Echoing “An American Pageant for the Arts,” the 1962 event conducted by Leonard Bernstein, this special evening will be hosted by six-time Tony Award® winner Audra McDonald with special guests Ambassador Caroline Kennedy and Ms. Rose Schlossberg. Featuring the National Symphony Orchestra, the star-studded concert will be directed and choreographed by Emmy Award® winner and Tony Award® nominee Joshua Bergasse and conducted by JoAnn Falletta, Steven Reineke, and Thomas Wilkins.

Preeminent artists including Renée Fleming, Ben Folds, Punch Brothers, Keb’ Mo’, Christian McBride, and Rachael Price will join the NSO to recognize the great performance traditions that have enriched our varied cultural heritage and the bright future that lies ahead. Plus, don’t miss phenomenal performances and appearances from Darren Criss, Herman Cornejo, Randall Goosby, Cassandra Trenary, Common, Tony Yazbeck, Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear, Ray Chen, Robert Glasper, Joshua Henry, Bettye LaVette, Kelli O’Hara, Gaby Moreno, Kelly Marie Tran, Zhu Wang, Mo Willems, the original cast of David Henry Hwang and Jeanine Tesori’s Soft Power, D Smoke, Jahi Sundance, Marc “Bamuthi” Joseph, and others!

Program subject to change