Clockwise: James Dunham, Marc Destrubé, Mark Fewer, and Joan DerHovsepian (Photos: Jaclyn Nash)
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. The Axelrod Quartet welcomes its new violist, Joan DerHovsepian, principal violist of the Houston Symphony, whose distinguished career includes membership in the Everest Quartet.
Ensemble
Mark Fewer and Marc Destrubé (violins), Joan DerHovsepian (viola), Kenneth Slowik (violoncello)
Concert Season Information
Kenneth Slowik, SCMS artistic director and recipient of the Smithsonian Distinguished Scholar Award, again curates a series of pre-concert talks one hour prior to many of the programs, shedding light on the glorious music and the lives and times of the featured composers.
Concert Season Repertoire
Saturday, December 6, 2025 at 3:30 p.m.
J. S. Bach: The Art of Fugue, BWV 1080
Saturday, January 17, 2026 at 7:30 p.m.
Haydn: Quartet in B-flat Major, Op. 33, No. 4
Beethoven: Quartet in D Major, Op. 18, No. 3
Dvorák: Quintet in E-flat Major, Op. 97
with guest violist James Dunham
Saturday, February 7, 2026 at 7:30 p.m.
Haydn: Quartet in G Major, Op. 33, No. 5
Shostakovich: Quartet in F Major, Op. 73
Beethoven: Quartet in E Minor, Op. 59, No. 2
Saturday, April 11, 2026 at 7:30 p.m.
Haydn: Quartet in D Major, Op. 33, No. 6
Bartók: Quartet No. 2 in A Minor, Sz. 67
Beethoven: Quartet in C-sharp Minor, Op. 131
4 concerts
Special Opportunity for Subscribers
Subscribers to the Axelrod Quartet are invited to attend Haydn Day at the Smithsonian on Saturday, January 10, 2026 at 1:30 p.m. in the Taubman Hall of Music at the National Museum of American History in Washington, DC. Students and faculty members of the 2026 Smithsonian Haydn Quartet Academy present a marathon concert of quartets from Haydn’s Opp. 50, 54, and 55. Reservations are not required for this event.
General Information
- All programs and artists are subject to change.
- All concerts will be held in person at Nicholas and Eugenia Taubman Hall of Music, National Museum of American History at 14th St. and Constitution Ave. NW, Washington, DC.
- This series is also available on Sundays.
- If you are interested in additional Smithsonian Chamber Music Society in-person concert series, check out these 2025-2026 season options:
- Refer to our health and safety information for in-person programs.
