The ENGIE Community Connections program provides opportunities for Houston Symphony musicians to perform or work with community members in close, personal settings. In any given week throughout the year, musicians may be found throughout the Houston metropolitan area presenting formal recital programs for seniors, demonstrating their instruments to young students in schools, holding master classes at area high schools, or inspiring patients and their families at Texas Children’s Hospital.
Houston Symphony In-Depth Elementary School Residency
Several Community Connections ensembles get to know the students participating in the Elementary School Residency. Through chamber music performances, the musicians actively engage the students and provide an up-close look at the different instruments in the wind, brass and percussion families before seeing them perform at the student concert.
High School Residencies
Through Community Connections, musicians provide instrument-specific instruction, chamber music instruction and in-school chamber performances to students in our High School Residencies.
Music and Wellness
In partnership with Texas Children’s Hospital, musicians provide bedside visits to patients undergoing treatment and also participate in the Purple Songs Can Fly program which provides a musical outlet for the many children being treated for cancer and blood disorders at Texas Children’s Cancer Center.
Social Services
Community Connections performances help to deepen the impact of partnerships with area social service organizations and senior centers.