NOI+F Prelude: Smithsonian Academy Orchestra
NOI+F Prelude: Smithsonian Academy Orchestra
About the Event
Founded in 2024 by conductor Kenneth Slowik, the Smithsonian Academy Orchestra is a resident ensemble of the Smithsonian Chamber Music Society, a program of the National Museum of American History. The Orchestra’s repertoire ranges from Bach to Schoenberg, all performed on period-appropriate instruments. In this prelude to the 2026 National Orchestral Institute + Festival, Maestro Slowik leads SAO and NOI+F Smithsonian Academy fellows in Franz Joseph Haydn’s unstoppable “Military” symphony in its dramatic splendor. The program closes with one of Beethoven’s well known works, the exceptional Symphony No. 7.
Program
- Haydn: Symphony No. 100, “Military”
- Beethoven: Symphony No. 7
National Orchestral Institute + Festival
This event is part of the National Orchestral Institute + Festival. NOI+F brings together aspiring orchestral musicians from across the country for a month of dynamic music- making and professional exploration. Chosen through a rigorous, cross-country audition process, these young artists present passionate and thrilling performances of adventurous repertoire at The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center (The Clarice). Internationally recognized conducting luminary Marin Alsop was appointed first-ever music director of the National Orchestral Institute + Festival in 2020. As music director, Alsop leads the NOI+F Conducting Academy and conducts multiple concerts at The Clarice each June.
View the full festival lineup here.
NOI+F Package Savings!
Purchase tickets to three or more NOI Philharmonic concerts in a single transaction to receive a 20% discount on regular price tickets. Please note that the 20% discount does not apply to additional concert ticket purchases.
Support for NOI+F
The National Orchestral Institute + Festival is supported in part by the Maryland State Arts Council, The Clark-Winchcole Foundation, and The Marinus and Minna B. Koster Foundation.