HOUSTON (Jan. 30, 2019) – The Houston Symphony and Music Director Andrés Orozco-Estrada announced today details of the 2019−2020 season, which marks Orozco-Estrada’s sixth year as music director. This season is characterized by in-depth explorations of the works of some of the greatest composers with the superb musicians of the Houston Symphony, crowned by a two-week-long Schumann Festival, the likes of which is seldom seen in the United States. This is a unique opportunity to experience the scope of Robert Schumann’s music, and to get a glimpse inside the mind of a creative genius.
“We have some wonderful concerts programmed, including a very special two-week Schumann Festival,” said Orozco-Estrada, holder of the Roy and Lillie Cullen Chair. “I am thrilled to be delving into the beautiful, deeply personal music of this revolutionary composer with the orchestra and Houston Symphony Chorus. Schumann lived his life through music, using it to express his own powerful feelings of love, joy, fear, and loss and to wrestle with his demons. We will also continue our journey together through the remarkable works of Beethoven, Brahms, Mahler, Strauss, and we will premiere exciting new music by Composer-in-Residence Jimmy López. As always, there will be introductions and explanations that help listeners understand why we are so passionate about the music we play.”
“The Houston Symphony is where you want to be for world-class music-making in the upcoming season,” said Executive Director/CEO and holder of the Margaret Alkek Williams Chair John Mangum. “I leave Jones Hall after every concert so impressed by our incredible musicians, the stellar guest artists, the imaginative programming, and the innovative ideas that Andrés, our Principal POPS Conductor Steven Reineke, and all of our other collaborators bring to us. I’ve said many times that a great city like Houston deserves a great orchestra, and week in, week out, no matter who is on the podium, our musicians deliver on that promise. Their range is astonishing, their commitment is inspiring, and the concerts−whether they’re playing Schumann, Beethoven, Mahler, John Williams, the latest and greatest from Broadway, or classic favorites by Aretha Franklin and Nat King Cole−are unforgettable.”
Highlights of the 2019−2020 classical season include Andrés Orozco-Estrada conducting all-Stravinsky and all-Strauss programs, as well the Schumann Festival, Mahler’s Symphony No. 7, and Das klagende Lied; appearances by piano superstars Emanuel Ax, Yefim Bronfman, and Jean-Yves Thibaudet; world-class violinists Augustin Hadelich, Simone Lamsma, and Gil Shaham; Marek Janowski conducting Beethoven and Wagner; and David Robertson conducting John Adams’ oratorio El Niño.
The Houston Symphony Chorus, led by Dr. Betsy Cook Weber, will be featured in five subscription programs, including Mahler’s Das klagende Lied, John Adams’ El Niño, two programs of classical choral works during the two-week-long Schumann Festival, and Beethoven’s Choral Fantasy. The Houston Symphony Chorus is also featured in the POPs Series program The Best of John Williams–Star Wars and More with Chorus!
THE SCHUMANN FESTIVAL
ANGELS AND DEMONS
Led by Orozco-Estrada, the Schumann Festival is a comprehensive exploration of the works of composer Robert Schumann, with performances in Jones Hall, but also in other venues (to be named) around the city. “Angels and Demons” dives into the Schumann oeuvre in all its breadth and depth, delving into every facet of the work by one of the very first composers to take up Beethoven’s unspoken challenge that music could be a place for deep, personal expression. Works of every scale are represented, from chamber works for two musicians to full Romantic Period symphonic and choral works. The festival includes lectures and other special events to illumine further the artistry and body of work of the great German composer, and it extends throughout the weeks of February 3rd and 10th, 2020. Musical works include the composer’s four symphonies, the piano concerto with soloist Benjamin Grosvenor, the cello concerto with soloist Alisa Weilerstein, and choral selections from Romances and Ballads, Six Songs, Spanish Songs, and Maiden Songs, and more with Houston Symphony Principal Keyboardist Scott Holshouser and the Houston Symphony Chorus under the direction of Dr. Betsy Cook Weber.
THE 2019−2020 CLASSICAL SEASON
Orozco-Estrada also conducts two concerts this season devoted solely to the works of one composer. In September 2019 he leads an all-Stravinsky program featuring the composer’s complete score to the dramatic and thrilling ballet The Firebird, as well as his Scherzo fantastique, and the violin concerto with soloist Leonidas Kavakos. Then in November 2019, Orozco-Estrada and the Houston Symphony delve into the music of Richard Strauss, with works including Strauss’ exquisite Four Last Songs with soprano Miah Persson, as well as the composer’s dramatic Death and Transfiguration and Don Juan, and the lighter side of Strauss in Till Eulenspiegel’s Merry Pranks.
The Houston Symphony’s commitment to new music and continually expanding the symphonic repertoire sees the world premiere in 2019-2020 of a Houston Symphony commission from Composer-in-Residence Jimmy López, in the third and final year of his residency. López’ Symphony No. 2, Ad Astra (December 2019), takes its inspiration from a subject near and dear to Houston’s heart: the space program and humankind’s exploration of the stars.
Orozco-Estrada is renowned for his way with the challenging and profound works of Gustav Mahler. This season he adds to his Mahler legacy with the Houston Symphony, leading the composer’s inventive Seventh Symphony (March 2020), as well as the cantata Das klagende Lied (Song of Lamentation), based on a tale by the Brothers Grimm (September 2019). He’s pairing Das klagende Lied with another fantastic secular cantata: Felix Mendelssohn’s infrequently-heard Die erste Walpurgisnacht (The First Walpurgis Night), depicting the rituals of Druids in the Harz Mountains of Germany. Also in September, Orozco-Estrada leads the orchestra and star pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet in Gershwin’s Piano Concerto.
In El Niño, John Adams (perhaps America’s most important living composer, and best known for composing the opera Nixon in China) lavishes a spellbinding score on a Spanish-language telling of The Nativity, taking the story from Mary’s innermost thoughts before the birth, through the early life of Jesus. David Robertson, one of Adams’ greatest interpreters and champions, conducts the Houston Symphony; Houston Symphony Chorus; soloists Susanna Phillips, soprano; Kelley O’Connor, mezzo-soprano; Davóne Tines, bass; and The Three Countertenors, Daniel Bubeck, Brian Cummings, and Nathan Medley in the Texas Premiere of this seminal work (March 2020).
Guest conductors and soloists in 2019−2020 include Marek Janowski leading the orchestra in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 2 and two Wagner overtures, Fabien Gabel conducting Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 1 with piano superstar Emanuel Ax, Krzysztof Urbański conducting Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1 with Daniil Trifonov, Jader Bignamini leading a program that includes The Pines and Fountains of Rome and violinist Augustin Hadelich in Paganini’s Violin Concerto No. 1, John Storgårds leading Tchaikovsky’s Pathétique and Shostakovich’s Violin Concerto No. 2 with violinist Vadim Gluzman, Dima Slobodeniouk conducting Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7 and Liszt’s Totentanz with pianist Kirill Gerstein, Matthias Pintscher leading the orchestra and pianist Cédric Tiberghien in Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 20, and Karina Canellakis taking the podium for Berlioz’ Symphonie fantastique and Bruch’s Violin Concerto No. 1 with violinist Simone Lamsma.
The classical season concludes in May 2020, as conductor Fabien Gabel returns to lead the Houston Symphony, the Houston Symphony Chorus, star soprano Ana María Martinez, and pianist Alexandra Dariescu in Houston Symphony Composer-in-Residence Jimmy López’ Dreamers Oratorio. Dreamers explores the U.S. immigrant experience, that of children born in the U.S. to those immigrants, and that of the sanctuary cities that offer them refuge. Beethoven’s Egmont Overture and Choral Fantasy complete the program.
2019−20 SEASON HIGHLIGHTS
Returning and Debuting Guest Conductors and Artists
The classical season includes return appearances by conductors Karina Canellakis, Fabien Gabel, Nicholas McGegan, David Robertson, Dima Slobodeniouk, John Storgårds, Krzysztof Urbański, and Lucas Waldin; pianists Emanuel Ax, Kirill Gerstein, Benjamin Grosvenor, Daniil Trifonov, and Jean-Yves Thibaudet; violinists Augustin Hadelich, Leonidas Kavakos, Simone Lamsma, and Gil Shaham; cellist Alisa Weilerstein; sopranos Ana María Martinez and Sherezade Panthaki; mezzo-sopranos Sasha Cooke and Kelley O’Connor; tenor Benjamin Butterfield; vocalists Nikki Renée Daniels, Tony DeSare, Capathia Jenkins, and Ryan Shaw; artist Dave Bennett; and narrator Damon Gupton.
Making Houston Symphony debuts in the 2019−2020 season are conductors Jader Bignamini, Marek Janowski, and Matthias Pintscher; violinist Vadim Gluzman; pianists Cédric Tiberghien and Alexandra Dariescu; sopranos Melody Moore, Miah Persson, and Susanna Phillips; mezzo-soprano Diana Moore; countertenors Daniel Bubeck, Brian Cummings, and Nathan Medley; baritone Günther Haumer; basses Hadleigh Adams and Davóne Tines; vocalist Renée Elise Goldsberry; and presenter Rick Steves.
The Margaret Alkek Williams Sound + Vision Concert Experience
The “Margaret Alkek Williams Sound + Vision” programs provide an enhanced concert experience by featuring surtitles, lighting, video, dance, and/or use of in-hall screens, among other visual aesthetics. The programs are intended to bring more clarity and help tell the stories of music being performed.
The “Margaret Alkek Williams Sound + Vision” series is supported in part by The Cullen Trust for the Performing Arts. Video enhancements for the Houston Symphony are made possible through a grant from the Albert and Ethel Herzstein Charitable Foundation. These donors’ generous investment allows the Houston Symphony to present industry-leading multimedia projects, and enhances the concert visually to provide new experiences, insight, and enjoyment to audiences.
Houston Symphony Chorus
This is a busy season for the Houston Symphony Chorus. It’s featured in five classical programs in 2019−2020, three of which are led by Music Director Orozco-Estrada. The Chorus is featured this season in Mahler’s Das klagende Lied and Mendelssohn’s Die erste Walpurgisnacht, two programs of choral works during the Schumann Festival, John Adams’ El Niño, Jimmy López’ Dreamers Oratorio, and Beethoven’s Choral Fantasy.
The Houston Symphony Chorus is also featured in performances of Handel’s Messiah and Very Merry Pops, which have both become true Houston holiday traditions, as well as the POPS Series program The Best of John Williams−Star Wars and More with Chorus! In her sixth season as Director of the Chorus, Dr. Betsy Cook Weber, a professor of Music and Director of Choral Studies at the University of Houston’s Moores School of Music, prepares the all-volunteer chorus for each performance.
The classical season is endowed by The Wortham Foundation, Inc. in memory of Gus S. and Lyndall F. Wortham. Orozco-Estrada is the fourth music director to hold the Roy and Lillie Cullen Chair; a position endowed in perpetuity by The Cullen Foundation.
2019–2020 POPS SERIES OVERVIEW
Principal POPS Conductor Steven Reineke embarks on his third season as the leader of the Houston Symphony’s POPS Series, featuring show-stopping Broadway vocalists, movies on the big screen, and music people know and love. “It’s a pure joy to collaborate with the extraordinary musicians of the Houston Symphony,” said Reineke, “and the Houston audience is so wonderfully invested in being a part of what we’re doing onstage. From great Houston Symphony debuts like Renée Elise Goldsberry to returning favorites like Tony DeSare that our audience just loves, this season is one I can’t wait to share with Houston!”
Under the direction of Reineke, the Houston Symphony opens the POPS Series with a Broadway powerhouse in An Evening with Renée Elise Goldsberry. Best known for creating the role of Angelica Schuyler in Hamilton for which she won a Tony Award, the Houston native returns home for her Houston Symphony debut performance in selections of beloved Broadway show tunes from The Lion King, Rent, and possibly a few numbers from Hamilton.
Former Houston Symphony Principal POPS Conductor Michael Krajewski returns to the Jones Hall stage with best-selling travel author and PBS star Rick Steves for Rick Steves’ Europe: A Symphonic Journey. Steves serves as the audience’s travel guide with breathtaking video footage of Europe as the Houston Symphony performs classical favorites such as Johann Strauss’ The Blue Danube Waltz and Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy.” Also this season, Krajewski returns to lead the orchestra and Houston Symphony Chorus in Very Merry Pops featuring classic holiday tunes. The program includes the Houston Symphony commission holiday piece Glad Tidings, a musical and narrative telling of the Christmas story packed with classic festive carols.
Principal POPS Conductor Reineke takes the podium as he leads the orchestra in an in-sync performance of John Williams’ epic and masterful score as the film Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back─in Concert plays on the big screen. Houston Star Wars fans can experience this classic as they’ve never seen it before, Nov. 8−10 at Jones Hall.
Reineke opens the second half of the 2019−2020 POPS Series with a celebration of Frank Sinatra’s greatest songs in Sinatra and Beyond. Vocalist and pianist Tony DeSare returns to Houston as he interprets Sinatra’s timeless and showstopping classics like Come Fly with Me, It Was a Very Good Year, and New York, New York.
In celebration of the life and art of Aretha Franklin, the Houston Symphony welcomes the return of vocal powerhouse Capathia Jenkins, for the program Aretha: Queen of Soul. Conductor Lucas Waldin leads Jenkins and the orchestra in the soulful program celebrating the powerful voice of the late, great Aretha in an unforgettable tribute program.
The Houston Symphony and Reineke close out the 2019−2020 POPS Series along with the Houston Symphony Chorus in The Best of John Williams—Star Wars & More with Chorus! Paying tribute to the master of film scores, the Houston Symphony brings John Williams’ music from blockbuster films like Superman, Star Wars, Harry Potter, and many more.
2019−20 BBVA COMPASS FAMILY SEASON OVERVIEW
On select Saturday mornings throughout each season, the Houston Symphony presents its BBVA Compass Family Series, a popular Saturday morning destination designed for families and children of all ages. This season, the four-concert series features educational, fun-for-all performances led by Houston Symphony Associate Conductor Robert Franz.
“There’s no greater thrill as a musician than the one you get when you see the hall completely filled with families, and you see children engaging with classical music for the first time,” said Franz. “We have four great concerts in 2019−2020, four opportunities to make that magic happen, and I’m grateful to BBVA Compass for making it all possible.”
Franz opens the BBVA Compass Family Concert Series with Wands & Wizards: Music from Harry Potter & More: a magical morning full of the spell-binding music of Harry Potter, based on the popular book series by J.K. Rowling, whose film adaption featured John Williams’ enchanting score. Also on the program is Paul Dukas’ recognizable and thrilling Sorcerer’s Apprentice, which gained widespread popularity through Disney’s Fantasia.
The Houston Symphony and Franz invite families to celebrate the holiday season in Twas the Night Before Christmas. The family-friendly program features various holiday stories including Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, We Three Kings, and Twas the Night Before Christmas. A Hanukkah Overture and a holiday sing-a-long put audiences in the holiday spirit.
As Houston gears up for baseball’s spring training season, the Houston Symphony celebrates the start of Major League Baseball with the baseball themed program Take Me Out to the Ballgame. Franz leads the orchestra in orchestral arrangements of Take Me Out to the Ballgame and Deep in the Heart of Texas.
Closing out the 2019−2020 BBVA Compass Family Series, Franz leads the orchestra in Heroes and Adventures, celebrating four heroic African-Americans−admired for their courage and outstanding achievements−through the heroic, gospel-infused music of Disney’s Hercules. Franz also welcomes a high school gospel choir to join the orchestra.
Family programs include free, interactive lobby activities, such as an Instrument Petting Zoo−which encourages children to try out orchestral instruments−theme-related music, and craft activities. These activities take place one-hour before the 10 a.m. concerts and one hour following the 11:30 a.m. concerts. Concertgoers are also encouraged to dress in costumes that match the concert’s theme.
2019−2020 SYMPHONY SPECIALS
Opening Night Concert & Gala
The Houston Symphony’s Opening Night Concert welcomes American conductor Leonard Slatkin on September 14, 2019, in an exciting program featuring music by Ravel, Barber, and Prokofiev. Slatkin and the orchestra are joined by international piano legend, Yefim Bronfman. The evening begins with a champagne reception at The Corinthian followed by the Opening Night Concert at Jones Hall. Following the concert, the celebration continues at The Corinthian with dinner by Jackson and Company and sensational entertainment. The Opening Night Concert and Gala, chaired by Houston Symphony Governing Director Barbara J. Burger, are generously supported by ConocoPhillips, the lead concert sponsor and corporate gala underwriter for the 32nd year.
Holiday Specials
A beloved Houston holiday tradition each season, the Houston Symphony, Houston Symphony Chorus and guest soloists come together December 20−22, 2019 in a performance of Handel’s Messiah. Conductor Nicholas McGegan returns to conduct this timeless English-language oratorio about the life and death of Jesus Christ during the holiday season. Soloists are soprano Sherezade Panthaki, mezzo-soprano Diane Moore, tenor Benjamin Butterfield, and bass Hadleigh Adams.
2019−2020 subscribers get first access to Symphony Specials like Opening Night with Yefim Bronfman and Summer Series performances, as well as newly-announced performances throughout the season, including the Houston Symphony’s most in-demand concerts.
THE HOUSTON SYMPHONY IN THE COMMUNITY
Houston Symphony Season Partners
Support from the Houston Symphony’s corporate, foundation, and government partners allows the orchestra to reach new artistic heights in music, education and community engagement. The Houston Symphony 2019−2020 partners include Spec’s Wines, Spirits & Finer Foods/Spec’s Charitable Foundation, BBVA Compass, Houston Methodist (Official Health Care Provider), United Airlines (Official Airline), and media partners ABC-13 (Official Television Partner) and Houston Public Media (Media Partner). Series support comes from Bank of America, Shell, Rand Group, and Frost Bank.
Ticket Information
Season tickets for the 2019–20 season, including the Classical, POPS, and BBVA Compass Family Series, are on sale now. Classical Series packages start at $135; POPS Series at $156; and BBVA Compass Family Series packages are $85. Subscriber benefits include presale access to Symphony Specials and free ticket exchanges. Single tickets for fall and spring concert tickets will go on sale at a later date. For more information or to purchase, visit houstonsymphony.org or call the Houston Symphony Patron Services Center at (713) 224-7575, Monday−Saturday, 12 p.m.−6 p.m.
About the Houston Symphony
During the 2019−2020 season, the Houston Symphony celebrates its sixth season with Music Director Andrés Orozco-Estrada and continues its second century as one of America’s leading orchestras with a full complement of concert, community, education, touring, and recording activities. The Houston Symphony, one of the oldest performing arts organizations in Texas, held its inaugural performance at The Majestic Theater in downtown Houston June 21, 1913. Today, with an annual operating budget of $33.9 million, the full-time ensemble of 88 professional musicians presents nearly 170 concerts annually, making it the largest performing arts organization in Houston. Additionally, musicians of the orchestra and the Symphony’s four Community-Embedded Musicians offer over 900 community-based performances each year, reaching thousands of people in Greater Houston.
The Grammy Award-winning Houston Symphony has recorded under various prestigious labels, including Naxos, Koch International Classics, Telarc, RCA Red Seal, Virgin Classics, and most recently, Dutch recording label PENTATONE. In 2017, the Houston Symphony was awarded an ECHO Klassik award for the live recording of Alban Berg’s Wozzeck under the direction of former Music Director Hans Graf. The orchestra earned its first Grammy nomination and Grammy Award at the 60th annual ceremony for the same recording in the Best Opera Recording category.
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Eric Skelly: (713) 337-8560, eric.skelly@houstonsymphony.org
Mireya Reyna: (713) 337-8557, mireya.reyna@houstonsymphony.org
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