Today, August 5, is Blogger Day, and what better way to celebrate than highlight the top five blogs from last season?
Read more from the highlights of last season:
#1: Hip-Hop + Symphony = A Sonic Masterpiece
Legendary rapper Common returned to the Houston Symphony July 29 & 30, 2022 for a celebration of hip-hop! Hear from Common’s Grammy award-winning arranger and producer, Derrick Hodge, on composing hip-hop music for symphony orchestra.
#2: Holst's The Planets
An inspiration for sci-fi movies across generations, Holst's The Planets is an outer space adventure representing the known planets that could be seen from Earth at the time. But did you know the music isn't based on the planets but on each planet's astrological persona? Let's take a quick orbit around the seven movements.
#3: Riots & Scandals: Pieces that rocked the world
The first of two festivals the Houston Symphony performed last season highlighted some of the works that scandalized the artistic establishments of their day. Read on to learn more about the pieces the Symphony performed during the Riots & Scandals Festival January 13–22 and others that had less than desirable performances.
#4: Houston Symphony Student Concerts
The 2022–23 Student Concert Series is back in full swing! Jones Hall recently welcomed back thousands of students for a series of exciting and educational Symphony concerts. As students wrap up their first semester and prepare for winter break, the HoustonSymphony is gearing up for even more concerts in the new year. The Student Concert Series, available to upper elementary students (grades 4-5) and middle school students (grades 6-8), allows students in the Greater Houston area to attend interactive Houston Symphony orchestra performances for free or at a heavily discounted rate. Performances take place during the school day and aim to inspire students to begin or continue playing an instrument.
#5: It's All About Who You Know: Brahms & Dvořák
The relationship between mentor and mentee is a tale as old as time, and Classical Music has some of the most legendary partnerships; Vivaldi and J.S. Bach, Beethoven and Mozart, Haydn and Beethoven, Copland and Bernstein, and the Schumanns and Brahms to name a few. Many people know of the Schumann-Brahms relationship that helped immensely in cultivating the latter’s career as a composer. But, many forget that Brahms returned the favor, something considered out of character for Brahms.
