On November 29 and December 1 and 2, the Houston Symphony welcomes world-renowned pianist Garrick Ohlsson back to Jones Hall for Ohlsson Plays Beethoven, a program featuring Beethoven’s dramatic Piano Concerto No. 3. Learn more about this fiery masterpiece and the events that may have inspired it in this post. The earliest sketch for Beethoven’s … Continued
On September 21, 22 and 23, 2018, world renowned piano virtuoso Yefim Bronfman returns to Houston to perform Prokofiev’s spellbinding Piano Concerto No. 2 with Music Director Andrés Orozco-Estrada and the Houston Symphony. Discover the dark backstory behind this fascinating masterpiece. Prokofiev composed his second piano concerto at the age of 21 while on winter … Continued
Piano virtuoso Yuja Wang plays solo works by Rachmaninoff and Ravel’s extraordinary Concerto for the Left Hand at the Opening Night Concert of the Houston Symphony’s 105th Season on Saturday, September 8 at Jones Hall. In this post, discover this fascinating masterpiece, which miraculously creates the sound of two hands while using only one. Less … Continued
Though Mozart likely began composing his last piano concerto sometime in 1788, he would not complete it until January 1791; after composing the first two movements and 39 measures of the finale, he likely realized that his other recently written concertos would suffice for his upcoming performances and saved the unfinished work for later. The … Continued
Though he published it second, Chopin’s Piano Concerto in F minor was actually the first concerto he composed. After a surprisingly successful impromptu solo debut in Vienna, the nineteen-year-old composer returned home to Warsaw to compose a concerto that he could play on tours in the future. Chopin completed it during the fall of 1829 … Continued
Leonard Bernstein first read Auden’s The Age of Anxiety: A Baroque Eclogue in the summer of 1947, shortly after it was published. Auden’s extravagant, book-length poem would go on to win a Pulitzer Prize in 1948, but it began to stir Bernstein’s musical imagination immediately. Between 1947 and 1949, he would compose an unconventional symphony … Continued
This Valentine’s Day, you may be wondering how to let your Valentine know how you really feel. Here are five pieces of orchestral music guaranteed to help send the right message. Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture No list of romance-inducing classical music would be complete without Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture, which contains the … Continued
On February 27, 1854, Robert Schumann attempted suicide by jumping from a bridge into the river Rhine. Some fishermen soon rescued him, but his sanity was gone. For years he had struggled with mental illness: he heard voices; the note “A” droned on in his head for hours; strange music played in his head; visions … Continued
Niccolò Paganini was perhaps the most influential violinist in the history of music. His tours across Europe from 1829-1834 astonished audiences; many of his compositions were so difficult that initially only he could play them. He not only revolutionized violin playing, but also inspired composers that followed him to make virtuoso technique a central part … Continued
Meet Ingrid Fliter! This internationally renowned Argentinian pianist joins the Houston Symphony on March 9, 11 & 12 for performances of Mendelssohn’s Piano Concerto No. 1. Get to know our special guest with these fun questions. Calvin Dotsey: What’s one thing most people don’t realize about playing the piano? Ingrid Fliter: That it is indeed … Continued
On March 9, 11 & 12, the Houston Symphony welcomes acclaimed conductor Fabien Gabel back to Jones Hall for an exciting program of Tchaikovsky and Mendelssohn. Get to know our guest maestro with these fun (and surprising!) questions. Calvin Dotsey: What’s one thing most people don’t realize about conducting? Fabien Gabel: How physical it can … Continued
After many amazing performances at the Semifinal round today, our judges have after much deliberation decided on four finalists for the 2016 Ima Hogg Competition. We present them to you in alphabetical order: Samuel Chan, marimba – Koppel Marimba Concerto No. 1 This 22-year-old marimba player is a graduate of the Hong Kong Academy for … Continued
Venezuelan pianist, improviser and composer Gabriela Montero has won over Houston Symphony audiences many times. Aside from her performances as part of our Classical Subscription Series, she has also helped us celebrate special occasions with her awe-inspiring talent: she was the guest soloist for our 2014 ¡Bienvenido Andrés! concert, which began Andrés Orozco-Estrada’s tenure as … Continued
Meet Ima Hogg Competition Semi-finalist Brian Lin! This talented 24 year old pianist received his bachelor’s degree from The Juilliard School in 2014, where he is currently pursuing his master’s degree with Joseph Kalichstein and Yoheved Kaplinsky. We recently got a chance to ask Brian a few questions about his life in music. Houston Symphony: Where did you … Continued
Kirill Gerstein, virtuoso pianist and long-time friend of the Houston Symphony, returns on January 22–24 to perform a program with Andrés and the orchestra that includes Ravel’s Piano Concerto for the Left Hand. We spoke with Kirill recently to welcome him back to Houston. Houston Symphony Magazine: What is special to you about Ravel’s Piano … Continued
As part of Subscriber Appreciation Month, we reached out to two longtime subscribers, Ann Friedberg and Ben Newman, to ask them about their relationship with the Houston Symphony. Here’s what Ann had to say. Calvin Dotsey: When did you first become interested in classical music? Was there a special family member, friend or teacher who … Continued
This weekend, the Houston Symphony welcomes British pianist, composer, and author Stephen Hough to Jones Hall for performances of French composer Camille Saint-Saëns’ Piano Concerto No. 5, Egyptian. Recently, I had the chance to ask Mr. Hough a few questions about this concerto. Calvin Dotsey: How would you describe Saint-Saëns’ Piano Concerto No. 5 to … Continued
Ever since its London premiere in 1886, Saint-Saëns’ Symphony No. 3 (nicknamed “the Organ Symphony” for the prominent role that instrument plays in it) has been one of the most popular symphonies in the repertoire. It is one of those rare works that instantly entered the canon of masterpieces and has remained there ever since. … Continued
Ever since its London premiere in 1886, Saint-Saëns’ Symphony No. 3 (nicknamed “the Organ Symphony” for the prominent role that instrument plays in it) has been one of the most popular symphonies in the repertoire. It is one of those rare works that instantly entered the canon of masterpieces and has remained there ever since. … Continued
This weekend, the Houston Symphony welcomes acclaimed pianist Garrick Ohlsson back to Jones Hall for performances of Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 1. Recently, I got to ask Garrick a few questions about what it’s like to play this masterpiece. The following has been transcribed and edited from a phone interview. Calvin Dotsey: How would you … Continued