Alia Waheed (1/17/26 – Tribute to Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr)
Alia Waheed, a native of Washington D.C., began her training at the Duke Ellington High School of the Arts H.S. and the Interlochen Center for the Arts. She received her B.S. in Music at Morgan State University, and Masters in Music from George Mason University. She has won first place (local & regional) in the National Association of the Teachers of Singing, Maryland Opera Society, & Omega Psi Phi Music Award.
Ms. Waheed has toured with the Morgan State University Choir, the National Spiritual Ensemble, and the Moses Hogan singers. She has sung under the baton of several acclaimed conductors, including Joe Walsh, Robert Shaw, and Placido Domingo. She has appeared as a soloist with the Washington Philharmonic, New York Philharmonic, and Baltimore Symphony Orchestra.
Ms. Waheed made her operatic debut with Washington National Opera in 2007 in their production of Strauss’s Elektra where she performed the role of Klytaemnestra’s Trainbearer and the role of Viola Lee Jackson in the WNO’s world premier opera, Appomattox. Ms. Waheed has been a regular chorister/soloist with the Washington National Opera since 2003. She is an auxiliary chorister/soloist with the Metropolitan Opera since 2019, where she won a Grammy Award for Gershwin’s production Porgy and Bess.
Ralitza Patcheva and Vasily Popov (3/14/2026 – Three for the Ages)
Pianist Ralitza Patcheva has been called a “phenomenon” (The Washington Post) and praised for her “elegant pianistic technique”, “courageous, innovative interpretation” and “crystal tone; amalgamation of witty virtuosity, powerful expression and profound sensitivity”. She is a prizewinner of the 51st International Piano Competition ” Ferruccio Busoni” and the Washington International Piano Competition, as well as the “Accademia di Citta di Pinerolo” International Chamber Music Competition ( in a duo with cellist Vasily Popov).
Ralitza has presented numerous performances in the United States and Europe. She is known for thoughtful programming that is equally dedicated to works of composers from the past centuries and of our time. She has performed as a soloist with the National Symphony, Arlington Symphony, Williamsburg Sinfonia, Jenaer Philharmonie under the direction of Randal Craig Fleisher, Ruben Vartanyan, Daniel Gazon and Andrey Boreyko.
Since 2002 Ralitza co-directs the Chamber Music At Noon Series at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library in Washington DC with cellist Vasily Popov. The series offers free concerts on the first Thursday of every month. Ralitza has also presented performances at the Kreeger Museum, the Phillips Collection, the Arts Club and other popular concert locations in DC. In 2015 she commenced the Great Composers Club at Levine Music, a program featuring performance and discussion of symphonic works in solo piano arrangements, as well as a chance to meet with and hear the music of composers of our time.
At present Ralitza Patcheva is the associate chair of the chamber music program and a member of the piano faculty at Levine Music and a lecturer in piano and chamber music at the Rome School of Performing Arts at the Catholic University of America.
Cellist Vasily Popov maintains an active concert schedule as a soloist, recitalist and a chamber musician. His CD’s are produced by Arte Nova Records, BMR, Excelsior, Intercount Music, Madacy Records, and Melodia labels.
Vasily Popov has given solo and chamber recitals in venues such as Strathmore Hall, Kennedy Center, Atlas Center for the Arts, THEARC Center and Carnegie Hall, St. Petersburg Philharmonic Hall, Moscow Philharmonic Hall, Moscow Conservatory, as well as many concert halls in Europe. Vasily Popov is on the roster of musicians with the National Chamber Ensemble led by Leo Sushansky, violinist and artistic director of the ensemble. Along with the pieces from the standard chamber music repertoire Vasily Popov performed several Washington D.C. area premieres of symphonic works arranged for chamber music settings with the National Chamber Ensemble.
Vasily Popov is the founder of the Chamber Music and Noon Series at the Martin Luther King Memorial Library in Washington, DC. He frequently performs in concerts with pianist Ralitza Patcheva (co-founder of the series), Jeffrey Chappell, Michael Langlois, Carlos Rodriquez, Naira Babayan, Ieva Jocubaviciute, violinists Olivia Hadjioff, Marc Ramirez, Akemi Takayama, Jorge Orozco, double bassist Donovan Stokes.
Upon graduation from St. Petersburg Conservatory in Russia, Vasily Popov held an associate principal cello position with the Soloists of St. Petersburg chamber ensemble and cello section position with the St.-Petersburg Philharmonic orchestra under Maestro Yuri Temirkanov. He was on the roster of the artists of the Live Music Now and Villa Musica concert organizations and performed as chamber musician, and member of the symphony orchestras in the European festivals including Verbier, Schleswig-Holstein, Wiesbaden, Lucerne, Santander, Prague Spring, and The Proms to name a few.
Vasily Popov resides in Washington D.C. with his family, pianist Ralitza Patcheva and two sons, violinist Yuri Popov and cellist Vladislav Popov. He performs on a French cello made in 1870 presented to him by Ambassador Stephen and Susan Low. He uses his Zeta E-Cello for his jazz, rock and contemporary music performances.
Vasily Popov’s concert schedule and more information are available on his website at vasilypopov.com.
Marcolivia (10/25/25 – Gr8 Romantic Relatives)
Marcolivia is an award-winning violin and violin/viola duo performing music of all styles and periods, from French Baroque to folk music, jazz, and Salon/Virtuoso works as well as their own arrangements.
The Marcolivia Duo has been featured many times on NPR’s “Performance Today” and “Front Row Washington”. They have been regular guest artists at the Tokyo College of Music, Japan, and have performed for the Federal Reserve Board in Washington DC, for the Hungarian American Coalition at the Cosmos Club, and annually at the Phillips Collection (where they are included on several CDs of Series Highlights and
Distinguished Performers), also the Kennedy Center, Strathmore, Cleveland Museum Of Art, Merkin Hall and Symphony Space, NYC.
In 2011, Marcolivia was invited to be founding members of the Phillips Camerata, based at the Phillips Collection and the National Gallery, Washington DC. and performing annually at the two venues.
The duo also performs double concertos regularly with most of the DC area orchestras as well as several in California’s Bay Area. In 2015, Marcolivia was invited to perform at the National Gallery with the St
Petersburg State Orchestra of Russia and the National Gallery Orchestra.
Marcolivia performed at Chamber Music America’s 25th Anniversary Concert in NYC, alongside groups such as the Juilliard Quartet and were the only chamber music finalists in the Concert Artists Guild
International Competition in 2000. The duo is on the roster of the Millenium Stage at the Kennedy Center and the Virginia Commission For The Arts Touring Roster.
Marcolivia is also on the roster of Washington Performing Arts. They regularly perform, coach and adjudicate for WPA events. The duo also transcribes works for their own performances, including Mozart’s Magic
Flute, among others.
During the summers, Marcolivia perform and teach abroad at festivals including Adriatic Music Festival (Italy), International Festival of Deia (Mallorca), Costa Rica Music Festival, and Dartingon International
Festival (UK). US festivals include Garth Newel Music Center, Blue Mountain (PA), Las Vegas Music Festival, Middlebury Festival (VT), Shenandoah Performs and the Heifetz Institute. Marc and Olivia teach
privately in Vienna, VA and online.
More information can be found here. Over 70 live audio and video links can be found on
YouTube.