Blog Series: In Vienna w/ KTRK TV & Andrés Orozco-Estrada — Post #2

Mark Hanson, Houston Symphony’s Executive Director/CEO, continues his report from Vienna, following an evening concert led by our new Music Director Designate: [To read the other blogs in this series, click here].

Wow!  We have just returned to our hotel following an exciting and memorable Tonkünstler Orchester Niederösterrich concert at the Musikverein under the direction of our incoming music director Andrés Orozco-Estrada.  

The all-Mozart program was beautiful and gave us a real sense of what to expect when Andrés conducts the Jupiter Symphony with the Houston Symphony in January, 2014 at Jones Hall. There was a palpable sense of excitement throughout both the sold-out audience and the orchestra itself.  The Tonkünstler Orchester Niederösterrich played with precision and emotion while the two woodwind soloists demonstrated tremendous command of their respective instruments in two Mozart concertos. 

Following the concert, KTRK Channel 13’s Gina Gaston interviewed soloist François Leleux and several members of the Tonkünstler backstage and captured their fondness for and admiration of Andrés on video.  Before the concert, I engaged in a round of shuttle diplomacy as we endeavored to modify our concert videotaping plan to abide by some last minute requests from Musikverein officials. As you can see from the group photo with Andrés at the end of the evening, everything fell into place and all of us had big smiles on our faces following an inspirational concert in Vienna.  We are back to the Musikverein in the morning to capture video of Andrés conducting a dress rehearsal for tomorrow night’s different all-Mozart program. In between the rehearsal and concert, the Channel 13 crew and I will tour Vienna with a guide to learn about Vienna’s prominent role in the development of classical music. My only regret this evening is that this Vienna trip is preventing me from experiencing Houston Symphony performances of Debussy’s La Mer under the direction of music director Hans Graf.  Reports from last night’s concert indicate that we’ve missed another memorable performance in Hans’ final two months as our music director. [To read the other blogs in this series, click here].