All patients, their families and visitors as well as NIH staff are invited to attend these performances. The north atrium is a comfortable, welcoming gathering place at the center of the Clinical Center. These concerts are intended to support the Clinical Center's environment of care and healing.
"I love that NIH hosts concerts in the Clinical Center atrium. A tangible way that artists and scientists help make each other better, literally." - Barbra Streisand (Guest Speaker at the May 2018 NIH J. Edward Rall Cultural Lecture)
The NIH Clinical Center has resumed scheduling concerts that include wind instruments and vocal performance. Please note this is subject to change at anytime.
If you are interested in performing in the Clinical Center atrium, please submit a request.
Check out a recent performance.
Please check back often for new performance dates.
Upcoming Performances
Evelyn and Annabelle Song
May 2
12:30 – 1:30 pmPlease join us for a special performance by classical violinist Evelyn Song and pianist Annabelle Song. Described by the Baltimore Sun as "clearly gifted" and having "expressive talent," violinist Evelyn Song is loved by audiences for her authenticity in music-making. During her two years at the New England Conservatory of Music, she was twice awarded the Community Fellowship and the Musical Storytelling Fellowship by the school's Community Performances and Partnerships Program. Annabelle Song is pianist and an NIH post-baccalaureate fellow in Dr. Richard Proia's National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases lab and plans to continue her studies in pursuit of a doctorate degree. When she is not doing dissections or playing piano, you can often find her with her nose in a book.
The Manchester String Quartet
May 6
12:30 – 1:30 pmThe Quartet will perform Mendelssohn Octet in E flat Major, Opus 20. The Manchester String Quartet was established in 1981 by Glenn Garlick. The Quartet's local engagements have been extensive and its concert series at the National Institutes of Health is in its 25th season. In addition to local radio appearances on WGMS, WETA, and WAMU radio stations, the Quartet has been featured on National Public Radio, in Canada on CBC, and on the Voice of America in Europe. A special performance by the Quartet at the Israeli Embassy was broadcast by WETA-TV's Embassy Concert Series. The Quartet participated in the First American String Quartet Congress held at the University of Maryland in June 1989. In January 1992, the Manchester String Quartet and the National Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Mstislav Rostropovich, presented the world premiere of The Headless Horseman of Sleepy Hollow, a work by the American composer Jon Deak for string quartet and orchestra. This performance is sponsored by: The Foundation for Advanced Education in the Sciences.
Nerds in Harmony
May 8
1:00 – 1:30 pmFirst formed by NIH fellows in 2004, the Nerds in Harmony have been bringing music to the campus and community ever since. The Nerds have a wide repertoire of a cappella renditions, covering barbershop, pop songs old and new, and holiday classics. After pivoting to video and outdoor shows for the last few years, they are delighted to be back in the Atrium.
The Tacy Foundation
May 14
Noon – 1 pmThe Tacy Foundation empowers children and teens in the Nation's Capital and surrounding areas to share hope with hospital patients, senior citizens, and disadvantaged youth through the power of music.
JazzyCopia
May 16
12:30 – 1:30 pmFormerly known as the UMD Jazz Combo, this group plays an array of old and new jazz standards, bringing a sense of the classic and the contemporary to a live jazz setting. Faculty members, students and alumni make up the group.
DC Concert Society
May 22
12:30 – 1:30 pmThe DC Concert Orchestra Society (DCCOS) is an association of non-professional musicians that organizes classical music performances and casual play-in events at various locations in the greater Washington area. Performing groups include the DC Concert Orchestra (DCCO), which is a full symphony orchestra under the baton of Maestro Randall Stewart, and the DC Chamber Musicians (DCCM), which is a roster of musicians who organize themselves into trios, quartets, and larger ensembles to perform their favorite pieces from the vast chamber music repertoire. This performance will feature a trio consisting of Rob Tycko (clarinetist and NIH scientist), Susan Alexander (pianist), and Jon Brvenik (cellist), who met one another through DCCM events. They will perform the trio in A minor for clarinet, cello, and piano (opus 114) by Johannes Brahms, composed in 1891 and generally considered to be a pinnacle of music for this combination of instruments. The Brahms trio will be followed by one or two additional selections with contrasting moods.
Haskell Small
May 29
12:30 – 1:30 pmComposer and Pianist Haskell Small has been critically praised for the exquisite blend of sound and silence in his compositions and for his prodigious technique and subtle touch at the piano. His discography includes over a dozen releases of his own compositions as well as Bach, Mompu, Gershwin and more on the MSR, Naxos, Centaur and 4Tay labels. On national and international tours he has performed at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, The John F. Kennedy Center for the Arts, and Spoleto USA, among others, and has received commissions from the Washington Ballet, Georgetown Symphony, Three Rivers Piano Competition, and more. After suffering a stroke in February 2021, Mr. Small has used his rehabilitation journey as a creative muse. He began arranging classical masters for the right hand alone and composing his own work, Diary of a Stroke: The Adventures of Herb and Pete.
The Tacy Foundation
June 13
Noon – 1 pmThe Tacy Foundation empowers children and teens in the Nation's Capital and surrounding areas to share hope with hospital patients, senior citizens, and disadvantaged youth through the power of music.
Music and Love
June 14
Noon – 1 pmOur ensemble consists of many young musicians proficient in a diverse array of instruments, united by the common goal of making a positive contribution through the transformative power of music.