NOW mission
Transformative Musical Experience for All
New Orchestra of Washington (NOW) welcomes audiences into a transformative musical experience that lessens the distance between our identities and compels listeners to feel something in the sound. Our productions represent the robust cultural and ethnic diversity in the metropolitan Washington area, where we’re intentional about making orchestral music beautiful and accessible to people from all backgrounds.
Season 2024-2025
September 8
Hymn to a Better World
November 15
Eroica Rising: Celebrating Women's Heroic Journey
December 19
NOW in the City
December 20-21
NOW in the Library
March 21
Earth, Wind, and Sound: A Celebration of Nature through Music and Poetry
June 20
Ode to Freedom, Ode to Joy
IDEAS
Our IDEAS
At the New Orchestra of Washington, a diverse, inclusive, and equitable workplace is one where all employees, performers, board members, and volunteers are valued and respected, whatever their gender, race, ethnicity, national origin, age, sexual orientation or identity, education, or disability. NOW respects and values diverse life experiences and heritages and works to ensure that all voices are valued and heard. Learn More
Beyond Our Dreams
In 2023, the New Orchestra of Washington (NOW) proudly launched its Beyond Our Dreams project, a transformative partnership with the Montgomery County Public School (MCPS)’s Community Schools system. This initiative seeks to inspire and uplift students in underserved communities by bringing high-quality music education directly into their schools. The program currently serves Harmony Hills Elementary in Aspen Hills and Twinbrook Elementary in Rockville, two of 34 schools designated as Community Schools—Title I institutions where nearly all students identify as Hispanic/Latino and/or Black/African American. Learn More
Global Majority Music Project
For centuries, classical music has been shaped by a narrow lens, largely ignoring the rich contributions of composers and musicians from the Global Majority—those who identify as Black, Asian, Brown, dual heritage, and other groups indigenous to the global South. The Global Majority Music Project by the New Orchestra of Washington (NOW) seeks to change this narrative by elevating the voices, stories, and works of these historically underrepresented artists. Learn More
