Juraj Valčuha Music Director

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Notes from Europe: Robin Kesselman, Principal Bass

The Houston Symphony just completed its triumphant 2018 European Tour! Get an insider’s view of the tour when Houston Symphony Principal Bass Robin Kesselman shares his experiences below. Hello everyone! I’m writing to bring you along with us on our final three tour stops. First up, the beautiful port city of blustery Hamburg, home to a brand … 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

Notes from Europe: Jonathan Fischer, Principal Oboe

The Houston Symphony’s 2018 European Tour is underway! Get an insider’s view of the tour when Houston Symphony principal oboe Jonathan Fischer shares his experiences below. After celebrating a terrific first concert in Brussels, we had an easy bus trip over to Essen, Germany, passing through a little corner of Holland on our way. Transporting the orchestra along … Continued

Notes from Europe: Rob Johnson, horn

The Houston Symphony’s 2018 European Tour is off to a great start! Get an insider’s view of the tour when Houston Symphony horn player Rob Johnson shares his experiences of Brussels and Essen below. During our tour preview concerts, it was hard to think about the fact that we’d be playing these pieces overseas in … Continued

Oh the Places We’ll Go: A Houston Symphony European Tour Itinerary

Led by Music Director Andrés Orozco-Estrada and joined by violin paragon Hilary Hahn, the Houston Symphony takes its talents to Europe March 9–March 19, 2018. One fantastic orchestra will tour eight illustrious cities and eight of the world’s most renowned concert halls and festivals. Klarafestival at BOZAR March 9 • Brussels, Belgium The Houston Symphony’s … Continued

A Greek Riddle: Bernstein’s Serenade (after Plato’s Symposium)

Many have accused Bernstein of pretentiousness in associating his Serenade with Plato’s Symposium, suggesting that he merely tacked on the highfalutin subtitle after he had already composed it. Critics typically cite discrepancies between Plato’s classic and the Serenade, arguing that one has little to do with the other: compared with Plato’s book, the movements are … Continued

All About the Music: The Houston Symphony European Tour, Part I

Orchestra musicians love touring. The notion that the orchestra is building bridges, making connections, drawing together a diversity of people through music—while also enjoying ovations, sightseeing, history, and culture—make tours a memorable part of any musician’s career. For a while, every musician is removed from everyday concerns—laundry, dishes, what’s for dinner, traffic—and can really focus … Continued

Backstage Pass with Nancy Goodearl, horn

Nancy Goodearl, a member of the Houston Symphony since 1981, received a Bachelor of Music degree in performance from the Eastman School of Music and a Master of Music degree in performance from Northwestern University. Since 1987, she has been a member of the Grand Teton Music Festival Orchestra in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. She has … Continued