A Sold-Out Afternoon of Chamber Music Marks the End of Summer—and the Beginning of WMPA’s 55th Season

Alexandria, VA- On Sunday, August 30, the final notes of summer filled one of Old Town Alexandria’s most historic rooms as the Washington Metropolitan Philharmonic Association concluded its 36th annual LIVE at the Lyceum Summer Chamber Music Series.

The final performance was sold out, filling the intimate Alexandria History Museum at the Lyceum for an afternoon devoted to two substantial works for piano and strings: Amy Beach’s Piano Quintet in F-sharp Minor, Op. 67 and Johannes Brahms’ Piano Quintet in F Minor, Op. 34.

The musicians for the afternoon were Sonya Hayes (violin) and Erin Ryan (violin), Stephanie Knutsen (viola), Christopher Fiore (cello )and John Sutherland Earle (piano).

Concertgoers were greeted as they arrived by WMPA Board member Donna Reuss, adding to the welcoming, neighborhood quality that has helped make the Lyceum concerts an Alexandria summer tradition.

The afternoon also marked an ending of another kind. It was Alexandria Living Legend Ulysses James’ final concert as WMPA Music Director Laureate, giving the conclusion of the summer series an added sense of occasion.

James greeted the audience one more time with his now-famous:

“Good afternoon.”

For those who have followed the series over the years, it was a familiar greeting, and on this particular Sunday, a poignant one.

The August 30 concert capped a season of weekly Sunday performances that began June 7 and brought chamber music to the Lyceum throughout the summer. The series is designed to make classical music unusually accessible: concerts are free and open to the public, with WMPA suggesting a $25 donation to support its programming.

That accessibility is part of a much larger musical operation. WMPA encompasses the Washington Metropolitan Philharmonic, youth orchestras, the Lyceum Chamber Series and community concerts, with a stated mission of educating young musicians, presenting orchestral and chamber music, and expanding audiences for classical music.

From Summer at the Lyceum to “Illuminate the Spirit”

While the August 30 performance closed the summer chapter, WMPA is already moving into its 55th season, appropriately titled “Illuminate the Spirit.”

The 2026–2027 Washington Metropolitan Philharmonic season expands to five concerts under Music Director Anna Binneweg, beginning Sunday, October 4 with “Myth & Majesty.” Violinist Robert McDuffie will join the orchestra for Philip Glass’ Violin Concerto No. 1, alongside Unsuk Chin’s Subito con Forza, Debussy’s Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune and Respighi’s spectacular Pines of Rome.

The season continues December 12 with “Festival of Light,” featuring the Alexandria Choral Society and music by Jessie Montgomery, Aaron Copland, Ralph Vaughan Williams and Elaine Hagenberg. February 7 brings “Ritual & Renewal,” with works by Margaret Bonds, George Walker, Stravinsky and Ravel; March 21,  “Landscapes of the Spirit”features cellist Laura Metcalf and guitarist Rupert Boyd; and the season concludes May 23 with “Power & Possibility,”bringing the Washington Metropolitan Philharmonic and Washington Metropolitan Youth Orchestra together for a side-by-side performance.

The progression feels particularly fitting after an afternoon at the Lyceum. The August 30 audience demonstrated that classical music does not have to be remote or intimidating. It can happen on a Sunday afternoon in the middle of Old Town, in a historic building, with neighbors greeting one another at the door and musicians performing only a few feet away.

And judging by the sold-out final performance of the summer, Alexandria is still very happy to listen.

The LIVE at the Lyceum Summer Chamber Series will return in June 2027.

Washington Metropolitan Philharmonic Association — 2026–2027 Concerts & Tickets