Matthew Robertson, Artistic Director of The Thirteen, recently came to the WETA Classical studios to discuss his plans for the 2026-27 season. He began by saying, "This coming season is our fifteenth, and in it I want to explore how great music lives across time, how it is influenced by the intentions of the composers, how it bears the imprint of its reception throughout history, and, importantly, how it's shaped by how we approach it today. And so I titled this season 'In Our Time.'"
The season will begin in October with a program that pairs Johannes Brahms' A German Requiem with Margaret Bonds' Credo, set to a text by W.E.B. du Bois. Both works will be presented in their composers' own versions for chorus with piano accompaniment, bringing a sense of intimacy to these powerful works.
In November Robertson will lead the choir in program called "Reincarnations", featuring a cappella works by English and American composers from the last 500 years.
In December The Thirteen will continue their holiday tradition of presenting the DMV's only all-professional performances of Handel's Messiah.
In February the group will bring back one of their most celebrated programs from their 2024 season: British composer Joby Talbot's Path of Miracles, a musical journey along the Camino de Santiago de Compostela, presented with immersive projections by Camilla Tassi.
In March The Thirteen performs what Robertson says is "the largest program in our history" - a staged production of J. S. Bach's St. Matthew Passion at Washington National Cathedral.
The season concludes in April with "US in Our Time", a program of contemporary American works that includes a World Premiere by Ashi Day.
Check out their website for the full schedule.
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