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Philharmonia Fantastique is a concerto for orchestra and animated film that follows a magical Sprite on a musical journey through the instruments of the orchestra, written by Mason Bates, and co-created with 7-time Academy Award®-winning Gary Rydstrom, and Academy Award®-nominated animation director Jim Capobianco.
Registration required; recommended for all ages
23 Min.
The whole farmyard is getting ready for a hoedown—but it needs your help! Presented in collaboration with Teller Productions and developed specifically for toddlers, this immersive show features puppets, a storyteller, and a string quartet from the National Symphony Orchestra.
Registration required; recommended for grades pre-K - 2
40 Min.
Available Now
Oh no! Elizabeth’s viola is gone. Will our musician friends find it in time for their next big performance? Possibly, with the help of a magician who also pretends to be a detective—and you. Get ready to hear some great music as you solve this magical mystery.
No registration required; recommended for all grades
36 Min.
Available Now
Step right up to this daring double act of classical fun! Bassist Paul DeNola and violinist Heather LeDoux Green take a break from the NSO to introduce young audiences to some of the greatest music ever written. This “silent” comedic tag-team presents a hilarious program of music and mayhem.
No registration required; recommended for all grades
34 Min.
Available Now
Emcee, songwriter, and poet Javier Starks paves a unique path all his own with 100% curse-free Hip Hop music, showing the world that success can come without negativity. Join Javier in this video concert as he performs original songs with a live band and DJ.
No registration required; recommended for grades 5 and up
25 Min.
Available Now
What if supernatural creatures were real and have been walking among us in disguise? What if the days surrounding Halloween are their days to shine just as they are? Find yourself bedazzled by this bewitching video concert.
No registration required; recommended for all grades
23 Min.
Check out our extensive Digital Resources Library for art-related classroom lessons, media, and activities.
Master musician and composer Simon Shaheen, along with his ensemble Qantara, demonstrates the unique sounds in traditional/classical Arab music.
Explore the performances of young slam poets. Musical, lyrical, and provocative, these original spoken word pieces are supported by Hip Hop giants Questlove and Black Thought.
Sogolon is the puppet show and theatrical company created by Yaya Coulibaly in order to perpetrate and promote the Mali puppet tradition. The group's core mission is to contribute to develop and promote the Bamanan-Somono-Bozo puppet show.
Tambuco is a percussion quartet founded in 1993 by four Mexican musicians. Tambuco’s performances weave music, instruments, and playing techniques from all over the world into a colorful tapestry of sounds, some familiar and some completely new.
The vibrant, energetic music of the Andes region of South America is performed in its most authentic form by Andes Manta, professional musicians and natives of the Ecuadorian Andes.
This performance explores the hip hop dance and music movement including beat boxing, breaking, locking, floor work, and top rock.
The Limón Dance Company demonstrates what to look for and how to interpret dancers' movements in the graceful and nuanced dramatic performance of The Moor's Pavane, based on an Italian legend—the same story Shakespeare used for his tragedy, Othello.
Irish puppeteer Miriam Lambert presents “Goldilocks and the Three Bears.” Lambert has been at the heart of the Irish puppetry industry since her childhood, having grown up with the Lambert Puppet Theatre in Dublin.
Explore the musical traditions and instruments of Ireland in this lively performance/discussion.
In 1985 the Cameroonian artist Werewere Liking founded the Village Ki-Yi M'Bock (signifying "ultimate knowledge" in Liking's native Bassa language) in the bustling capital of Côte d' Ivoire.
The Fisk Jubilee Singers are considered a landmark of Tennessee's artistic heritage and are instrumental in preserving the musical tradition known today as Negro spirituals.
Join members of internationally renowned a cappella ensemble Sweet Honey In The Rock and learn how the ensemble uses their collective voice as an instrument along with a variety of percussion instruments.
Go on a musical journey with Allan Harris and the Cross That River Band as they go back in time and explore America's West during the 19th century.
Through performance, demonstration and discussion with country music Grammy winner Jerry Douglas and musicians Bryan Sutton, Dudley Connell, Sally Love, and Marshall Wilborn, students learn about the history, the styles, and the traditions of this truly American music.
Legendary composer and jazz pianist Dr. Billy Taylor & classical pianist Estela Olevsky performing together at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, in 1998.
Imani Winds is a woodwind quintet that focuses on illuminating the connection between culture from the African diaspora and the classical music repertoire.
Classical pianist Awadagin Pratt takes you through his personal relationship with music and the piano in this intimate performance and demonstration.
This unique and celebrated brass quintet presents highlights of the development of brass instruments from the earliest trumpets to the present day.
Time for Three performs music from Brahms to the Beatles and beyond and demonstrates how engaging music of all genres can be when played with spontaneity, enthusiasm, and technical virtuosity.
In this multimedia performance by NSO cellist Yvonne Caruthers with her NSO colleagues Natasha Bogachek, violin, and Stephen Dumaine, tuba, explore the connections between science and music.
What do science and music have in common? More than you might think. NSO musicians explore science and music with the student audience.
What do Mozart, Marie Antoinette, and Benjamin Franklin have in common? That question and many others will be answered in this fast-paced, multimedia program developed by NSO cellist Yvonne Caruthers
Black Grace, a dance company from New Zealand, takes the stage with an explosive program that mixes rhythm, spirit, and energy.
Founded in 1979, The Song & Dance Company of Mozambique collects, preserves, and presents arts and artists representing the various ethnic groups of this southern African nation.
Los Danzaq de Ayacucho, a folk ensemble of dancers and musicians from the Central-Southern Andes of Peru, present a breathtaking performance the ancient art form of scissor dancing.
Fusing Brazilian spirit with African rhythm and the grace of classical ballet, the company explains and demonstrates these cultural influences and performs excerpts from the company's repertoire
Drawing from various traditional Chinese genres, artistic director Doudou Huang seeks to reinvent Chinese dance, skillfully weaving East and West, old and new, and interpreting history through a modern filter.
American Ballet Theatre (ABT) Studio Company and choreographer John Selya explore the history of classical dance, demonstrating how it has changed over 300 years.
Artistic Director Christine Dakin discusses the legacy of Martha Graham, and company members demonstrate the technique that continues to influence dancers today.
Experience the history and culture of Tibet, Cambodia, and China through the choreography of Shen Wei.
Limón Dance Company returns to the Kennedy Center with The Traitor, one of modern dance’s most significant works of the 1950s.
The award-winning performance troupe Urban Bush Women and the National Song and Dance Company of Mozambique join together to present a program that demonstrates the rich and complex music and dance of Southeast Africa.
Ballet Hispanico is a dance company that blends modern, ballet, and Latin dance forms. The mission of the company is to demonstrate the vibrancy of Latin American cultures through dance.
The Dayton Contemporary Dance Company (DCDC) and Artistic Director Kevin Ward explore the history of African-American contemporary dance pioneers.
Founded in 1971 by Artistic Director Brenda Way, who trained under the legendary George Balanchine, ODC originated as Oberlin Dance Collective.
Pilobolus is an American modern dance company that began performing in October 1971, and has performed over 100 choreographic works in more than 64 countries around the world.
Founded in 1970, PHILADANCO has a legacy of breaking barriers and building bridges across cultural divides, consistently performing for audiences representing an amalgamation of people from diverse communities.
Inspired by the possibilities of rock climbing and rappelling, the company uses aerial, vertical, and horizontal movement to create a blend of dance, sport, ritual, and environmental awareness.
The Taylor 2 Dance Company was created in 1993 to perform modern dance works by choreographer Paul Taylor.
A 2008 Grammy-nominated jazz artist at age 21, Eldar Djangirov and his trio perform jazz standards and original compositions
Award-winning pianist, composer, and Kennedy Center Artistic Director for Jazz Jason Moran is known for challenging "the same old thing" in jazz and confronting contemporary audiences' notions about the classic jazz trio.
Host Chip Jackson presents an ensemble of young and emerging jazz artists, featuring Crystal Torres (vocals), Matt Marantz (sax), Caley Monahon-Ward (violin), Marcus Gilmore (drums), Philip Kuehn (bass), and Eldar Djangirov (piano).
The Regina Carter Quintet presents a program that explores non-traditional repertoire, improvisation, and musical styles you would not expect to hear from a jazz ensemble.
Vibraphonist-composer Stefon Harris along with his band Blackout teaches students what to listen for in jazz.
Two of today’s top vocalists and an internationally-known composer and pianist explore how classical sounds intertwine with improvisational jazz in the music of Duke Ellington, one of DC’s native sons.
Janis Siegel of The Manhattan Transfer and Italian vocalist Roberta Gambarini pay tribute to the “First Lady of Song” in a program that includes some of Ella Fitzgerald’s best-loved jazz hits.
Terell Stafford and his quintet talk about improvisation and ensemble playing and, through performance, guide students in what to listen for in jazz.
Jazz Reach's She Said/She Says is a celebration of women's achievements and music in jazz from the early 20th century to the present day.
Join legendary jazz pianist, composer and educator Dr. Billy Taylor and his trio (Chip Jackson on bass and Steve Johns on drums) with special guest trumpet/flugelhorn player Jimmy Owens as they explore the Cool style of jazz.
Join legendary jazz pianist, composer and educator Dr. Billy Taylor and his trio as they explore "America's classical music" and answer the question "what is improvisation?"
Join legendary jazz pianist, composer and educator Dr. Billy Taylor and his trio as they explore "America's classical music" and answer the question "what is jazz?"
The Turtle Island String Quartet presents an engaging program that explores non-traditional repertoire and musical styles and sounds you would not expect to hear from violin, viola, and cello.
Join legendary jazz pianist, composer and educator Dr. Billy Taylor and his trio with special guest young artists as they explore the process of becoming a jazz performer.
Join legendary jazz pianist, composer and educator Dr. Billy Taylor and his trio as they explore the styles and techniques of jazz performance, including blues, improvisation, swing, and the varied sounds and colors of the bass and drums.
Host Dr. Nathan Davis presents an international ensemble of young and emerging jazz artists
Join legendary jazz pianist, composer and educator Dr. Billy Taylor and classical pianist Estela Olevsky as they explore the differences and similarities in jazz and classical piano music.
Join legendary jazz pianist, composer and educator Dr. Billy Taylor and his trio with special guest vocalist Nnenna Freelon as they explore jazz singing.
Master drummer Bobby Sanabria and his band ¡Quarteto Aché take students on a musical journey to create the rich array of musical styles known as Latin music.
Join legendary jazz pianist, composer and educator Dr. Billy Taylor and his trio with special guest vocalist Vanessa Rubin as they celebrate the legacy of the Ella Fitzgerald.
Join legendary jazz pianist, composer and educator Dr. Billy Taylor and his trio with special guest violinist John Blake, Jr. as they explore the sounds and history of the jazz violin.
Join legendary jazz pianist, composer and educator Dr. Billy Taylor and his trio with special guest trumpet player Jon Faddis as they explore the legacy of legendary trumpet virtuoso Dizzy Gillespie.
Join legendary jazz pianist, composer and educator Dr. Billy Taylor and his trio and special guest trumpet player and composer Terence Blanchard as they explore the the role of jazz in film scores.
Unconventional musical ensemble The Turtle Island String Quartet presents an engaging program that explores non-traditional repertoire and musical styles you would not expect to hear from violin, viola, and cello.
Join legendary jazz pianist, composer and educator Dr. Billy Taylor and his trio and special guest percussionists Candido Camero (congas) and Barnett Williams (timbales) as they explore the styles and instruments of Latin Jazz.
Join legendary jazz pianist, composer and educator Dr. Billy Taylor and his trio and special guest guitarist Mark Whitfield as they walks you through the musical history of the jazz guitar.
Join legendary jazz pianist, composer and educator Dr. Billy Taylor and his trio as he walks you through the musical world of Jazz on 52nd Street.
Join jazz legend Dr. Billy Taylor, and his trio as they coach and perform with three young jazz musicians.
Kennedy Center Education provides resources and experiences that inspire, excite, and empower students and young artists, plus the tools and connections to help educators incorporate the arts into classrooms and learning spaces of all types.
Generous support for educational programs at the Kennedy Center is provided by the U.S. Department of Education.
Gifts and grants to educational programs at the Kennedy Center are provided by The Paul M. Angell Family Foundation; Bank of America; Capital One; The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation; Carnegie Corporation of New York; The Ednah Root Foundation; Genesis Inspiration Foundation; Harman Family Foundation; William R. Kenan, Jr. Charitable Trust; the Kimsey Endowment; The Kiplinger Foundation; Laird Norton Family Foundation; Lois and Richard England Family Foundation; Dr. Gary Mather and Ms. Christina Co Mather; The Markow Totevy Foundation; Dr. Gerald and Paula McNichols Foundation; The Morningstar Foundation; Myra and Leura Younker Endowment Fund; The Irene Pollin Audience Development and Community Engagement Initiatives;
Prince Charitable Trusts; Dr. Deborah Rose and Dr. Jan A. J. Stolwijk; Rosemary Kennedy Education Fund; The Embassy of the United Arab Emirates; The Victory Foundation; The Volgenau Foundation; Jackie Washington; GRoW @ Annenberg and Gregory Annenberg Weingarten and Family; and generous contributors to the Abe Fortas Memorial Fund and by a major gift to the fund from the late Carolyn E. Agger, widow of Abe Fortas. Additional support is provided by the National Committee for the Performing Arts..
The content of these programs may have been developed under a grant from the U.S. Department of Education but does not necessarily represent the policy of the U.S. Department of Education. You should not assume endorsement by the federal government.
