Season Features a German Embassy Partnership, a Germany Tour, Beloved Holiday Concerts, and Brahms’ Ein Deutsches Requiem
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Choral Arts Society of Washington (Choral Arts) today announced its 2026–2027 concert season, “Embrace the Unknown,” a bold artistic program conceived by Artistic Director Dr. Marie Bucoy-Calavan in response to a period of profound global uncertainty. The season will span fall 2026 through summer 2027, encompassing six major concerts, a season-long partnership with the German Embassy, and a culminating international tour to Munich, Leipzig, and Berlin.
Season Vision
“Embrace the Unknown” positions Choral Arts as a cultural leader and convener at a moment when the arts are needed most. The season is designed to foster meaningful audience engagement and forge strategic institutional partnerships that extend the organization’s reach both locally and internationally. At its heart, the season invites audiences to sit with uncertainty, and to find in music a path toward reflection, connection, and hope.
“This season is about embracing the unknown—not with fear, but with curiosity and connection. Choral music gives us a way to navigate uncertainty together, reminding us that even without clear answers, we can still find connection, understanding, and a sense of shared humanity.” Dr. Marie Bucoy-Calavan, Artistic Director, Choral Arts
A Season-Long Partnership with the German Embassy
The centerpiece of the season is a partnership with the German Embassy spanning the full arc of the year, extending Choral Arts’ role as the Ambassador Chorus. The collaboration launches with a community sing in September and culminates in an international tour of Germany in June 2027. In March, the Madrigalchor of the Hochschule für Musik Munich will join Choral Arts for a special concert and Unity Sing, an interactive community experience centered on folk songs and cultural learning through shared singing. Johannes Brahms’ Ein Deutsches Requiem anchors the partnership’s repertoire focus, complemented by additional works reflecting both the German choral tradition and broader global perspectives.
Culminating Germany Tour: Munich, Leipzig, and Berlin
Following the Bon Voyage Concert on June 12, 2027, Choral Arts will embark on a tour of Germany, performing at venues of historic and cultural significance: the Nikolaikirche in Leipzig, connected to J.S. Bach’s legacy, and the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church in Berlin, a symbol of resilience and reconciliation. The tour deepens Choral Arts’ international collaborations and brings the season’s theme of embracing the unknown to a global stage.
“Our partnership with the German Embassy brings this idea to life. Through our exchange with the Madrigalchor in Munich—welcoming them here and traveling to perform together in Germany—we’re stepping into the unknown as artistic partners. It’s a powerful reflection of our role as an Ambassador Chorus, using music to build understanding across cultures.”- Bucoy-Calavan
Subscription Packages will go on sale on Friday, May 29, 2026, and Single Tickets will go on sale on Friday, June 12, 2026. Individual Tickets starting at $30.
2026–2027 Season Chronology
Community Sing
Saturday, September 19, 2026 | Location and Time TBD
Choral Arts kicks off its 2026–2027 season with a spirited Community Sing in partnership with the German Embassy. The ticketed evening experience combines live performance with museum access and a beer garden setting. The Madrigalchor of the Hochschule für Musik Munich will join for a Unity Sing, guiding the audience through German folk songs in a shared celebration of music and cultural exchange.
“In Search of Home”
Sunday, October 25, 2026, 5:00 p.m. | Church of the Epiphany | 1317 G St NW, Washington, DC 20005
A program for full ensemble and chamber forces exploring humanity, displacement, and belonging. Featuring staged performance elements alongside both historical and contemporary repertoire, the concert integrates multiple perspectives on refuge, identity, and human connection.
Featured works:
Leonard Bernstein — Chichester Psalms
Caroline Shaw — To the Hands (staged)
Dietrich Buxtehude — selections from Ad Manus
Johannes Brahms — An die Heimat
Jeffrey Derus — Whoever You Are
“Wonder” 46th Annual Holiday Concert & Gala
Sunday, December 13, 2026, 5:00 p.m.| Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium | 1301 Constitution Ave NW, Washington, DC 20240
The 46th Annual Holiday Gala and Concert opens the holiday season with an immersive experience at one of Washington’s most magnificent venues. Integrating live performance with the gala setting, the evening features the Chamber Ensemble with chamber orchestra.
Holiday Series: Family Christmas
Saturday, December 19, 2026, 11:00 a.m. | Capital Turnaround | 700 M St SE, Washington, DC 20003
Two performances at this exciting new venue bring holiday magic to Navy Yard. The family-friendly event is designed to welcome new audiences and create cherished traditions for families across the region. An optional Tea with Mrs. Claus add-on is also available for those looking for an extra touch of holiday magic.
Holiday Series: O Night Divine
Wednesday, December 23, 2026, 7:00 p.m. | The Music Center at Strathmore | 5301 Tuckerman Ln, North Bethesda, MD 20852
The beloved signature holiday tradition returns to Strathmore with the full symphonic chorus and orchestra. The only large-scale choral-orchestral Christmas offering in the region, O Night Divine remains the definitive holiday concert experience in the Washington area.
Spring Collaboration Concert with Madrigalchor München
Thursday, March 18, 2027, 7:00 p.m. | Church of the Epiphany | 1317 G St NW, Washington, DC 20005
The Choral Arts Chamber Ensemble and the Madrigalchor München share the stage in an a cappella program celebrating the musical traditions of both ensembles. The concert features individual ensemble performances alongside shared American and German repertoire, and concludes with a Unity Sing that invites the audience into the experience of cultural exchange through song.
“Facing the Unknown: Brahms’ Requiem”
Saturday, March 20, 2027, 7:00 p.m. | The Music Center at Strathmore | 5301 Tuckerman Ln, North Bethesda, MD 20852
A major symphonic program at Strathmore exploring grief, acceptance, and the unknown. Johannes Brahms’ Ein Deutsches Requiem, the centerpiece of the season and the German Embassy partnership, is paired with Jake Runestad’s A Silence Haunts Me in a program that moves through loss and silence toward acceptance, comfort, and hope.
Echoes and Horizons: an Auf Wiedersehen Concert
Saturday, June 12, 2027, 5:00 p.m. | Church of the Epiphany | 1317 G St NW, Washington, DC 20005
A festive send-off celebration before the ensemble departs for Germany, featuring a preview of international repertoire and a reflection on the season’s journey. Echoes and Horizons: an The Auf Wiedersehen Concert marks the culmination of “Embrace the Unknown” at home before the Germany Tour carries Choral Arts’ artistry to Munich, Leipzig, and Berlin.
About Choral Arts
Founded in 1965 by Norman Scribner, the Choral Arts Society of Washington is one of the nation’s leading symphonic choruses. Based in Washington, D.C., the volunteer ensemble curates its own season of engaging and distinctive choral performances while also appearing regularly with major orchestras, including the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center and other distinguished ensembles in the United States and abroad.
Choral Arts has earned international recognition, including a Grammy Award for its collaboration on William Bolcom’s Songs of Innocence and of Experience. The chorus is known for its versatility, performing a broad repertoire that spans masterworks of the choral-orchestral canon while also creating distinctive, immersive concert experiences that invite deeper audience engagement.
Through collaborations with leading artists, orchestras, and embassies, as well as education programs supporting pre-professional singers, Choral Arts serves as a cultural ambassador for Washington, D.C., and beyond, advancing the choral art form and connecting audiences with music of depth and significance.
For tickets and additional information, visit choralarts.org or call 202.244.3669.
For more information on the 2026-2027 concert, visit https://choralarts.org/2026-2027-season-home/
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