Music is one of the most transcendent art forms that can take us back in time and evoke emotions we have never experienced. The fusion of music and history has unraveled mysteries worth exploring. The story behind Dmitri Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 11, The Year 1905, is a fascinating example of how music can reflect a society’s … Continued
To close out the end of Women’s History Month, we spoke with Director of Artistic Planning Rebecca Zabinski about inspiring women in the orchestral world—from composers who pioneered the path for future generations and influential women in music today transforming the classical landscape as we know it. Houston Symphony: Who are some inspiring women throughout … 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
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
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
In honor of Claude Debussy’s birthday, John Mangum, Houston Symphony Executive Director/CEO and Margaret Alkek Williams Chair, shares a few favorite pieces by the French composer through recordings you can also enjoy as a YouTube playlist. As a fellow Leo, I’ve been called up to contribute a few words to mark Claude Debussy’s birthday this … Continued
William Grant Still (1895–1978), one of the most versatile American composers, wrote more than 150 works in his lifetime. He built a career in a predominantly white world of classical music, bringing Black voices to an industry that didn’t fully accept composers of color. An Individual Style William Still blended Black and popular traditions with … Continued
John Mangum, Houston Symphony executive director/CEO and Margaret Alkek Williams Chair, shares a few favorites from composer Sergei Rachmaninoff’s birthday, April 1. You can also enjoy John’s selections as a YouTube playlist. So as I stay at home, like the rest of you, our devoted fans, I’m looking for music wherever I can find it … Continued
If there had been a Billboard Hot 100 Chart in Beethoven’s day, his Seventh Symphony certainly would have been at the top. At its premiere, the work was so well received that it literally stopped the show. More than 200 years later, it remains one of his most popular achievements. As the world celebrates the … Continued
The Houston Symphony’s signature event of the 2019–20 season, Schumann Festival: Angels and Demons celebrates German composer Robert Schumann (1810–1856). As a music critic, he championed the work of a young Johannes Brahms, whose Violin Concerto is also a part of the Symphony’s Classical series on December 5, 7 & 8. Before Robert’s untimely death, … Continued
In February 2020, the Houston Symphony presents a two-week festival dedicated to one of the greatest composers of the Romantic era: Robert Schumann. As we approach Robert and Clara Schumann’s 179th wedding anniversary on September 12—just one day before Clara’s birthday—discover the unlikely path Schumann took to fame, his First Symphony, and love. Learn more about … Continued
“Good! A beautiful setting,” Jimmy said over the applause as the pianist and vocalist finished the first reading of a new song by Erin Graham, a student at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music. “There is one thing I’m thinking about: it’s so well written for the piano that I’m wondering how you’re going to … Continued
This February, the Houston Symphony invites you to discover one of history’s most idiosyncratic geniuses: Robert Schumann. The Schumann Festival is a celebration of the composer’s life and work, with concerts and events at Jones Hall, Zilkha Hall at the Hobby Center, and the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. “The music of Schumann, which borders … Continued
Have you ever wondered what it takes to be a composer? Picture a blank manuscript page, whether on a computer screen or old-fashioned paper, with endless sets of five lines marching across the page…empty. Now imagine filling that space with notations that define sounds, melodies, harmonies, dissonances and instrumental effects. You must make thousands of decisions: Which instruments play when? How … Continued