The National Symphony Orchestra soft-launches its 94th season at the Kennedy Center on Sept. 14 with “Echoes of America: Music of Carlos Simon, Aaron Copland & Jessie Montgomery,” featuring bass-baritone Morris Robinson and the Washington Chorus.

The self-conducted 18-piece string orchestra Sphinx Virtuosi pay an afternoon visit to the Kennedy Center (Oct. 19) with a wide-ranging program featuring works by Levi Taylor, Scott Joplin, Jessie Montgomery, Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, Teresa Carreño, Juantio Becenti, Derrick Skye and Curtis Stewart.