January 17 is Get to Know Your Patrons Day, so to celebrate, we decided to get to know one of the Houston Symphony’s biggest fans a little better. In this post, meet longtime Classical Series subscriber George C. John. Thank you to all of our loyal patrons and donors. Your support makes everything we do possible.
Houston Symphony: How long have you been a Houston Symphony subscriber?
George C. John: On and off since 1971. We have been continuous subscribers since Hans Graf performed Hindemith’s Symphony Mathis der Maler, which was a brilliant performance. That attracted me back to the HSO. I realized an orchestra this good had to be heard live
HS: Do you remember your first concert at the Houston Symphony?
GCJ: Unfortunately, no. I did attend most if not all of the 1971-72 season as part of a $1.00 per ticket 20 concert package offered to students. That got me hooked on hearing professional caliber orchestral music live.
HS: Is there a performance that was most memorable for you?
GCJ: There are so many, it’s hard to count them. But the NASA collaborations with the Houston Symphony of The Planets, The Earth, and The Cosmos is a singularly unique accomplishment. Everyone should consider purchasing this series. I recommend on Blu-Ray.
HS: Which concert are you most looking forward to?
GCJ: Actually, there are two of them: Ravel’s La valse and Rachmaninoff’s The Bells, because they will complete Ives’ Fourth Symphony and the cycle of all four of his symphonies. I would *love* to see these released on CD/SACD. Every performance has been fantastic!
HS: Who is your favorite composer?
GCJ: No question–it would be Gustav Mahler. And the Houston Symphony is an ideal ensemble for the greatest of all composers for the symphony orchestra. All of Maestro Orozco-Estrada’s Mahler performances have been outstanding. I hope to hear the entire cycle under his baton.
HS: What do you love the most about the Houston Symphony?
GCJ: The orchestra is playing at an exceptionally high level. It’s not uncommon for a performance to be essentially flawless. But, more importantly, the exceptional sound quality and sense of ensemble of this incredible group of musicians is as good as I have ever heard.
HS: What instrument do you enjoy listening to the most?
GCJ: While that’s like asking a parent which child they love the best 😊, I’ll give the nod to the cello.
HS: Do you play any instruments yourself?
GCJ: Yes, I play the cello (surprise 😊).
HS: What inspired your appreciation for classical music?
GCJ: My parents were amateur musicians (cello and piano), so I had some exposure from them. But I caught the orchestral performance ‘bug’ in 10th grade. Eventually, I was playing in three different orchestras and did solo competitions. That continued with the Rice University Chamber Orchestra, and after graduation some of the better amateur Houston groups. The Rice Music Library was the other key influence. I followed musical scores and immersed myself in actively listening to a wide variety of recordings, including a good deal of modern classical.
HS: What pieces would you recommend to someone who isn’t familiar with classical music?
GCJ: That is a difficult question. When I first started to listen to classical music, I liked the more popular/accessible Mozart and Bach works, but as a very young child I remember wanting to hear over and over Khachaturian’s Sabre Dance. When he was very young, our son listened to the beginning of R. Strauss’s Also sprach Zarathustra over and over, and his daughters love Camille Saint-Saëns’ Aquarium from Carnival of the Animals. For a child, I’d try Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf.
