Postcards from England, Spain, and France: Debussy’s Images

On March 26, 28, and 29, conductor Matthias Pintscher and pianist Cédric Tiberghien team up for Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 20, an eclectic program of works by Mozart, Debussy, and Webern. In this post, discover Debussy’s delightful Images for orchestra, a series of musical pictures inspired by England, Spain, and France. Composed between 1906 and 1912, … Continued

Backstage Pass: Christian Schubert, clarinet

Christian Schubert has been the second clarinetist of the Houston Symphony since 1996 when he was appointed by Music Director Christoph Eschenbach. A native of Burbank, CA, he studied at Northwestern University in Evanston, IL, where he received both his undergraduate and graduate degrees in music performance. His principal teachers have been Kalman Bloch, Robert Marcellus … Continued

Mark & Mozart: Mark Nuccio Plays Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto

Principal Clarinet Mark Nuccio makes his solo debut with the Houston Symphony playing Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto. In this post he explains what makes this piece such a joy and a challenge to play.  When I was asked which concerto I would like to present as my first to the Houston audience, I chose the Mozart … Continued

Notes from Europe: Mark Nuccio, Principal Clarinet

The Houston Symphony just completed its triumphant 2018 European Tour! Get an insider’s view of the tour when Houston Symphony principal clarinet Mark Nuccio shares his experiences below. March 14 Our first day in Warsaw, Poland started off with an 11 a.m. rehearsal for two hours. We were preparing for the first tour performance of Shostakovich’s Symphony … Continued

The Houston Symphony’s New Ima Hogg Competition Residency

Above: Joseph introduces the clarinet and performs Bartók melodies to support the classroom lesson as part of the Elementary Residency at Crespo presented by BBVA Compass. Many Houston Symphony fans will remember the astonishing performance of the Nielsen Clarinet Concerto that earned Joseph Morris the 2017 Ima Hogg Competition top prize, or the equally spectacular rendition … Continued

Meet Sam Boutris: 2016 Ima Hogg Competition Semi-finalist

Meet Ima Hogg Competition Semi-finalist Sam Boutris! This talented 25-year-old clarinetist is currently pursuing a Master of Music degree at Yale University and holds a bachelor’s degree from The Curtis Institute of Music.  We recently got a chance to ask Sam a few questions about his life in music. Houston Symphony: Where did you grow up? Sam … Continued