Winter 2017 Shows at The Barns of Wolf Trap in Vienna

The Barns at Wolf Trap, a popular night spot for DC-area music lovers, has plenty of concerts coming up this winter season. At 382 seats, it allows audiences to experience top-notch artists in an intimate setting. The Barns plays host to more than 80 performances each year between October and May. The two adjacent 18th century barns were donated in 1981 by Wolf Trap founder Catherine Filene Shouse and refurbished and refined with superb acoustics and amenities.

Here's a look at the upcoming concerts for the rest of the season:

January 2017

Ailyn Pérez, soprano
Kim Pensinger Witman, piano
Chamber Music at The Barns
Friday, January 20 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets $38

“Her voice has a distinctive timbre, with plaintive richness blended into its youthful bloom ... Ms. Pérez, a beautiful woman who commands the stage, has the makings of a major soprano” (The New York Times).

Aaron Tveit Wolf Trap Debut
Saturday, January 21 at 8:00 p.m.
Sunday, January 22 at 7:00 p.m. Tickets $40-$55

Recently highlighted as Danny Zuko in Grease Live! on Fox, this screen and stage heartthrob creates a charming pop cabaret for his Barns debut.

Crystal Bowersox Last appeared in 2015
Saturday, January 28 at 8:00 p.m. Tickets $26-$28

With a subtle “touch of twang and fragility” Crystal Bowersox “expertly works the territory between folk and country” (The Chicago Tribune). The American Idol season nine runner-up returns to The Barns with the gentle warmth and wisdom beyond her years that has earned her performances alongside everyone from Harry Connick Jr. to Alanis Morissette.

February 2017

International Guitar Night Last appeared in Spring 2016
Wednesday, February 1 at 8:00 p.m. Tickets $25-$27
Thursday, February 2 at 8:00 p.m.

One of the most important showcases for contemporary finger stylists features Gypsy jazz virtuoso Lulo Reinhardt, Italy's innovative Luca Stricagnoli, brilliant Brazilian Chrystian Dozza, and India's groundbreaking Debashish Bhattacharya.

Passing the Torch
Debut Artists from SUNY Stony Brook
With Eugene Drucker, Lawrence Dutton,
and Paul Watkins
Chamber Music at The Barns Wolf Trap Debut
Friday, February 3 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets $38

Three members of the Emerson String Quartet join three of their most talented protégés from the venerable program at SUNY Stony Brook.

Eric Paslay Wolf Trap Debut
Friday, February 10 at 8:00 p.m. Tickets $26-$38

Grammy nominee Eric Paslay, delivers a powerful punch as a Platinum-selling country songwriter and dynamic performer. His five penned No. 1 hits include “Even If It Breaks Your Heart” (Eli Young Band), “Barefoot Blue Jean Night” (Jake Owen), “Angel Eyes” (Love & Theft), “Rewind” (Rascal Flatts), and “Friday Night,” the smash lead single from his critically acclaimed self-titled debut album. His most recent single “Angels In This Town” previews his forthcoming album, Dressed in Black.

Alyson Cambridge
Until Now Tour The Barns at Wolf Trap Debut
Saturday, February 11 at 8:00 p.m. Tickets $25-35

Alyson Cambridge’s refreshingly sultry, sassy, and sophisticated album Until Now (2016) comes to life on stage as a jazzed –up cabaret. “Radiant, vocally assured, dramatically subtle and compelling and artistically imaginative” (The Washington Post), she makes her Barns debut after over a decade of success on the world’s leading opera and concert stages.

Cherish the Ladies Last appeared in 2014
Tuesday, February 14 at 8:00 p.m. Tickets $25-$30
Wednesday, February 15 at 8:00 p.m.
For over 30 years, this Grammy-nominated, Irish-American group has blended masterful music, beautiful vocals, and stunning step dancing for an “astonishing array of virtuosity” (The Washington Post).

Solas Last appeared in 2014
Thursday, February 16 at 8:00 p.m. Tickets $25-$28
Friday, February 17 at 8:00 p.m.
Celebrating 20 years, “the finest Celtic ensemble this country has ever produced” (The Boston Globe) lights up The Barns with its melodic beacon of Irish music.

1964 The Tribute Last appeared in Spring 2014
Saturday, February 18 at 8:00 p.m. Tickets $38-$42
“Twist and Shout” and relive Beatlemania with “best Beatles tribute on Earth” (Rolling Stone).

Masters of Hawaiian Music Last appeared in 2014
Saturday, February 25 at 8:00 p.m. Tickets $25-$30
Together, these masters share the delightful experience of kī-hō‘alu (slack key guitar)—the distinctly Hawaiian style of open tunings—ukulele, and Hawaiian vocals.

March 2017

Ballaké Sissoko & Vincent Segal Wolf Trap Debut
Wednesday, March 1 at 8:00 p.m. Tickets $25-$27

“Startling, neoclassical fusion” (The Guardian) from the entrancing talents of this duo made up of Malian kora player Ballake Sissoko and French cellist Vincent Segal.

Livingston Taylor Last appeared in 2015
Thursday, March 2 at 8:00 p.m. Tickets $25-$27
For over 40 years, this enduring singer, songwriter, and professor has brought his relaxed and charming onstage presence to audiences worldwide.

Escher String Quartet
Chamber Music at The Barns Wolf Trap Debut
Friday, March 3 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets $38
The Escher String Quartet has received acclaim for its profound musical insight and rare tonal beauty. Championed by the Emerson String Quartet, the ensemble serves as Artists of The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center.

Dobet Gnahoré Last appeared in 2015
Saturday, March 4 at 8:00 p.m. Tickets $30-$35
“Take the energy of Lauryn Hill, the consciousness of India.Arie and the mystique of Erykah Badu and you got Dobet Gnahoré” (St. Louis American), the Ivory Coast-born singer and dancer who performs in at least seven languages. With a new album coming in 2017, the Grammy winner returns to The Barns for an unforgettable and charismatic performance.

Jim Brickman Last appeared in 2015
Wednesday, March 8 at 8:00 p.m. Tickets $35-$40
Thursday, March 9 at 8:00 p.m.
Jim Brickman transformed the popularity of solo piano playing with his original, pop-style instrumentals and star-studded vocal collaborators. He has since become the most charted adult contemporary artist and best-selling solo pianist to date.

Ari Hest Last appeared in 2015
Friday, March 10 at 8:00 p.m. Tickets $25-$30
A “compelling and powerful” singer-songwriter whose “robust vocals combine with beautiful acoustic melodies” (One Tap Magazine), Ari Hest returns to The Barns after recently collaborating with Judy Collins on Silver Skies Blue (2016).

A BandHouse Gigs Tribute to Elvis Costello Last appeared in Spring 2016
Saturday, March 11 at 8:00 p.m. Tickets $25-$29
Celebrate the career of one of Rolling Stone’s 100 Greatest Artists whose hits include “Alison,” “Pump It Up,” and “Veronica.” This premier tribute concert features performances by some of the DC area’s finest musicians including Todd Wright, Desson Thomson, Caz Gardiner, Cal Everett, Edward O'Connell, and more!

John Eaton Last appeared in Spring 2016
Sunday, March 19 at 2:00 p.m. Tickets $25-$27
Local favorite John Eaton returns to The Barns with an evening of piano selections.

The Second City
We’re All in This Room Together Last appeared in Spring 2016
Wednesday, March 22 at 8:00 p.m. Tickets $27-$32
Thursday, March 23 at 8:00 pm
Saturday, March 25 at 7:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m.
Sunday, March 26 at 8:00 p.m.
“The Harvard of Comedy” (The New York Times) returns with improvised comedy, audience interaction, and of-the-moment routines and songs from the legendary sketch comedy archives made famous by alumni like Tina Fey, Stephen Colbert, and Bill Murray.

tenThing
Chamber Music at The Barns Wolf Trap Debut
Friday, March 24 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets $38

Norwegian trumpeter Tine Thing Helseth and her 10-piece, all female brass ensemble’s repertoire spans the gamut of orchestral, operatic, and Latin music.

Noam Pikelny Last appeared with Punch Brothers in 2015
Wednesday, March 29 at 8:00 p.m. Tickets $22-$25
The preeminent banjoist of his generation, a three-time Grammy nominee, and the inaugural winner of the Steve Martin Prize for Excellence in Banjo and Bluegrass, Noam Pikelny takes a break from Punch Brothers for a string of solo shows.

Glen Phillips Last appeared in 2012
of Toad the Wet Sprocket
Thursday, March 30 at 8:00 p.m. Tickets $22-$25
Exploring themes of transition on his new album Swallowed by the New (2016), the singer/songwriter of Toad the Wet Sprocket pares his folk-tinged music down to its emotional core, concentrating on the simple truths of love and relationships.

Falu’s Bollywood Orchestra Last appeared at Filene Center in 2016
Friday, March 31 at 8:00 p.m. Tickets $25-$35
Lauded as “ethereal and transcendent” (Billboard) and “a rare brand of timeless elegance” (Vogue), the internationally acclaimed Indian vocalist who has collaborated with Yo-Yo Ma, Ricky Martin, and A.R. Rahman returns to The Barns.

More about The Barns

Shouse commissioned Richard W. Babcock of Hancock, Massachusetts, a master craftsman and barns historian, to identify two barns for relocation to Virginia. Babcock found the barns in upstate New York and restored and rebuilt them on their present site.

Built around 1730, the German barn features a large “swing beam,” which reflects the original function: supporting the hayloft above, while below, enabling a team of horses to be turned around into their stalls without obstruction. That design now makes for a perfect theatre, seating 284 on the threshing floor and another 98 in the hayloft.

The English barn, actually of Scottish design, was built about 1791 and is smaller in size than the German barn. It serves as a lovely reception and gathering area, offering patrons specialty cocktails, artisanal starters, handcrafted paninis, and more before the performance. View menu

Babcock used the 18th century "block and tackle" method of construction—gin poles, ropes, and manpower. Both barns are made of hand-hewn beams and posts, and the exterior walls have been reversed to show more than 200 years of patina.

PHOTO of The Barns at Wolf Trap courtesy of venue