Though summer is winding down, Wolf Trap won’t be quiet for long, as The Barns prepares to kick off a new season later this fall.
Actor and singer Matthew Morrison, best known for his role as Will Schuester on the polarizing teen show “Glee,” and tributes to icons like the Beatles and Joni Mitchell will be among the highlights of The Barns at Wolf Trap’s 2026-2027 season, announced yesterday (Tuesday) by the Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts.
Starting on Nov. 1 with a chamber music recital led by artistic director Daniel Hope, the season will feature a range of musical genres, from country and rock to opera, jazz and bluegrass. The calendar includes celebrations of both Christmas and Hanukkah as well as multiple comedy nights, courtesy of the returning improv troupe Second City and the 38th annual Evening of Comedy.
Continuing into 2027, the season will also be highlighted by the opening of The Virginia Barn, an expansion of the 382-seat indoor venue that will provide additional space for dining, events and private rentals starting in November.
Donated by Wolf Trap supporters Karen and Fred Schaufeld, the 2,500-square-foot barn dates back to the early 1900s and was relocated to The Barns from Loudoun County this summer, joining the facility’s existing Scottish and German barns.
“There is something truly special about experiencing a performance at The Barns at Wolf Trap,” Wolf Trap Foundation President and CEO Arvind Manocha said in a press release. “We’re thrilled to welcome another remarkable lineup of performers to this one-of-a-kind stage, and we are especially proud to open the historic Virginian Barn to provide more comfort and space to patrons and visitors for pre-show dining and gathering.”
Tickets for The Barns at Wolf Trap’s upcoming season will go on sale to the general public on Friday, Aug. 21 at 10 a.m.
More events are expected to be added in the coming months, but the initial lineup announced by the foundation can be found below.
Performances begin November 1 with Chamber Music at The Barns’ Artistic Advisor Daniel Hope alongside Maxim Lando kicking off the Chamber Music season with the first of the two-part Gilded Age recital. November also includes Jim Messina joined by Orleans as part of the band’s Farewell Tour (Nov 4); a special songwriters night featuring celebrated regional artists Cris Jacobs and Joe Pug (Nov 5); North Indian Punjabi rhythm fusion party band Red Baraat (Nov 7); Hawaiian falsetto vocalist Raiatea Helm (Nov 12); the return of Mark O’Connor’s An Appalachian Christmas featuring Maggie O’Connor (Nov 18 + 19); a night of homage with Newmyer Flyer presenting The Joni Mitchell Songbook (Nov 20); bluegrass fiddle extraordinaries Jason Carter and Michael Cleveland (Nov 21); and local legends Bob McDonald, Caleb Green, and D.C. Washington as they celebrate the holidays in DC Anthem Singers Shine (Nov 22). December welcomes the New York Arabic Orchestra (co-produced by the Middle East Institute Arts and Culture Center and Abu Dhabi Festival, Dec 4); a family-friendly show with dancing and donuts celebrating the second night of Hanukkah with Michael Winograd and The Honorable Mentshn (Dec 5); and world-renowned mezzo-soprano Stephanie Blythe accompanied by Ryan McCullough as part of Wolf Trap’s Chamber Music at The Barns series (Dec 6).
2027 kicks off with the “best Beatles tribute on earth” (Rolling Stone) 1964: The Tribute (Jan 15 + 16); chart-topping instrumentalists Mariachi Herencia de México honoring the extraordinary legacy of Juan Gabriel with a musical tribute (Jan 21 + 22); Chamber Music at The Barns with The Gilded Age: Part II featuring Daniel Hope & Simon Crawford-Phillips (Jan 24); a five- night residency with The Del McCoury Band (Jan 28, 30, 31 + Feb 2, 3); Chamber Music at The Barns showcases Spanish guitarist Pablo Sainz-Villegas (Feb 5); an opera star search with The Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition (Feb 7); a look at the next generation of country music stars with Nashville Emerging Artists Night (Feb 11–13); classical music meets popular mashups with Chamber Music at The Barns’ Time for Three (Feb 14); the return of Chicago’s legendary comedy group The Second City (Feb 17-19 + 20); and Cuban musicians The Buena Vista Orchestra (Feb 23).
In March, globe-crossing string players International Guitar Night (March 3 + 4) bring their mastery to the stage; Chamber Music at The Barns returns with Zukerman Trio Plays Beethoven (March 12); award-winning stage and screen star Matthew Morrison (March 18) shares his song and dance journey; and Jazz at Lincoln Center presents Swinging Songs of Broadway featuring vocalists Kate Kortum and David Marino (March 19).
Additional performances include A BandHouse Gigs Tribute to Van Morrison (April 2); Eliane Elias honoring the 100th birthday of Antônio Carlos Jobim (April 3); fiddle superstar Eileen Ivers (April 10); Chamber Music at The Barns hosts Berlin-based Leonkoro Quartet (April 18); an evening of storytelling and song with John McCutcheon (April 22); the 38th Annual Evening of Comedy (April 23 + 24); and Mozart & Brahms The Great Clarinet Quintets with Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center (April 25).
