Music Director Juraj Valčuha Conducts Dvořák;’S “New World” Symphony
HOUSTON, TX (October 2, 2024) — The Houston Symphony celebrates opening weekend of Juraj Valčuha’s third season as Music Director by partnering with Houston First to offer a free simulcast of the Symphony’s opening weekend concert on Lynn Wyatt Square, just across the street from Jones Hall, Saturday, October 5, 2024 at 7:30 p.m.
The audience at Lynn Wyatt Square this Saturday night sees a simulcast of the Houston Symphony’s livestream of the concert, as it happens in real time, on a giant screen with sound by 360 AV Design. Live musical performances and pre-show entertainment begin at 6:30 p.m. Levy Food and Beverage is on hand for beer, wine, sparkling options, water, soft drinks, as well as charcuterie boxes, all for purchase. There is existing seating on Lynn Wyatt Square on the wooden bench area, and audience members are encouraged to bring their own chairs and blankets for the lawn. All told, the Square is estimated to accommodate approximately 800 people comfortably.
Juraj Valčuha opens the Houston Symphony season October 4, 2024 (with additional performances October 5 and 6) with the first of three mini-festivals of the season, entitled Bohemian Rhapsody. Valčuha leads the massed forces of the Houston Symphony in Bohuslav Martinů’s Czech Rhapsody, a majestic cantata for orchestra, chorus and baritone soloist, here the renowned Czech baritone Svatopluk Sem. Czech Rhapsody also features the Houston Symphony Chorus under the direction of Interim Director Julia Hall and Joshua Habermann, joining forces with the Grammy-Award winning Houston Chamber Choir under the direction of Founder and Artistic Director Robert Simpson, and Artistic Director Designate Betsy Cook Weber. The Bohemian theme continues in Bryce Dessner’s pastoral reflection Mari and Dvořák’s iconic Symphony No. 9, From the New World. All three works on the program have both Czech and American connections, the Martinů and Dvořák works being written in America by Czech composers, and the Dessner work was written by an American composer with influences by the first movement of the Dvořák Ninth Symphony.
For tickets and more information about “Dvořák’s New World,” or any of the Houston Symphony 2024–25 Season Classical Subscription concerts, please call or text 713.224.7575 or visit houstonsymphony.org. Tickets are also available at the Houston Symphony Patron Services Center in Jones Hall (Monday–Saturday, 12–6 p.m.). All programs and artists are subject to change. The Simulcast on Lynn Wyatt Square is free to the general public.
Bohemian Rhapsody Festival
Opening Weekend: Dvořák’s New World
October 4, 2024, 7:30 p.m.
October 5, 2024, 7:30 p.m. (Livestream and Lynn Wyatt Square Simulcast)
October 6, 2024, 2:00 p.m.
Jones Hall for the Performing Arts
Juraj Valčuha, conductor
Svatopluk Sem, baritone
Houston Symphony Chorus, Julia Hall, interim director
Joshua Habermann
Houston Chamber Choir, Robert Simpson, founder and artistic director
Betsy Cook Weber, artistic director designate
B. Dessner: Mari (October 5 and 6)
Martinů: Czech Rhapsody
Dvořák: Symphony No. 9, From the New World
About Houston Symphony
Under Music Director Juraj Valčuha, the Houston Symphony continues its second century inspiring and engaging a large and diverse audience in Houston and beyond through exceptional musical performances, and creating enduring impact in the Houston community. One of the oldest performing arts organizations in Texas, the Symphony held its inaugural performance at The Majestic Theater in downtown Houston on June 21, 1913. Today, with an operating budget of $40.7 million, the full-time ensemble of professional musicians presents more than 130 concerts annually, making it the largest performing arts organization in Houston. Traditionally, musicians of the orchestra and the Symphony’s Community-Embedded Musicians also offer nearly 600 community-based performances each year at various schools, community centers, hospitals, senior centers, and churches, annually reaching nearly 200,000 people in Greater Houston in addition to Jones Hall.
After suspending concert activities in March 2020, the Symphony successfully completed a full 2020–21 season with in-person audiences and weekly livestreams of each performance, making it one of the only orchestras in the world to do so. The Houston Symphony remains committed to livestreaming its 2024-25 Season to a broad audience in over 45 countries and all 50 states, one of few American orchestras dedicated to transmitting live performances to a sizeable audience outside its home city through this technology. The Grammy Award-winning Houston Symphony has recorded under various prestigious labels, including Koch International Classics, Naxos, RCA Red Seal, Telarc, 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. The Symphony’s most recent recordings include a Pentatone release in January 2022 of its world premiere performances of Jimmy López Bellido’s Aurora and Ad Astra, and a Naxos release in July 2023 of its world premiere performance of Jennifer Higdon’s Duo Duel.
About Houston First Corporation
Houston First Corporation (HFC) is the official destination marketing organization for the country’s fourth largest city. In addition to serving as operator for the George R. Brown Convention Center and some of Houston’s most prominent art, entertainment, and event venues, HFC is focused on promoting the city’s vibrancy and rich tapestry of culture. By harnessing the city’s collective energy, ambition, and creativity, including its diverse culinary scene, world-renowned performing arts, medical and space innovation, and elite filming locations, HFC is solidifying Houston as a premier national and global destination. For the latest news and info regarding HFC, visit www.houstonfirst.com.
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Eric Skelly: 713.337.8560, eric.skelly@houstonsymphony.org
Madison Mann: 832.930.4065 x120, madison@theckpgroup.com