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. Many of the SAO's concerts are free and open to the public thanks to the generous support of an anonymous donor.
2026 Tour: Elgar, Beethoven, Schoenberg
The Smithsonian Academy Orchestra, under the direction of Kenneth Slowik, presents Elgar's Serenade for Strings, Beethoven's Quartetto serioso Op. 95 as arranged by Mahler, and Schoenberg’s Verklärte Nacht for string orchestra.
Program:
Elgar: Serenade for Strings, Op. 20
Beethoven: Quartetto serioso Op. 95, arranged by Gustav Mahler
Schoenberg: Verklärte Nacht (1943 orchestral version)
Thursday, April 23, 2026 at 7:30pm
Saint James Place
352 Main Street, Great Barrington, MA 01230
Free Tickets
Friday, April 24, 2026 at 7:30pm
The Concert Hall at Drew University Dorothy Young Center for the Arts
36 Madison Ave, Madison, NJ 07940
Free Tickets
Sunday, April 26, 2026 at 4pm
Church of the Holy Trinity, Rittenhouse Square
1904 Walnut St, Philadelphia, PA 19103
Free Tickets
Audition for SAO Season 26/27
To audition, submit a video recording of two contrasting excerpts from the classical orchestral repertoire on period instruments to nataliekress@gmail.com.
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