~John Banno, The Washington Post-
"...A mezzo-soprano with a lilting voice..."
-Rebecca Corbett, The New York Times-
"The listener basked in the luxuriant richness of her lower register, while marveling at the facility of her upper tessitura... the depth of her conviction and connection to the music."
Alden Theater, McLean Community Center, 1234 Ingleside Ave, McLean, VA
Join the Virginia Chamber Orchestra and the Alexandria Chorale for a performance of Saint-Saens’ Christmas Oratorio.
Kristen Dubenion-Smith, Mezzo-Soprano soloist
Music Center at Strathmore, 5301 Tuckerman Ln, North Bethesda, MD 20852
A cherished tradition of the Washington Bach Consort, the holiday season simply isn’t complete without experiencing Christmas Oratorio live at Strathmore! Praised by The Washington Post, this “splendid” and “joyful” performance of Bach’s timeless telling of the Nativity is performed by an all-star cast
Kristen Dubenion-Smith, alto soloist
Join Ensemble Altera for a boldly reimagined chamber version of a timeless classic, Handel's Messiah, live in concert in Providence, RI. Don't miss your chance to experience this groundbreaking concert, featuring some of the finest period instrumentalists and singers in the country. Kick off your holiday season with this festive favorite and hear the Messiah as you never have before, crackling with new energy and clarity. Just 25 musicians bring this masterpiece to life with Ensemble Altera's customary passion and invention.
Kristen Dubenion-Smith, alto soloist/chorus
St. Bernadette Church, 70 University Blvd, Silver Spring, MD 20901
Josquin Ave Maria, virgo serena
Palestrina Missa brevis
Victoria and Byrd O magnum mysterium
Guerrero and Palestrina Alma Redemptoris Mater
Gibbons First Service Magnificat and Nunc dimittis
Peñalosa and Byrd Ave verum corpus
Croce and Victoria O vos omnes
Byrd and Palestrina Hodie Christus natus est
* From Josquin's exquisite Ave Maria, the first piece in Petrucci's first printed
edition of Renaissance music, to Byrd's brilliant Hodie Christus natus est, every
work on this program is a deservedly famous masterpiece.
National Presbyterian Church, 4101 Nebraska Ave NW, Washington, DC
Henry Purcell Hail! Bright Cecilia (Ode on St. Cecilia’s Day 1692), Z. 328 My heart is inditing, Z. 30 Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem, Z. 46 O sing unto the Lord, Z. 44
Kristen Dubenion-Smith, chorus
All Souls' Episcopal Church, 1475 Catalina Blvd, San Diego, CA
MASQUE: VENUS & ADONIS ODE: YE SONS OF PHOEBUS John Blow
INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC FROM THE FAIRY QUEEN Henry Purcell
Exploring the music and relationship of John Blow to Henry Purcell, two of England’s most influential composers of the seventeenth century.
Kristen Dubenion-Smith, Cupid/chorus
Saints Constantine & Helen Greek Orthodox Church, 8459 Manchester Ave, Cardiff, CA
MASQUE: VENUS & ADONIS ODE: YE SONS OF PHOEBUS John Blow
INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC FROM THE FAIRY QUEEN Henry Purcell
Exploring the music and relationship of John Blow to Henry Purcell, two of England’s most influential composers of the seventeenth century.
Kristen Dubenion-Smith, Cupid/chorus
Millar Chapel at Northwestern University , 1870 Sheridan Rd., Evanston, IL
The sensuous allure of the East and the structure of the West. They met in Venice in 1610 – and the splendor resounded. Jeannette Sorrell leads chorus, strings, brass, lutes, and soloists in Monteverdi’s sumptuous masterpiece.
Kristen Dubenion-Smith, alto soloist/chorus
The sensuous allure of the East and the structure of the West. They met in Venice in 1610 – and the splendor resounded. Jeannette Sorrell leads chorus, strings, brass, lutes, and soloists in Monteverdi’s sumptuous masterpiece.
Kristen Dubenion-Smith, alto soloist/chorus
The sensuous allure of the East and the structure of the West. They met in Venice in 1610 – and the splendor resounded. Jeannette Sorrell leads chorus, strings, brass, lutes, and soloists in Monteverdi’s sumptuous masterpiece.
Kristen Dubenion-Smith, alto soloist/chorus
St Raphael Catholic Church, 525 Dover Center Rd, Bay Village, OH
The sensuous allure of the East and the structure of the West. They met in Venice in 1610 – and the splendor resounded. Jeannette Sorrell leads chorus, strings, brass, lutes, and soloists in Monteverdi’s sumptuous masterpiece.
Kristen Dubenion-Smith, alto soloist/chorus
The sensuous allure of the East and the structure of the West. They met in Venice in 1610 – and the splendor resounded. Jeannette Sorrell leads chorus, strings, brass, lutes, and soloists in Monteverdi’s sumptuous masterpiece.
Kristen Dubenion-Smith, alto soloist/chorus
St. Paul’s Lutheran Church , 4900 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington, DC 20008
St. Matthew Passion The Pinnacle of Passion Johann Sebastian Bach- St. Matthew Passion, BWV 244
Kristen Dubenion-Smith, alto soloist
St. Mark’s Capitol Hill, 301 A Street SE, Washington, DC 20003
St. Matthew Passion The Pinnacle of Passion Johann Sebastian Bach- St. Matthew Passion, BWV 244
Kristen Dubenion-Smith, alto soloist
Eya presents The Unicorn
Inspired by the mysterious medieval tapestries known as “The Lady and the Unicorn,” this program amplifies the voices of visionary women who seek—and find—sacred union unto themselves. Featuring the rare body of medieval music of women, including the French trouvères, Hildegard von Bingen, Las Huelgas Codex, and others, as well and a special new commission by Baltimore-based composer (and friend of Eya) Douglas Buchanan. The program also features the voices of medieval and contemporary women mystics.
Washington National Cathedral , 3101 Wisconsin Ave NW, Washington, DC 20016
The Washington National Cathedral present’s Mendelssohn’s Elijah. More information forthcoming.
Saint Sophia Greek Orthodox Church , 2815 36th St NW, Washington, DC 20003
Music for the Soul Polychoral Splendors of Venice & Northern Europe Michael Praetorius- Polyhymnia Caduceatrix et Panegyrica (1619) Heinrich Schutz- Psalms of David (1619) Claudio Monteverdi- Selva morale e spirituale (1640/1641)
The leading center of 17th-century sacred music—the Basilica of St. Mark in Venice—could boast chief musicians such as Giovanni Gabrieli and Claudio Monteverdi. Gabrieli inspired the German-born Heinrich Schütz and other composers north of the Alps to adapt the Venetian style to the liturgies of German-speaking churches. We’ll hear examples of this impressive, grand tradition as it developed both north and south of the Alps, with multiple ensembles of singers, early brass, winds, and strings. This magnificent music creates a spectacular sound world of its own—a feast for the ears!
Washington National Cathedral , 3101 Wisconsin Ave NW, Washington, DC 20016
In 1920, the right to vote was expanded under the Nineteenth Amendment to include women. One hundred and two years later, we explore what it means to have your voice heard.
CCS has commissioned works from three of today’s leading women composers — Augusta Read Thomas, Lisa Bielawa, and Jessie Montgomery — that demonstrate the impact of speaking up and speaking out. As part of the day’s activities, you will also get to dictate a postcard to a real or imagined President as a part of Sheryl Oring’s work I Wish to Say.
Eya presents Pilgrimage (excerpts)
Eya follows the humming routes of the Camino de Santiago as well as the path towards the mountaintop monastery of Montserrat with music of medieval Spain from the Codex Calixtinus, Las Huelgas Codex, and the Llibre Vermell. Interspersed throughout the program are the liturgical songs of Hildegard von Bingen devoted to St. Ursula and the 11,000 virgins, martyred along their doomed spiritual journey.
This interweaving of musical styles outlines and explores the progression of body, mind, and spirit along the well-worn and sometimes turbulent path of the pilgrim.