Free/Cheap Classical Music Performances in Washington DC
March 19, 2018 11:20 AM Subscribe
I'm going to be in Washington DC between Thursday 3/22 and Sunday 3/25. Usually I just buy a ticket to the opera or the symphony when I'm visiting another city, but this time I'd like to keep to a tighter budget. Can you good folks point me towards resources where I can find out about cheap or free classical performances? I especially love chamber music.
Also, keep an eye on the Free in DC blog, they often have free music performance listings.
posted by General Malaise at 11:24 AM on March 19, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by General Malaise at 11:24 AM on March 19, 2018 [1 favorite]
The Library of Congress has free concerts (tickets required). There's one on the 24th.
posted by Mr.Know-it-some at 11:27 AM on March 19, 2018
posted by Mr.Know-it-some at 11:27 AM on March 19, 2018
Best answer: It should be easy to get rush tickets for that LOC concert (100% success rate personally). You can actually do that virtually now through the Eventbrite app. They are released 2 hours beforehand in person, but people also return them through the app a few hours prior.
NGA also has a piano concert on March 25.
posted by veery at 1:02 PM on March 19, 2018
NGA also has a piano concert on March 25.
posted by veery at 1:02 PM on March 19, 2018
My wife is on the kc-scotty list, which the Kennedy Center box office uses for last minute discount offers. It's unpredictable, but there were $35 orchestra seats for a recent performance of Don Carlo, and that's cheap as opera goes.
NGA's concerts can fill up, but I'd also recommend trying for rush seats at that performance at the LoC if it interests you. They always have returned tickets and no-shows. Full disclosure: we know one of their events people (and thus our 100% success rate is maybe better than it should be), but I also had my +1 drop out for something and the woman they gave my spare ticket to was very happy to have gotten in. It's a normal occurrence. If you rush in person, show up early and let the staff know. They'll probably have you line up somewhere, but as they get returned tickets from other patrons they just give them to the next people in line, and then when they call time on any no-shows they fill empty seats in order of arrival.
posted by fedward at 1:32 PM on March 19, 2018
NGA's concerts can fill up, but I'd also recommend trying for rush seats at that performance at the LoC if it interests you. They always have returned tickets and no-shows. Full disclosure: we know one of their events people (and thus our 100% success rate is maybe better than it should be), but I also had my +1 drop out for something and the woman they gave my spare ticket to was very happy to have gotten in. It's a normal occurrence. If you rush in person, show up early and let the staff know. They'll probably have you line up somewhere, but as they get returned tickets from other patrons they just give them to the next people in line, and then when they call time on any no-shows they fill empty seats in order of arrival.
posted by fedward at 1:32 PM on March 19, 2018
Check out the free Friday Music Series on the campus of Georgetown University. It's every Friday at 1:15 pm. This Friday seems to be a classically-trained baritone and pianist performing "Eastern European Jewish melodies, songs, and arrangements for piano with voice." Bonus: the campus and surrounding neighborhood are pretty and historic.
posted by deeparch at 4:05 AM on March 20, 2018
posted by deeparch at 4:05 AM on March 20, 2018
Best answer: The Kennedy Center Millenium stage does free concerts every Friday.
Great suggestion—but in fact these free concerts are every day at 6 pm, 365 days a year.
posted by musicinmybrain at 5:17 AM on March 20, 2018
Great suggestion—but in fact these free concerts are every day at 6 pm, 365 days a year.
posted by musicinmybrain at 5:17 AM on March 20, 2018
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posted by General Malaise at 11:23 AM on March 19, 2018 [5 favorites]