On October 22, 23, & 24, Dame Jane Glover leads the Houston Symphony in Mendelssohn’s Scottish Symphony. The program also features Prokofiev’s Symphony No. 1, which we last performed in September 2018. In the post below, learn more about one of Prokofiev’ most-loved works, his “Classical” Symphony. At first, Prokofiev was not overly troubled by … Continued
September marks the beginning of Classical Music Month, a 30-day celebration of centuries of musical masterpieces by the greatest of the great. To kick off the month, we polled members of the Symphony and staff to curate a unique playlist of our favorite pieces of classical music to share with you. Also, to make this celebration … Continued
Next week, Concertmaster Yoonshin Song takes center stage in Astor Piazzolla’s show-stopping, tango-infused “Las Cuatro Estaciones Porteñas (Four Seasons of Buenos Aires)”—inspired by Vivaldi’s Four Seasons—in Mozart + Piazzolla, led by Music Director Andrés Orozco-Estrada. We talked with Yoonshin ahead of her solo, discussing the music, her rehearsal approach, and working together with Orozco-Estrada again as he returns for the first time … Continued
This April, we welcome renowned Baroque specialist and conductor Jane Glover to the teak walls of Jones Hall to lead the orchestra in a spirited Easter weekend program highlighting Bach’s sacred cantatas. During his lifetime Bach composed over 200 church cantatas, quickly solidifying his reputation as a gifted composer. Also included on this program is … Continued
Johann Sebastian Bach is one of the most beloved and influential composers of all time, his dazzlingly elaborate creations as astounding today as ever. Starting this Friday, March 26, Houston Symphony audiences will have the chance to hear no less than eight great Bach masterpieces over the course of two consecutive concert weekends, March 26–28 … Continued
Finnish conductor-composer Esa-Pekka Salonen joins the Houston Symphony on March 26, 27 & 28 for a concert featuring J.S. Bach arrangements by Webern, Berio, and Klemperer, plus a solo violin piece by Bach, Salonen’s own 2019 composition, Fog, and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 1 round out the program of treasured classics presented with a contemporary twist. … Continued
We continue our celebration of Women’s History Month by spotlighting female composers of the past and present. Enjoy the two playlists below. Women Composers of History Featuring Clara Schumann, Fanny Mendelssohn, Amy Beach & more Contemporary Women Composers Featuring Jennifer Higdon, Missy Mazzoli, Jessie Montgomery & more
The evolution of music as a multicultural medium underwent significant development throughout the 20th century as innovations in transportation and communication led to a more global society. As evidenced by the pieces on this weekend’s program, the blending of music across continents and genres transitioned the discipline into the postmodern world. The second movement of … Continued
As we enter into the holiday season—and perhaps one that’s admittedly slightly different than last year—the Houston Symphony is excited to present A Baroque Christmas. Whether you are joining us in-hall or for a livestream cozied up at home with some cocoa, our festive offering features famous arias from Handel’s Messiah, Corelli’s Christmas Concerto, and … Continued
Each holiday season, Houstonians eagerly await a plethora of events that officially signify the start of the most wonderful time of the year! The lighting of the Christmas tree at Bayou Bend Gardens, an evening stroll through tunnels of lights at the Houston Zoo, glittering galaxy displays at NASA, and the time-honored refrains of the … Continued
Today marks the birthday of Hungarian composer and pianist Franz Liszt (1811–86). The greatest piano virtuoso of the Romantic era (and arguably of all time), Liszt’s astounding talent expanded the scope of what a piano could do, transforming the instrument into an expressive powerhouse that approached the range and complexity of a full symphony orchestra. … Continued
Today marks the birthday of English composer Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872–1958). One of the most important composers of the 20th century, Vaughan Williams’s prolific legacy includes nine symphonies, six operas, film scores, choral music, works for military band, and several now-standard hymn tunes. Forging an individual musical voice steeped in the folk song traditions of … Continued
On September 26, the Houston Symphony presents the second Classical series livestream performance of the season, Great Women Composers: Esmail, Price & Smyth. In addition to contemporary Indian-American composer Reena Esmail, the evening features selections by two 20th-century trailblazers: Florence Price’s exuberant String Quartet in A minor and Ethel Smyth’s Songs for Mezzo-Soprano, which features … Continued
This Saturday, the Houston Symphony kicks off its 2020–21 Classical Season with a livestream performance of Schubert’s Octet in F Major. Presenting concerts in the time of social distancing comes with many obstacles, but it also opens up new and exciting opportunities, including the chance to spotlight incredible music scored for smaller ensembles. Brimming with … Continued
On Saturday, August 8, ensembles of Houston Symphony musicians present an evening of music via livestream. The centerpiece of the concert is one of the most enduringly popular pieces of classical music ever written: Vivaldi’s Four Seasons. Each of the piece’s four violin concertos spotlights a different Houston Symphony soloist. The violinists discuss what it’s … Continued
On Saturday, July 25, the livestream concert series Live from Jones Hall continues with a performance spotlighting two of the Houston Symphony’s sections: percussion and brass. Leonardo Soto, principal timpani, and Matthew Strauss, associate principal timpani and percussion, discuss some of the night’s repertoire that also showcases the talents of Brian Del Signore and Mark … Continued
Our second Live from Jones Hall livestream concert shines a light on the members of the Houston Symphony’s string and wind sections as small ensembles take center stage. Discover more about the night’s repertoire—Strauss’s deeply poignant Metamorphosen – Realisation for String Septet and Mozart’s lyrical and graceful Wind Serenade in E-flat major. You can also … Continued
Ready for the first Live from Jones Hall livestream chamber concert? Discover more about the night’s repertoire, from a quartet by trailblazing composer Florence Price to a vibrant Czech Capriccio to two favorites by Bach. You can also check out full musician bios here. Live from Jones Hall: Bach, Price & Janáček Saturday, July 11, … Continued
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