When a chamber orchestra pairs one of the most recognizable violin works ever written with a historic sanctuary and a rare Stradivarius, the result can transcend a typical concert night. That is exactly what happened on October 3, when the National Chamber Orchestra took the stage at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Georgetown, turning an evening of Vivaldi and Tchaikovsky into a moment audiences clearly did not want to end.
Maestro Julien Benichou & Joshua Brown, the Violinist
National Chamber Orchestra Conducted by Julien Benichou
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Julien Benichou and violinist Joshua Brown lead an evening of Vivaldi and Tchaikovsky in the Georgetown church where President John F Kennedy worshipped
Under the direction of General and Artistic Director Julien Benichou, with violinist Joshua Brown as featured soloist, the orchestra delivered Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons and Tchaikovsky’s Serenade for Strings to an audience that responded with enthusiastic applause and standing ovations after each major work. The performance unfolded beneath the church’s dome, surrounded by stained-glass windows and with a large cross rising at the center of the performance area — a setting steeped in the history of a president who once worshipped there.
The sacred atmosphere gave the evening a reflective quality, while the musicians’ immediacy of playing drew listeners close to the shifting emotional currents of the music. Benichou’s conducting was mesmerizing, his expressive gestures shaping the music’s motion and guiding the ensemble through moments of tenderness, urgency and exuberance. Soloist and orchestra responded to one another with a sense of magic: a phrase would gather energy, a texture would soften, and a new scene would emerge.
A Year Unfolds Through Vivaldi
Brown took center stage for Vivaldi’s four concertos, performing on the historic “Lord Newlands” Stradivarius. His interpretation combined technical command with expressive intensity, his facial expressions and body language reinforcing the changing character of the music. The journey through spring, summer, autumn and winter felt personal as well as dramatic.
In “Spring,” the music suggested birdsong, flowing streams and the freshness of a landscape awakening. Brown’s violin lines moved within the orchestra’s bright textures, giving the familiar concerto a sense of discovery. JaLynn Prince’s narration deepened the audience’s understanding of the imagery and stories woven into the music.
“Summer” brought a different atmosphere, with languor giving way to gathering tension and the force of a storm. Benichou guided the changing pace and intensity, while Brown brought urgency to the solo writing. The contrast between stillness and turbulence made the music’s weather feel immediate, as the orchestra moved from suspended anticipation into thunderous activity.
“Autumn” carried the energy of harvest, celebration and the hunt, with the ensemble’s rhythmic vitality giving the concerto forward motion. In “Winter,” sharper musical contours evoked cold and exposure, while quieter passages offered warmth and repose. Together, the four concertos formed an unfolding narrative of nature and human experience.
The performance showed why The Four Seasons continues to reach audiences across generations. Its images are recognizable, but its emotional range extends beyond description. Joy, fatigue, anticipation and relief all find a place in the music, and Brown and Benichou made those contrasts central to the evening, allowing the audience to experience the year as a sequence of changing feelings.
Tchaikovsky and the Power of the Ensemble
Following intermission, the orchestra performed Tchaikovsky’s Serenade for Strings in C Major, Op. 48. The program moved from the four seasonal concertos to a work that places the collective voice of the strings at its center. Its opening movement, waltz, elegy and finale offered a broad emotional arc, with expansive melodies and shifting colors throughout.
Benichou drew warmth and continuity from the ensemble, shaping the serenade’s longer phrases while preserving the distinct character of each movement. The waltz brought grace and buoyancy; the elegy gave the evening a more inward atmosphere. The finale restored momentum, carrying the performance toward an energetic conclusion and another standing ovation.
The orchestra’s musicians were central to that impact. Concertmaster Kelly Cho led the first violins, with Ryan Huo serving as principal second violin. Amanda Kellman led the violas, Igor Zubkovsky the cellos and Victor Holmes the basses. Harpsichordist Caleb Bates contributed to the Vivaldi performance. Their work, together with the full string ensemble, supported the evening’s balance of individual expression and shared musical purpose.
A Historic Violin in a Historic Sanctuary
The concert program identified Brown’s instrument as the “Lord Newlands” Stradivarius, provided through a long-term loan from the Sasakawa Music Foundation in Japan. Named for Lord Newlands, formerly William Hozier, the violin carries a history of collectors and custodians extending through the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Its appearance in Georgetown connected that history with a new audience through live performance.
Brown’s career has also drawn international recognition. The program notes his 2025 Avery Fisher Career Grant and his Second Prize and both Audience Awards at the 2024 Queen Elisabeth Competition in Brussels. At Holy Trinity, those credentials found their practical expression in a performance that brought precision, character and emotional engagement to one of the most familiar works in the violin repertoire.
Harmony Through Listening
The evening offered a space for shared attention in a world marked by conflict and division. Under the sanctuary’s cross and stained glass, musicians and listeners gathered around an experience that required no common nationality or language. The orchestra’s collaboration made harmony tangible: distinct voices listened and responded, creating something none could achieve alone.
That theme also connects with the orchestra’s recent presentation of a separate, Mozart-linked Stainer violin at its September 27 recital. While the October concert featured the “Lord Newlands” Stradivarius, both events demonstrate how historic instruments gain new meaning when musicians bring them into the present. The story continues through performance and through audiences willing to listen.
December Concert Preview
On December 5, 2026, the National Chamber Orchestra and Choir will return to Holy Trinity Catholic Church for Handel’s Messiah. Featuring the triumphant “Hallelujah Chorus,” the concert will invite audiences into an enduring musical expression of hope and renewal. Following an October evening filled with seasonal drama and heartfelt applause, the December performance offers another opportunity to experience voices joined in harmony.
Concert information: www.NCOMusic.org
Caleb Bates
National Chambe Orchestra
administration@ncomusic.org
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Why it matters: In a cultural landscape where live classical music competes for attention, this concert demonstrated that pairing masterworks with historic venues and world-class soloists can still draw powerful audience reactions. The orchestra’s upcoming Messiah performance suggests a growing tradition at Holy Trinity that could anchor the region’s holiday season for years to come.
