Iestyn Davies

One of the world’s most celebrated countertenors, Iestyn Davies, brings his luminous voice to the intimate Dumbarton Concerts Gallery for a single evening in October 2026. Accompanied by rising-star harpist Oliver Wass, Davies presents a wide-ranging program that spans centuries of song repertoire, from early Baroque masterworks to contemporary commissions. The recital explores the natural kinship between voice and harp, offering a rare chance to hear a voice type often described as ethereal paired with an instrument of shimmering resonance. The program features essentials by Claudio Monteverdi, Henry Purcell, George Frideric Handel, Franz Schubert, and Amy Beach, alongside twentieth- and twenty-first-century works by Francis Poulenc, Anna Meredith, and a song cycle written especially for Davies by Nico Muhly. Solo harp works by Claude Debussy, Manuel de Falla, and Benjamin Britten are also included.

When: Friday, October 23, 2026, at 7:30 p.m.

Showtimes: The event begins at 7:30 p.m. and is a single performance.

Tickets: In-person tickets are $50. A livestream option is available for $14. Purchase via the Dumbarton Concerts website.

Lineup: Iestyn Davies (countertenor) and Oliver Wass (harp).

Run time: Not specified on the page; typical chamber recitals of this scope run approximately 90 minutes to two hours including intermission.

Ages: Not explicitly stated; Dumbarton Concerts events are generally suitable for all ages unless noted.

Venue: Dumbarton Concerts Gallery, located in Washington, D.C. The gallery setting offers an intimate, close-to-the-music experience.

Note: Iestyn Davies is a Metropolitan Opera star, appointed MBE in 2017, and has won two Gramophone Awards, a Grammy, and the Royal Philharmonic Society Award for Young Artist of the Year. Harpist Oliver Wass is the first harpist to win the Guildhall Gold Medal and has performed at Carnegie Hall, the Berlin Philharmonie, and the Wigmore Hall.