“As to my Requiem, perhaps I have also instinctively sought to escape from what is thought right and proper, after all the years of accompanying burial services on the organ! I know it all by heart. I wanted to write something different.” —Gabriel Fauré Gabriel Fauré’s Requiem is one of the treasures of the choral … Continued
Hailed by the Chicago Tribune as “a first-rate artist of real musical command, vitality, brilliance, and intensity,” violinist Karen Gomyo is taking the world’s music halls by storm with her brilliant and insightful performances. This weekend, she joins the Houston Symphony in Mozart’s sparkling Violin Concerto No. 3. Recently, I got a chance to ask … Continued
Big Brothers Big Sisters brought some very special guests for the Houston Symphony’s “A Frosty & Frozen Christmas” Family Concert on Saturday, December 12 at Jones Hall. A mentoring network, Big Brothers Big Sisters makes meaningful, monitored matches between adult volunteers (“Bigs”) and children (“Littles”) in the Houston area. Before the concert, unmatched “Littles” … Continued
At the Houston Symphony, nothing gives us more joy than sharing the music we love, and as an organization we are committed to sharing music with as many people in our community as we possibly can. This means that in addition to our busy concert schedule, our musicians are out and about all over Houston … Continued
Kirill Gerstein, virtuoso pianist and long-time friend of the Houston Symphony, returns on January 22–24 to perform a program with Andrés and the orchestra that includes Ravel’s Piano Concerto for the Left Hand. We spoke with Kirill recently to welcome him back to Houston. Houston Symphony Magazine: What is special to you about Ravel’s Piano … Continued
Mezzo-soprano Jennifer Rivera is one of the most dynamic personalities in opera and classical music today: her multifaceted career includes not only a busy schedule of international performances, but also blogging, arts advocacy and arts administration. Recently, I got to ask her a few questions in advance of her upcoming performances of Handel’s Messiah with the Houston … Continued
Baritone Reginald Smith Jr. has had a busy 2015: he has traveled to Russia and across the United States for opera and concert performances and was also a winner of the 2015 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, one of the world’s most prestigious opera singing competitions (past winners have included Renée Fleming, Susan Graham, Thomas … Continued
This weekend, the Houston Symphony welcomes British pianist, composer, and author Stephen Hough to Jones Hall for performances of French composer Camille Saint-Saëns’ Piano Concerto No. 5, Egyptian. Recently, I had the chance to ask Mr. Hough a few questions about this concerto. Calvin Dotsey: How would you describe Saint-Saëns’ Piano Concerto No. 5 to … Continued
Read the program notes for this weekend’s concerts below! SIEGFRIED IDYLL Richard Wagner (1813-1883) In a Tweet: Life and art interweave in Richard Wagner’s mellifluous “musical birthday poem” for his wife. The Back Story: Richard Wagner carried on a seven-year affair with Cosima von Bulow, the wife of a disciple of his, until her divorce … Continued
At the Houston Symphony, we believe that everyone in our community should have access to great orchestral music regardless of ability to pay. With over 20 free concerts per year, a Student Concert Series that reached over 55,000 students during the 2014-15 Season and numerous free musician visits to schools, hospitals and community centers, we … Continued
In 1900, Charles Ives, the dean of American maverick composers, set out to compose his second symphony some ten years after he had finished his first, a work he wrote strictly in a traditional European style as demanded by his professor, Horatio Parker, in order to complete his undergraduate music degree at Yale. This time, … Continued
This weekend, 19-year-old violin wonder Simone Porter will maker her Houston Symphony debut performing Barber’s Violin Concerto. The Los Angeles Times, after referring to her as a “future star,” wrote, “Let’s strike the word ‘future.’ She sounds ready. Now.” Her performances have been described as “bold” (Seattle Times) and “virtuosic” (London Times), and she has already … Continued
The first classical concert of our 2015-16 season features the world premiere of John Corigliano’s STOMP. One of America’s most important composers, John continues to add to one of the richest, most unusual and most widely celebrated bodies of work any composer has created over the last 40 years. His numerous scores—including three symphonies and eight concerti … Continued
World renowned violinist Joshua Bell joins the Houston Symphony to celebrate the Opening Night of our 2015-16 Season this Saturday, September 12, 2015. Mr. Bell plays a violin made by Antonio Stradivari with a fascinating story. Bell himself reveals the history of this remarkable instrument and how he came to play it below. My violin … Continued
Yesterday, I got a chance to pose some questions to Houston Symphony percussionist Matt Strauss about this weekend’s performances of Carmina Burana and his work with the musicians of the Colombian Youth Philharmonic. Matt Strauss was one of fourteen musicians who traveled to Colombia in June 2015 to help prepare the musicians of the Colombian … Continued
Under the leadership of new Music Director and native Colombian Andrés Orozco Estrada, the Houston Symphony has begun an educational partnership with the Colombian Youth Philharmonic. As part of this partnership, fourteen Houston Symphony musicians journeyed to Paipa, Colombia to help prepare these talented young musicians for their upcoming visit to Houston, which will culminate … Continued
On June 23, fourteen Houston Symphony musicians traveled thousands of miles to Colombia to begin our orchestra’s first ever educational partnership with one of Latin America’s finest youth ensembles, the Colombian Youth Philharmonic (Filarmónica Joven de Colombia). Our musicians have been in the small town of Paipa, Colombia working with this next generation of professional orchestral musicians on sectionals, coaching … Continued
Tonight, Houston Symphony Associate Conductor Robert Franz will lead our orchestra in a fascinating East Meets West program at Miller Outdoor Theatre. Recently, I got to ask Maestro Franz a few questions about his inspiration for this unique and interesting concert. Calvin Dotsey: For our third ExxonMobil Summer Symphony Nights concert this year, you have … Continued
The Houston Symphony is proud to impact communities at home and abroad. Through a deep partnership with the Filarmónica Joven de Colombia (Colombian Youth Philharmonic)—a pre-professional training orchestra from Music Director Andrés Orozco-Estrada’s home country—the Houston Symphony, in partnership with the University of Houston (UH) Moores School of Music, will host the entire Colombian Youth … Continued
From Mozart’s Requiem and Verdi’s Requiem, to our Mahler 3 season finale, the Houston Symphony Chorus has played an integral role in many of our 2014-15 Season concerts. This coming Sunday, May 31, the Chorus will shine on its own—they will be featured without the orchestra, and will perform works by Handel, J. S. Bach, … Continued