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