On February 28 and March 1 & 2, Lionel Bringuier makes his greatly anticipated debut conducting the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. The formidable violinist Gil Shaham interprets Mozart’s Fifth Violin Concerto, a work of dramatic scope and electrifying imagination. Completing the program is Albert Roussel’s The Spider’s Feast (symphonic fragments), and Stravinsky’s colorful and rhythmic Petrushka, a piece that Mr. Bringuier has garnered praise for previously with the Los Angeles Philharmonic:

“He emphasized Stravinsky’s rich color palette [and he] happily stirred the rhythmic pot when it came time for exciting crowd scenes, sassy Russian dances and big-deal climaxes, all the while maintaining a fine line between the peasant pathos and urbane incredulity of a story in which a puppet comes to life, lucklessly seeks love and loses his wooden head.” (Los Angeles Times)