Performing Arts Preview Ballet, Dance, Opera, and Concerts Unveil New Seasons by Gary Tischler After a long, relaxing summer, Washingtonians are probably ready to inject a little culture back into their lives. Well then, September comes at just the right time as the new fall season brings with it an exciting line-up of art, music, opera, and ballet. As always, the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts will be kicking off in grand fashion, as the institution presents the Ballet Nacional de Cuba, which arrives for a much-anticipated visit Nov. 20 to 25. The company hasn’t performed here since July 1979 and will be doing artistic director Alicia Alonso’s productions of the classic "Coppelia" and "Giselle" in the Kennedy Center’s Opera House. The Suzanne Farrell Dance Ballet kicks off the Kennedy Center ballet season Sept. 27. The season also includes the Dance Theater of Harlem Dec. 4 to 9, the American Ballet Theater’s production of "The Nutcracker" Dec. 11 to 16 and the Joffrey Ballet Feb. 25. The big news is the arrival of the Kirov-Mariinsky Ballet Feb. 12 to 27 after the arrival of the Kirov-Mariinsky Opera, the beginning of a 10-year annual visit by the Kirov companies made possible by a grant from Albert W. Vilar. The Kirov Ballet will be performing "Sleeping Beauty" and Balanchine’s "Jewels." The Kirov Opera will be performing "Macbeth" and Mussorgsky’s "Khovanschina." For a different sort of performance and dance, there’ll be the Kennedy Center’s Something New Series, which kicks off with the arrival of Bangarra, the Aboriginal dance company from Australia, which will be performing "Corroboree" at the Terrace Theater Oct. 18 to 21. In addition, there’s another Aussie group, Chunky Move, a contemporary dance troupe under the directorship of Gideon Obazanek, which will perform his "Crumpled" and "Corrupted 2" at the Terrace Theater Nov. 5 to 11. In addition, the National Symphony Orchestra and its Beethoven Festival 2001 will feature "Young Virtuosos in Concert" at the Kennedy Center’s Concert Hall Sept. 7 to 15 with festival director Jiri Belohlavek conducting the orchestra and young soloists Elisabeth Batiashvili on violin, Alisa Weilerstein on cello, and Adam Neiman on piano. The Washington Project of the Arts always brings world-class performers to the area. Here’s a sampling for the next few months of the upcoming season: The Philharmonia of London with Vladimir Ashkenazy, who will conduct an all-Rachmaninoff program Sept. 16 at the Kennedy Center’s Concert Hall. The Nrityagram Dance Ensemble of India will perform the premiere of "In Search of the Goddess" at the George Mason University Center for the Arts Sept. 29. Celebrated cellist Yo-Yo Ma and his Silk Road Ensemble will bring the music of the oasis cities of Central Asia, Persia, Turkey and Italy to a bold and innovative program at the Kennedy Center’s Concert Hall on Oct. 20. The Gewandhaus Orchestra of Leipzig, with Herbert Blomestedt conducting and Nikolaj Znaider on violin, will perform works by Schubert and Bruckner, Oct. 28 at the Kennedy Center’s Concert Hall. The Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra and Polytech Choir, with Leif Segerstam Conducting and soloists Monica Gropop and Jorma Hynnine, will perform the Sibelius Cullers Symphony at the Kennedy Center Concert Hall Nov. 9. Violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter and the Trondheim Soloists will play at the Kennedy Center Concert Hall Nov. 10. Les Arts Florissants, music from the French Baroque vocal and instrument ensemble with William Christie directing, will perform Christmas masterpieces Dec. 4 at the Kennedy Center Concert Hall. The Kirov Orchestra, with Valery Gergiev, director and conductor and pianist Alexander Slobodyanik, will perform Dec. 8 at the Kennedy Center’s Concert Hall. Another venue offering a lively palate of int ernational performers and events is Lisner Auditorium at George Washington University. An early season sampling includes: The National Heritage Fellowship recipients, a concert and celebration of the arts on Sept. 21. Placido Domingo’s Operalia is an annual international vocal competition for young opera singers held in Washington for the first time, with 10 finalists competing in a concert program backed by an orchestra conducted by Domingo himself on Oct. 7, at 4 p.m. Washington music lovers will also be treated this season to a rare delight. The North American Buddhist Music Festival will be paying its first-ever visit to Washington. The festival will include the Fo Guang Shan Buddhist Monastic Choir with the Taipei Municipal Chinese Classical Orchestra on Oct. 21. Renowned singer Cesaria Evora will also perform music that mixes traditional sounds of Africa and South America. The Folger Consort moves across many parts of the world in its silver anniversary season, mixing voices and instruments to evoke far away places and times. You’ll go to l4th-century Avignon, Burgundy and the Loire Valley of France with the music of courtly love in "Chansons d’Amour," Oct. 5 to 7 at the Folger Library. Then it’s "Christmas in Italy" Dec. 9 to 23 with a program that ranges from 14th-century Florence to the sacred concerti of 17th-century Rome. "Slavic Splendor" will be performed at the National Cathedral Jan. 11 and 12. Other events include "Romance on the Rhine," with 18th-century German music, Feb. 8 to 10; "Monteverdi’s Vespers of 1610" at the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center at the University of Maryland March 29 and 30; and "Highland Ayre," April 26 to 28. Gary Tischler is the arts reviewer for the Washington Diplomat.