I am from south-central Pennsylvania and how I got interested in symphonies is perhaps typical of many in my age group and from the area in which I was raised. I am from a small town close to Gettysburg. I began singing at a very young age much to the chagrin of my sister. Our … Continued
I have enjoyed enriching music ever since youth. My wife and I both grew up playing instruments in our schools’ band programs, and I into college. I cut my teeth on Maurice Abravanel and later Joseph Silverstein with the Utah Symphony, and after moving to The Woodlands in the mid-1990s, was introduced to the Houston … Continued
The Houston Symphony has been woven through our lives for decades. We’ve both served as trustees and on committee, had the pleasure of getting to know some of the musicians and their families, and many music directors. But it’s the musical experiences that fill our souls and hearts. Whether it’s Mahler or the Mariachi Orchestra, … Continued
I have always enjoyed music. My parents had a subscription to the Houston Symphony for many years. My first memory of going to the Symphony was in junior high school. My family was downtown at an event that was not interesting to me so my dad bought me a ticket to the Symphony – it … Continued
I literally grew up with the Houston Symphony. My father, Irving Wadler, was a first violinist with the orchestra, and he played continually from 1933 until his retirement in 1980. So a large and wonderful part of my childhood and adolescence was spent going to all sorts of concerts, meeting great artists, and getting a … Continued
My first pure musical experience was listening to Brahms’s Fourth Symphony. But I did not hear it in a concert hall, or even performed by a local ensemble. No, my true introduction to classical music came to me in my bed. I was about 9 years old and every night I buried myself under my … Continued
I have lived in Houston for over 25 years and my favorite part about this city, outside the skyline on a clear evening, is the eclectic and talent this city has in the arts. I have been in love with classical music for as long as I can remember and I have my mother and … Continued
One of the greatest things about art is that any given work can inspire different feelings and emotions in each of us. Because it is the most abstract of all the arts, this is most true for music. So, as not only a performing musician but also an avid concertgoer, what does music inspire in … Continued
Music chose me. Yup, it’s true. I didn’t come into this world in a overly-musical family and definitely going to the symphony wasn’t part of who we were. We were a nice, middle-class family in upstate New York, living on a quiet suburban street, in a small city on the Hudson River. Then one day … Continued
Music has been a significant part of my life from a very young age. My grandparents played a large role in making me interested in music as a child. I’ve got lots of wonderful memories of going to concerts with my grandparents and learning to play the piano at their house. Grandpa has said on … Continued
We have had season tickets in row C or D at Sunday matinees since early in Eschenbach’s tenure as music director, right in front of the cellos, which he had at front. At one of our first concerts, we were intrigued by a now-retired Marian Wilson cellist’s small instrument. After the concert, we asked her … Continued
I cannot remember a time in my life where music was not a guiding force. I grew up in the small town of Crosby, Texas, approximately 30 miles NE of downtown Houston. Ask anyone who grew up there what Crosby is best known for, and they will quickly respond “Crosby is the capital of gas … Continued