HOUSTON (April 10, 2019) – The Houston Symphony celebrates the 50th anniversary of the iconic English rock band in the one-night-only program the Music of Led Zeppelin at 7:30 p.m. April 19 at Jones Hall.
Guest conductor Brent Havens returns to Houston to lead the electrifying program with vocalist Randy Jackson, lead singer and guitarist for the band Zebra. The Houston Symphony, augmented by a full rock band, covers a set list of all Led Zeppelin’s greatest hits, including “The Immigrant Song,” “Whole Lotta Love,” “Stairway to Heaven,” and more.
Formed in the 1960s, the English hard rock band Led Zeppelin dominated the soundwaves throughout its career. Led Zeppelin earned the prestigious Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2005 for its creative contributions to the field of music recording. After four decades, Led Zeppelin recently announced plans for a year-long tour and release of a new album.
The Music of Led Zeppelin program takes place at Jones Hall for the Performing Arts, 615 Louisiana Street, in Houston’s Theater District. For tickets and information, please call 713.224.7575 or visit houstonsymphony.org. Tickets may also be purchased at the Houston Symphony Patron Services Center in Jones Hall (Monday–Saturday from 12–6 p.m.). All programs and artists are subject to change.
THE MUSIC OF LED ZEPPELIN
Friday, April 19, 2019, 7:30 p.m.
Brent Havens, conductor
Randy Jackson, vocalist
About Brent Havens
Berklee-trained arranger/conductor Brent Havens has written music for orchestras, feature films and virtually every variety of television program. His TV work includes movies for major networks, commercials, sports music for ESPN, and cartoons.
Brent worked with the Doobie Brothers and the Milwaukee Symphony, arranging and conducting the combined group for Harley Davidson’s 100th Anniversary Birthday Party Finale attended by more than 150,000 fans. He has worked with some of the world’s greatest orchestras, including London’s Royal Philharmonic; the Houston and Nashville Symphonies; the Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Indianapolis, Atlanta, Baltimore, Dallas and Fort Worth Symphony Orchestras; the Minnesota Orchestra; the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, and countless others. For the past several years, he has conducted the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra with Music of Michael Jackson, Led Zeppelin, Queen, and U2 shows.
Brent composed the score for the film Quo Vadis, a Premier Pictures remake of the 1956 gladiator film. In 2013, he worked with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and the NFL’s Baltimore Ravens to arrange and produce the music for the Thanksgiving Day halftime show between the Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers, adapting both classical music and rock songs into a single four-minute show.
He is arranger/guest conductor for 14 symphonic rock programs, including the Music of Led Zeppelin, the Music of the Doors, the Music of Pink Floyd, the Music of the Eagles, the Music of Queen, the Music of Michael Jackson, the Music of The Who, The Music of Whitney Houston, the Music of The Rolling Stones, the Music of U2, the Music of Journey, the Music of Elton John, the Music of David Bowie, and the Music of Prince. Brent Havens also premiered a full orchestral show for Lou Gramm, The Voice of Foreigner with Lou singing out front.
About Randy Jackson
Randy Jackson is the lead singer and guitarist of the rock band Zebra. His first foray into recording success began with the self-titled Zebra debut album, released on Atlantic Records in 1983. Critically acclaimed for its lush rock sounds, due in large part to Randy’s searing lead vocals and soaring guitar leads, the album sold 75,000 copies the first week. “Who’s Behind The Door” and “Tell Me What You Want,” written by Randy, received serious notice in the press and almost instantly helped to form legions of Zebra fans. He produced and engineered the group’s latest release, Zebra IV.
In 1989, Randy toured as keyboardist, guitarist and backing vocalist with the original, reunited Jefferson Airplane, their last tour together. He has also worked extensively in the area of musical software and hardware development.
About the Houston Symphony
During the 2018–19 season, the Houston Symphony celebrates its fifth 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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