The Pale Blue Dot: A Musical Voyage Inspired by Nature

Drew Peterson, pianist

Josephine Baker

John Edward Hasse, guest curator

Felix Conteras, conga

Ellington Carthan, pianist and narrator

Jeffrey Mumford, guest curator

Annie Jacobs-Perkins, cello

Katerina Burton, soprano

CAAPA Choir

Robin De Jesús, actor

David Strathairn, actor

Kevork Mourad, artist

Derek Goldman, playwright/director

José Sacín, bass baritone (Don Quihote)

Israel Lozano, tenor (Master Peter)

Jennifer Zetlan, soprano (Trujaman)

Ricardo Marlow, Flamenco guitar

Philip Kennicott, guest curator

Hany Hassan FAIA, visuals

Flávio Chamis, guest curator

André Mehmari, pianist and composer

Tatjana Mead Chamis, viola

Elin Melgarejo, vocalist

Jerod Tate, guest curator

Nino Rota, composer

Christy Klenke, French Horn

Wednesday, November 19, 2025, 7:30pm

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The natural world is the only reason humanity exists and has a place in the universe. Microbes, fungi, plants and animals provide us with everything we need to survive. If this wasn’t enough, nature is also a source of awe and wonder, spirituality and inspiration. Despite this gift, we’ve been treating the natural world without gratitude, as if every living being and mineral and water source was for us to use and abuse disrespectfully. But the natural world is at a breaking point, and it’s not able to absorb our full impacts anymore. Yet we know that, if we give the land and the ocean space, they can bounce back to life and restore the riches we have spoiled. This program explores through music the path from wild, pristine nature to a degraded natural world that looks and sounds ominous; at the end we propose the rebirth of nature and cause for joy and celebration.

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Program

The Pale Blue Dot: A Musical Voyage Inspired by Nature

Wednesday, November 19, 2025, 7:30pm
Terrace Theater | 2700 F St NW, Washington, DC
‍Presented without intermission

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Enric Sala & Kristin Rechberger, guest curators
The Children's Chorus of Washington
Ed Gero, narrator
PostClassical Ensemble conducted by Angel Gil-Ordóñez

PROGRAM

Claude Debussy: La mer (arranged for 15 players by Joolz Gale)

Howard Shore: Excerpts from The Lord of the Rings

Virgil Thomson: Music for the New Deal documentaries, The River and The Plow That Broke the Plains

Edvard Grieg: Morning Mood from Peer Gynt

Léo Delibes: Flower Duet ("Sous le dôme épais") from Lakmé

Joel Friedman: Musical surprise to be announced at the performance

Post-Concert Discussion

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What people are saying

So many thanks for that most inspiring, capacious evening. With PCE’s usual ability to surprise and delight… that symphony was astonishing…

Kate

Your leadership and dramatic shaping of the Symphony last night was truly masterful - and so inspiring. I know I’ll never forget this experience. Thank you, Maestro!

Chris

I loved the intimacy of the ensemble and the aching beauty of the melody repeating and recurring and turning up where I did not expect it . And I found the quality of the sound thrilling.

That was my take on the concert --that and the tears that it brought to my eyes, simply to be there, to be present at the creation of something so beautiful..

Michaele

What a perfect PCE evening, wonderful concert and lovely gathering

Liz

Angel, You are so musical! I've played the 4th twice, it was the first Mahler I heard as a kid, and I'm invariably disappointed that conductors don't let it breathe. U nailed it.

David

Congratulations again to you and your superb ensemble on a wonderful and provocative performance in the Terrace Theater last evening. As always, we learned something from this concert and it was fun, too.

Alec

Everything about it was sheer delight, including the lively and interesting talk at the end…

Catherine

The Pale Blue Dot: A Musical Voyage Inspired by Nature

Wednesday, November 19, 2025, 7:30pm

The Pale Blue Dot: A Musical Voyage Inspired by Nature

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