A Meaningful Venue: Previously held at The Kennedy Center, this year’s program will take place at DAR Constitution Hall.
by Patrick D. McCoy
Washington National Opera (WNO) performs a special staged concert, We the People, on November 22, 2026 at DAR Constitution Hall. The one-night-only event stages excerpts from Verdi, Rossini, and Beethoven as well as American music ranging from Nkeiru Okoye to Rogers and Hammerstein, all with one theme in common – standing strong in the face of oppression.
In the spirit of these ideals, WNO invites the community to stand with the company and one another in a celebration of artistic freedom, civic engagement, and the power of the arts to bring people together, with all box and tier tickets priced at $25 to make this moment accessible to as many people as possible. For tickets, visit washnatopera.org/wethepeople (fees apply).
The concert offers an exceptional lineup of artists, including Renée Fleming, Thomas Hampson, Jonathan Tetelman, with the WNO Orchestra and singers from the Cafritz Young Artists Program. WNO Music Director Robert Spano conducts. Of special note, the program also features Washington National Opera Marian Anderson Award recipient and former Cafritz Young Artist Amber Monroe. Legendary mezzo-soprano Denyce Graves, a past winner, will confer the award.
Amber Monroe: Marian Anderson Award Winner
This season’s Marian Anderson Award Winner is soprano Amber Monroe. As part of her Award and training, she will be featured in this special concert. Monroe is an alumna of WNO Cafritz Young Artist Program and has performed leading roles in WNO productions, including the title role in Aida in 2025 and Serena in Porgy and Bess in 2024. In addition to WNO appearances, last season saw her make house debuts with Seattle Opera, San Diego Opera, and Portland Opera singing Mary Johnson in Fellow Travelers, and covering the role of Sister Rose in Dead Man Walking with San Francisco Opera.
“To be recognized in connection with Marian Anderson’s legacy and to celebrate at DAR Constitution Hall, a place so significant to her story and her fight against racial barriers in classical music, makes this moment feel incredibly powerful and full circle. It’s set to be a beautiful occasion, featuring extraordinary artists from established legends to the next generation of talent,” says Monroe.
“This concert is deeply personal for us at Washington National Opera. We have chosen our own path of artistic freedom. In this moment, the ideals of independence are not an abstraction—we have lived them,” shares WNO General Director Timothy O’Leary. “On Jan. 9, 2026, WNO ended our affiliation with the Kennedy Center, a venue that had been our home for more than four decades. The new leadership imposed requirements on our programming that were at odds with our mission. For the sake of our art, we chose to return to full independence—the same independence on which this company was founded 70 years ago.”
“Opera’s greatest works have given voice for centuries to the struggle for independence that transcends cultures. Across time and cultures, people have risen to claim their independence—to insist on the right to determine their own lives and futures. We Italians have a word for that: risorgimento, literally, ‘the rising up of a people.’ That is what We the People celebrates: not simply an American ideal, but rather a universal call to uphold the human right of freedom for all,” says Artistic Director Francesca Zambello.
“The Daughters of the American Revolution is so pleased to welcome back the Washington National Opera to DAR Constitution Hall and especially honored to host the We the People concert,” said DAR President General, Ginnie Sebastian Storage. “We are thrilled to celebrate Amber Monroe as this year’s Marian Anderson Vocal Award winner. Hosting this event at Constitution Hall beautifully reflects the enduring impact Marian Anderson made on our nation. The change she sparked in both America and our organization inspires our ongoing commitment to preserve her legacy and share the extraordinary story of this American treasure.”
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A native of Petersburg, VA, Patrick holds a BM in Vocal Performance from Virginia State University and a MM in Church Music from Shenandoah Conservatory. Formerly the Performing Arts Columnist for Washington Life Magazine, he currently is a freelance writer, publishing articles for several noted publications and organizations, including The Washington Post, Early Music America, Classical Music Voice North America, The Afro-American Newspaper, Prince George’s Suite Magazine, CBS Washington, Examiner.com and Washington Classical Review. He holds membership in the Music Critics Association of North America, National Association of Negro Musicians, Inc., American Choral Directors’ Association, Association of Anglican Musicians, a former member of the Shenandoah University Alumni Board of Directors, a member of the Shenandoah University Black Alumni Network, a Life Member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. and a member of the Sigma Zeta Chapter of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity of America. As an alumnus of Shenandoah, he was named to the Dean’s Circle of the Shenandoah Conservatory Advisory Board. He enters his 10th year as Organist/Choirmaster at Saint John’s Episcopal Church, Zion Parish in Beltsville, MD. Patrick is the host of “Across the Arts” both a live and virtual media platform covering the performing arts. Visit http://patrickdmccoy.com and follow him on Facebook and Twitter @PatrickDMcCoy, IG: PDM06. and subscribe to “Across the Arts” on YouTube.