On October 25, 26, and 27, world-renowned Wagner conductor Marek Janowski leads Wagner + Beethoven 2, a program of thrilling orchestral masterpieces by two of history’s most revolutionary composers. In this post, discover some of the moving and festive music Wagner composed for his opera Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg. Visit houstonsymphony.org for tickets and more information. The idea for … Continued
On October 25, 26, and 27, world-renowned conductor Marek Janowski leads Wagner + Beethoven 2, a program of thrilling orchestral masterpieces by two of history’s most revolutionary composers. In this post, discover how Beethoven composed one of his most up-beat works in the midst of personal crisis. Want to learn more? Check out our podcast on … Continued
On October 4, 5, and 6, Music Director Andrés Orozco-Estrada conducts Mendelssohn and Mahler, a program of spooky masterpieces featuring the Houston Symphony Chorus. In this post, discover the secret pagan rituals of Mendelssohn’s choral masterpiece, Die erste Walpurgisnacht. Visit houstonsymphony.org for tickets and more information. To this day, people throughout Northern and Eastern Europe continue to frighten … Continued
On October 25, 26, and 27, world-renowned Wagner conductor Marek Janowski leads Wagner + Beethoven 2, a program of thrilling orchestral masterpieces by two of history’s most revolutionary composers. In this post, discover the scandalously sensual music Wagner composed for his opera Tannhäuser. Tannhäuser, Richard Wagner’s fifth completed opera, was composed from 1842 and 1845 … Continued
On September 27, 28, and 29, Music Director Andrés Orozco-Estrada presents Gershwin’s Piano Concerto & Porgy and Bess, a concert of 20th-century masterpieces from the Western hemisphere. In this post, discover how composer Carlos Chávez “Mexicanized” the European orchestra in his groundbreaking Sinfonía india. Visit houstonsymphony.org for tickets and more information. The Mexican Revolution of 1910–1920 was one of … Continued
On October 4, 5, and 6, Music Director Andrés Orozco-Estrada conducts Mendelssohn and Mahler, a program of spooky masterpieces featuring the Houston Symphony Chorus. In this post, discover the chilling ghost story that inspired Mahler’s first mature work, Das klagende Lied. Visit houstonsymphony.org for tickets and more information. “Ever since she had taught him to … Continued
On September 27, 28, and 29, Music Director Andrés Orozco-Estrada presents Gershwin’s Piano Concerto & Porgy and Bess, a concert of 20th-century masterpieces from the Western hemisphere. In this post, discover how Aaron Copland’s visit to Mexico led the composer in a whole new direction. Learn more and get tickets. Eager to entice his friend and fellow … Continued
On September 27, 28, and 29, Music Director Andrés Orozco-Estrada presents Gershwin’s Piano Concerto & Porgy and Bess, a concert of 20th-century masterpieces from the Western hemisphere. Our guest artist is world-renowned pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet, who performs Gershwin’s jazzy Piano Concerto in F. In this post, discover this uniquely American showpiece for piano and orchestra. … Continued
After a dazzling, all-Russian program for our Opening Night Concert, featuring Yefim Bronfman performing Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3, we continue to explore the music of the Tsars’ realm when Music Director Andrés Orozco-Estrada returns to conduct our first Classical Series concert of the 2019–20 Season: Stravinsky’s Firebird, September 19, 21, and 22. The concert opens … Continued
On September 14, the Houston Symphony officially begins its 2019–20 Season with a spectacular Opening Night Concert of Russian classics, including Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3 with Yefim Bronfman. In this post, discover Tchaikovsky’s colorful Capriccio Italien, a perennial audience favorite. Visit houstonsymphony.org for tickets and more information. Italy was one of Tchaikovsky’s favorite travel destinations—once he had … Continued
After a dazzling, all-Russian program for our Opening Night Concert, featuring Yefim Bronfman performing Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3, we continue to explore the music of the Tsars’ realm when Music Director Andrés Orozco-Estrada returns to conduct our first Classical Series concert of the 2019–20 Season: Stravinsky’s Firebird, September 19, 21, and 22. In this post (a revised … Continued
On September 14, the Houston Symphony officially begins its 2019–20 Season with a spectacular Opening Night Concert of Russian classics, including Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3 with Yefim Bronfman. Beneath the soulful melodies and glittering orchestral sonorities, guest conductor Leonard Slatkin has cleverly arranged the program as a mini-lesson in the history of Russian music. … Continued
On May 16 and 17, the Houston Symphony presents a spectacular, semi-staged production of Bluebeard’s Castle featuring world-renowned singers Michelle DeYoung and Matthias Goerne. In this post, star mezzo-soprano Michelle DeYoung discusses her take on the role of Judith in Bartók’s fascinating operatic masterpiece. Get tickets and more information here. “I think it’s one of the greatest pieces … Continued
How do composers write their music? Composing can sometimes seem a mysterious business, and it is not every day one has the opportunity to glimpse into the mind of such a creative artist. In advance of the world premiere of Aurora, his new violin concerto, Houston Symphony Composer-in-Residence Jimmy López Bellido recounts the story of … Continued
Violist Daniel Strba began his professional career at age 17 when he became a member of the United States Army Chamber Orchestra in Washington, D.C. where he performed for official state functions at The White House. He holds a Bachelor of Music degree from Chicago’s DePaul University and a master’s degree from the Cleveland Institute … Continued
On May 16 and 17, the Houston Symphony presents a spectacular, semi-staged production of Bluebeard’s Castle featuring world-renowned singers Michelle DeYoung and Matthias Goerne. In this post, the production’s creative director, Adam Larsen, discusses his vision for Bartók’s fascinating operatic masterpiece. Get tickets and more information here. When we asked the musicians of the Houston Symphony which concerts … Continued
Joan DerHovsepian became a member of the Houston Symphony in 1999 and has been associate principal viola since 2010. She is an artist teacher of viola at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music and a faculty guest at the New World Symphony. This summer, she joins the faculty of the National Orchestral Institute. Annually, Joan … Continued
On May 9, 11, and 12, the Houston Symphony concludes its season-long exploration of Charles Ives’ groundbreaking Symphony No. 4. In this post, discover the work’s otherworldly finale, the ultimate goal of Ives’ spiritual vision. You can learn more about the first, second, and third movements in previous posts. Get tickets and more information here. Ives’ … Continued
On May 9, 11, and 12, the Houston Symphony presents Rachmaninoff’s The Bells, a monumental choral symphony that Rachmaninoff regarded as his best work. In this post, discover how this powerful work, inspired by the poetry of Edgar Allan Poe, prophesied the turmoil Russia would face in the 20th century. Get tickets and more information here. During … Continued
On May 9, 11, and 12, the Houston Symphony presents award-winning American pianist George Li in not one, but two virtuoso works for piano and orchestra. In this post, discover how the first of these pieces, George Gershwin’s delightful “I Got Rhythm” Variations, paints a picture of contemporary New York in sound. Get tickets and … Continued