Upcoming Events for The Kennedy Center Washington D.C.

I thought I would let you know in advance what is happening at The Kennedy Center for this month, so plan ahead!! All FREE!

January 9, 2011..Will have the rousing and raucous, Scythian (sith-ee-yin) plays kicked-up Celtic and world music with hints of Gypsy and Klezmer, all infused with a touch of punk-rock sensibility. Take a pair of classically trained dueling fiddlers, toss in a rhythm guitar and the occasional funky accordion, then power it with the driving rhythm of a jazz percussionist, and you’ve got the ingredients for a show you won’t soon forget. Their high-energy, adrenaline-peddling, interactive brand of music has one goal in mind: to get people on their feet and dancing. Their repertoire ranges from traditional and contemporary Celtic and folk music to the alluring and dramatic strains of Gypsy and Eastern European tunes, and then crosses back over the border to pick up some good old-fashioned bluegrass licks.

At their Kennedy Center appearance, they will be performing songs from the Fedoryka brothers children’s album called “Cake for Dinner.”

January 14, 2011..Bob Franke (rhymes with “Yankee”) is brimming with the wise songs for which he is best known, along with topical songs sugared with the hilarious. As Tom Paxton says, “It’s his integrity. I always think of Bob as if Emerson and Thoreau had picked up acoustic guitars and gotten into songwriting. There’re touches of Mark Twain and Buddy Holly in there, too.” Franke began his career as a singer-songwriter in 1965 while a student at the University of Michigan.

Note: Free tickets will be given away two (2) per person in line in the Hall of Nations at 4 p.m. on Mon., Jan. 17 on a first-come, first-served basis.

January 22, 2011..Only 16 years-old, Sierra Hull displays instrumental facility and musical maturity well beyond her age with Secrets, her national debut album on Rounder Records. Hull began playing mandolin at age eight, and quickly became noted on the national festival scene for her fluid, inventive picking, winning several mandolin and guitar championships in the process. Hull has developed into a vocalist since first starting to sing publicly two years ago, demonstrated by the largely vocal-driven material that composes Secrets. Though she self-released an instrumental CD, Angel Mountain, in 2002, Secrets reflects a staggering amount of growth over the six years that separate the two projects. Among the musicians and vocalists joining her on the album are Ron Block, Barry Bales, Dennis Crouch, Jerry Douglas, Stuart Duncan, Clay Hess, Rob Ickes, Chris Jones, Jason Moore, Tony Rice, Dan Tyminski, Jim VanCleve, and the 17 year-old banjo phenom Cory Walker who has played alongside Hull for several years.

January 23,2011.. U.S. Navy Band in “John F. Kennedy: Celebrating 50 years of Diplomacy Through Culture”

The US Navy presents a special two-part series on the cultural diplomatic mission of Navy music in “John F. Kennedy: Celebrating 50 years of Diplomacy Through Culture.” Navy Concert Band pianist will perform a favorite piece of Earl Wild— a Navy musician who performed with the National Symphony Orchestra at Kennedy’s Inaugural Concert. Navy Band Flute and Harp Duo shows the power that music brings to diplomacy, setting the stage for such events as State Arrivals and State Dinners. The Sea Chanters perform pieces from their 1961 trip to Berlin, sponsored by the USIA to extend a positive American image abroad. Members of the Navy Band Clarinet Section pay tribute to Jim Gholson who performed at the White House in 1962 in one of Kennedy’s Concerts of Young People, and went on to join the Navy Band in 1966. Many composers and musicians spoke of their sorrow over Kennedy’s sudden death. The Navy Band performs Igor Stravinsky’s Elegy to John F. Kennedy. Navy Band Brass Quintet performs a medley of Kennedy’s favorite Irish folk songs. Part of The Presidency of John F. Kennedy: A 50th Anniversary Celebration.

January 30, 2011.. “Concerts for Young People by Young People”: The Capitol Jazz Project

Participants in this partnership between Washington Performing Arts Society and DC Public Schools in collaboration with Jazz at Lincoln Center showcase their musicianship and performance style. Part of The Presidency of John F. Kennedy: A 50th Anniversary Celebration.