Front Row Washington

Mondays at 9:00 pm on Classical WETA 90.9 FM

Tune in on Mondays at 9:00 pm for classical performances by top local musicians and ensembles, recorded at venues throughout the Washington area.

Previous broadcasts have included performances recorded at the Barns at Wolf Trap, the Library of Congress, and the National Gallery of Art.

Upcoming Broadcasts

Quatuor Danel plays Weinberg

Presented by the Phillips Collection

Monday, April 6, 2020 - 9:00pm

Last year at the Phillips Collection, Quatuor Danel gave one of the most musically anticipated events in Washington. Over 5 concerts they performed every string quartet by Mieczysław Weinberg, and over the first Monday's of each month through May, we'll be listening to their critically acclaimed performances.

Weinberg was born into a Jewish family in Warsaw, Poland in 1919 and studied at the Warsaw Conservatory. He fled Poland for the Soviet Union at the outbreak of WW2, his parents and his sister stayed behind and were subsequently killed in the Trawniki Concentration Camp. In the Soviet Union, he experienced continued anti-Semitism. In 1948 his father-in-law, a famous Jewish actor, was assassinated under Stalin’s orders and Weinberg was then followed and arrested in 1953. Shostakovich intervened on his behalf, and after Stalin’s death was released from prison.

The Quatuor Danel was founded in 1991 and has been at the forefront of the international music scene ever since, with important concert performances worldwide and a row of groundbreaking CD recordings. The quartet is famous for their bold, concentrated interpretations of the string quartet cycles of Haydn, Beethoven, Schubert, Shostakovich, and Weinberg. Their lively and fresh vision on the traditional quartet repertoire has delivered them subsequent praise from the public and press.

Featured performances:

Mieczysław Weinberg - String Quartet No. 11 in F Major, Opus 89
Mieczysław Weinberg - String Quartet No. 13 in F Major, Opus 118
Mieczysław Weinberg - String Quartet No. 12, Opus 103

Jonathan Biss plays Beethoven

Presented by the Phillips Collection

Monday, April 13, 2020 - 9:00pm

Jonathan Biss is critically acclaimed for his interpretations of piano music by Beethoven. This season he is deeply focused on performing and recording the complete piano sonatas by Beethoven. Jeremey Ney, Director of Music at the Phillips Collection says “…recording the 32 piano sonatas by Beethoven is akin to summiting a (crowded) musical Mt. Everest… demands maturity, patience, and vision…” In this 2019 Phillips Collection concert Biss plays Piano Sonatas Nos. 4, 8, 10, and 11.

Shanghai Quartet plays Beethoven and Chinese composers

Presented by the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art

Monday, April 20, 2020 - 9:00pm

Over the past thirty-five years the Shanghai Quartet has become one of the world’s foremost chamber ensembles. The Shanghai’s elegant style, impressive technique, and emotional breadth allows the group to move seamlessly between masterpieces of Western music, traditional Chinese folk music, and cutting-edge contemporary works. Formed at the Shanghai Conservatory in 1983, soon after the end of China’s harrowing Cultural Revolution, the group came to the United States to complete its studies; since then the members have been based in the U.S.

The Shanghai Quartet has a long history of championing new music, with a special interest in works that juxtapose the traditions of Eastern and Western music. The Quartet has commissioned works from an encyclopedic list of the most important composers of our time,

Recent Broadcasts

The Knights celebrate JS Bach

Presented by Dumbarton Oaks

Monday, March 30, 2020 - 9:00pm

The Knights are a collective of adventurous musicians dedicated to transforming the orchestral experience and eliminating barriers between audiences and music. Driven by an open-minded spirit of camaraderie and exploration, they inspire listeners with vibrant programs that encompass their roots in the classical tradition and passion for artistic discovery. The orchestra has toured and recorded with renowned soloists including Yo-Yo Ma, Dawn Upshaw, Béla Fleck, and Gil Shaham, and has performed at Carnegie Hall, Tanglewood, and the Vienna Musikverein.

In this homage to Bach, the Knights look at a large range of music that was either directly or indirectly influenced by the master, including modernist giants such as Igor Stravinsky. György Ligeti, and György Kurtga.

A Far Cry

Presented by Dumbarton Concerts

Monday, March 23, 2020 - 9:00pm

Called a “world-wide phenomenon” by Boston’s WBUR, A Far Cry has nurtured a distinct approach to music-making since its founding in 2007. The self-conducted orchestra is a democracy in which decisions are made collectively and leadership rotates among the players (“Criers”). This structure has led to consistently thoughtful, innovative, and unpredictable programming — and impactful collaborations with celebrated performers and composers.

Over the past year, A Far Cry has risen to the top of Billboard’s Traditional Classical Chart, been named Boston’s best classical ensemble by The Improper Bostonian, and celebrated two Grammy nominations for its Visions and Variations. Boston Musical Intelligencer sums up the group: “In its first decade, this conductor-free ensemble has earned and sustained a reputation for top-drawer playing, engrossing programming, and outstanding guest artists.”

Claremont Trio

Presented by the Phillips Collection

Monday, March 16, 2020 - 9:00pm

Lauded as “one of America’s finest young chamber groups” Strad Magazine, the Claremont Trio is sought after for its thrillingly virtuosic and richly communicative performances. First winners of the Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson International Trio Award and the only piano trio ever to win the Young Concert Artists International Auditions, the Claremonts are consistently lauded for their "aesthetic maturity, interpretive depth, and exuberance" (Palm Beach Daily News).

The three works by Frank, Grime, and Agocs were commissioned by the Claremont Trio.