HOUSTON (April 27, 2020) – This week, the Houston Symphony launches its new Living Room Series—hour-long livestream recitals by the world-class musicians of the Houston Symphony, Friday nights at 8 p.m.
Streamed online via a private link to ticket holders, each livestreamed recital spotlights an individual Houston Symphony musician, and in some cases, musician members of their household, performing at home.
“The Houston Symphony is made up of 88 incredible musicians,” said Houston Symphony Executive Director, CEO, and holder of the Margaret Alkek Williams Chair John Mangum. “Since we can’t perform live in Jones Hall, we thought a series of live, online recitals would be a great way to enjoy their artistry and creativity. These intimate home performances will allow audiences to get to experience them in a way that you can’t in the context of our orchestral concerts.”
These recitals reflect the personalities of the individual musicians, bringing the audience into their homes to hear performances curated by them. This lends the Living Room Series a colorful and wide variety to its programming. Each concert also features remarks by that week’s musician, and concludes with a Q&A from audience members.
Principal Keyboard Scott Holshouser kicks off the series this Friday, May 1, performing a recital from his home along with his son, tenor Sean Holshouser. The evening’s program includes music from Chopin, Mozart, Schumann, Debussy, and an improvisation on Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue.
Houston Symphony Principal Clarinet Mark Nuccio is up next on May 8. He’ll perform a transcription of Bach’s Chromatic Fantasy for Piano, two short pieces by Debussy, and several solo clarinet showpieces in an homage to Richard Strauss. Nuccio selected pieces from different regions of the world in hopes that the audience may be inspired to pair their favorite wines, spirits, or cuisine with each piece.
May 15, Principal Cello Brinton Averil Smith is joined by his pianist wife and frequent collaborator Evelyn Chen, and his vocalist daughter Calista, for a selection of short works inspired by the recordings of the legendary cellist Emanuel Feuermann. Composers on the program include Albéniz, Sarasate, Rimsky-Korsakov, and Handel.
And on May 22, Associate Principal Viola Joan DerHovsepian is joined by her husband, Houston Grand Opera Orchestra Bassist Erik Gronfor, as well as their violinist daughter Clara in a program that includes works for solo viola from the Baroque to the Romantic periods, as well as a duo for viola and bass, and several short pieces for the family trio.
Each week’s performance is now on sale for $10 online at houstonsymphony.org, and those who purchase tickets will receive a private link to enjoy the live performance in the comfort of their own home. The Symphony encourages fans to consider purchasing multiple tickets to share as gifts for concert-goers to remotely enjoy with family and friends.
The Houston Symphony invites people to follow their social media pages and visit houstonsymphony.org/listenathome for daily, free content updates including musician videos, blogs, archival audio and video performances, and more.
Houston Symphony Living Room Series
Additional dates to be added
• Friday, May 1, 8 p.m.
Scott Holshouser, Principal Keyboard
• Friday, May 8, 8 p.m.
Mark Nuccio, Principal Clarinet
• Friday, May 15, 8 p.m.
Brinton Averil Smith, Principal Cello
• Friday, May 22, 8 p.m.
Joan DerHovsepian, Associate Principal Viola
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 more than 200,000 people in Greater Houston annually.
The Grammy Award-winning Houston Symphony has recorded under various prestigious labels, including Koch International Classics, Naxos, RCA Red Seal, Telarc, 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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