HOUSTON (Oct. 3, 2019) – The Houston Symphony’s Lunada¸ presented by the Mexican Institute of Greater Houston, celebrates a night under the moon with music at 7:30 p.m., Oct. 19 at Miller Outdoor Theatre. Concertgoers will enjoy an evening of music in a free and relaxed outdoor setting appropriate for the entire family.
Lunada, an annual cultural event, is like those held in small towns (pueblos) in Mexico. The evening features several works by Arturo Márquez, one of Mexico’s leading composers of contemporary music, including his popular Danzón No. 2. This rhythmic and colorful piece is often referred to as a second national anthem for Mexico.
One of Latin America’s most prominent conductors, Chilean-born José Luis Domínguez, leads the orchestra in this program celebrating diversity through music by Latin American composers like José Pablo Moncayo, Enrique Soro, and many others who have been inspired by Latin America. This performance marks Domínguez’ debut with the Houston Symphony.
Lunada, presented by the Mexican Institute of Greater Houston and made possible by the City of Houston through the Miller Theatre Advisory Board, takes place Oct. 19 at Miller Outdoor Theatre, 6000 Hermann Park Drive. Admission is free, but tickets are required for the covered seated area. Tickets are available at the Miller Theatre Box Office the day of the performance between 10:30 a.m and 1 p.m. Any remaining tickets are released one hour before the performance time. For more information, please call 713.224.7575 or visit houstonsymphony.org. All programs and artists are subject to change.
LUNADA
Saturday, Oct. 19, 7:30 p.m.
José Luis Domínguez, conductor
About José Luis Domínguez
Chilean conductor José Luis Domínguez is a prominent talent on the international orchestral and operatic stages. His conducting is described as “unrivaled, magnificent and with exemplary gesturing” (El Mercurio), and he frequents prominent stages across the globe.
José currently serves as artistic director of the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra Academy, where he conducts the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra and the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra Academy Orchestra. He is a regular guest conductor with Opéra Saint-Étienne in France and previously held the positions of music director of the National Youth Symphony Orchestra of Chile and resident director with the Orquesta Filarmónica de Santiago, one of the most prominent symphonic, ballet, and opera orchestras in Latin America in residence at the Municipal de Santiago-Ópera Nacional de Chile.
Upcoming engagements include return appearances with the Buenos Aires Philharmonic at the Teatro Colón, the Orquesta Sinfónica de Chile, the University of La Serena Symphony Orchestra, and the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra. Recent appearances have included the National Symphony Orchestra of Colombia, Philharmonic Orchestra of Santiago, Opéra Saint-Étienne, Lima University Symphony Orchestra in Peru, Staatsoperorchester de Braunschweig in Germany, Mendoza UNCuyo Symphony Orchestra in Argentina, Orquesta Sinfónica del Principado de Asturias in Spain, and Temple University Symphony and Concert Orchestras in Philadelphia.
José has collaborated with noted artists Renée Fleming, Andrés Diaz, Ray Chen, Jason DePue, Sergio Tiempo, Ai Nihira, Verónica Villarroel, Luciana D’Intino, Woo-Yun Kim, and Daniel Binelli. He recently released two critically acclaimed Naxos recordings, one of his own composition, the ballet, The Legend of Joaquín Murieta, and the other the music of Enrique Soro, with the Orquesta Sinfónica de Chile. Upcoming commissions include a new ballet to be premiered this season, an oboe concerto, a violin concerto, and a cello concerto.
About the Houston Symphony
During the 2019–20 season, the Houston Symphony celebrates its sixth season with Music Director Andrés Orozco-Estrada and continues its second century as one of America’s leading orchestras with a full complement of concert, community, education, touring, and recording activities. The Houston Symphony, one of the oldest performing arts organizations in Texas, held its inaugural performance at The Majestic Theater in downtown Houston June 21, 1913. Today, with an annual operating budget of $35.2 million, the full-time ensemble of 88 professional musicians presents nearly 170 concerts annually, making it the largest performing arts organization in Houston. Additionally, musicians of the orchestra and the Symphony’s four Community-Embedded Musicians offer over 1,000 community-based performances each year at various schools, community centers, hospitals, and churches reaching nearly 200,000 people in Greater Houston annually.
The Grammy Award-winning Houston Symphony has recorded under various prestigious labels, including Naxos, Koch International Classics, Telarc, RCA Red Seal, Virgin Classics and, most recently, Dutch recording label Pentatone. In 2017, the Houston Symphony was awarded an ECHO Klassik award for the live recording of Alban Berg’s Wozzeck under the direction of former Music Director Hans Graf. The orchestra earned its first Grammy nomination and Grammy Award at the 60th annual ceremony for the same recording in the Best Opera Recording category.
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Eric Skelly: 713.337.8560, eric.skelly@houstonsymphony.org
Mireya Reyna: 713.337.8557, mireya.reyna@houstonsymphony.org
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