National Vinyl Record Day is August 12, a day of vinyl appreciation and a commemoration of Thomas Edison’s invention of the phonograph. In celebration of the day, Brian Del Signore, principal percussion, shares memories of a vinyl record that has long shaped his appreciation of music—and you may be surprised to learn where he got … Continued
Above: One of Nicholas Roerich’s original set designs for The Rite of Spring. After the failed revolution of 1905, a cloud of apocalyptic doom seemed to hover over the Russian Empire. With freedom of speech severely curtailed, many artists turned to increasingly subjective, mysterious sources of inspiration. Some, like the composer Alexander Scriabin, were captivated … Continued
Under the leadership of new Music Director and native Colombian Andrés Orozco Estrada, the Houston Symphony has begun an educational partnership with the Colombian Youth Philharmonic. As part of this partnership, fourteen Houston Symphony musicians journeyed to Paipa, Colombia to help prepare these talented young musicians for their upcoming visit to Houston, which will culminate … Continued
On June 23, fourteen Houston Symphony musicians traveled thousands of miles to Colombia to begin our orchestra’s first ever educational partnership with one of Latin America’s finest youth ensembles, the Colombian Youth Philharmonic (Filarmónica Joven de Colombia). Our musicians have been in the small town of Paipa, Colombia working with this next generation of professional orchestral musicians on sectionals, coaching … Continued
Russian composer Igor Stravinsky is arguably the most important composer of the 20th century. Not only were his ideas new, complex and impressive to all who heard them, but his legacy as a musical risk-taker even landed him a spot as one of TIME Magazine’s 100 most influential people of the century. This weekend in … Continued