40

All in-person tickets include access to the virtual performance On Demand.

Before Bach wrote his end-of-life B Minor Mass, he summoned his youthful vigor to compose four exquisite masses in Latin. While Bach’s cantatas were often performed only once and were the result of quick compositional work, his Masses represent his finest music that he would have returned to frequently. They exhibit all of the mastery of the late B Minor Mass in the form of smaller and digestible delights, written by a composer at a highpoint of his career. The Thirteen performs two of his most exciting early masses, paired with some of his finest instrumental writing.

 A choir of twelve soloists joins violinist and concertmaster Adriane Post and an orchestra of period instrumentalists, featuring The Thirteen’s “outstanding” natural horn and “charming” oboes (Washington Classical Review).

This program is made possible by generous gifts from Charles Cerf & Cindy Dunbar and Sherman & Maureen Katz.

INDIVIDUAL TICKETS
(on sale 09/01/2024)

Preferred Seating: $65 ($10 more if purchased at the door)
General Admission: $45 ($10 more if purchased at the door)
Student Tickets with Current Student ID: $15 ($10 more if purchased at the door)
Non-resident virtual-only ticket: $40

All in-person tickets include access to the virtual performance On Demand.

Before Bach wrote his end-of-life B Minor Mass, he summoned his youthful vigor to compose four exquisite masses in Latin. While Bach’s cantatas were often performed only once and were the result of quick compositional work, his Masses represent his finest music that he would have returned to frequently. They exhibit all of the mastery of the late B Minor Mass in the form of smaller and digestible delights, written by a composer at a highpoint of his career. The Thirteen performs two of his most exciting early masses, paired with some of his finest instrumental writing.

 A choir of twelve soloists joins violinist and concertmaster Adriane Post and an orchestra of period instrumentalists, featuring The Thirteen’s “outstanding” natural horn and “charming” oboes (Washington Classical Review).

This program is made possible by generous gifts from Charles Cerf & Cindy Dunbar and Sherman & Maureen Katz.

INDIVIDUAL TICKETS
(on sale 09/01/2024)

Preferred Seating: $65 ($10 more if purchased at the door)
General Admission: $45 ($10 more if purchased at the door)
Student Tickets with Current Student ID: $15 ($10 more if purchased at the door)
Non-resident virtual-only ticket: $40

All in-person tickets include access to the virtual performance On Demand.

David Lang | the little match girl passion | Winner of the Pulitzer Prize in Music

Gabriel Jackson | To the Field of Stars | Washington, D.C. Premiere

The Thirteen returns to the mystical Camino de Santiago de Compostela – Camino of St. James of the Field of Stars – with two works that explore transfiguration: David Lang’s Pulitzer Prize-winning the little match girl passion and Gabriel Jackson’s 2011 To the Field of Stars.

 Described as “poignant” and “consoling” (The New York Times), the little match girl passion is a moving setting of Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale, set through the filter of a Bach Passion, elevating the protagonist’s suffering, death, and transfiguration in song.

 Written for choir, cello, and percussion, To the Field of Stars is a cosmic journey of self-discovery, setting a wide range of texts, from the 12th century Codex Calixtinus to the poetry of Walt Whitman and Emily Dickinson. Gentle yet triumphant, imaginative yet familiar, To the Field of Stars, explores our deepest questions and the divide between the earthly and divine.

 Paired with projected images of the “Field of Stars” by Italian Projection Designer Camilla Tassi, The Thirteen’s performances promise to be replete with beauty and wonder.

This program is made possible by a generous gift from Clinton & Missy Kelly.

INDIVIDUAL TICKETS
(on sale 09/01/2024)

Preferred Seating: $65 ($10 more if purchased at the door)
General Admission: $45 ($10 more if purchased at the door)
Student Tickets with Current Student ID: $15 ($10 more if purchased at the door)
Non-resident virtual-only ticket: $40

All in-person tickets include access to the virtual performance On Demand.

David Lang | the little match girl passion | Winner of the Pulitzer Prize in Music

Gabriel Jackson | To the Field of Stars | Washington, D.C. Premiere

The Thirteen returns to the mystical Camino de Santiago de Compostela – Camino of St. James of the Field of Stars – with two works that explore transfiguration: David Lang’s Pulitzer Prize-winning the little match girl passion and Gabriel Jackson’s 2011 To the Field of Stars.

 Described as “poignant” and “consoling” (The New York Times), the little match girl passion is a moving setting of Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale, set through the filter of a Bach Passion, elevating the protagonist’s suffering, death, and transfiguration in song.

 Written for choir, cello, and percussion, To the Field of Stars is a cosmic journey of self-discovery, setting a wide range of texts, from the 12th century Codex Calixtinus to the poetry of Walt Whitman and Emily Dickinson. Gentle yet triumphant, imaginative yet familiar, To the Field of Stars, explores our deepest questions and the divide between the earthly and divine.

 Paired with projected images of the “Field of Stars” by Italian Projection Designer Camilla Tassi, The Thirteen’s performances promise to be replete with beauty and wonder.

This program is made possible by a generous gift from Clinton & Missy Kelly.

INDIVIDUAL TICKETS
(on sale 09/01/2024)

Preferred Seating: $65 ($10 more if purchased at the door)
General Admission: $45 ($10 more if purchased at the door)
Student Tickets with Current Student ID: $15 ($10 more if purchased at the door)
Non-resident virtual-only ticket: $40

All in-person tickets include access to the virtual performance On Demand.

David Lang | the little match girl passion | Winner of the Pulitzer Prize in Music

Gabriel Jackson | To the Field of Stars | Washington, D.C. Premiere

The Thirteen returns to the mystical Camino de Santiago de Compostela – Camino of St. James of the Field of Stars – with two works that explore transfiguration: David Lang’s Pulitzer Prize-winning the little match girl passion and Gabriel Jackson’s 2011 To the Field of Stars.

 Described as “poignant” and “consoling” (The New York Times), the little match girl passion is a moving setting of Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale, set through the filter of a Bach Passion, elevating the protagonist’s suffering, death, and transfiguration in song.

 Written for choir, cello, and percussion, To the Field of Stars is a cosmic journey of self-discovery, setting a wide range of texts, from the 12th century Codex Calixtinus to the poetry of Walt Whitman and Emily Dickinson. Gentle yet triumphant, imaginative yet familiar, To the Field of Stars, explores our deepest questions and the divide between the earthly and divine.

 Paired with projected images of the “Field of Stars” by Italian Projection Designer Camilla Tassi, The Thirteen’s performances promise to be replete with beauty and wonder.

This program is made possible by a generous gift from Clinton & Missy Kelly.

INDIVIDUAL TICKETS
(on sale 09/01/2024)

Preferred Seating: $65 ($10 more if purchased at the door)
General Admission: $45 ($10 more if purchased at the door)
Student Tickets with Current Student ID: $15 ($10 more if purchased at the door)
Non-resident virtual-only ticket: $40

All in-person tickets include access to the virtual performance On Demand.

Due to its ubiquity, Handel’s Messiah is a piece that we all think we know. And yet, at each return, the work still surprises through the overwhelming power and beautify of its music and the Christmas story.

The Thirteen performs all three parts of Messiah –including the iconic “Hallelujah Chorus” – telling the greatest story ever told in song. Featuring our orchestra of the nation’s finest period instrumentalists and our exquisite choir, whose members —center-stage soloists all—will sing Messiah’s iconic solos and duets, “this music, can seem to stop time when performed like this” (Washington Classical Review).

This program is made possible by generous gifts from Sara Fein and Walter Hill & Cheryl Naulty.

INDIVIDUAL TICKETS
(on sale 09/01/2024)

Preferred Seating: $65 ($10 more if purchased at the door)
General Admission: $45 ($10 more if purchased at the door)
Student Tickets with Current Student ID: $15 ($10 more if purchased at the door)
Non-resident virtual-only ticket: $40

All in-person tickets include access to the virtual performance On Demand.

Bach’s appointment in 1723 as Thomaskantor in Leipzig heralded a period of intense creative energy for the composer. Over the next four years, Bach would use his considerable talents to write works for choir that reach levels of virtuosity, expression, and jubilation unmatched by any other composer of the German Baroque. The Motets, as a collection, are the lodestar of Baroque choral polyphony and were likely performed repeatedly until Bach’s death in 1750. Approachable and deeply moving, the Motets are among the few Bach works that did not fall out of fashion after the composer’s death. In a tour-de-force performance, The Thirteen’s musicians, “exquisite in every way” (Gramophone) perform all of Bach’s motets in concert.

This program is made possible by a generous gift from J. Penny Clark.

INDIVIDUAL TICKETS
(on sale 09/01/2024)

Preferred Seating: $65 ($10 more if purchased at the door)
General Admission: $45 ($10 more if purchased at the door)
Student Tickets with Current Student ID: $15 ($10 more if purchased at the door)
Non-resident virtual-only ticket: $40

All in-person tickets include access to the virtual performance On Demand.

This performance is co-presented with Dumbarton Concerts.

Bach’s appointment in 1723 as Thomaskantor in Leipzig heralded a period of intense creative energy for the composer. Over the next four years, Bach would use his considerable talents to write works for choir that reach levels of virtuosity, expression, and jubilation unmatched by any other composer of the German Baroque. The Motets, as a collection, are the lodestar of Baroque choral polyphony and were likely performed repeatedly until Bach’s death in 1750. Approachable and deeply moving, the Motets are among the few Bach works that did not fall out of fashion after the composer’s death. In a tour-de-force performance, The Thirteen’s musicians, “exquisite in every way” (Gramophone) perform all of Bach’s motets in concert.

This program is made possible by a generous gift from J. Penny Clark.

INDIVIDUAL TICKETS
(on sale 09/01/2024)

Preferred Seating: $65 ($10 more if purchased at the door)
General Admission: $45 ($10 more if purchased at the door)
Student Tickets with Current Student ID: $15 ($10 more if purchased at the door)
Non-resident virtual-only ticket: $40

All in-person tickets include access to the virtual performance On Demand.

Bach’s appointment in 1723 as Thomaskantor in Leipzig heralded a period of intense creative energy for the composer. Over the next four years, Bach would use his considerable talents to write works for choir that reach levels of virtuosity, expression, and jubilation unmatched by any other composer of the German Baroque. The Motets, as a collection, are the lodestar of Baroque choral polyphony and were likely performed repeatedly until Bach’s death in 1750. Approachable and deeply moving, the Motets are among the few Bach works that did not fall out of fashion after the composer’s death. In a tour-de-force performance, The Thirteen’s musicians, “exquisite in every way” (Gramophone) perform all of Bach’s motets in concert.

This program is made possibly by a generous gift by J. Penny Clark

INDIVIDUAL TICKETS
(on sale 09/01/2024)

Preferred Seating: $65 ($10 more if purchased at the door)
General Admission: $45 ($10 more if purchased at the door)
Student Tickets with Current Student ID: $15 ($10 more if purchased at the door)
Non-resident virtual-only ticket: $40

All in-person tickets include access to the virtual performance On Demand.