Congratulations- you’ve got tickets to the Houston Symphony! But whether you’re a multi-year subscriber or a first time single ticket buyer, you may still be unaware of all of the things the Houston Symphony has to offer in addition to your tickets, often at little to no additional charge. Check the Symphony Secrets category of … Continued
Conducting the “Sounds Like Fun!” concerts is really fun for me. As a person who is relatively new to Houston, the concerts have given me the opportunity to get to know the city, and more important, lots of great people throughout the metro area. One of the things that makes these concerts special to me … Continued
Installment 8: Keeping Your Eye on the Ball By: Brooklynn Adelman, Houston Symphony Intern There is a great connection between music and sports. The ability of both activities to sell out stadiums and halls, maintain a massive fan base, and bring communities together is outstanding. The dedication shown by athletes as they train for hours … Continued
Installment 7: The Sound, er, Vision of Music By: Lauren Moore, Houston Symphony Intern Have you ever wondered what goes through a musician’s head when he performs, or even just sits down practice? Sure, some musicians are strictly business, carefully calculating the numerous technical details they’ve so diligently practiced over and over. Others simply let … Continued
Installment 6: Tomorrow, Houston’s very own Mercedes Smith, principal flutist of the Houston Grand Opera will be competing alongside San Francisco Bay Area native and pianist, Stephanie Ng, along with eight other musicians for the chance of a life time for a young musician – the opportunity to perform a complete concerto with the Houston … Continued
Installment 5: From New York City, 26 year old violinist Clara Lyon, who is currently a D.M.A. student at the State University of New York at Stony Brook and a Juilliard alumna, will be putting her interests in classic rock, electronic music and rap aside to compete as a semi-finalist in the Ima Hogg Competition. … Continued
Installment 4: Two Russian pianists were selected as semi-finalists and will be joining us in Houston to compete in the Ima Hogg Competition. 29 year old Anna Keiserman attended The Moscow State Gnessius Academy and is currently a student at the University of Minnesota. Anna mentioned that she thought her English was pretty good until … Continued
Installment 3: Meet our two youngest Ima Hogg Competition contestants: Laura and Alan. 18 year old violinist Laura Park, from Des Plaines, IL, has been studying at the Music Institute of Chicago Academy and will be attending The Curtis Institute of Music in the fall. As the youngest participant in the competition, Laura is planning … Continued
Installment 2: 28 year old harpist, Megan Levin – Shepherd School of Music graduate, native Texan originally from Austin, and current resident of Brooklyn, NY – is thrilled to be returning to Houston to compete in the Ima Hogg Competition, and especially to indulge in Houston’s great culture and food during her stay. Similarly, 27 … Continued
Installment 1: Being selected as a semi-finalist in the internationally recognized Ima Hogg Competition is no small feat. Ten semi-finalists were selected from an applicant pool of 106 young musicians, ages 13-30, representing all of the orchestral instruments and piano, and hailing from 18 different countries. This competition is unique, as it is the most … Continued
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Music chose me. Yup, it’s true. I didn’t come into this world in a overly-musical family and definitely going to the symphony wasn’t part of who we were. We were a nice, middle-class family in upstate New York, living on a quiet suburban street, in a small city on the Hudson River. Then one day … Continued
As I pondered this entry earlier this week, I was determined to explain why I have done Messiah for 23 straight years, especially due to my original wandering from section to section (Tenor2 to Bass1 to Bass2, back to Tenor2) since my joining the Chorus in 1986. But then I noticed that the other bloggers … Continued
When you first see him walk on stage, there’s no question that this music superstar has a flair for the flashy – right down to his footwear (custom ADIDAS sneakers, to be exact). Pianist Lang Lang commands respect wherever he goes, not only because of the magic that comes through his fingertips, but because of … Continued
It is hard to imagine a world without the music of George Gershwin. But, classics such as Rhapsody in Blue, I Got Rhythm or Cuban Overture might not have been written if George Gershwin didn’t attend his friend’s violin recital at the age of 10. After attending the recital, Gershwin’s passion for music started blossoming … Continued