All upcoming Music & Theater programs

Join Tim Dolan, an actor and owner of Broadway Up Close tours in New York City, as he leads a virtual stroll that takes in the theaters at the northern end of the Broadway Theatre District from 47th Street to 54th Street. Along the way, discover how the stage was transformed in the 1960s and 1970s by the introduction of rock musicals with the landmark production of Hair, Via Galactica the first million-dollar show, and a belting orphan with a dog named Sandy.

Few national cinemas offer as compelling a mirror to social transformation as Italy’s. In the decades following World War II, Italian filmmakers shaped a legacy of innovation, reflection, and artistry that still resonates on the global stage. In a four-part series, art historian Jennie Hirsh explores pivotal moments in Italian cinema­, from the birth of Neorealism to the bold experimentation of contemporary filmmakers, and how they captured—and questioned—their time. This session focuses on Italian filmmaking from the 1990s to today.

Throughout the history of Western music, men have claimed most of the spotlight and accolades as performers, composers, teachers, impresarios, patrons, and instrument makers. Less attention has been paid to the scores of brilliant creative women who played these roles—along with many others—and who were relegated to the less brightly lit corners of the musical word. In a four-session series, speaker and concert pianist Rachel Franklin brings these women and their often-untold stories to life, showcasing them with live piano performances and historical and contemporary media clips.

Smithsonian Chamber Music Society audiences are privy to the unparalleled experience of being able to hear two magnificent quartets of instruments—one made by Antonio Stradivari, the other by his teacher Nicoló Amati—in this popular four-concert series on Saturdays. This concert features music composed by Haydn, Bethoven, and Dvorák.

The Greek comic poet Menander, who lived in the 4th century B.C.E., is not exactly a household name, but he greatly influenced what people see when they go to the movies or watch TV shows. Starting in the 320s B.C.E., Menander wrote new types of plays that featured romance and familial relationships rather than politics, the usual theme. Classics professor Mitch Brown illustrates how, through his successors, Menander helped shape theater in the Renaissance—ultimately becoming responsible for domestic and relationship-focused plays, movies, and sitcoms that are still popular today.

Frank Sinatra's 100 musical performances in motion pictures reveal a vocalist who almost from the start recognized how the camera could enhance his artistry as much as the microphone. Media historian Brian Rose surveys Sinatra’s extraordinary Hollywood musical career, which began with uncredited appearances with the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra and continued through his famous days with the Rat Pack.

The 49th season of the Smithsonian Chamber Music Society features musical masterpieces from the early 17th century to the middle of the 20th, played on some of the world’s most highly prized musical instruments in an 8-concert series. This concert features music of Franz Schubert.

The 49th season of the Smithsonian Chamber Music Society features musical masterpieces from the early 17th century to the middle of the 20th, played on some of the world’s most highly prized musical instruments in an 8-concert series. This concert features music of Dvorák with the Smithsonian Academy Orchestra.

For composers like Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms, and Tchaikovsky, the symphony was both a personal benchmark and a lasting measure of greatness. Their mastery of the form has captivated music lovers for generations. In a 5-session series, opera and classical music expert Saul Lilienstein examines the rich tapestry of the symphonic tradition with excerpts from landmark works spanning the late 18th to the close of the 19th century.