Phillips Collection launches 85th season of music with premieres, tributes, and global voices | EarRelevant

EarRelevant Staff | 25 JUL 2025

WASHINGTON, D.C.— The Phillips Collection will mark the 85th anniversary of its storied Phillips Music Series this fall with a wide-ranging 2025–26 season that bridges music, visual art, and global culture. The season, the first fully curated by pianist Jenny Lin as Director of Music, opens on September 28 and features more than 60 artist debuts, numerous premieres, and a slate of programs closely tied to the museum’s special exhibitions.

This milestone season, which continues the institution’s long tradition of pairing concerts with art in the intimate Music Room, deepens that relationship by intentionally aligning every performance with a concurrent museum exhibition.

“Our programs are designed in harmony with the museum’s exhibitions,” said Lin, who stepped into the role last fall. “This year especially, they reflect the rich sonic landscapes that shape America’s musical heritage.”

Among the highlights: a two-part tribute to composer Philip Glass, the Washington, D.C., premiere of Gabriela Ortiz’s Mujer Ángel—a co-commission with Carnegie Hall—and performances celebrating the museum’s major exhibitions Out of Many: Reframing an American Art Collection and Miró and the United States.

Jonathan P. Binstock, Director & CEO of The Phillips Collection, called the season “a powerful demonstration of the ways music and visual art can move audiences in complementary and compelling ways.”

The lineup features prominent soloists, including bass-baritone Dashon Burton, pianists Nelson Goerner, Alessio Bax, and Stephen Drury, violinists Kristin Lee and Alexi Kenney, and guitarist Sean Shibe. Notable chamber ensembles will also be featured, including the Miró, Calder, Casals, Attacca, and Brooklyn Rider quartets; Trio Isimsiz; and the American Brass Quintet, which opens the season with a free livestreamed concert.

The 2025–26 season also sees the expansion of the Leading International Composers series, spotlighting works by Ortiz (Mexico), Huang Ruo (China), Paul Wiancko (U.S.), and Francisco Coll (Spain). These programs aim to amplify underrepresented voices in contemporary music and foster cross-cultural dialogue.

Other standout events include a centennial tribute to composer Ryuichi Sakamoto performed by the genre-crossing Bang on a Can All-Stars, flamenco from the Cristina Aguilera Trio, and appearances by jazz artists Artifacts and Ethan Iverson. Washington’s own Matchstick Percussion returns for a hometown performance in January.

Concerts are held on Sundays at 4 p.m., with a number of performances available via free livestream. Tickets and subscriptions will go on sale on August 28 at noon, with early access available to museum members starting August 18. Standby and rush tickets will be available on a limited basis.

For more than eight decades, the Phillips Music series has drawn major artists and emerging talents alike to perform in the museum’s salon-style venue, continuing a legacy begun in the 1940s under the stewardship of founder Duncan Phillips’s assistant Elmira Bier. The series has presented such luminaries as Jessye Norman, Nadia Boulanger, Emanuel Ax, and Hilary Hahn, while also championing winners of major international competitions.

A full schedule and ticketing information are available at phillipscollection.org/music ■

PHILLIPS MUSIC SERIES 2025-26 CONCERT SCHEDULE

All concerts take place on Sundays at The Phillips Collection, an art museum located in the Dupont Circle neighborhood of Washington, D.C., and begin at 4 pm unless otherwise noted.
* = Free livestream

September 28: American Brass Quintet*
October 5: Dashon Burton, bass-baritone, and Lindsay Garritson, piano
October 12: Ya-Fei Chuang and Robert Levin, piano
October 19: Artifacts, jazz trio
October 26: Kristin Lee, violin, and Jun Cho, piano
November 2: Leading International Composers: Gabriela Ortiz with Attacca String Quartet
November 9: Sean Shibe, electric and acoustic guitar
November 16: Ethan Iverson, Herman Burney, and Nasar Abadey, jazz trio
November 23: Alessio Bax, piano, Andreas Ottensamer, clarinet, and Kian Soltani, cello
December 7: Leading International Composers: Huang Ruo with Members of Ensemble FIRE
December 14: Centennial Concert: Bang on a Can All-Stars plays Ryuichi Sakamoto*
January 11: Scott Yoo, violin, Alice Dade, flute, and Natalia Bolshakova, piano
January 18: Matchstick Percussion
January 25: Leading International Composers: Paul Wiancko and Friends
February 1 & 8: Philip Glass: Music for Piano
February 15: Cuarteto Casals
February 22: Toomai String Quintet
March 1: Camille Thomas, cello, and Julien Brocal, piano
March 8: Nelson Goerner, piano
March 15: Trio Céleste
March 22: Han Chen, piano, and Roberta Michel, flute
March 29: Leading International Composers: Francisco Coll Trio Isimsiz and Jacob Kellerman, guitar
April 12: Stephen Drury, piano
April 19: Miró Quartet*
April 26: Cristina Aguilera Flamenco Trio*
May 3: Calder Quartet
May 10: Brooklyn Rider*

EXTERNAL LINKS:

Phillips Music Series: phillipscollection.org/music

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