I have lived in Houston for over 25 years and my favorite part about this city, outside the skyline on a clear evening, is the eclectic and talent this city has in the arts. I have been in love with classical music for as long as I can remember and I have my mother and my grandmother to thank for that. I was raised on beautiful music. Being a ballet dancer you are trained to listen to music and then interpret how that piece makes you feel through movement. That is what the Houston Symphony is for me; music that brings me to a place that dancing is something that happens subconsciously. It is also a reason I keep coming back (the other would be the fact that I love to get dressed up and go out for a fun date night at the Symphony).
To hear the works of Mendelssohn, Schubert, Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff and of course Beethoven and Mozart bring me to a place where the outside world no longer exists and I am wrapped up in a feeling of pure bliss and relaxation. I know it sounds corny and cheesy, but trust me, that feeling is indescribable. The music inspires me to dance. If they would allow dancing in the aisles during the performance you would almost be guaranteed to see me doing a grand jeté or a pirouette piquée across the floor.
Music moves something in your heart. It creates an energy. In me, it creates dreams in my head where I am dancing no matter who is watching. My first visit dates back many years, so I have been enjoying the Houston Symphony for quite some time, but don’t have the best recollection of it.
My favorite memory is very recent (and cheesy) so it is quite easy to remember. It was back on October 1st, 2010, the concert that evening was Joshua Bell’s Mendelssohn and that man can play the violin! I was blown away by the passion that exudes from him and from his instrument. The reason why this memory is my favorite is because it was also the sweetest first date I could have imagined (as I said… cheesy). I was surprised to find out that Joshua Bell was just the first night of a pair of season tickets for the rest of the season. No man had ever listened to my interests that intently and had actually planned something around a passion that I had shared. And being that my date is a classically-trained pianist, it made the night’s conversation all the easier and very memorable as we discussed Joshua Bell’s performance that evening and why we love the Houston Symphony.
The night stands out so much in my memory because that was the night I knew something special was beginning and I have the Houston Symphony to thank for that. I will continue to return to the Houston Symphony and bring anyone and everyone I know, so they can experience, for themselves, what I feel walking into the hall every time, a pure and subconscious movement of the heart.
-Cassandra Malork, subscriber
