During the summer of 1838, Felix Mendelssohn wrote to his longtime friend and collaborator Ferdinand David: “I should like to write a violin concerto for you next winter. One in E minor runs through my head, the beginning of which gives me no peace.” Indeed, it would not give him peace for another six years, … Continued
By the spring of 1939, war between Britain and Germany seemed increasingly inevitable. Hitler annexed Czechoslovakia in March, putting an end to Neville Chamberlain’s declaration of “peace for our time.” As a committed pacifist and a homosexual who would have been barred from service and imprisoned had his orientation been revealed, Benjamin Britten decided to … 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
Dear Houston Symphony family member, On behalf of the Board, musicians and staff of the Houston Symphony, please know that we are thinking of you all during the process of recovering and rebuilding after Hurricane Harvey. The last two weeks have brought unprecedented challenges to Houston, but they have also seen our incredible community rally … Continued
In May 2016, we published a post about a talented, young saxophone player named Salvador Flores. In the post below, Salvodor’s mentor, Houston Symphony Community-Embedded Musician David Connor, gives us an uplifting update regarding this young Houstonian’s most recent accomplishments. Every once in a while, the Houston Symphony is fortunate to work with some of the music world’s rising … Continued
Ten outstanding young musicians were selected as semi-finalists for the 2017 Ima Hogg Competition. From throwing tantrums to wearing fancy dresses – these contestants share their fondest memories of their musical backgrounds. Hear these talented contestants perform in the 2017 Ima Hogg semi-finals competition Thursday, June 1, at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music. Kiril … Continued
Meet Ima Hogg Competition Semi-finalist Charles Seo! This talented 20-year-old cellist is currently a sophomore at the Colburn Conservatory of Music, where he studies with Professor Ronald Leonard. We recently got a chance to ask Sam a few questions about himself and his musical life. Houston Symphony: Where did you grow up and how did that … Continued
Ever since its London premiere in 1886, Saint-Saëns’ Symphony No. 3 (nicknamed “the Organ Symphony” for the prominent role that instrument plays in it) has been one of the most popular symphonies in the repertoire. It is one of those rare works that instantly entered the canon of masterpieces and has remained there ever since. … Continued
Is it possible for a work of art to become too famous for its own good? Like Leonardo Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa or Shakespeare’s “To be or not to be” soliloquy, Beethoven’s Fifth is a work that has been so often reproduced, excerpted and remixed that it has become as easy to ignore a as … Continued
We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Betsy Cook Weber as the new Director of the Houston Symphony Chorus. As she begins her new responsibilities, Houston Symphony Magazine spoke with Betsy about her plans for the Chorus her love of choral music. Houston Symphony Magazine: As you began your tenure with the Symphony, you re-auditioned the … Continued
Aside from being a world class violinist, Sarah Chang is also quite the classical music fashionista. In this post, local Houston fashion blogger Lauren Mills of Sunday Beach discusses Sarah’s signature style and gives us a few tips on how to get that glamorous virtuoso look. This weekend the Houston Symphony welcomes international violin superstar … Continued
In this unprecedented multimedia event, the Houston Symphony will perform a back-to-back lineup of the first two installments in the HD Odyssey film series – The Planets and The Earth (formerly Orbit). See striking images in The Earth, shown on a giant screen above the orchestra, taken from NASA’s missions to Earth’s orbit, and accompanied … Continued
Named to honor the memory of Miss Ima Hogg, a co-founder of the Houston Symphony, the Ima Hogg Competition is open to young musicians between the ages of 13 and 30 who play standard orchestral instruments or piano. Through the support of the Houston Symphony League since 1976, the Competition provides performance opportunities for aspiring … 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
The Houston Symphony’s 12-13 POPS season is off to a great start this fall! After a wonderful season opener with the Midtown Men, we’re excited to welcome our next special guests Alli Mauzey and Nicole Parker to perform some Broadway favorites in our October POPS concert, Wicked Divas. I recently had the chance to interview … Continued
One of the downsides to touring is the lack of time the musicians have to adjust to different time zones. Anyone who has traveled abroad is familiar with the intense fatigue that is a fact of life during one’s first few days in another part of the world. It was this sleepiness that lead some … Continued
For more information about this weekend’s upcoming Petrouchka and Beethoven concerts, visit /calendar/view.aspx?id=3692
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