Today’s post was written by artist-in-residence Kirill Gerstein ahead of this month’s RachFest. During RachFest, Gerstein will perform all four of Sergei Rachmaninoff’s knuckle-busting piano concertos. Stay tuned for more posts from Kirill in the coming weeks! I am excited to start our joint Rachmaninoff adventure with the Houston Symphony … Continued
If you were able to make it to last month’s ACCESS concert, you were introduced to the series’s host, Miles Hoffman of NPR’s Morning Edition. Ahead of this weekend’s performances of Handel’s Messiah, Miles took the time to write up a little “tidbit” about the great German composer. … Continued
I am from south-central Pennsylvania and how I got interested in symphonies is perhaps typical of many in my age group and from the area in which I was raised. I am from a small town close to Gettysburg. I began singing at a very young age much to the chagrin of my sister. Our … Continued
On Friday, Nov. 18, we’re embarking on a brand new concert adventure! While our regular Houston Symphony audiences can probably differentiate between Berlioz and Brahms at the drop of a hat, many people just don’t quite get what classical music is all about. Codas and concertos and cadenzas … what? We decided that enough was … Continued
Houston Symphony Associate Conductor Robert Franz has had a busy week conducting our Idina Menzel, Family and Detective concerts! Read on to hear about all about it … It’s been a crazy 10 days in Houston this go around … 3 concerts with Idina, 2 family shows with members of Houston Ballet, and finally, … Continued
Birthplace and Education: Columbia, South Carolina. University of South Carolina, BA in Music; Hartt College of Music, MM in Performance Joined the Houston Symphony: July 1981 Beginnings: I began my musical studies at age 11 on a family violin that my grandparents purchased when they arrived in America from Europe. This violin was played … Continued
We sat down with this weekend’s guest violinist James Ehnes to discuss Brahms’ Violin Concerto, his favorite things about Houston and much more! How long does it typically take for you to prepare for a concerto? (The Brahms Concerto) is one of the ones that comes around most often. I’ve performed it I’d say … Continued
The summer of 2011 marked the Houston Symphony’s second annual OH SNAP! photo contest. Throughout the month of June and ending with the Fourth of July’s ExxonMobil A Star Spangled Salute, patrons had the opportunity to photograph our concerts at Miller Outdoor Theatre. The winning images are broken into five separate categories: Audience, Family & … Continued
Principal Flute Aralee Dorough will be featured during this weekend’s Scheherazade concert when she performs Mozart’s Flute Concerto No. 2 with the Orchestra. She also has a unique connection to this performance. She wrote in on Wednesday to tell us about it, so read on to learn more and hear her for yourself April 8-10! … Continued
Why is music relevant? For the past couple of weeks, we have been putting together the components for our new in-hall campaign called A Million Reasons to Give, and this question is really at the heart of everything. The question is easy for me. I don’t have a biased opinion just because I work for … Continued
Way back in August our Principal Cello, Brinton Smith, sent me a link to the Cervantes Collection at Texas A&M University Libraries, which houses one of the largest collections of Don Quixote iconography in the world. Brinton thought the Cervantes Collection would be a good starting point for the Sound Plus Vision element of this … Continued
The Houston Symphony has been woven through our lives for decades. We’ve both served as trustees and on committee, had the pleasure of getting to know some of the musicians and their families, and many music directors. But it’s the musical experiences that fill our souls and hearts. Whether it’s Mahler or the Mariachi Orchestra, … Continued
I have always enjoyed music. My parents had a subscription to the Houston Symphony for many years. My first memory of going to the Symphony was in junior high school. My family was downtown at an event that was not interesting to me so my dad bought me a ticket to the Symphony – it … Continued
Houston Symphony Magazine spoke with Stephen and Mariglyn Glenn, musician sponsors, in December 2010. This conversation is reprinted from the January 2011 issue. Birthplace: Stephen – Bartlesville, Oklahoma; Mariglyn – Coleman, Texas Education: Stephen–Texas Tech, BS, engineering physics; Rice University, MS, space physics. Mariglyn – Texas Tech, BS, education (we met in chemistry lab) Joined … Continued
I literally grew up with the Houston Symphony. My father, Irving Wadler, was a first violinist with the orchestra, and he played continually from 1933 until his retirement in 1980. So a large and wonderful part of my childhood and adolescence was spent going to all sorts of concerts, meeting great artists, and getting a … Continued
On behalf of my colleagues in the Houston Symphony, we would like to welcome you to Jones Hall and wish you a happy, healthy and successful new year. In taking time to join the Symphony to listen to great music, I think you have set your year off to a great start! As a string … Continued
My first pure musical experience was listening to Brahms’s Fourth Symphony. But I did not hear it in a concert hall, or even performed by a local ensemble. No, my true introduction to classical music came to me in my bed. I was about 9 years old and every night I buried myself under my … Continued
I have lived in Houston for over 25 years and my favorite part about this city, outside the skyline on a clear evening, is the eclectic and talent this city has in the arts. I have been in love with classical music for as long as I can remember and I have my mother and … Continued
On Sunday morning, the Houston Symphony announced its upcoming 2011-12 season of Classical, Pops and Family concerts. In line with the Symphony’s mission, enriching concerts fill each weekend with inspiration and bring innovative, first-class performances to the extensive cultural scene in Houston. Dynamic guest artists, Music Director Hans Graf and Principal Pops Conductor Michael Krajewski … Continued
One of the greatest things about art is that any given work can inspire different feelings and emotions in each of us. Because it is the most abstract of all the arts, this is most true for music. So, as not only a performing musician but also an avid concertgoer, what does music inspire in … Continued