Fearless virtuoso Leila Josefowicz brings “stunning brilliance and high-voltage presence” (LA Times) to Stravinsky’s daring and invigorating Violin Concerto with guest conductor Dalia Stasevska on April 18 & 19. Stravinsky’s Violin Concerto dates from 1931, a year far removed from the heady epoch that produced the Scherzo fantastique, The Firebird, and Stravinsky’s other famous works … Continued
After Rachmaninoff fled Russia in 1917, he composed only six original pieces during the remaining twenty-five years of his life. Having lost nearly everything in the revolution, he was determined to restore his family to its former standard of living as quickly as possible, which meant giving up composing in favor of pursuing a career … Continued
This post is continued from a previous post, which you can read here. Last time, we discovered the Jaliscan origins of Mariachi music and the economic and social forces of industrialization and revolution that transformed the sound of Mariachi. The evolution of Mariachi music was far from complete, however; the plain clothes and humble status … Continued
Today, Mariachi music is an unmistakable symbol of Mexico and Mexican culture throughout the world. There are Mariachi ensembles in the UK, Croatia, Ecuador, Egypt, and Sweden, not to mention Mexico and the United States. Few people realize that Mariachi music as we know it today only recently evolved as part of the political, social, … Continued
Next week, Concertmaster Yoonshin Song takes center stage in Astor Piazzolla’s show-stopping, tango-infused “Las Cuatro Estaciones Porteñas (Four Seasons of Buenos Aires)”—inspired by Vivaldi’s Four Seasons—in Mozart + Piazzolla, led by Music Director Andrés Orozco-Estrada. We talked with Yoonshin ahead of her solo, discussing the music, her rehearsal approach, and working together with Orozco-Estrada again as he returns for the first time … Continued
This month, the Symphony takes the stage for the next installment of the Bank of America POPS Series, complete with a dazzling violin sensation and all the glamor of Hollywood. The marriage between music and film is everlasting, going back to its genesis during the early days of silent pictures. Before synchronized recorded sound was … Continued
MuChen Hsieh, principal second violin, shares what’s inside her violin case. 1. VIOLIN by Boston violin maker Andrew Ryan. “I commissioned this violin in 2014 while living in Boston.” 2. CLOTH COVER protects the violin inside the case. “It came from the inside liner of a dress my grandma made for me.” 3. BOWS by maker … Continued
Winner of Third Prize at the 2013 Michael Hill International Violin Competition, violinist Boson Mo joined the Houston Symphony in 2019. Boson has been featured as a Young Artist in Residence of American Public Media’s Performance Today and has been broadcast both in the United States and internationally on Radio New Zealand and CBC Radio-Canada. … Continued
Even during the shutdown, many Houston Symphony musicians find ways to continue engaging with the community. During normal times, musicians visit senior living and retirement communities to bring joy to the seniors and contribute to their overall well-being. As one senior center partner states, “music is therapeutic in many ways . . . These performances … Continued
Community-Embedded Musician, David Connor, double bass, recently completed a virtual chamber music project with Houston-area students as part of the Symphony’s High School Residency program, presented by Occidental. Here, Dave reflects on the experience and shares some highlights from performances with students. Over the last two years, I’ve had the great opportunity to make monthly visits … Continued
This month, we are pleased to welcome two new musicians to the orchestra:Amy Semes, associate principal second violin and Isaac Schultz, associate principal bassoon. Get to know these remarkable musicians as they share their stories. Amy Semes, born in Broomall, Pennsylvania, graduated from Rice University, Shepherd School of Music in 2019, where she received a … Continued
Community-Embedded Musicians Patricia Quintero, violin, and Alexa Thomson, viola, invite student musicians to try out this piece! Alexa Thomson, viola: The Telemann Canonic Sonata No. 1 is one of our favorites to perform for audiences across Houston, and we loved the challenge of putting this together from different locations while social distancing. We have included … Continued
This month, the Houston Symphony presents a two-week Schumann Festival featuring the great Romantic composer’s symphonies, concertos, chamber music, songs, and more. In this post, discover Schumann’s enchanting Piano Quartet, a work that marries Romantic lyricism with baroque counterpoint. Schumann’s Piano Quartet dates from the autumn of 1842, known as “the year of chamber music.” In this … Continued
On January 17, 18, and 19, the Houston Symphony presents Tchaikovsky’s “Pathétique,” a program of soulful works by Tchaikovsky, Shostakovich, and contemporary Finnish composer Outi Tarkiainen. In this post, discover Shostakovich’s masterful Violin Concerto No. 2, an understated yet profound work written for the great David Oistrakh. Shostakovich’s Second Violin Concerto is a late work, dating … Continued
On January 9, 11, and 12, the Houston Symphony presents Paganini + “Pines of Rome,” a delightful all-Italian program featuring world-renowned violinist Augustin Hadelich, who returns to play Paganini’s virtuoso Violin Concerto No. 1. In this post, discover how Paganini revolutionized violin playing with his unprecedented technique. Sources differ as to when exactly Paganini composed his … Continued
On January 9, 11, and 12, Grammy Award-winning violinist Augustin Hadelich joins the Houston Symphony for Paganini + “Pines of Rome.” The program features Paganini’s Violin Concerto No. 1, a piece that pushed the instrument to its limits. The Symphony’s Calvin Dotsey recently asked Hadelich about Paganini, the work’s virtuoso feats, and more. Calvin Dotsey: How … Continued
Next month, the Houston Symphony features two remarkable guest artists in some of the repertoire’s most staggeringly difficult works. On January 9, 11, and 12, Augustin Hadelich plays Paganini’s Violin Concerto No. 1 as part of Paganini + “Pines of Rome,” and on January 30 and February 1 and 2, pianist Kirill Gerstein plays two … Continued
On December 5, 7, and 8, world-renowned violinist Gil Shaham returns to Jones Hall for Shaham Plays Brahms + López World Premiere, a program featuring Brahms’ magnificent Violin Concerto and the world premiere of a symphony inspired by space exploration. Discover how friendship and lofty artistic ideals inspired Brahms to make his Violin Concerto a … Continued
Tina Zhang has been a violinist with the Houston Symphony since 2011. Prior to joining the orchestra, she received her bachelor’s degree in both music and mathematics at Bard College where she studied with Weigang Li. She went on to complete her master’s degree at Rice University with Cho-Liang Lin. After starting the violin at … Continued
This month, the Houston Symphony welcomes a new concertmaster: Yoonshin Song. After a rigorous and exhaustive three-year search that considered 39 top candidates from around the world, our musicians, Music Director Andrés Orozco-Estrada, and orchestra administrators at last found a violinist to fill the shoes of Frank Huang, who left the Houston Symphony to become … Continued