Texans in Colombia: Notes from Medellín

Above: Principal Double Bass Robin Kesselman works with a student from Medellín, Colombia during a special masterclass. Last week, 35 Houston Symphony musicians journeyed to Medellín, Colombia to help the Orquesta Filarmonica de Medellín celebrate the 31st anniversary of the Teatro Metropolitano José Gutiérrez Gómez with a concert featuring music director Andrés Orozco-Estrada and violinist Hilary Hahn. … Continued

Backstage Pass with Nancy Goodearl, horn

Nancy Goodearl, a member of the Houston Symphony since 1981, received a Bachelor of Music degree in performance from the Eastman School of Music and a Master of Music degree in performance from Northwestern University. Since 1987, she has been a member of the Grand Teton Music Festival Orchestra in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. She has … Continued

Catching Up with the Midtown Men

Perhaps you’ve heard some of the buzz about The Midtown Men. You’ve seen a few photos of them looking as sharp and snazzy as Frankie Valli. You may have even seen one of their fantastic and entertaining YouTube videos. But the question remains: who are these Midtown Men and what makes their show so great? … Continued

Moscow Tour Report- Part 5: Impressions of Contemporary Moscow

While in Moscow, our musicians had a little bit of time to explore the city before their performances on Friday and Saturday nights. Below, violist Daniel Strba offers an interesting perspective of how Moscow has progressed since his last visit there, over 20 years ago. Impressions of Contemporary Moscow By: Daniel Strba I was excited … Continued

Mosccow Tour Report- Part 4: Successful Shostakovich!

Here at the Houston Symphony, we are fortunate to have wonderful musicians who are also wonderful writers, willing to share insights from their personal experiences and performers. Below is the third and final blog post submitted by Mark Hughes, Principal Trumpet. It was written shortly after the orchestra finished its second and final performance as … Continued

Moscow Tour Report- Part 3: Red Eyes in Red Square

One of the downsides to touring is the lack of time the musicians have to adjust to different time zones. Anyone who has traveled abroad is familiar with the intense fatigue that is a fact of life during one’s first few days in another part of the world. It was this sleepiness that lead some … Continued