Oct. 24 at The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
Hocus Pocus Pops
About This Concert
All treat, no trick!
Get ready to kick the Halloween season off in style! You’re invited to enjoy a haunting evening of plaza trick-or-treating, ghoulish games, spooky songs and a cacophony of costumes! It’s all the fun you’ve come to expect from a Pavilion performing arts show, with a creepy twist that’s just the right amount of scary for any family.
Everyone is encouraged to dress up in their Halloween costume for a chance to walk on stage during the concert. The first 100 boys and girls to check in at Hocus Pocus Central in the North Plaza, fully costumed, get the chance to march in the Goblin Parade. Wristbands are required to participate in the Goblin Parade.
Costumes that include accessories that resemble weapons are not permitted.
Program
J. WILLIAMS
March from Superman
J. WILLIAMS
Shark Theme from Jaws
HUMPERDINCK
Hexenritt (Witches' Ride) from Hansel und Gretel
DUKAS
L'apprenti sorcier (The Sorcerer's Apprentice)
ROSAS
Sobre las Olas (Over the Waves)
J. WILLIAMS
Fawkes the Phoenix from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
A. MENKEN/KOSARIN-BESTERMAN
Overture from Beauty and the Beast
MASSENET
Menuet de Cendrillon from Cendrillon
A. SILVESTRI
Suite from Back to the Future
J. WILLIAMS
Theme from Jurassic Park
Tickets
In-Hall Tickets
Friday, Oct. 24
7:30 P.M. at The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion

Event Details & Ticket Information
This is a free event, but tickets may be required. For details on ticketing, location, parking, and more, click the Learn More button.
Artists

Christian Reif
conductor
View Biography

Hélène Grimaud
piano
View Biography
Sponsors
Concert Sponsor and Lead Gala Underwriter
The Cullen Foundation Maestro's Fund
Grand Guarantor
Video enhancement of Houston Symphony concerts is made possible by the Albert & Ethel Herzstein Foundation through a special gift celebrating the foundation's 50th anniversary in 2015
Extras
Additional Information
Doors Open:
60 mins. pre-concert
Prelude:
No Prelude
Duration
Approx. 60 mins
Intermission
20 mins.
Age Limit
All Ages
Visitor Info
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View Full Season
Friday, Oct. 24
Hocus Pocus Pops

Wednesday, Oct. 29
“The President’s Own” United States Marine Band

Sunday, Nov. 16
Nosferatu: Silent Film with Live Organ

Friday, Jan. 9–Saturday, Jan. 10
Star Wars: Return Of The Jedi In Concert

Sunday, Jan. 11
Mr. Symphonic: Shaggy with the Houston Symphony

Wednesday, Apr. 1
Lang Lang in Recital

Friday, Apr. 17
Víkingur Ólafsson in Recital

Tuesday, Apr. 28
Chanticleer: Our American Journey


conductor
Christian Reif
Chief Conductor of the Gävle Symphony Orchestra in Sweden, Christian Reif has established a reputation for his natural musicality, innovative programming, and technical command.
Since 2022, Reif has served as Music Director of the Lakes Area Music Festival, a month-long summer festival in Minnesota featuring the nation’s top classical performers in programming that ranges from opera and chamber music to symphonic performances along with commissioned new works. LAMF believes that high quality arts experiences should be accessible to all and operates on a name-your-price ticket model.
Highlights of Reif’s 2025–26 Season include debut performances with the Nashville Symphony, The Florida Orchestra, Danish Chamber Orchestra, Latvian National Symphony Orchestra, and Australian Youth Orchestra. He returns to conduct the Houston Symphony; National Arts Centre Orchestra in Ottawa, Canada; Netherlands Radio Philharmonic; Belgrade Philharmonic; and National Radio Orchestra of Romania.
In 2024, Reif won a Grammy Award for the Nonesuch Records album Walking in the Dark, the debut solo album of classical singer Julia Bullock in which he accompanied her on piano and led London’s Philharmonia Orchestra. The album was praised by Gramophone Magazine as “illuminating” and described Reif as providing “excellent support” for Bullock. In 2020 during the pandemic, Reif and Bullock recorded a series of at-home virtual “Songs of Comfort,” ranging from Carole King’s classic “Up on the Roof” to Schubert’s “Wanderers Nachtlied.” NPR Music featured the duo in a Tiny Desk Concert for their special quarantine edition of the series, and The New York Times highlighted them on their Best Classical Music of 2020 list.
From 2016 to 2019, Christian was Resident Conductor of the San Francisco Symphony and Music Director of the San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra, after being the Conducting Fellow at the New World Symphony from 2014 to 2016 and at Tanglewood Music Center in 2015 and 2016.


Hélène Grimaud
piano
Renaissance woman Hélène Grimaud is not just a deeply passionate and committed musical artist whose pianistic accomplishments play a central role in her life. Her multiple talents extend far beyond the instrument she plays with such poetic expression and technical control. Grimaud has established herself as a wildlife conservationist, a human rights activist, and a writer; her deep dedication to her musical career is reflected in and amplified by the scope and depth of her environmental, literary, and artistic interests.
She has been an exclusive Deutsche Grammophon artist since 2002 and her recordings have received prestigious accolades. Her discography includes acclaimed albums such as Credo, Reflection, and a Beethoven album with Staatskapelle Dresden. Her 2010 solo album Resonances and subsequent releases—including Duo with cellist Sol Gabetta and Memory (2018)—highlight her diverse musical range. Her latest project, For Clara (September 2023), revisits Robert Schumann’s Kreisleriana alongside Brahms’s Intermezzi and songs.
In the 2025–26 season, Hélène Grimaud brings her exceptional artistry to George Gershwin’s Piano Concerto in F, performing this iconic work with prestigious orchestras including the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, Houston Symphony, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich, and Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, among others. Alongside these highlights, she embarks on a West Coast tour with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra performing Robert Schumann’s Piano Concerto, while additional orchestral engagements underscore the rich breadth of her repertoire. Throughout the season, she continues to captivate audiences worldwide with solo recitals and chamber music performances.
Born in Aix-en-Provence in 1969, Grimaud entered the Paris Conservatoire at 13. In 1987, she gave her debut recital in Tokyo. That same year, conductor Daniel Barenboim invited her to perform with the Orchestre de Paris, marking the launch of her career, which has since been characterized by concerts with major orchestras and celebrated conductors worldwide.