Wolf Trap Foundation Announces First 55 Performances of Summer 2015 at Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts

• Chart-toppers include Kelly Clarkson, Santana, Diana Krall, Sheryl Crow, David Gray, Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals, Brandi Carlile, and Little Big Town
• International arts and artist highlights include Cuba's Orquesta Buena Vista Social Club, the National Ballet of China with full orchestra, and India's A.R. Rahman
• Wolf Trap Opera presents two operas at the Filene Center: a fully staged company premiere of Puccini's beloved Madama Butterfly and Verdi's Aida in Concert featuring renowned WTO Alumni and the National Symphony Orchestra
• National Symphony Orchestra's summer residency features Broadway songstress Audra McDonald, legendary pianist Emanuel Ax and acclaimed violinist Sarah Chang
• Laugh along with standup comedian Jim Gaffigan, humorist and author David Sedaris, and NPR's news quiz show Wait Wait…Don't Tell Me!
• Emil de Cou and the NSO take audiences back to 1985 with a special 30th anniversary showing of Back to the Future; NSO performances also include a screening of Star Trek (2009) with full score; singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright; an evening featuring music of the beloved composer John Williams; and Pokémon: Symphonic Evolutions
• Returning classics include Peter Frampton and Cheap Trick, Steve Miller Band, The B-52s, John Fogerty and The Beach Boys
• Season to date includes 17 headliner debuts, including Sarah Koenig and Julie Snyder of the hit podcast SERIAL, YouTube phenom and performance artist Lindsey Stirling, Swedish folk duo First Aid Kit, smash-hit a cappella group Pentatonix, Grammy winner "Weird Al" Yankovic, Kool & the Gang, and Chaka Khan
• Tickets go on sale to the public March 21; Wolf Trap members buying now
• Special promotion on March 21 and 22 only: $10 lawn tickets and $20 rear orchestra tickets to all Fine Arts performances, including NSO and Wolf Trap Opera, National Ballet of China, and Hubbard Street Dance Chicago

VIENNA, Va., March 3, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts has announced the first 55 Summer 2015 performances at the Filene Center at Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts. Tickets for these performances go on sale to the general public beginning at 10:00 a.m. March 21; Wolf Trap members (donors of $75 and up) have access to tickets now. The full season-to-date is online at WolfTrap.org; a complete press kit for the Summer 2015 season, including a chronological calendar and information about the Fine Arts season, is available in Wolf Trap's press room.

"These first Summer 2015 shows represent the spirit of Wolf Trap: quality, variety, accessibility and fun," said Arvind Manocha, president and CEO of Wolf Trap Foundation. "The spectrum of shows is wider than ever, with leading lights from around the globe. Where else can you go from the creators of SERIAL to Sarah Chang to Santana, under the stars at a National Park? We've got more to announce in April, and the summer's going to sound better than ever."

As America's only national park for the performing arts, Wolf Trap is deeply committed to diversity in programming, access points for music lovers of all kinds, and affordability, with ticket prices starting at just $10 for many performances. The 17-week summer season at the 7,028-seat Filene Center is made possible through a longstanding public-private partnership between Wolf Trap Foundation and the National Park Service.

Tickets for all announced performances go on sale to the public on Saturday, March 21. For on-sale opening weekend, March 21 and 22, all Fine Arts performances (National Symphony Orchestra, Wolf Trap Opera at the Filene Center, National Ballet of China, and Hubbard Street Dance Chicago) will be offered at $10 for lawn seats and $20 for rear orchestra.

Patrons may browse the full season at WolfTrap.org, the company's newly redesigned website. Along with an updated look and feel, the website has a revised sitemap, searchable calendars, and a mobile-responsive design that will allow patrons to more easily explore Wolf Trap's performances, events, education programs and community activities.

Additional performances at the Filene Center, and all performances at Children's Theatre-in-the-Woods, will be announced April 9.

Ticketing and On-Sale Information

• Tickets for these performances go on sale to the public on Saturday, March 21 at 10:00 a.m.
• Tickets for performances at the Filene Center start at $10. Pricing varies by performance and seat location. See individual performance listings online or the calendar below for prices.
• Wolf Trap members have access to exclusive presales and may purchase tickets in advance of the general public. Memberships start at $75. For more information, visit WolfTrap.org/membership.

Beginning March 21, tickets may be purchased:

• Online at WolfTrap.org
• By phone at 877.WOLFTRAP
• In-person at the Filene Center Box Office, 1551 Trap Road, Vienna, VA

Media Information

• A complete chronological calendar and high-resolution images are available in Wolf Trap's online newsroom or may be provided upon request.
• Complete performance information is online at WolfTrap.org.
• Interviews with artists may be available upon request and by arrangement with the Wolf Trap PR team.
• Requests for complimentary Press Tickets will be accepted beginning April 27, 2015.

Wolf Trap's 2015 season is made possible by generous support from the following Wolf Trap Foundation Official Sponsors and Partners:
PNC, Premier Sponsor, 2015 Summer Season – celebrating 10 seasons of partnership
Dan and Gayle D'Aniello, Wolf Trap Opera Season Underwriters
American Airlines Official Airlines
The Boeing Company Major Sponsor, Rock Legends
E & J Gallo Winery Official Wine & Champagne
Hilton McLean Tysons Corner Official Hotel

WAMU 88.5 Official Media Sponsor, A Prairie Home Companion with Garrison Keillor, in association with Minnesota Public Radio, and Wait Wait…Don't Tell Me!
Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, produces and presents a full range of performance and education programs in the Greater Washington area, as well as nationally. Wolf Trap features three performance venues: the outdoor Filene Center and Children's Theatre-in-the-Woods, both located at Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts, and The Barns at Wolf Trap, located down the road from the national park and adjacent to the Center for Education at Wolf Trap. The 7,028-seat Filene Center is operated in partnership with the National Park Service and annually showcases an extensive array of diverse artists, ranging from pop, country, folk, and blues to classical music, dance, and theatre, as well as multimedia presentations, from May through September. The Barns at Wolf Trap is operated by the Wolf Trap Foundation year round, and during the summer months is home to the Grammy-nominated Wolf Trap Opera, one of America's outstanding resident ensemble programs for young opera singers. Wolf Trap's education programs include the nationally acclaimed Wolf Trap Institute for Early Learning Through the Arts, Children's Theatre-in-the-Woods, a diverse array of arts education classes, grants, and a nationally recognized internship program.

A photo accompanying this release is available at: http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=31133