HOUSTON (Aug. 31, 2017) – The Houston Symphony announced today the cancellation of several performances scheduled for September, including Opening Night with Susan Graham and Fiesta Sinfónica at Jones Hall, due to the impact of Hurricane Harvey.
While many members of the Houston Symphony family including musicians, staff, and members of the Board, Chorus, and League are safe, many of their homes have been impacted in the wake of the storm, with some of them having had to evacuate.
The full extent of the storm’s impact is unknown and will not be fully assessed for some time. While the Houston Symphony’s performance home, Jones Hall, had some water penetration, the stage and auditorium have been untouched and the most valuable and hard-to-replace times were moved from a basement level that received water to higher floors prior to the storm’s arrival. The Theater District garages are flooded and therefore are not accessible.
“We thank our Houston Symphony family, patrons, and supporters for all they do for the organization,” said Board President Janet F. Clark. “We are eager to begin the cleanup and recovery process, and to provide an outstanding 2017-18 Season of concerts and community programs. As Houston’s orchestra, we look forward to helping our city to heal, bringing the people of our community together through the inspiring power of music.”
- For the comfort and safety of patrons, we regret to inform that, due to repairs at Jones Hall as a result of complications from the storm, the following concerts scheduled for next week have been cancelled:
Next week’s performances of The Best of John Williams (Wednesday, September 6 at The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion). This program will be included in The Pavilion’s 2018 performing arts season. Refunds are available at the point of purchase. - Opening Night Concert and Gala with Susan Graham (Saturday, September 9, at Jones Hall)
- Fiesta Sinfónica (Sunday, September 10, at Jones Hall; free concert – no action required)
Individuals who purchased concert tickets for Opening Night with Susan Graham, no action is required on their part at this time. The Houston Symphony’s administrative offices and Patron Services Center will re-open on Tuesday, September 5, at 10 a.m. At that time, Houston Symphony representatives will assist patrons by:
- Donating the value of your ticket back to the Houston Symphony (you will receive a tax receipt for the value of your ticket)
- Exchanging your ticket for any other Houston Symphony 2017-18 season performance with no additional fees
For ticketing questions while the Patron Services Center is closed, please contact Jenny Zuniga (Director, Patron Services) at jenny.zuniga@houstonsymphony.org.
Jones Hall’s condition permitting, it is the Houston Symphony’s intention to begin the 2017-18 season Thursday, September 14, with Music Director Andrés Orozco-Estrada leading the Houston Symphony and Chorus.
“We deeply appreciate the tireless work of our colleagues at Houston First, Theater District Houston, and Jones Hall’s resident engineering and security companies,” said Clark. “We are also grateful for the outpouring of support from members of the Houston Symphony family, the Houston community and orchestras across the country.”
To support Houstonians who have suffered from flooding, we encourage you to support Mayor Sylvester Turner’s relief fund here: ghcf.org/hurricane-relief.
Among your many priorities at this time, please consider helping the Houston Symphony maintain its operations during this period of uncertainty. You may do so here: bit.ly/1oSL3eP.
About the Houston Symphony
During the 2017-18 season, the Houston Symphony celebrates its fourth 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 $33.9 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 900 community-based performances each year, reaching thousands of people in Greater Houston. For tickets and more information, please visit houstonsymphony.org or call 713-224-7575.