Creative Cauldron’s popular “Passport Music Festival” concert series is back again for the 14th year. The festival features music from some of the most talented and diverse musicians in the DMV and beyond! The series is curated by Wammy Award-winning artists Ken Avis and Lynn Veronneau. Launching on January 10 and running through February 1, 2025, the series highlights folk, Latin, jazz, soul, blues, and world music, with many fusion bands that blend musical styles. The 2025 festival lineup Daniela Soledade & Nate Najar in “Love & Bossa Nova” Friday, Jan 10 at 7:30pm Florida-based duo Daniela Soledade and Nate Najar create an enchanting soundscape of irresistible Brazilian rhythms to pay homage to the late great Bossa Nova jazz musician Charlie Byrd. Born and raised in Rio de Janeiro, Soledade’s family roots are steeped in Bossa Nova’s inception. Her grandfather, Paulo Soledade, composed with renowned Bossa Nova founders Antônio Carlos Jobim, Vinicius de Moraes, and others. Guitarist Nate Najar has a string of gorgeous guitar albums and received the stamp of approval from no less than Byrd’s widow who said, “There is no doubt that there is a piece of Charlie’s soul in Nate’s mind, heart and fingers.” The Kennedys, Saturday, Jan 11 at 7:30pm DC’s legendary folk-pop duo, featuring Pete and Maura Kennedy, return from New York City for one special show. After years of touring and performing with Nanci Griffith, their music is as uplifting as ever. The Kennedys have become Creative Cauldron favorites. “Celebrating Simon & Garfunkel” presented by Newmyer Flyer, Sunday, Jan 12 at 2:00pm & 7:30pm A tribute to one of the most successful music duos of all time, and for many “the sound of the 1960s.” Achingly beautiful songs and vocal harmonies to soothe the soul on songs like “Mrs. Robinson,” “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” “Homeward Bound,” “The Sound Of Silence,” and many more! ​Presented by Newmyer Flyer with Kipyn Martin, Heather Lloyd, Mark & Tom Lofgren, Thomas Fridrich, and Ron Newmyer. Cecily in “Soul Music for a Better World” Friday, Jan 17 at 7:30pm DC’s soul songstress conjures dreams of a better world through her original compositions and a repertoire of classics by Donny Hathaway, Phyllis Hyman, The Isley Brothers, Frankie Beverly & Maze, Minnie Riperton, and Stevie Wonder. Project Locrea, Saturday, Jan 18 at 7:30pm Stunning arrangements and musicianship from Passport Music Festival favorites. Led by Yana Nikol (Bulgaria), the band features musicians from Ethiopia, Argentina, China, Brazil and the US, performing a boundary-less, magical fusion of music from around the world. Shenandoah Run, Sunday, Jan 19 at 2:00pm Shenandoah Run is a nine-member folk ensemble from the Washington, DC area. Formed in 2011, the band performs traditional and contemporary folk music in a manner that delights a diverse mix of music lovers of all ages.​ Showcasing the spirited sounds of Americana, along with the occasional country or bluegrass tune, and delivers a rousing mix of music and styles. DC Great Guitars, Sunday, Jan 19 at 7:30pm Three of DC’s jazz guitar greats, Jan Knutson, Steve Abshire, and Steve Herberman are back again for a night of jazz guitar! Acclaimed musicians in their own right, when they perform together, this trio’s sparks really start to fly, as they tackle swing, jazz, and blues like you’ve never heard before. Cathy & Marcy with Chao Tian & Snehesh Nag in “From China to Appalachia” Saturday, Jan 25 at 7:30pm Grammy Award-winning artists Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer join with Chinese classical hammered dulcimer player Chao Tian, combining music from China to Appalachia and beyond. Instrumentation includes yangqin (Chinese hammered dulcimer), gourd banjo, five-string banjo, ukulele, guitars, dumbek, cello-banjo and mandolin. The trio will be joined by sitar player Snehesh Nag, trained in Hindustani classical music and multi-genre explorer of musical adventure. RAYMI, Sunday, Jan 26 at 2:00pm This DC-based band led by Juan Cayrampoma brings the hunting sounds and mystic power from the Andes to the rest of the Americas and the world. RAYMI uses traditional instruments such as Zampoñas and Quenas while also exploring the possibilities that the bass, guitars, and drums can have together with the Andes tradition. RAYMI’s passion for its roots is reflected in its music and with performances at The Kennedy Center Millennium Stage, Textile Museum, Museum of the American Indian, The Washington National Opera and many others, its love for tradition and knowledge can be heard in its sound. Brad & Ken Kolodner, Sunday, Jan 26 at 7:30pm This renowned, dynamic father-son team weave together a captivating soundscape on hammered dulcimer and clawhammer banjo blurring the lines of Old-Time, Bluegrass, and American Roots music. They’ve sculpted their own brand of driving, innovative, tasteful acoustic roots music with a “creative curiosity that lets all listeners know that a passion for traditional music yet thrives in every generation.” Ken & Brad will be joined by bassist Alex Lacquement and fiddler/guitarist Rachel Eddy. Veronneau, Friday, Jan 31 at 7:30pm For the closing weekend of Passport to the World, Veronneau celebrates the new Cauldron space with the full band, including longtime friend, violinist Dave Kline. French chanson, bossa nova, and acoustic soul from award-winning, multilingual Quebecoise vocalist Lynn Veronneau. Little Red & The Renegades Mardi Gras Passport Finale Party, Saturday, Feb 1 at 7:30pm Squeeze Box Rock & Roll, Zydeco, Blues, and New Orleans R&B – high-energy grooves from DC’s one and only Little Red featuring ccordion, steel pan, a dynamic rhythm section, and great songs. Little Red were the Kennedy Center’s New Years Eve band, and if it’s good enough for the Kennedy Center it’s good enough for the Cauldron! Passport to the World of Music Concert Series performs January 10 through February 1, 2025, at Creative Cauldron, 410 South Maple Avenue, Retail 116, Falls Church, VA 22046. Performances will be Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 pm and Sundays at 2:00 pm and 7:30 pm. Tickets are $30 (Tier 1), $25 (Tier 2), $90 (Table for 2, including 2 glasses of wine), or $180 (Table for 4, including 1 bottle of wine). Livestream tickets are $15. For full details and tickets, call the box office at 703-436-9948 or go online. About Creative Cauldron Creative Cauldron is an award-winning nonprofit theater and educational arts organization whose innovative programs in the performing and visual arts embody collaboration, experimentation, and community engagement. Creative Cauldron was founded by Artistic Director Laura Connors Hull in 2002. In 2023 Creative Cauldron launched a $500,000 New Home-New Horizon capacity campaign to raise funds for a move into a new theater at the corner of Broad and Washington in Falls Church City in the winter of 2025.