On Friday, June 12, Houston Symphony musicians Aralee Dorough, principal flute, and Colin Gatwood, oboe, invite you into their home for a livestream concert performance in summer’s Living Room Series. Their son, Corin Gatwood, joins on electric bass, too—marking the first time that all three have performed publicly together. Houston Symphony: What has the process … Continued
What Shakespeare was to the sonnet, Richard Strauss was the tone poem. Pioneered by Franz Liszt in the mid-1800s, tone poems took the then-groundbreaking step of tying music to an extra-musical source—usually, a poem, novel, painting, or landscape—allowing music to “tell the story.” In the tone poem Strauss found a perfect outlet for his compositional … Continued
Hi, kids! Today, we are going to continue moving our bodies to the music! Let’s talk about Johann Strauss, Sr.’s Radetzky March. THE CHALLENGE: Let’s see how we can use our bodies make rhythms! Let the music guide you through the marching challenge. Imagine you are a soldier or marching band musician on parade! March … Continued
Staying productive while in isolation is difficult for every level of musician. We hope that music can be respite, as opposed to hard work. In this blog, Rian Craypo, principal bassoon, describes tips for shaping your practice routine to make the most out of your time. She also offers some creative challenges to lift your … Continued
Rhythm is such an important part of music and life. Another word that we use in music to describe the rhythm is “pulse.” Just like the important function that our heart performs for our body, the pulse in music regulates the groove, pumps excitement into the music, and keeps the body of musicians together in … Continued
Hi, kids! Today, we are going to continue moving our bodies to the music! Let’s talk about Dvořák’s Slavonic Dance No. 8. THE CHALLENGE: Let the music guide you through an imaginary walk in the enchanted forest! See if you can walk, march, glide, and hop with the music. Follow along with me to get started … Continued
“It’s incredible that through the power of technology we can continue to interact with the students and stay connected to this community. Even though it is through a different platform, I can see that the students are very excited and eager to continue learning about the violin. In this unprecedented time of isolation, our interaction … Continued
At the end of May 2020, the Houston Symphony bids farewell to two retiring musicians: Michael McMurray, double bass and assistant librarian, and Wayne Brooks, principal viola. Mike and his fellow bassists and librarians share fond memories of the outstanding musician’s many years with the Houston Symphony—and what lies ahead for Mike now. In Mike’s words To me, music is … Continued
At the end of May 2020, the Houston Symphony bids farewell to two retiring musicians: Wayne Brooks, principal viola, and Michael McMurray, double bass. Wayne and his fellow violists share fond memories of the treasured musician’s many years with the Houston Symphony—and what lies ahead for Wayne now. In Wayne’s Words Music has been my … Continued
Hi, kids! Today, we are going to listen to a famous piece of music by Brahms: Hungarian Dance No. 1. THE CHALLENGE: Go grab a scarf, towel, or pillowcase to explore how many types of fast and slow motions you can make! Try making as many different kinds of motions you can. Now you’re ready … Continued
On Friday, May 22, Joan DerHovsepian, associate principal viola, invites you to an evening of music via livestream concert, the fourth of the Houston Symphony’s new Living Room Series. Joan will be joined by her musical family: husband Erik Gronfor is the assistant principal double bass in the Houston Grand Opera’s Orchestra, and daughter Clara, … Continued
As we all stay at home, many families are looking for enriching activities to do together, and the households of Houston Symphony musicians are no different. Some have been involving their children in joyous music-making and encouraging you to do the same through video and photos shared on the Houston Symphony’s YouTube channel and social … Continued
Hi, kids! Put on your dancing shoes: today, we are going to talk about music that was written for a ballet, where dancers move their bodies to show a story. THE CHALLENGE: Create a ballet dancer snowflake, hook it to a string, and try to make it dance along with the Dance of the Sugar … Continued
“Music is ultimately about sharing what you love with your audience.” On Friday, May 15, Brinton Averil Smith, principal cello invites online viewers into his home for a livestream performance with his wife, pianist Evelyn Chen, and their daughter, Calista Smith, a vocalist who is also trained as a violinist. Before their Living Room Concert, … Continued
Social distancing is hard for everyone, but it’s especially challenging for musicians who live to play music together and share it with others. At the Houston Symphony, we cannot wait until we can safely play concerts for you again, but until then, here’s an update from the members of the orchestra. What activities have you … Continued
Hey, kids! Guess what? It’s Teacher Appreciation Week! Teachers guide us in all areas of our lives, and it’s important to let them know what they mean to us. THE CHALLENGE: Can you write a poem for your favorite teachers? Can you turn it into a song? The words could be put the tune of … Continued
The Houston Symphony presents the second installments of its new Living Room Series, a response to home isolation and social distancing, on May 8. Mark Nuccio, principal clarinet, teamed up with some creative friends to make his recital extra special: on Friday, viewers can take a trip around the world through drinks paired with each … Continued
Hi, kids! Let’s continue our journey to see how music can help us discover more about animals! Last week, we talked about the kangaroo, elephant, and aquarium movements in The Carnival of the Animals, a piece by composer Camille Saint-Saëns (pronounced Cuh MEEL san-SOHN(s) with a hint of an “s” at the end). Ready for … Continued
Hi, kids! Today we are going to share with you the story of Die Walküre (pronounced DEE val-CURE, but also known by the English title, The Valkyries), an opera by composer Richard Wagner. THE CHALLENGE: Who is YOUR hero? Listen to the Budapest Symphony perform “Ride of the Valkyries” from Richard Wagner’s opera called The … Continued
Community-Embedded Musicians Patricia Quintero, violin, and Alexa Thomson, viola, invite student musicians to try out this piece! Alexa Thomson, viola: The Telemann Canonic Sonata No. 1 is one of our favorites to perform for audiences across Houston, and we loved the challenge of putting this together from different locations while social distancing. We have included … Continued