The Houston Symphony is proud to impact communities at home and abroad. Through a deep partnership with the Filarmónica Joven de Colombia (Colombian Youth Philharmonic)—a pre-professional training orchestra from Music Director Andrés Orozco-Estrada’s home country—the Houston Symphony, in partnership with the University of Houston (UH) Moores School of Music, will host the entire Colombian Youth … Continued
Here’s a riddle for you: Giuseppe Verdi’s Requiem, one of the most beloved of all choral works, came from a composer who wanted nothing to do with God or organized religion. Why would he write a massive sacred work? How could the result be so eloquent? Let’s let Verdi and those near him tell the … Continued
This weekend, the Houston Symphony welcomes acclaimed pianists (and twin sisters) Christina and Michelle Naughton to Jones Hall for performances of Mozart’s Concerto for Two Pianos. Recently, I got to ask Michelle a few questions about what it’s like to play this masterpiece and share her career with her twin sister, Christina. Calvin Dotsey: So, what … Continued
It’s not every day that a young, up-and-coming violinist gets to share the stage with a world-renowned conductor. In fact, most young musicians don’t get that opportunity until they perform with an orchestra. That was not the case for Angel Vela, a 10-year-old boy from Houston whose life was forever changed on November 14, 2014. … Continued
Is it possible for a work of art to become too famous for its own good? Like Leonardo Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa or Shakespeare’s “To be or not to be” soliloquy, Beethoven’s Fifth is a work that has been so often reproduced, excerpted and remixed that it has become as easy to ignore a as … Continued
Near the end of each season, the Houston Symphony Society holds its annual board and trustees meeting. This year, our Principal Cellist Brinton Averil Smith spoke to the attendees on behalf of the musicians. His speech turned out to be so much more than a board address. We hope you will read it, draw inspiration from … Continued
Last week, a few representatives from the Houston Symphony and Houston’s ABC13 KTRK took a trip to Colombia to explore incoming Music Director Andrés Orozco-Estrada’s home land. The interviews and footage they captured will be featured in the 30-minute TV special they are creating about Andrés, which will air in August of this year. Below … Continued
In this unprecedented multimedia event, the Houston Symphony will perform a back-to-back lineup of the first two installments in the HD Odyssey film series – The Planets and The Earth (formerly Orbit). See striking images in The Earth, shown on a giant screen above the orchestra, taken from NASA’s missions to Earth’s orbit, and accompanied … Continued
Mark Hanson, Houston Symphony’s Executive Director/CEO, reports from Vienna: [To read the other blogs in this series, click here]. As I await my flight home to Houston, I am fondly recalling highlights from the final 48 hours of my visit to Vienna with a crew from our official television partner KTRK, Channel 13. Following a … Continued
Mark Hanson, Houston Symphony’s Executive Director/CEO, continues his report from Vienna, following an evening concert led by our new Music Director Designate: [To read the other blogs in this series, click here]. Wow! We have just returned to our hotel following an exciting and memorable Tonkünstler Orchester Niederösterrich concert at the Musikverein under the direction … Continued
Mark Hanson, Houston Symphony’s Executive Director/CEO, continues his report from Vienna, following an evening concert led by our new Music Director Designate: [To read the other blogs in this series, click here]. Wow! We have just returned to our hotel following an exciting and memorable Tonkünstler Orchester Niederösterrich concert at the Musikverein under the direction … Continued
Mark Hanson, Houston Symphony’s Executive Director/CEO, reports from Vienna: [To read the other blogs in this series, click here]. I am writing from Vienna, Austria, where I have joined up with a television crew from our official television partner KTRK Channel 13. The TV crew, which includes anchor Gina Gaston, has travelled all of this … Continued