Allen Barnhill, principal trombone, heads into his 43rd year with the Houston Symphony. Since they haven’t seen each other at Jones Hall in a while, Chief Operating Officer Vicky Dominguez gave him a Zoom call to chat about his path to music, memories from his decades in the Houston Symphony, and a particular date that’s … Continued
What is the Houston Symphony thankful for this year? We surveyed our musicians and staff to find out! From being back in Jones Hall after Hurricane Harvey to playing great music for you, we have a lot to be thankful for. Happy Thanksgiving from all of us onstage and behind-the-scenes. WHAT ARE YOU THANKFUL FOR … Continued
Dear Houston Symphony Family Member, The past few months have brought catastrophic losses and challenges to our community—but they have also demonstrated to the world just how united, selfless and #Strong Houston really is. While Jones Hall suffered less than some nearby venues, the damage and subsequent repairs led to the displacement of our orchestra … Continued
Near the end of each season, the Houston Symphony Society holds its annual board and trustees meeting. This year, our Principal Cellist Brinton Averil Smith spoke to the attendees on behalf of the musicians. His speech turned out to be so much more than a board address. We hope you will read it, draw inspiration from … Continued
EAST COAST STORMS THREATENED VALENTINE’S DAY CONCERT How the Houston Symphony Saved Valentine’s Day in Less than 24 Hours By Glenn Taylor, Chief Marketing Officer, Houston Symphony Just when it seemed that the Houston Symphony audience for acclaimed vocalist Linda Eder would be broken-hearted on Valentine’s Day due to Eder’s inability to travel to Houston, … Continued
Last week, a few representatives from the Houston Symphony and Houston’s ABC13 KTRK took a trip to Colombia to explore incoming Music Director Andrés Orozco-Estrada’s home land. The interviews and footage they captured will be featured in the 30-minute TV special they are creating about Andrés, which will air in August of this year. Below … Continued
The Houston Symphony Central and Bay Area Leagues have given the orchestra a literal “gift of music” in the form of a brand new Steinway concert grand piano. Houston Symphony League, Vice President of Fundraising, Betty Tutor led the campaign that collected almost $130,000 in donations to fund the purchase of the new instrument. In … Continued
By: Aurelie Desmarais Senior Director, Artistic Planning Houston Symphony When the calm of a beautiful morning was shattered on September 11, 2001, it seemed that all normal activity would cease. It was impossible to imagine that regular life would, or could, continue. Yet in the aftermath of this history-altering day, the instinct to move forward … Continued
Mark Hanson, Houston Symphony’s Executive Director/CEO, reports from Vienna: [To read the other blogs in this series, click here]. As I await my flight home to Houston, I am fondly recalling highlights from the final 48 hours of my visit to Vienna with a crew from our official television partner KTRK, Channel 13. Following a … Continued
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 … Continued
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 … Continued
Mark Hanson, Houston Symphony’s Executive Director/CEO, reports from Vienna: [To read the other blogs in this series, click here]. I am writing from Vienna, Austria, where I have joined up with a television crew from our official television partner KTRK Channel 13. The TV crew, which includes anchor Gina Gaston, has travelled all of this … Continued
When I first heard that we might be presenting The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses, I think I leapt out of my chair and proclaimed that we HAD to do it! You see, I’ve loved video games for a very long time and the Zelda series is one of my all time favorites. … Continued
Today’s post was written by our brand new Intern, Keith. A recent graduate of Rice University, Keith is hanging out in our Jones Hall offices and soaking up all he can about working for an arts organization. This time around, he shares his view about engaging new audiences and why it’s important for Orchestras to … Continued
You too can learn to do the Symphony Shuffle! Follow these easy step-by-step instructions and you’ll be on the FAST track to a career in arts administration! Choose a destination; this is where you’ll find yourself in a few moments time. 1. Stand with feet facing forward, and legs shoulder-width apart. 2. Lean your head … Continued
Dear Beethoven, Mozart, Bach, Stravinsky and all of the other great composer “Gods”: I come to you a musical sinner. It has been … er… a while since my last confession. I have sinned because I have listened to a variety of Top 40 radio stations every day for a really long time, and, well, um … Continued
This post comes from Melissa, one of our marketing directors. She lives and breathes anything having to do with special projects, including The Planets — An HD Odyssey, the summer concert series as well as our holiday concerts, to name a few. Is it summer already? Melissa’s excited for you guys to come see … Continued
Have you ever played the game with your friends where you can pick one person, living or dead, to have dinner with and discuss anything you want? Some people may pick a celebrity – maybe Marilyn Monroe to find out if all the rumors were true, or Justin Bieber to see if his hair moves … Continued
So, as I understand it, this blog is meant to put the reader inside the Houston Symphony team, so you can see what we are all about. It is with that in mind that I write the following … I have been with the Houston Symphony for about 6 months as the Director of Marketing, … Continued
HOUSTON (February 19, 2010) – Bobby Tudor, president of the Houston Symphony Society, announced the appointment of Mark C. Hanson as the new Executive Director and CEO of the Houston Symphony, effective May 1. Currently, Hanson serves as the President and Executive Director of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra (MSO). “We are thrilled with Mark’s acceptance,” … Continued