Mezzo-soprano Jennifer Rivera is one of the most dynamic personalities in opera and classical music today: her multifaceted career includes not only a busy schedule of international performances, but also blogging, arts advocacy and arts administration. Recently, I got to ask her a few questions in advance of her upcoming performances of Handel’s Messiah with the Houston … Continued
Baritone Reginald Smith Jr. has had a busy 2015: he has traveled to Russia and across the United States for opera and concert performances and was also a winner of the 2015 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, one of the world’s most prestigious opera singing competitions (past winners have included Renée Fleming, Susan Graham, Thomas … Continued
This weekend, the Houston Symphony presents Tapestry: The Carole King Songbook, a tribute to one of America’s most popular and enduring singer/songwriters. Performing many of these songs will be the talented Liz Callaway, one of Broadway’s brightest stars. Liz Callaway has appeared many times on Broadway, including in Sunday in the Park with George, Evita and Cats, and … Continued
Read the program notes for this weekend’s concerts below! SIEGFRIED IDYLL Richard Wagner (1813-1883) In a Tweet: Life and art interweave in Richard Wagner’s mellifluous “musical birthday poem” for his wife. The Back Story: Richard Wagner carried on a seven-year affair with Cosima von Bulow, the wife of a disciple of his, until her divorce … Continued
At the Houston Symphony, we believe that everyone in our community should have access to great orchestral music regardless of ability to pay. With over 20 free concerts per year, a Student Concert Series that reached over 55,000 students during the 2014-15 Season and numerous free musician visits to schools, hospitals and community centers, we … Continued
In 1900, Charles Ives, the dean of American maverick composers, set out to compose his second symphony some ten years after he had finished his first, a work he wrote strictly in a traditional European style as demanded by his professor, Horatio Parker, in order to complete his undergraduate music degree at Yale. This time, … Continued