The Thirteen Presents

Handel’s Messiah

The only all-professional, complete production of Handel’s Messiah
in Washington, DC and Bethesda, MD

DECEMBER 19 & 20, 2026

Washington Post Reader Savings
Use promo code WAPO10 at checkout to save 10%

Code Applies To:
General Admission tickets to Messiah in DC;
Eastern Transepts and Choir Loft tickets to Messiah in Bethesda

Join us for this time-honored holiday tradition — the telling of the greatest story ever told in song. Our “dazzling” choir and 16 rotating soloists are joined by the nation’s finest period instrumentalists, performing the iconic solos and duets of Handel’s Messiah’s with “distinctive approaches to these famous arias” (Washington Classical Review). Our fully-professional choir and orchestra perform all three parts of Handel’s masterpiece — including the iconic “Hallelujah Chorus,” which brings audiences to their feet year after year.

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Handel’s Messiah Concert Options:

HANDEL’S MESSIAH VIRTUAL CONCERT
LIVESTREAM TICKETS
Saturday, December 19, 2026, 4pm
Price w/ Fees: $43

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How is The Thirteen’s Messiah Concert
Unlike Any Other in the Country?

"a FEAST of distinctive approaches to these famous arias, plus DAZZLING choruses"

- Washington Classical Review

What makes The Thirteen’s Handel’s Messiah concert one of the best in the country?

1. Fully Professional Production: We only work with professional singers and instrumentalists, making us the only production in the region that is fully professional.

2. All Three Parts: The Thirteen performs all three parts of Handel’s Messiah, including the Hallelujah Chorus.

3. Rotating Soloists: Unlike many other productions that feature four soloists, we rotate 16 to perform the arias, leading to a “dazzling” and “distinctive approach” to Handel’s masterpiece (Washington Classical Review).

4. Period Instruments: The Thirteen’s orchestra performs on period instruments, allowing the listener to be transported back to the time the piece was composed.

5. Intimate Venues: We hand-pick our venues in Washington, DC and Bethesda, MD to ensure the highest quality of sound but also offer a warm, intimate-feel to set the mood for the holiday season.

Featuring 16 Soloists

Sopanos

Altos

Tenors

Basses

About The Thirteen

“Exquisite in every way” (Gramophone), The Thirteen is a professional choir and orchestra celebrated for reimagining the potential of vocal music. In our fourteen years of performing works ranging from early chant to world premieres and the centuries in between, we have gained a reputation not only for our “tight and attractive vocal blend and excellent choral discipline” (American Record Guide), but also as clarion voices for our time, “offer[ing] a vivid portrait of a nation still finding its voice” (The Washington Post). By our mission to inspire the soul to sing, move the heart to empathy, and build community through groundbreaking musical performance, we seek to humanize the stories we tell.

About Our Artistic Director

Conductor Matthew Robertson is the founder and driving voice of the professional choir and orchestra The Thirteen, which he has led in more than 225 concerts, two dozen concert tours, nine commercial recordings, and numerous world premieres. Noted for boundary-defying performances that “transfigure the listener” (The Washington Post), for his “incisive tempos and dramatic pacing” (Washington Classical Review), and “flowing lines and dramatic climaxes” (Fanfare), Robertson has led The Thirteen to national recognition, including being named “Best of 2025 in Classical Music” by The Washington Post.

In Our Time

While The Thirteen returns annually to Handel’s masterpiece as stewards of this beloved tradition, this year’s performance aligns with this season particularly well. Due to its ubiquity, Handel’s Messiah is a piece we all think we know. And yet, each return reveals new resonance: echoes of its original context in 1742 Dublin, of the generations of listeners and performers who have become part of its history, and of the questions it continues to pose in our own time.

Messiah raises enduring questions of justice, power, and of what it might mean for “every valley [to] be exalted” or “why do the nations so furiously rage together?”

This program is made possible by generous gifts from our Concert Sponsors, Robert & Lynn Downing and the Downing Family Foundation.