InTune | March 2024

InTUNE

At Last! A Tribute to Etta James

Mozart + Beethoven's Eroica

Valčuha Conducts Mahler 6

Romeo and Juliet + Dvořák’s Cello Concerto

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welcome to the houston symphony

March is a big month for us here at the Symphony. We kick things off with our Etta James Tribute, At Last!, with Crystal Monee Hall and Principal POPS Conductor Steven Reineke. We welcome back Music Director Juraj Valčuha for two weeks of Tragedy and Triumph, featuring Mahler’s Sixth Symphony (which we haven’t performed since 2006) and Beethoven’s Eroica, along with Emanuel Ax in Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 25 and the Houston Symphony premiere of Missy Mazzoli’s These Worlds in Us We finish the month off with our own Brinton Averil Smith playing Dvořák’s Cello Concerto on a program conducted by Xian Zhang that also features selections from Prokofiev’s colorful ballet score Romeo and Juliet and Dorothy Chang’s Northern Star.

We also announce the 2024–25 season this month, and it’s epic. We’ll welcome guests, including Yefim Bronfman, Yo-Yo Ma, and Daniil Trifonov; delve into the music of Bohemia, Vienna, and the opera in special festivals led by our Music Director; celebrate the Spielberg-Williams collaboration, 007, and the Bee Gees on our Bank of America POPS Series; and mark three special birthdays with appearances by Christoph Eschenbach (his 85th), Michael Tilson Thomas (his 80 th), and Pink Martini (their 30 th). And you can only experience it all here in Jones Hall, with your Houston Symphony. Subscriptions go on sale March 6, so visit our website or call our patron service center for more information then.

Before all of that, we have three and a half months

of remarkable musical experiences left in our 2023–24 Season. And you still have time to become a Houston Symphony donor and enjoy exclusive access and events. We have a special series of curated experiences available only to our Classical and POPS donors. These gatherings—which include elegant receptions, intimate meet-and-greets, and access to private rehearsals—provide an opportunity for donors to engage closely with our musicians and deepen their connection to the Symphony community. Already this season, donors have had a chance to spend time with Juraj, Steven, Michael Krajewski, Tony DeSare, and our amazing clarinet and oboe sections. For more information on become a donor, please turn to page 50.

Finally, the Houston Symphony is a community resource—we serve more than 200,000 people with our education and community engagement programming this season. One example of that—we just completed our season of School Concerts, serving more than 53,000 students from across greater Houston with performances at Jones Hall and the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion. One of my favorite conversations, which I’ve had many times over the years, is with patrons whose first experience of our Symphony was coming to Jones Hall with their class. I love watching the awestruck looks on the young people’s faces as they enter the lobby and hearing them cheer for our musicians, knowing the experience will stay with them for a lifetime.

Music is for all of us, and I’m so glad we get to share it with you. Enjoy the performance.

All my best,

Executive Director/CEO

Margaret Alkek Williams Chair

23 24 Season

November

S S

December

Raiders of the Lost Ark in Concert

November 4 & 5

Valčuha Conducts Rachmaninoff

November 10, 11 & 12

Valčuha Conducts Ravel’s La valse

November 17, 18 & 19 S S

“I Will Survive”—Diva Legends

November 24, 25 & 26

Andrés Returns

December 1, 2 & 3

Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas

December 9 & 10

Duke Ellington’s Nutcracker

December 12

Handel’s Messiah

December 15, 16 & 17

Very Merry POPS

December 20, 21, 22 & 23

Holly Jolly Holiday

December 23

January

S

Swingin’ Sinatra: A New Year’s Celebration

January 5, 6 & 7

Mendelssohn’s Scottish Symphony + Yoonshin Song

January 12, 13 & 14

Takemitsu + Brahms’s Requiem

January 19, 20 & 21

Víkingur Ólafsson Plays Bach

January 28

February

Jazz, Love & Gershwin: A Century of Rhapsody in Blue February 2, 3 & 4

Get Up and Dance!

February 3

Perlman Conducts Tchaikovsky 5 February 8, 10 & 11

Eschenbach Conducts Bruckner 8 February 24 & 25

March

At Last! A Tribute to Etta James March 1, 2 & 3

Valčuha Conducts Mahler 6 March 15, 16 & 17

Mozart + Beethoven’s Eroica March 22, 23 & 24

Romeo and Juliet + Dvořák’s Cello Concerto March 29 & 30

21st Century Broadway April 5, 6 & 7

I’m a Superhero! April 6

April

Classical Mystery Tour: A Tribute to The Beatles April 18 & 19

Disney’s Encanto™ in Concert Live to Film April 20 & 21

Carmina burana April 26, 27 & 28

Pines of Rome + Grieg’s Piano Concerto May 2, 4 & 5

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets™ in Concert May 10 & 11

May

June

Itzhak Perlman: In the Fiddler’s House May 12

The Music of Star Wars May 17, 18 & 19

Adams’s El Niño May 25 & 26

An Alpine Symphony June 1 & 2

Salome in Concert June 7 & 9

The Music of ABBA

June 15

Jurassic Park in Concert June 22 & 23

The Music of the Rolling Stones June 28 & 29

your symphony experience

JONES HALL

Since the opening of Jones Hall in 1966, millions of arts patrons have enjoyed countless musical and stage performances at the venue. Dominating an entire city block, Jones Hall features a stunning travertine marble facade, 66-foot ceilings, and a brilliantly lit grand entrance. Jones Hall is a monument to the memory of Jesse Holman Jones, a towering figure in Houston during the first half of the 20 th century.

CONCERT DISRUPTION

We strive to provide the best possible auditory experience of our world-class orchestra. Noise from phones, candy wrappers, and talking is distracting to the performers on stage and those around you. Please help us make everyone’s concert enjoyable by silencing electronic devices now and remaining quiet during the performance.

FOOD & DRINK POLICY

The Encore Café and in-hall bars are open for Symphony performances, and food and drink will be permitted in bar areas. Food is not permitted inside the auditorium. Patrons may bring drinks into the auditorium for Bank of America POPS Series concerts and Symphony Specials. Drinks are not permitted inside the auditorium for Classical concerts.

LOST & FOUND

For lost and found inquiries, please contact Patron Experience Coordinator Freddie Piegsa during the performance. He also can be reached at freddie.piegsa@houstonsymphony.org. You also may contact Houston First after the performances at 832.487.7050

ETIQUETTE

For Classical concerts, if a work has several movements it is traditional to hold applause until the end of the last movement. If you are unsure when a piece ends, check the program or wait for the conductor to face the audience. If you feel truly inspired, however, do not be afraid to applaud!

CHILDREN

Children ages six and up are welcome to all Classical, Bank of America POPS, and Symphony Special concerts. Children of all ages are welcome at PNC Family Series performances. Children must have a ticket for all ticketed events.

LATE SEATING

Each performance typically allows for late seating, which is scheduled in intervals and determined by the conductor. Our ushers and Patron Experience Coordinator will instruct you on when late seating is allowed.

TICKETS

Subscribers to six or more Classical or Bank of America

POPS concerts, as well as PNC Family Subscribers, may exchange their tickets at no cost. Tickets to Symphony Specials or single ticket purchases are ineligible for exchange or refund.

If you are unable to make a performance, your ticket may be donated prior to the concert for a tax-donation receipt. Donations and exchanges may be made in person, over the phone, or online.

THANK YOU to our sponsors

2023–24 Houston Symphony High School Nights

Houston Symphony High School Nights, sponsored by Oxy, has returned for its second season at Jones Hall. The High School Nights initiative welcomed back high school students from the Greater Houston area who participate in their school’s orchestra and band programs to attend Janice H. and Thomas D. Barrow Classical Series concerts at Jones Hall. Following the success of its inaugural year last season, the initiative continues this season with four High School Nights across two Classical concerts—the Barber’s Violin Concerto + Duke Ellington concert in October and this month’s Tragedy & Triumph Festival performance of Mozart + Beethoven’s Eroica. High School Nights provide students with the opportunity to come together and experience the magic of live orchestral music with their peers and regular concert attendees. This season, we anticipate serving 1,700 students from 32 schools across Greater Houston.

Like the Student Concert Series, High School Nights are designed to inspire students to further their involvement in music and continue playing their instruments. Before each performance, high school ensemble directors are provided with educational resources to help connect their students with what to listen for and expect at the Symphony performance. And like last season’s inaugural year, teachers have already noticed an increase in their students’ musical interest since attending the Symphony concerts. “This experience put a glow on my students’ faces,” said Isaias Degollado, the orchestra director at Liberty High School. “They were talking about the performance all the way back to school on the bus.

When we started class the following Monday, the students were so inspired to work on their tone, balance, and bow technique.”

High School Nights is a part of the Houston Symphony’s Education and Community Engagement initiatives which serve thousands of Houstonians through educational programs, free and low-cost performances, community engagement activities, and more. If you’d like to support High School Nights and the Symphony’s mission to make music accessible to Houstonians from all walks of life, visit houstonsymphony.org/donate.

—Lauren Buchanan

Juraj valČuha

Houston Symphony Music Director Juraj Valčuha is recognized for his effortless expressiveness and depth of musicianship. With sharp baton technique and natural stage presence, the impressive ease of his interpretations translate even the most complex scores into immersive experiences.

Before joining the Houston Symphony in June 2022, Juraj was Music Director of the Teatro di San Carlo, Naples, from 2016 to 2022 and first guest conductor of the Konzerthausorchester Berlin. He was Chief Conductor of the Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionale della Rai from 2009 to 2016.

The 2005–06 Season marked the start of his international career on the podium of the Orchestre National de France followed by remarkable debuts in the United Kingdom with the Philharmonia London, in Germany with the Munich Philharmonic, in the United States with the Pittsburgh Symphony, and in Italy with Puccini's La Bohème in Bologna.

He has since led the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, Dresden Staatskapelle, Munich Philharmonic, Berlin Philharmonic, Swedish Radio Symphony, Amsterdam Royal Concertgebouw, Rotterdam Philharmonic, Orchestre de Paris, Maggio Musicale in Florence, Orchestra dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia

Music Director Roy and Lillie Cullen Chair

Rome, Milan's Filarmonica della Scala, Montréal Symphony, and the NHK and Yomiuri orchestras in Tokyo.

He enjoys regular collaborations with the Minnesota Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, Pittsburgh Symphony, and San Francisco Symphony. International touring with the Orchestra Sinfonica della Rai took them to the Musikverein in Vienna and Philharmonie in Berlin, Cologne, Düsseldorf, Zurich, Munich, to the Enesco Festival in Bucharest, and the Abu Dhabi Classics. With the Konzerthausorchester Berlin, he visited Riga, Vilnius, and Tallinn to mark the 100 th anniversary of the Baltic nations.

In Europe, he is acclaimed on the podium of the Munich Philharmonic, the NDR Hamburg and Frankfurt Radio orchestras, as well as the Vienna Symphony, Czech Philharmonic, Orchestre National de France, Orchestre de Paris, BBC Symphony and Philharmonia London, and the Swedish Radio Orchestra.

Juraj champions the compositions of living composers and aims to program contemporary pieces in most of his concerts. He has conducted world premieres, including Christopher Rouse’s Supplica with the Pittsburgh Symphony, Steven Mackey’s violin concerto with Leila Josefowicz and the BBC

Symphony in Manchester, and Nico Muhly’s Bright Idea with the Houston Symphony. In 2005, he conducted, in the presence of the composer, Steve Reich’s Four Seasons at the Melos-Ethos Festival in Bratislava. Other composers he has supported and continues to follow with interest are Bryce Dessner, Steven Stucky, Andrew Norman, James MacMillan, Luca Francesconi, Anna Thorvaldsdottir, Anna Clyne, and Jessie Montgomery, among others.

Including his engagements in Houston, the 2023–24 Season takes him to the Pittsburgh, San Francisco, Chicago, and Minnesota Orchestras as well as to the Yomiuri Nippon Orchestra in Tokyo. On the European stage, he performs Fanciulla del West and Tristan and Isolde at the Bavarian State Opera and at the Deutsche Oper Berlin, Jenufa at the Opera di Roma, and Salome at the Semperoper in Dresden. He leads concerts with the RAI Orchestra, the Orchestra dell'Accademia di Santa Cecilia, the Orchestre National de France, the NDR, SWR, and the Bamberg Symphony, among others.

Born in Bratislava, Slovakia, Juraj studied composition and conducting in his birth place, then at the conservatory in St. Petersburg (with Ilya Musin), and finally, at the Conservatoire Supérieur de la Musique in Paris.

ORCHESTRA ROSTER

Juraj Valčuha Music Director

Roy and Lillie Cullen Chair

FIRST VIOLIN

Yoonshin Song, Concertmaster

Max Levine Chair

Eric Halen, Co-Concertmaster

Ellen E. Kelley Chair

Boson Mo, Assistant Concertmaster

Fondren Foundation Chair

Qi Ming, Assistant Concertmaster

Marina Brubaker

Tong Yan

MiHee Chung

Sophia Silivos

Rodica Gonzalez

Ferenc Illenyi

Si-Yang Lao

Kurt Johnson

Christopher Neal

Sergei Galperin

SECOND VIOLIN

MuChen Hsieh, Principal

Teresa Wang+, Associate Principal

Amy Semes

Annie Kuan-Yu Chen

Mihaela Frusina

Jing Zheng

Tianjie Lu

Anastasia Ehrlich

Tina Zhang

Tianxu Liu+

Samuel Park+

VIOLA

Joan DerHovsepian, Principal

Wei Jiang, Acting Associate Principal

Sheldon Person

Fay Shapiro

Keoni Bolding

Samuel Pedersen

Suzanne LeFevre+

Elizabeth Golofeev+

Meredith Harris+

Yvonne Smith+

CELLO

Brinton Averil Smith, Principal

Janice H. and Thomas D. Barrow Chair

Christopher French, Associate Principal

Anthony Kitai

Louis-Marie Fardet

Jeffrey Butler

Maki Kubota

Xiao Wong

Charles Seo

Jeremy Kreutz

COMMUNITY-EMBEDDED MUSICIANS

Lindsey Baggett, violin

David Connor, double bass

Rainel Joubert, violin

ASSISTANT LIBRARIANS

Hae-a Lee

Anna Thompson

Steven Reineke, Principal POPS Conductor

Andrés Orozco-Estrada, Conductor Laureate

Gonzalo Farias, Assistant Conductor

DOUBLE BASS

Robin Kesselman, Principal

Timothy Dilenschneider, Associate Principal

Eric Larson

Andrew Pedersen

Burke Shaw

Donald Howey

Ryan Avila+

Luke Rogers+

FLUTE

Aralee Dorough, Principal General Maurice Hirsch Chair

Matthew Roitstein*, Associate Principal

Judy Dines, Acting Associate Principal Mark Teplitsky+

Kathryn Ladner

PICCOLO

Kathryn Ladner

OBOE

Jonathan Fischer, Principal Lucy Binyon Stude Chair

Anne Leek, Associate Principal

Colin Gatwood

Adam Dinitz

ENGLISH HORN

Adam Dinitz

CLARINET

Mark Nuccio, Principal Bobbie Nau Chair

Thomas LeGrand, Associate Principal

Christian Schubert

Alexander Potiomkin

E-FLAT CLARINET

Thomas LeGrand

BASS CLARINET

Alexander Potiomkin, Tassie and Constantine S. Nicandros Chair

BASSOON

Rian Craypo, Principal

Isaac Schultz, Associate Principal

Elise Wagner

Adam Trussell

STAGE PERSONNEL

Stefan Stout, Stage Manager

José Rios, Assistant Stage Manager

Nicholas DiFonzo, Head Video Engineer

Justin Herriford, Head Audio Engineer

Connor Morrow, Head Stage Technician

Giancarlo Minotti, Audio Production Manager

CONTRABASSOON

Adam Trussell

HORN

William VerMeulen, Principal

Mr. and Mrs. Alexander K. McLanahan

Endowed Chair

Robert Johnson, Associate Principal

Nathan Cloeter, Assistant Principal/Utility

Brian Thomas

Brian Mangrum

Ian Mayton

Barbara J. Burger Chair

TRUMPET

Mark Hughes, Principal

George P. and Cynthia Woods

Mitchell Chair

John Parker, Associate Principal

Robert Walp, Assistant Principal

Richard Harris

TROMBONE

Bradley White, Acting Principal

Ryan Rongone+

Phillip Freeman

BASS TROMBONE

Phillip Freeman

TUBA

Dave Kirk, Principal

TIMPANI

Leonardo Soto, Principal

Matthew Strauss, Associate Principal

PERCUSSION

Brian Del Signore, Principal

Mark Griffith

Matthew Strauss

HARP

Allegra Lilly, Principal

KEYBOARD

Scott Holshouser, Principal

LIBRARIAN

Luke Bryson, Principal

*on leave

+ contracted substitute

SOCIETY BOARD OF TRUSTEES

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Barbara J. Burger

President

Janet F. Clark Chair

Jonathan Ayre Chair, Finance

Brad W. Corson Chair, Governance & Leadership

Manuel Delgado Chair, Marketing & Communications

Evan B. Glick Chair, Popular Programming

Lidiya Gold Chair, Development

Sippi Khurana, M.D. Chair, Education

GOVERNING DIRECTORS

Jonathan Ayre

Gary Beauchamp

Eric Brueggeman

Bill Bullock

Barbara J. Burger

Mary Kathryn Campion, Ph.D.

John Cassidy, M.D.

Janet F. Clark

Lidiya Gold

Claudio Gutiérrez

William D. Hunt

Rick Jaramillo

David J. M. Key

Sippi Khurana, M.D.

John Rydman Immediate Past President

Mike S. Stude Chairman Emeritus

Paul Morico General Counsel

Barbara McCelvey Secretary

John Mangum^ Executive Director/CEO

Margaret Alkek Williams Chair

Mary Lynn Marks Chair, Volunteers & Special Events

Robert Orr Chair, Strategic Planning

Ed Schneider Chair, Community Partnerships

John Rydman Chair, Artistic & Orchestra Affairs

Jesse B. Tutor Chair, Audit

Steven P. Mach ^ Immediate Past Chairman

Bobby Tudor^ At-Large Member

Mary Fusillo^ President, Houston Symphony League

James H. Lee^ President, Houston Symphony Endowment

Juraj Valčuha^ Music Director, Roy and Lillie Cullen Chair

Rian Craypo Musician Representative

Joan DerHovsepian^ Musician Representative

Mark Hughes^ Musician Representative

Mark Nuccio^ Musician Representative

Sherry Rodriguez^ Assistant Secretary

^Ex-Officio

Carey Kirkpatrick

Kenny Kurtzman

Cindy Levit

Isabel Stude Lummis

Cora Sue Mach **

Rodney Margolis**

Jay Marks **

Mary Lynn Marks

Elissa Martin

Barbara McCelvey

Paul R. Morico

Robert Orr

Chris Powers

John Rydman**

Ed Schneider

Anthony Speier

William J. Toomey II

Bobby Tudor **

Betty Tutor **

Jesse B. Tutor **

Gretchen Watkins

Robert Weiner

Margaret Alkek Williams **

EX-OFFICIO

Brad W. Corson

Rian Craypo

Manuel Delgado

Joan DerHovsepian

Mary Fusillo

Evan B. Glick

Mark Hughes

James H. Lee

Steven P. Mach

John Mangum

Mark Nuccio

Sherry Rodriguez

Juraj Valčuha

TRUSTEES

David J. Beck

James M. Bell Jr.

Carrie Brandsberg-Dahl

Nancy Shelton Bratic

Terry Ann Brown**

Lindsay Buchanan

Ralph Burch

Dougal Cameron

John T. Cater**

Robert Chanon

Michael H. Clark

Virginia Clark

Brad W. Corson

Andrew Davis, Ph.D.

Denise Davis

Manuel Delgado

Allen Deutsch, M.D.

Tracy Dieterich

Joan Duff

Connie Dyer

PAST

Jeffrey B. Firestone

Eugene A. Fong

Aggie L. Foster

Julia Anderson Frankel

Ronald G. Franklin

Carolyn Gaidos

Evan B. Glick

Jeff Hiller

Grace Ho

Gary L. Hollingsworth

Brian James

Dawn James

I. Ray Kirk, M.D.

David Krieger

Matthew Loden

Steven P. Mach

Michael Mann, M.D.

Jack Matzer

Jackie Wolens Mazow

Alexander K. McLanahan**

PRESIDENTS OF THE HOUSTON SYMPHONY SOCIETY

Mrs. Edwin B. Parker

Miss Ima Hogg

Mrs. H. M. Garwood

Joseph A. Mullen, M.D.

Joseph S. Smith

Walter H. Walne

H. R. Cullen

Gen. Maurice Hirsch

Charles F. Jones

Fayez Sarofim

John T. Cater

Richard G. Merrill

Ellen Elizardi Kelley

John D. Platt

E.C. Vandagrift Jr.

J. Hugh Roff Jr.

PAST PRESIDENTS OF THE HOUSTON SYMPHONY LEAGUE

Miss Ima Hogg

Mrs. John F. Grant

Mrs. J. R. Parten

Mrs. Andrew E. Rutter

Mrs. Aubrey Leno Carter

Mrs. Stuart Sherar

Mrs. Julian Barrows

Ms. Hazel Ledbetter

Mrs. Albert P. Jones

Mrs. Ben A. Calhoun

Mrs. James Griffith Lawhon

Mrs. Olaf LaCour Olsen

Mrs. Ralph Ellis Gunn

Mrs. Leon Jaworski

Mrs. Garrett R. Tucker Jr.

Mrs. M. T. Launius Jr.

Mrs. Thompson McCleary

Mrs. Theodore W. Cooper

Mrs. Allen W. Carruth

Mrs. David Hannah Jr.

Mary Louis Kister

Mrs. Edward W. Kelley Jr.

Mrs. John W. Herndon

Mrs. Charles Franzen

Mrs. Harold R. DeMoss Jr.

Mrs. Edward H. Soderstrom

Mrs. Lilly Kucera Andress

Ms. Marilou Bonner

Mrs. W. Harold Sellers

Mrs. Harry H. Gendel

Mrs. Robert M. Eury

Mrs. E. C. Vandagrift Jr.

Mrs. J. Stephen Marks

Terry Ann Brown

FOUNDATION FOR JONES HALL REPRESENTATIVES

Dougal A. Cameron

Janet F. Clark

Marilyn Miles

Aprill Nelson

Tammy Tran Nguyen

Leslie Nossaman

Edward Osterberg Jr.

Zeljko Pavlovic

Gloria G. Pryzant

Miwa Sakashita

Andrew Schwaitzberg

Helen Shaffer**

Robert B. Sloan, D.D., Theol.

Jim R. Smith

Miles O. Smith**

Quentin Smith

Mike S. Stude **

Ishwaria Subbiah, M.D.

Shirley W. Toomim

Margaret Waisman, M.D.

Fredric A. Weber

Vicki West

Robert M. Hermance

Gene McDavid

Janice H. Barrow

Barry C. Burkholder

Rodney H. Margolis

Jeffrey B. Early

Michael E. Shannon

Ed Wulfe

Nancy Strohmer

Mary Ann McKeithan

Ann Cavanaugh

Mrs. James A. Shaffer

Lucy H. Lewis

Catherine McNamara

Shirley McGregor Pearson

Paula Jarrett

Cora Sue Mach

Kathi Rovere

Norma Jean Brown

Barbara McCelvey

Lori Sorcic Jansen

Nancy B. Willerson

Jane Clark

Nancy Littlejohn

Donna Shen

Barbara McCelvey

Steven J. Williams

David J. Wuthrich

Ellen A. Yarrell

Robert Yekovich

EX-OFFICIO

John Steven Cisneros, Ed.D.

Juan Zane Crawford, Ph. D.

Kirby Lodholz

Frank F. Wilson IV

**Lifetime Trustee

Jesse B. Tutor

Robert B. Tudor III

Robert A. Peiser

Steven P. Mach

Janet F. Clark

John Rydman

Dr. Susan Snider Osterberg

Dr. Kelli Cohen Fein

Vicki West

Mrs. Jesse Tutor

Darlene Clark

Beth Wolff

Maureen Higdon

Fran Fawcett Peterson

Leslie Siller

Cheryl Byington

ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF

SENIOR MANAGEMENT GROUP

John Mangum, Executive Director/CEO, Margaret Alkek Williams Chair

Elizabeth S. Condic, Chief Financial Officer

Vicky Dominguez, Chief Operating Officer

DEVELOPMENT

Lauren Buchanan, Development Communications Manager

Alex Canales, Development Ticket Concierge

Jessie De Arman, Development Associate, Gifts and Records

Timothy Dillow, Senior Director, Development

Amanda T. Dinitz, Senior Major Gifts Officer

Vivian Gonzalez, Development Officer

Karyn Mason, Development Officer

Hadia Mawlawi, Senior Associate, Endowment and Planned Giving

Ben McAndrew, Institutional Giving Associate

Meghan Miller, Special Events Associate

Emilie Moellmer, Annual Fund Manager

Chelsea Murray, Senior Development Associate, Administration

Erika Ngo, Development Intern

Tim Richey, Director, Individual Giving

Sherry Rodriguez, Corporate Relations Manager & Board Liaison

Katie Salvatore, Development Officer

Christine Ann Stevens, Senior Director, Development

Lena Streetman, Manager, Research and Development Operations

Stacey Swift, Director, Special Events

Sarah Thompson, Donor Stewardship Manager

Christina Trunzo, Director, Foundation Relations

Alexa Ustaszewski, Major Gifts Officer

EDUCATION | COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

Olivia Allred, Education and Community Engagement Coordinator

Jarrett Bastow, Education Manager

Allison Conlan, Director, Education and Community Engagement

FINANCE | ADMINISTRATION | IT | HR

José Arriaga, Systems Engineer

Henry Cantu, Finance Accountant

Kimberly Cegielski, Staff Accountant

Richard Jackson, Database Administrator

Joel James, Director of Human Resources

Tanya Lovetro, Director of Budgeting and Financial Reporting

Morgana Rickard, Controller

Gabriela Rivera, Senior Accountant

Pam Romo, Office Manager/HR Coordinator

Lee Whatley, Senior Director, IT and Analytics

MARKETING | EXTERNAL RELATIONS

Marketing and Communications

Mark Bailes, Marketing Revenue Manager

Olivia Cantrell, Content Marketing Coordinator

David Early, Marketing and External Relations Assistant

Heather Fails, Manager, Ticketing Database

Kathryn Judd, Director, Marketing

Yoo-Ell Lee, Graphics and Media Designer

Fiona Legesse-Sinha, Graphic Design Manager

Ciara Macaulay, Creative Director

Mariah Martinez, Email Marketing Coordinator

Eric Skelly, Senior Director, Communications

Alex Soares, Senior Director, Marketing Patron Services

Freddie Piegsa, Patron Experience Coordinator

Ashlan Walker, Manager, Patron Services

Jenny Zuniga, Director, Patron Services

OPERATIONS | ARTISTIC

Stephanie Alla, Associate Director of Artistic Planning

Becky Brown, Associate Director, Orchestra Personnel

Suré Eloff, Chorus Manager

Michael Gorman, Director, Orchestra Personnel

Julia Hall, Interim Director, Chorus

Nick Kemp, Artistic Operations Assistant

Hae-a Lee, Assistant Librarian

Giancarlo Minotti, Audio Production Manager

Lauren Moore, Associate Director, Concert Media and Production

José Rios, Assistant Stage Manager

Brad Sayles, Senior Recording Engineer

Claudia Schmitz, Artist Liaison and Assistant to the Music Director

Stefan Stout, Stage Manager

Anna Thompson, Assistant Librarian

Meredith Williams, Associate Director, Concert Operations and Production

Rebecca Zabinski, Senior Director, Artistic Planning

2023–24 HOUSTON SYMPHONY

CommunityEmbedded Musicians and Fellows

The Houston Symphony’s Community-Embedded Musicians (CEMs) are a vital part of the Symphony’s mission to provide high quality music education programs and performances for the Houston community. This season, our CEMs—along with the Community-Embedded Fellows (CEFs) whom they mentor—have been hard at work strengthening the Symphony’s bond with the community through hospital and dementia center visits, free music education programs like DeLUXE K!ds In Harmony, and other interactive community performances and activities. The 2023–24 Season also brought exciting changes to the CEM and CEF initiative that has helped us continue our commitment to making extraordinary musical experiences available to all.

Our CEM initiative expanded this season with the addition of violinist Lindsey Baggett. She joins our long-serving CEMs David Connor and Rainel Joubert to lead our robust Education and Community Engagement initiatives. Lindsey is a familiar face around the Houston Symphony—she has been a frequent substitute for the Symphony since 2013, including three seasons as a contracted substitute. "I'm excited to step into this role,” says Lindsey on becoming a CEM. “One aspect I am passionate about is providing hands-on music education to children in the DeLUXE K!ds In Harmony program. It is rewarding to witness their growing enthusiasm for music." Our CEMs have continued to make regular visits to Houston-area dementia centers, hospitals, schools, and other community centers throughout the season. In addition to these collaborative performances and projects, we also brought back pre- and post-Student Concert classroom visits at select middle schools in January and February. A popular pre-pandemic program, these visits allow the CEMs to build a deeper relationship with students in their classrooms and provide interactive experiences that promote a deeper understanding of the music students' experience at Student Concerts.

There have also been exciting updates to our Community-Embedded Fellowship program this season. Our Shepherd School of Music Brown Foundation Fellow, Christian Harvey, has remained with us for a second year as a CEF, but we have

welcomed a new teaching artist fellow from the Moores School of Music—Samuel Savanich. Originally designed for graduate students, the Moores School of Music Community-Embedded Fellowship has shifted to accept undergraduate students who are interested in developing their skills in music education. Samuel, violin, is currently a freshman student pursuing a bachelor of music degree in music performance and music education. He has previous experience assisting music teachers with students in grades five through nine and has served as a camp counselor in numerous youth programs. He also organized a local charity concert in 2022, For Ukraine, that benefited Ukrainian refugees. Samuel is excited to gain more experience in mentoring young musicians and wants to help them refine their technique and develop their love of music.

The Houston Symphony's Community-Embedded Musician and Fellowship initiatives continue to evolve and thrive, exemplifying the orchestra's dedication to making music accessible to all. These new additions to the team mark the start of an exciting chapter in the Symphony's journey toward ensuring the transformative power of music reaches every corner of Houston.

—Lauren Buchanan

CEM Lindsey Baggett teaches a DeLUXE K!ds In Harmony student.

Moores School of Music CEF Sam Savanich helps a DeLUXE K!ds In Harmony student during practice.

Community-Embedded Musicians Lindsey Baggett and David Connor perform with Shepherd School of Music Brown Foundation Fellow Christian Harvey at a dementia center.

At Last! A tribute to etta james

Steven Reineke, conductor

*Crystal Monee Hall, vocalist

*Marcus Paul James, vocalist

*Josh Sklair, guitar

*Donto James, drums

*Sametto James, bass

0:03 MANCINI – "Peter Gunn" from Peter Gunn

0:02 JAMES-KIRKLAND-WOODS/O’NEIL – “Something’s Got a Hold on Me”

0:03 GAYTEN-BOCAGE/O’NEIL – “My Dearest Darling”

0:02 THOMPSON/O’NEIL – “Anything to Say You’re Mine”

0:03 AGER-SCHWARTZ-WEVER/O’NEIL – “Trust in Me”

0:03 BELLE-LEONARD-PRIMA-RHODES/O’NEIL – “A Sunday Kind of Love”

0:03 DIXON/O’NEIL – “I Just Want to Make Love to You”

0:05 LAWRENCE-MEKLER-WILLIAMSON/MURCIANO –“All the Way Down”

0:03 NEWMAN/O’NEIL – “You Can Leave Your Hat On”

INTERMISSION

0:02 GERSHWIN/CAMPBELL-WATSON – “Strike Up the Band” from Strike Up the Band

0:02 CLAPP/O’NEIL – “Girl of My Dreams”

0:03 JAMES-FUQUA/O’NEIL – “It’s a Cryin’ Shame”

0:02 JAMES-FUQUA/O’NEIL – “If I Can’t Have You”

0:02 JAMES-FUQUA/O’NEIL – “My Heart Cries”

0:02 JAMES-FUQUA/O’NEIL – “Spoonful”

0:03 ARLEN/O’NEIL – “Stormy Weather”

0:02 DAVIS-GORDY-FUQUA/O’NEIL – “All I Could Do Was Cry”

0:03 WARREN/O’NEIL – “At Last”

*Houston Symphony debut

Friday, March 1

Saturday, March 2

Sunday, March 3

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• Jamesetta Hawkins, or more commonly known as Etta James, was an American icon, known for her rhythm and blues songs. Her biggest hits include “At Last,” “Tell Mama,” “I Would Rather Go Blind,” and “All I Could Do Was Cry.”

• Etta James formed her first musical group at age 12. The group was first called the Creolettes, but the name was later changed to Peaches.

• Between 1960 and 1995, Etta James was nominated for ten Grammy Awards, but she did not win her first until 1995 with the tenth nomination. She went on to win five more Grammys.

• Including her Grammy nominations and awards, Etta James has received more than 30 awards and recognitions from eight organizations. Some highlights include the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and a nomination for a Blues Music Award nearly every year since the organization’s founding in 1980.

Program Bios

Steven Reineke, conductor

Principal POPS Conductor

Steven Reineke is one of North America's leading conductors of popular music. He is in his second decade as Music Director of The New York Pops at Carnegie Hall. Additionally, he is Principal Pops Conductor of the National Symphony Orchestra at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and the Toronto Symphony Orchestras.

Steven is a frequent guest conductor and can be seen on the podium with the Chicago, Philadelphia, Dallas, San Francisco, and Detroit Symphony Orchestras.

On stage, Steven creates and collaborates with a range of leading artists from the worlds of hip-hop, R & B, Broadway, television, and rock, including Maxwell, Common, Kendrick Lamar, Nas, Ne-Yo, Barry Manilow, Cynthia Erivo, Ben Rector, Cody Fry, Sutton Foster, Amos Lee, Dispatch, Jason Mraz, and Ben Folds, among others. In 2017, he was featured on National Public Radio's All Things Considered leading the National Symphony Orchestra— in a first for the show's 45-year history—performing live music excerpts between news segments. In 2018, Steven led the National Symphony Orchestra with hip-hop legend Nas performing his seminal

album Illmatic on PBS's Great Performances.

As the creator of hundreds of orchestral arrangements, Steven’s work is performed worldwide and can be heard on numerous Cincinnati Pops Orchestra recordings. His symphonic works Celebration Fanfare, Legend of Sleepy Hollow, and Casey at the Bat are performed frequently in North America, including performances by the New York Philharmonic and Los Angeles Philharmonic. His Sun Valley Festival Fanfare was used to commemorate the Sun Valley Summer Symphony’s pavilion, and his Festival Te Deum and Swan’s Island Sojourn were debuted by the Cincinnati Symphony and Cincinnati Pops Orchestras. His numerous wind ensemble compositions are published by the C.L. Barnhouse Company and are performed by concert bands perennially.

A native of Ohio, Steven is a graduate of Miami University of Ohio (2020 Alumnus Distinguished Achievement Medal), where he earned bachelor of music degrees with honors in both trumpet performance and music composition. He currently resides in New York City with his husband Eric Gabbard. 

Crystal Monee Hall’s varied career as a singer, songwriter, instrumentalist, and actress has included roles on Broadway (Rent), sold-out tours with acclaimed musicians Mickey Hart (Grateful Dead) and Dave Schools (Widespread Panic), a performance as featured vocalist on Saturday Night Live, and a guest appearance on the HBO comedy-drama High Maintenance. She has released three albums (one solo and two with Hart) with work from her most recent EP "If You Breathe" called “riveting” by Billboard Magazine. Her newest release seamlessly blends her love for world, blues, jazz, soul, and contemporary R&B, showcasing her talent as a songwriter, while highlighting a voice that has captivated audiences worldwide. Currently, Crystal is a featured vocalist on Broadway superstar Kristin Chenoweth’s “For the Girls” concerts at Broadway’s Nederlander Theater. Her songwriting comes front and center when Chenoweth performs her original tune “Reasons for Hope,” co-written by the show’s musical director, Mary-Mitchell Campbell.

A high-profile music moment was a feature with country superstar Thomas Rhett on Saturday Night Live in 2019. Rolling Stone took notice of her standout performance of “Don’t Threaten Me with a Good Time,” saying it “put on display the superb, soulful talents of Crystal Monee Hall.” The two encored the performance at Rhett’s sold-out show at Madison Square Garden.

She was featured in Ben Platt’s Netflix concert special filmed at Radio City Music Hall. She also performed with him on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and

Crystal Monee Hall, vocalist

Program Bios

Good Morning America as well as the run of his sold-out Sing to Me Instead Tour. Cynthia Erivo’s PBS special features Hall in the role of soprano during her knockout performance of “Ain’t No Way.” Crystal joined Kesha as part of her powerful 2018 Grammy Awards performance in support of the #TimesUp movement, provided supporting vocals for Mariah Carey's Christmas residency at New York's Beacon Theater, and performed alongside Kanye West and Chance the Rapper during their debut performance of "Ultralight Beam" on SNL. Crystal sang backing vocals for Craig David's "All We Needed," the official song of the BBC's 2016 Children in Need campaign. 

Marcus Paul James, vocalist

Brooklyn native Marcus Paul James (MPJ) was born into a Baptist family with a Panamanian DJ father. He was raised in the church and sang in the choir loft as soon as he could stand. At home, MPJ was surrounded by the timeless voices of Luther Vandross, Stevie Wonder, Sam Cooke, Ray Charles, and other R&B/Rock/Gospel greats.

The influence of these artists etched a love for GOOD MUSIC into his soul. Songwriting became a natural progression as he committed to finding his own voice and style. Using nothing much but his soulful voice and eclectic flair, MPJ landed roles in Tony Awardwinning Broadway musicals like RENT, In The Heights, NBC's The Wiz - LIVE, Ain't Too Proud: The Life and Times of the Temptations. He also received a Grammy Award for his work on FOX’s The Greatest Showman for which he also received an Oscar nomination for the song “This Is Me." MPJ was also part of Lin Manuel Miranda’s new film adaption of In The Heights and Netflix's “Tick Tick, Boom.” He has also been vocally featured in films Collateral Beauty, Dear Evan Hansen, and the newly released holiday film Spirited 

Josh Sklair, guitar

Musical director for Etta James from 1985 to 2012, Josh Sklair has worked with the best in jazz, blues, rhythm and blues, pop, and rock. He has worked on stage or in the recording studio with Paul Anka (currently), Sophie B. Hawkins, Jon Lucien, The Jones Girls, Jeffrey Osborne, Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley,

The Shirelles, Cedar Walton, The Coasters, Del Shannon, Herbie Hancock, Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, Diane Warren, Albert Hammond, Lamont Dozier, and many others.

After briefly attending Berklee School of Music in Boston, Josh graduated from the Guitar Institute of Technology in Los Angeles in 1979.

His long and fruitful association with the iconic Etta James resulted in his receiving two Grammy Awards for producing. He contributed his guitar playing, arrangements, and compositions on more than a dozen albums and countless concert performances. During his tenure with Etta, Josh saw her receive much of the recognition and acknowledgement she had long deserved: five Grammy Awards, induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and many other prestigious awards for her invaluable and unique contribution to American music. 

Donto James, drums

Donto James is a recording engineer, music producer, drummer, two-time Grammy Award winner, and the son of iconic singer Etta James. Drumming

Program Bios

from a young age, he recorded and performed with Etta James and The Roots Band through the end of the late singer’s career. Donto earned Grammy Awards as a co-producer for Etta James’s Let’s Roll (2003) and Blues to the Bone (2004). 

Sametto James, bass

Sametto James, son of Etta James, is a music producer, bass player, and two-time Grammy Award winner. He began playing bass at a young age and joined the family band alongside his mother and brother, Donto, recording and performing with Etta James and

The Roots Band. Sametto earned Grammy Awards as a co-producer for Etta James’s Let’s Roll and Blues to the Bone. 

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Featured Program

Tragedy & Triumph festival:

VALČUHA CONDUCTS MAHLER 6

Juraj Valčuha, conductor

1:19 MAHLER – Symphony No. 6 in A minor, Tragic

I. Allegro energico, ma non troppo

II. Andante moderato

III. Scherzo: Wuchtig

IV. Finale: Sostenuto

About the Music

Friday, March 15

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Alana R. Spiwak & Sam L. Stolbun

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Video enhancement of Houston Symphony concerts is made possible by the Albert & Ethel Herzstein Foundation through a special gift celebrating the Foundation’s 50 th anniversary in 2015

The Classical Season is endowed by The Wortham Foundation, Inc ., in memory of Gus S. and Lyndall F. Wortham

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Program Note

MAHLER

Symphony No. 6, Tragic (1904)

Mahler composed his Sixth Symphony in 1903 and 1904, during what was perhaps the happiest period of his life. Professionally, he was at the height of his career as director of the Vienna Court Opera. Additionally, in 1902 he had married the young, beautiful, and fiercely intelligent Alma Schindler, who soon gave him two daughters. According to his usual habit, he composed his Sixth Symphony during his summer holiday at the family’s lakeside villa in the Carinthian Alps.

In her memoirs, Alma described her husband’s strict daily regimen: “He got up at six or half past and rang for the cook to prepare his breakfast instantly and take it up the steep and slippery path to his hut, which was in a wood nearly two hundred feet higher up than the villa. [...] He had a piano there and a complete Goethe and Kant on his shelves; for music, only Bach.” Afternoons were devoted to vigorous exercise: a swim in the lake and a long hike, “or run, rather,” with his wife. “Sometimes I was too exhausted to go on,” Alma remembered. “[Mahler] used to put his arm round me and say, ‘I love you.’ Instantly, I was filled with fresh energy and on we tore.”

It is of course one of the great ironies of Mahler’s life that this idyllic setting produced his darkest, most tragic masterpiece. Of the symphony, Bruno Walter, Mahler’s conducting protégé, wrote, “[...] the Sixth is the product of a decidedly pessimistic turn of mind, its fundamental mood being caused by the bitter taste in the potion of life. [...] it utters a decided ‘No,’ especially in its last movement, in which the relentlessness of the struggle of ‘all against all’ seems to have been turned into music. [...] Mahler called it his Tragic Symphony.”

The symphony opens with a march in A minor that immediately sets the serious tone of the work. This powerful music ends with a motif that recurs throughout the symphony: a major chord followed by its parallel minor and accompanied by a distinctive rhythm:

Program Note

MAHLER

Symphony No. 6, Tragic (1904)

Many have interpreted this as a Tchaikovskian “fate” motif; certainly, the progression from major to minor—from harmonic “light” to “darkness”— pithily encapsulates the symphony’s character.

A mysterious woodwind chorale accompanied by fragments of the march in pizzicato strings then leads to “a great soaring theme,” which Alma remembered as Mahler’s attempt to portray her musically. The melody certainly has all the hallmarks of a late-Romantic era love theme. A tumultuous development based on these main ideas unexpectedly finds its way to a tranquil passage featuring cowbells, which Mahler frequently used to evoke the realm of nature. After plunging back into the fray, the movement ultimately ends with a triumphant iteration of the Alma theme. Offering respite after the first movement’s intensity, the Andante begins in E-flat major, the most distant key from the A minor in which the symphony began. The music thus seems to belong to another world. It has two main ideas: the first is the tender, song-like melody that opens the movement; the second, a haunting motif that first appears in the English horn. These ideas alternate and become the basis for further developments, including another pastoral episode accompanied by cowbells. The movement then builds to an emotionally intense climax before dying away.

The beginning of the Scherzo recalls the first movement’s opening march; indeed, some commentators have interpreted it as a grotesque caricature of the more heroic first movement. Like the Andante, it has two main ideas: after the sardonic opening, the major-to-minor harmonies of the fate motif return to introduce a quiet, gentle idea in the oboe. This second section almost has the character of an 18th-century courtly dance, except that the meter is in a constant state of flux. Variations on these two kinds of music—the mock march and the unstable dance—alternate throughout the movement. The overall effect is uncanny. Alma interpreted the movement as “the arhythmic games” of her “two little children, tottering in zigzags over the sand. Ominously, the childish voices became more and more tragic, and at the end died out in a whimper.”

Her interpretation of the symphony was undoubtedly influenced by the tragic events that befell Mahler in 1907. “In the last movement he described himself and his downfall or, as he later said, that of his hero: ‘It is the hero, on whom fall three blows of fate, the last of which fells him as a tree is felled.’ [...] On him, too fell three blows of fate, and the last felled him,” she wrote, referring to his departure from the Vienna Court Opera, the death of their eldest daughter from scarlet fever, and the diagnosis of the heart disease which would ultimately end Mahler’s life.

Program Note

MAHLER

Symphony No. 6, Tragic (1904)

These “three blows of fate” correspond to the finale’s most singular feature: three “hammer blows” which occur at pivotal moments. Supporting Alma’s recollection, Mahler indicated that the sound he was after should be similar to that of an ax felling a tree, and percussionists have since found various means of creating this innovative and enigmatic orchestral effect. In line with the Romantic-era desire to move the weight of the symphony toward a climactic ending, Mahler’s finale is the longest, most complex, and most dramatic movement. Listeners can perhaps best orient themselves by the hammer blows. Amid fierce struggle and ghastly, phantasmagorical music, the orchestra repeatedly builds to seemingly triumphant climaxes, only to be cut down by the hammer blows, the last of which proves fatal. At times a superstitious composer, Mahler attached so much significance to this final hammer blow that he removed it from the second edition of the score, but almost all modern performances retain it. After this final hammer blow, the fate motif brings the symphony to its shattering conclusion. —Calvin Dotsey

Program Bio

Juraj Valčuha, conductor

See p. 6 for bio

Corporate Spotlight

G ARAGE

Park at One Market Square Garage, the recommended parking partner of the Houston Symphony. The new garage—located at 800 Preston Street with entrances on Milam, Prairie, and Travis—is just a block from Jones Hall. At the epicenter of downtown, One Market Square is convenient for the entire Theater District as well as CBD office towers and Historic District restaurants; it is easily accessible from I-45, I-10, US-59, Memorial Drive, and Allen Parkway.

In partnership with the Houston Symphony, One Market Square Garage elevates your concert-going experience from prelude to coda. In addition to 24/7 on-site staffing, One Market Square offers a 20 percent discount for Symphony patrons. Bring your parking ticket with you to use the validator kiosk in the Jones Hall lobby before or after the concert or during intermission.

Featured Program

Tragedy & Triumph festival:

Mozart + Beethoven's eroica

Juraj Valčuha , conductor

Emanuel Ax, piano

0:09 M. MAZZOLI – These Worlds In Us

0:30 MOZART – Piano Concerto No. 25 in C major, K.503

I. Allegro maestoso

II. Andante

III. Allegretto

INTERMISSION

0:47 BEETHOVEN – Symphony No. 3 in E-flat major, Opus 55 (Eroica)

I. Allegro con brio

II. Marcia funebre: Adagio assai

III. Scherzo and Trio: Allegro vivace

IV. Finale: Allegro molto

FAVORITE MASTERS

Friday, March 22

Saturday, March 23

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About the Music Program Insight

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Margaret Alkek Williams

Spotlight Series

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Guarantor

Barbara J. Burger

The Elkins Foundation

Underwriter

Alana R. Spiwak & Sam L. Stolbun

Sponsor

John & Dorothy McDonald

Video enhancement of Houston Symphony concerts is made possible by the Albert & Ethel Herzstein Foundation through a special gift celebrating the Foundation’s 50 th anniversary in 2015

The Classical Season is endowed by The Wortham Foundation, Inc ., in memory of Gus S. and Lyndall F. Wortham

The Houston Symphony’s Tragedy & Triumph Festival concludes this weekend as Music Director Juraj Valčuha leads a program that scales the heights, plumbs the depths, and illustrates one of the great revolutions in music history. Missy Mazzoli’s These Worlds In Us is a profound meditation on war and loss, inspired by both her father’s service in Vietnam and a poem by James Tate. World renowned pianist Emanuel Ax then joins the orchestra for Mozart’s beloved Piano Concerto No. 25 in C major, a work that epitomizes the elegance and grace of the Classical era, particularly in its sensuously beautiful slow movement. Mozart’s refined sound world prepares the ear to appreciate the shocking revolution wrought by Beethoven’s Eroica, a work that perhaps more than any other shattered the decorum of the Classical style and ushered in the Romantic era. No pairing could better highlight Beethoven’s innovative new sound, the likes of which had never been heard before.

—Calvin Dotsey

Program Notes

M. MAZZOLI

These Worlds In Us (2006)

MOZART

Piano Concerto No. 25 in C major, K.503 (1786)

The title These Worlds In Us comes from James Tate’s poem The Lost Pilot, a meditation on his father’s death in World War II: (excerpt)

My head cocked towards the sky, I cannot get off the ground, and you, passing over again,

fast, perfect and unwilling to tell me that you are doing well, or that it was a mistake

that placed you in that world, and me in this; or that misfortune placed these worlds in us.

This piece is dedicated to my father, who was a soldier during the Vietnam War. In talking to him, it occurred to me that, as we grow older, we accumulate worlds of intense memory within us, and that grief is often not far from joy. I like the idea that music can reflect painful and blissful sentiments in a single note or gesture, and sought to create a sound palette that I hope is at once completely new and strangely familiar to the listener. The theme of this work, a mournful line first played by the violins, collapses into glissandos almost immediately after it appears, giving the impression that the piece has been submerged under water or played on a turntable that is grinding to a halt. The melodicas (mouth organs) played by the percussionists in the opening and final gestures mimic the wheeze of a broken accordion, lending a particular vulnerability to the bookends of the work. The rhythmic structures and cyclical nature of the piece are inspired by the unique tension and logic of Balinese music, and the march-like figures in the percussion bring to mind the militaristic inspiration for the work as well as the relentless energy of electronica drum beats. —Missy

Mazzoli

Beyond the sheer number and quality of his piano concertos, Mozart’s great achievement in this medium consisted in merging the soloistic principles inherited from the baroque concerto with the organic logic inherent in classical symphonic form. That success is nowhere more apparent than in the great C major Concerto, K.503, that crowned a string of 15 piano concertos Mozart composed during the five-year period 1782–86.

While it may not be the most popular concerto among this group, it is certainly one of the grandest and most probing. Its tonality of C major prompts a spirit of boldness in the music, immediately announced in a

Program Notes

MOZART

Piano Concerto No. 25 in C major, K.503 (1786)

BEETHOVEN

Symphony No. 3 in E-flat major, Opus 55 , Eroica (1803)

martial introduction full of the sound of trumpets and drums. Amazingly, Mozart anticipates some of Haydn’s symphonic experiments by using this introductory theme to punctuate major sections in the first movement— the entrance of the piano, the recapitulation, and the end of the coda following the solo cadenza.

Like many a Mozart sonata-allegro form, the first movement contains numerous short themes. In the case of this concerto, they provide unity as well as variety, for most of these themes stem from a common rhythm of three eighth notes followed by one or more quarter notes. The movement is also one of the most contrapuntal examples of Mozart’s concerto writing, for the orchestra is heavily involved in thematic display and development, sometimes with several different melodic lines competing for the listener’s attention. Chiaroscuro harmonies shade the brilliant character of the music, as the prevailing C major unexpectedly gives way to C minor episodes and thematic sequences suddenly leap to remote tonalities. The Andante stands nicely in the company of poetic slow movements found in many of Mozart’s mature concertos. The poignant theme of this song form is fully stated by the orchestra before the piano enters with a more decorative version. The large seven-part rondo concluding the concerto is a typically bubbling Mozart finale. Once again, the orchestra leads off and, once the piano enters, there is almost a steady stream of decorative figuration, again unexpectedly changing its rhythmic values to provide delightful variety to the music.

Though Mozart apparently composed the concerto for an Advent concert in 1786, there is no documentation that the concert took place. It may have been performed at a Lenten concert in 1787, and it was included in a concert at Leipzig’s Gewandhaus on May 12, 1789, during a tour Mozart made of northern Germany. Sadly, the concert was so poorly subscribed that Mozart had to give away most of the tickets.

—Carl R. Cunningham

Perhaps no piece of music has been more pivotal in music history than Beethoven’s Third Symphony, a work provoked by personal crisis and geopolitical turmoil. After the French Revolution of 1789, many— including Beethoven—hoped a freer, more egalitarian society would emerge. The ensuing wars and reign of terror threatened these hopes, and Europe waited for a hero to save the revolution. By 1803, when Beethoven wrote this symphony, he seemed to have appeared: Napoleon Bonaparte.

Compounding the political crisis that surrounded Beethoven was an internal one—for years, Beethoven had experienced a gradual hearing loss that would eventually render him deaf. In 1802, Beethoven wrestled with this terrifying fate. He wrote that he was driven “almost to despair, a little more of that and I would have ended my life. It was only my art that held me back.”

Beethoven resolved to take a “new path” in his music, aspiring to create the symphonic equivalent of a Homeric epic with Napoleon as his subject.

Program Notes

BEETHOVEN

Symphony No. 3 in E-flat major, Opus 55 , Eroica (1803)

The music would be full of raw, wild dissonances and rhythms that could express epic struggle. Once completed, Beethoven would take the symphony to France. Like Homer’s Iliad, the first movement begins amid battle with two explosive chords. After this call to arms, the cellos intone the main idea of the movement. Their deep, rich sound gives the opening idea a masculine character, suggesting this is the hero. Fragmentary, lyrical ideas vie with more violent ones until a series of disorienting chords leads to a return to the beginning. This repetition (one of Beethoven’s few nods to tradition) allows listeners a second chance to process this complex music before the development begins. During the tumultuous development, the fragmentary ideas of the exposition interact, building to a crisis. The orchestra lunges from one dissonance to another, climaxing with a harrowing cry. After a pause, a ghostly new theme appears in the oboes. The music dies away until a lone horn call signals the heroic theme’s return, and the other main ideas reappear as well. After a reprise of the ghostly theme from the development, the music gradually crescendos as the heroic idea returns in triumph. The second movement is a reminder of the terrible cost of war. Modeled on funeral marches written in revolutionary France, it begins with a hushed melody for strings; the double basses imitate military drums. The movement alternates between music expressing intense grief, bittersweet memories, and heroic commemoration of the dead, building to an intense climax. The music returns to life in the third movement, interpreted by some as an expression of soldierly comradery. An oboe introduces a rustic melody, and the tune is passed from instrument to instrument like a whispered joke until the full orchestra finally says it out loud. The contrasting middle section features a trio of hunting horns. The finale, too, begins with a musical joke: a grand flourish leads to an anticlimactic, unadorned bass line. Beethoven drew this bass line from The Creatures of Prometheus, his 1801 ballet about the titan who stole fire from the gods and gave it to humanity, bringing enlightenment. The movement has thus been interpreted as the hero’s works of peace. Beethoven transforms the bass line in a series of imaginative variations that climaxes with a slow hymn. Beginning with the oboe, the instruments take up the hymn until all play it together.

Perhaps this is Beethoven’s vision of a creative society at peace. By 1804, Beethoven was eager to move to France, but one event upset his plans. His student Ferdinand Ries related, “At the very top of the title page [of the symphony] stood the word ‘Buonaparte’...I was the first to tell him the news that Bonaparte had declared himself emperor, whereupon he flew into a rage and shouted: ‘So he too is nothing more than an ordinary man. Now he will also trample all human rights underfoot [...]’ Beethoven went to the table, took hold of the title page at the top, ripped it all the way through, and flung it to the floor.” When the symphony was published in 1806, the title page read: “Heroic Symphony, in celebration of the memory of a great man.” In the end, it is likely not Napoleon, but Beethoven’s own personal struggles—especially with his hearing loss—that provided his ultimate inspiration. Though it was not his intention, many believe Beethoven himself is the true hero of this “heroic” symphony. —Calvin

Dotsey

Program Bios

Juraj Valčuha, conductor

See p. 6 for bio

Emanuel Ax, piano

Born to Polish parents in what is today Lviv, Ukraine, Emanuel Ax moved to Winnipeg, Canada, with his family when he was a young boy. He made his New York debut in the Young Concert Artists Series, and in 1974 won the first Arthur Rubinstein International Piano Competition in Tel Aviv. In 1975, he won the Michaels Award of Young Concert Artists, followed four years later by the Avery Fisher

Corporate Spotlight

Prize.

The 2023–24 Season focuses on the world premiere of Anders Hillborg’s piano concerto, commissioned for him by the San Francisco Symphony and EsaPekka Salonen, with subsequent performances in Stockholm and New York. A continuation of the “Beethoven For 3” touring and recording project with partners Leonidas Kavakos and Yo-Yo Ma took them to the mid-west in January. In recital, Emanuel was heard on the west coast in the fall and mid-west/east coast in the spring, and will culminate at Carnegie Hall in April. An extensive European tour includes concerts in Holland, Italy, Germany, France, and the Czech Republic.

Emanuel has been a Sony Classical exclusive recording artist since 1987, and following the success of the Brahms Trios with Kavakos and Ma, the trio launched an ambitious, multi-year project to record all the Beethoven Trios and Symphonies arranged for trio of which the

first two discs have recently been released. He has received Grammy Awards for the second and third volumes of his cycle of Haydn’s piano sonatas. He has also made a series of Grammy-winning recordings with cellist Yo-Yo Ma of the Beethoven and Brahms sonatas for cello and piano. In the 2004–05 Season, Emanuel contributed to an International Emmy Award-Winning BBC documentary commemorating the Holocaust that aired on the 60 th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. In 2013, his recording, Variations, received the Echo Klassik Award for Solo Recording of the Year (19 th Century Music/ Piano).

Emanuel Ax is a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and holds honorary doctorates of music from Skidmore College, New England Conservatory of Music, Yale University, and Columbia University. For more information about his career, please visit www.EmanuelAx.com. 

Founded in 1920 and headquartered in Houston, Occidental Petroleum is one of the largest U.S. oil and gas exploration and production companies, with more than 33,000 employees and contractors globally, including approximately 12,000 here in Texas. Occidental works to enhance the communities where it operates by investing time and resources in programs that educate and invigorate those around them. Occidental’s employees are the backbone of these efforts; their ideas, enthusiasm, and energy help to strengthen communities and make the neighborhoods where the company operates even better places to live.

Occidental Petroleum is a generous supporter of the Houston Symphony and its industry-leading High School Residency program.

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Greg Casamayor VP, Private Wealth Advisor

Transformation for Generations

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Featured Program

Romeo and juliet + DVOŘÁK’S CELLO CONCERTO

Xian Zhang, conductor Brinton Averil Smith, cello

0:07 D. CHANG – Northern Star

0:40 DVOŘÁK – Cello Concerto in B minor, Opus 104, B. 191

I. Allegro

II. Adagio ma non troppo

III. Finale: Allegro moderato INTERMISSION

0:24 PROKOFIEV – Selections from Romeo and Juliet, Opus 64 Montagues and Capulets

The Young Juliet Minuet Masks

The Death of Tybalt Romeo at the Tomb of Juliet

Friday, March 29

Saturday, March 30

About the Music Program Insight

Jones Hall 8:00 p.m.

Jones Hall & Livestream 8:00 p.m.

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS

The 2023–24 Classical Season is in thanksgiving for Janice H. and Thomas D. Barrow

Thank you to our Houston Symphony Livestream Consortium Donors: Guarantor

Barbara J. Burger

The Elkins Foundation Underwriter

Alana R. Spiwak & Sam L. Stolbun

Sponsor

John & Dorothy McDonald

Video enhancement of Houston Symphony concerts is made possible by the Albert & Ethel Herzstein Foundation through a special gift celebrating the Foundation’s 50 th anniversary in 2015

The Classical Season is endowed by The Wortham Foundation, Inc ., in memory of Gus S. and Lyndall F. Wortham

This weekend, the Houston Symphony welcomes acclaimed guest conductor Xian Zhang to the podium for a program of works with a decidedly romantic thrust. Originally written for the True North Symphonic Ballet project, Dorothy Chang’s Northern Star explores the metaphor of the North Star as a guiding light which leads from “darkness in the aftermath of war and destruction [...] back to humanity” with finely wrought music that gradually accelerates. The Houston Symphony’s own Principal Cellist Brinton Averil Smith then takes center stage for perhaps the greatest of all cello concertos. Composed at the end of the composer’s time in the United States, Dvořák’s Cello Concerto is a deeply personal work composed in response to the final illness and passing of a woman he loved. Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet needs no introduction, but perhaps more than any other musical adaption, Prokofiev’s ballet based on this timeless tale captures the adolescent vitality of the play’s characters with its unique blend of irony, psychological insight, and unforgettable melodies. —Calvin Dotsey

Program Notes

D. CHANG

Northern Star (2017)

Northern Star was commissioned by the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra as the fourth movement of the True North Symphonic Ballet project, a large-scale collaboration in honor of Canada’s 150th celebration, curated by the CPO’s New Music Advisor Vincent Ho. Beginning from a place of darkness in the aftermath of war and destruction, the work centers around the northern star as the shining light that illuminates our way back to humanity. —Dorothy Chang

DVOŘÁK

Cello Concerto in B minor, Opus 104, b. 191 (1895)

Dvořák’s B minor Cello Concerto is the most popular work of its kind, but Dvořák approached the idea of writing it only after hearing the premiere of Victor Herbert’s successful concerto, toward the end of his three-year stay in New York. The work—Dvořák’s second attempt at the form—was written during a three-month period between November 8, 1894, and February 9, 1895. Following a cello concerto he left unfinished more than 20 years earlier, it was prompted by the persistent urging of his old friend, Bohemian cellist Hans Wihan, to whom Dvořák dedicated the work. Unfortunately, the concerto was the source of some disagreement as Wihan edited some passages for greater effectiveness and added a cadenza—all which Dvořák opposed. The cadenza was excised from the published version, but Wilhan’s other changes were retained.

The concerto opens directly with the main theme—a tightly focused fournote motive that is immediately turned upside down into a nearly exact mirror image of itself. After being stated and developed in the clarinet, violins and, finally, the full orchestra, it gives way to a blooming second theme that counts as one of the most famous solo passages in the horn literature. At that point, a short martial theme for full orchestra leads to the entrance of the solo cello, which expounds upon the first and second themes. In the development section, Dvořák concentrates upon the main theme, subjecting it to many mood transformations. Following a long passage of increasingly agitated figuration in the solo cello, the broad second theme bursts forth in the full orchestra, announcing the recapitulation section. The main theme is reserved for the first movement’s climactic coda.

The slow movement is a series of very tender, yearning melodies and is considered one of the most personal, revealing movements Dvořák ever composed. An extended duet for the clarinets leads off the movement, accompanied by other woodwinds in a running conversation with the solo cello. A sudden brief outburst—considered by some the evocation of a funeral march—briefly interrupts the lyrical mood, only to be followed by an orchestral adaptation of Dvořák’s plaintive song, “Leave Me Alone,” Opus 82, No. 1. Because the song was a favorite of Dvořák’s beloved sister-in-law, Josefa Čermáková, this sighing flute/cello duet is often regarded as the composer’s personal response to the news that she was very ill back home in Bohemia. (Like Mozart, Dvořák married the sister of the woman he really loved.)

Program Notes

DVOŘÁK

Cello Concerto in B minor, Opus 104, b. 191 (1895)

The finale is essentially a large rondo combining a string of rustic, robust dance melodies with gentler, song-like interludes. A slow, nostalgic metamorphosis of the concerto’s main theme occurs in the coda, emphasizing Dvořák's longing for his homeland. When the composer returned to Bohemia in the spring of 1895, he learned to his sorrow that Josefa had passed away. At that point, he revised and lengthened the coda, adding a reminiscence of her second movement theme as well as the main theme of the first movement.—Carl R. Cunningham

PROKOFIEV

Selections from Romeo and Juliet (1935)

Amid the turmoil of the Russian Revolution and the impending Russian Civil War, Prokofiev left the nascent Soviet Union in 1918; he would spend much of the following 18 years living in the United States and France. Although he completed many masterpieces, Prokofiev was dissatisfied with his career in the West; his musical style, neither traditional enough for the traditionalists nor avant-garde enough for the modernists, was misunderstood, and he felt he did not receive enough opportunities to compose major works.

For these reasons, he began to visit the Soviet Union in 1927; perhaps his music would fare better in his native land, where audiences had given him his first successes. The Soviet authorities were all too happy to encourage Prokofiev in this direction—many artists had left the Soviet Union both during and after the revolution. Winning one back would be a signal to the world of the cultural legitimacy of the new regime.

It was within this context that in 1934 the Leningrad opera house commissioned Prokofiev to compose a ballet on Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. The project was fraught with difficulties. The Kirov dropped the commission, which was picked up by the Bolshoi in Moscow instead. Further problems arose when Prokofiev presented his first draft in 1935. Even though he was an experienced ballet composer, his music was criticized as too complicated for dancers. Another conflict was likely self-created: Perhaps to please Soviet censors, Prokofiev and his collaborators initially chose to let Shakespeare’s star-crossed lovers live happily ever after—typically, happy endings were favored as they were more compatible with propagandistic themes. In this case, however, authorities balked at deviating from Shakespeare and insisted on a rewrite. Ironically, Prokofiev recycled much of the happy ending music in Juliet’s death scene.

Worried about the fate of his ballet, Prokofiev was persuaded to permanently relocate to Russia with his wife and sons in 1936. Despite promises of special travel privileges, his passport was confiscated just in time for Stalin’s infamous purges of 1937. The director of the Bolshoi did not survive, and the ballet’s Moscow premiere was canceled. Instead, the work was first performed in comparatively provincial Brno. Only in 1940 (after administrators imposed further revisions) was the ballet staged in Leningrad. Despite everything, it proved one of the brilliant successes of Prokofiev’s career.

Program Notes

PROKOFIEV

Selections from Romeo and Juliet (1935)

During the uncertain days of 1936, however, Prokofiev prepared several suites of excerpts from Romeo and Juliet to ensure his music would be heard even if the ballet was not staged. These excerpts, which differ in some respects from the music in the final score, continue to be popular in concert halls today.

“Montagues and Capulets” fuses a dissonant crescendo embodying the vendetta between the two families with the famous “Dance of the Knights” from the ball scene. Next, “The Young Juliet” accompanies the titular heroine’s first appearance. The opening captures her girlish playfulness as she teases her nurse, while in a more meditative section her mother tells her she must soon wed. The “Minuet” opens the ball scene, followed immediately by “Masks,” in which Romeo and the Montagues prepare to crash the party. “The Death of Tybalt” includes music from the fatal duels of first Mercutio and Tybalt and then Tybalt and Romeo. Last, “Romeo at the Tomb of Juliet” expresses the anguish of both the Capulets and later Romeo at Juliet’s grave.—Calvin

Dotsey

Program Bios

Xian Zhang, conductor

This season marks Xian Zhang’s eighth season as Music Director of the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, which celebrated its centennial last season. She also holds the positions of Principal Guest Conductor of Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and Conductor Emeritus of Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano, having previously held the position of Music Director, 2009–2016.

In high demand as a guest conductor, Xian juggles an

exceptionally busy diary of guest engagements alongside her titled commitments. During the 2023–24 Season, she conducts Puccini’s Madama Butterfly at New York’s Metropolitan Opera. Anthony Minghella’s acclaimed production features a star-filled cast with Aleksandra Kurzak, Eleanora Buratto, and Asmik Grigorian sharing the role of CioCio-San, and Matthew Polezani as Pinkerton.

Following a busy summer 2023 season, which saw her conducting Boston Symphony at Tanglewood, Xian’s symphonic highlights include returns to the Houston Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra, Seattle Symphony, Orquestra Sinfônica do Estado de São Paulo, Orchestra of St Luke’s, and the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington, D.C. She remains a popular guest of the London Symphony Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, San Francisco

Symphony, Detroit Symphony, Baltimore Symphony, Montreal Symphony, Toronto Symphony, NAC Ottawa, Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse, Belgian National Orchestra, and the Norwegian Opera, where she returned last season for Puccini’s Tosca.

Letters for The Future (released in 2022), Xian’s recording on Deutsche Grammophon with the Philadelphia Orchestra, and Time for Three, won multiple Grammy awards in both the Best Contemporary Classical Composition (Kevin Puts’s Contact) and Best Classical Instrumental Solo categories.

Xian previously served as Principal Guest Conductor of the BBC National Orchestra and Chorus of Wales, the first female conductor to hold a titled role with a BBC orchestra. In 2002, she won first prize in the Maazel-Vilar Conductor's Competition. She was

Program Bios

appointed New York Philharmonic’s Assistant Conductor in 2002, subsequently becoming the orchestra’s Associate Conductor and the first holder of the Arturo Toscanini Chair. 

Brinton Averil Smith, cello

Critics have hailed Houston Symphony Principal Cellist Brinton Averil Smith as a “virtuoso cellist with few equals.” Reviewing his internationally acclaimed debut recording of Miklós Rózsa’s Cello Concerto, Gramophone proclaimed him a “hugely eloquent, impassioned soloist,” and wrote of his most recent release, Exiles in Paradise, “Smith teems with old-school elegance.” Classics

Corporate Spotlight

Today wrote of his live recording of Castelnuovo-Tedesco's Cello Concerto with the Houston Symphony, “Smith plays the living daylights out of it. His full tone, impeccable intonation, and fleet passage work lets the music soar,” while BBC Music magazine declared, “his is a cast iron technique of verve and refinement put entirely at the service of the music. The artistry on display here is breathtaking...”

Brinton's engagements include performances at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and recital and concerto appearances throughout the United States. His broadcast performances include CBS's Sunday Morning and NPR’s Performance Today, while his live performances on YouTube have been viewed more than one million times. Brinton has collaborated with cellists Yo-Yo Ma and Lynn Harrell; pianists Yefim Bronfman, Emanuel Ax, Jeffrey Kahane, and Kirill Gerstein; and violinists Gil Shaham and James Ehnes. He is a faculty member of the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University and the Aspen Music Festival. Prior to joining the Houston Symphony

in 2005, he was a member of the New York Philharmonic and the principal cellist of the Fort Worth and San Diego symphonies. The son of a mathematician and a pianist, Brinton was admitted to Arizona State University at age 10 and completed a B.A. in mathematics at age 17. While a cello student of Eleonore Schoenfeld at the University of Southern California, he completed work at age 19 for an M.A. in mathematics. He subsequently studied with the legendary cellist Zara Nelsova at The Juilliard School where he received a doctor of musical arts degree, writing on the playing of Emanuel Feuermann. Brinton lives in Houston with his wife, the pianist Evelyn Chen, and their enormous but benevolent dog. Their daughter, Calista, is a soprano studying at Northwestern University. His cello was made by Gaetano Pasta in Brescia, c.1710. 

Rémy Martin is among the oldest cognac producers still in existence, embodying the artistry and craftsmanship of French distilling traditions. Founded in 1724, Rémy Martin has established itself as a symbol of luxury and refinement, renowned for producing some of the world's finest cognacs. The company's dedication to crafting exquisite blends, such as the renowned Louis XIII, reflects an unwavering commitment to perfection. Rémy Martin is a proud sponsor of the Houston Symphony. With a shared passion for excellence, Rémy Martin and the Houston Symphony bring forth a harmonious union of musical artistry and elevated experiences.

Visit remymartin.com to learn more.

Spotlight on the Houston Symphony’s

YOUNG ASSOCIATES COUNCIL

The Houston Symphony’s Young Associates Council (YAC) is a community of philanthropic young professionals aged 45 and under who share a common love for music and a desire to engage with the Houston Symphony in a meaningful way. In addition to exclusive benefits and special musically focused events, YAC members receive invitations to a wide variety of exciting experiences from behind-the-scenes interactions with the musicians of the Houston Symphony to jawdropping private performances by world-class virtuosos and more.

The Young Associates Council is a vital part of the Houston Symphony, paving the way for the future of the organization. As a group, the YAC is pleased to sponsor the Tragedy & Triumph Festival: Valčuha Conducts Mahler 6 weekend. With more than 100 members from a wide range of professional industries, the YAC is the perfect place to connect with other music lovers from a variety of different backgrounds. Whether you're a seasoned symphony enthusiast or a newcomer to the world of classical music, the YAC invites you to experience everything the Houston Symphony has to offer as part of our inclusive community!

SCAN HERE TO JOIN!

Interested in joining us?

Contact Katie Salvatore, Development Officer, at yac@houstonsymphony.org or 713.337.8544 to learn more!

The Young Associates Council introduces young professionals to the Houston Symphony in a way that is accessible and comfortable so they can gain a further appreciation of music. Our hope is that participating in the YAC encourages a lifetime of support of the Symphony.

2018

My husband and I have always enjoyed attending Houston Symphony concerts, first as a couple and now with our children! The YAC’s fundraising effort to sponsor a concert allows us to show our appreciation for Juraj and how impressed we are with the orchestra’s performance under his baton.

Liana Schwaitzberg

2017

Joining the YAC has allowed me to support Houston’s vibrant arts community and build meaningful relationships with like-minded young professionals. I feel so lucky to have a front-row seat to the Symphony’s good works across the city, including its Education and Community Engagement initiatives.

2021

Kirby Lodholz YAC Chair, Member Since

YAC Member Since

Lindsay Buchanan YAC Member Since

2024 HOUSTON SYMPHONY BALL

VIENNA FÊTE IMPÉRIALE

The 2024 Houston Symphony Ball, Vienna Fête Impériale, returned to The Post Oak Hotel at Uptown Houston on January 27 for a night of elegance and sophistication. Chaired by Tammie & Dr. Charles Johnson and Drs. Alice Mao Brams & Matt Brams, the Ball raised more than $1 million for the Symphony’s Education and Community Engagement initiatives.

This glamorous evening celebrated the Houston Symphony and the culture of Vienna, a major center of arts and cultural development in Europe and the one of the most important cities to the history of classical music. The event featured a ceremonial program that paid tribute to 18th century balls and included a debutante Viennese waltz opening. The white tie–encouraged event welcomed more than 400 revelers who bid on unique and extravagant items and experiences in a luxury silent auction chaired by Deborah Laws & Christine Johnson.

The space was transformed into an enchanted Viennese-inspired ballroom by The Events Company Guests enjoyed a gourmet multi-course dinner by the hotel’s own Executive Chef Jean-Luc Royere, accompanied by wine pairings meticulously selected by Lindy & John Rydman and Lisa Rydman Lindsey of Spec’s Wines, Spirits & Finer Foods. After dinner, guests moved to the dance floor and danced the night away with the Grammy-nominated artists of Q The Band.

The 2024 Ball also recognized some of the Symphony’s greatest supporters and advocates. This year’s honorees were Dr. Sippi Khurana (Stewart Orton Golden Baton Award of Extraordinary Volunteer Service), Brigitte & Bashar Kalai (Houston Symphony Philanthropy Award), and Betty & Jesse Tutor (Houston Symphony Lifetime Achievement Award). They were honored for their support of the Symphony, philanthropic contributions to the arts, and impact on the Houston community.

Ball Chairs Dr. Charles & Tammie Johnson, Honorees Bashar & Brigitte Kalai, Ajay & Sippi Khurana, Betty & Jesse Tutor, and Chairs Drs. Alice Mao Brams & Matt Brams

2024 Houston Symphony Ball at the Post Oak Hotel

Margaret Alkek Williams and Houston Symphony Executive Director/CEO John Mangum

Daniel Irion & Kirk Kveton

Guests enjoy the 2024 Houston Symphony Ball Auction

Roslyn Bazzelle Mitchell and Elia Gabbanelli

Houston Symphony

Janet

Becky

SPRING

World Premiere

DACAMERA co-commission

ETIENNE CHARLES

EARTH TONES

DACAMERA and The Shepherd School of Music at Rice University present MATTHEW AUCOIN COMPOSER AND CONDUCTOR PETER SELLARS DIRECTOR

MUSIC FOR NEW BODIES

APRIL 19–20

A weekend exploring music and our evolving human responses to the environment.

FRIDAY, APRIL 19 | 8 pm

Cullen Theater, Wortham Theater Center

A new multimedia creation by the trumpeter/composer, employing sounds, stories, images, film and musical styles from at-risk coastal communities.

World Premiere | Concert Performance

SATURDAY, APRIL 20 | 8 pm

Brockman Hall for Opera, Shepherd School of Music, Rice University

Music for New Bodies is an immersion in vast planetary processes, exploring humankind’s impact on our planet and cycles so immense that they are beyond human influence.

ETIENNE CHARLES

MATTHEW AUCOIN

Hstn Symp Ad_Unsilent_7.75x5.25.indd

Carmina burana

April 26, 27 & 28 | Jones Hall

Also coming soon:

Pines of Rome + Grieg’s Piano Concerto Gold Classics

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Dr. and Mrs. George H. Ransford

Vicky & Michael Richker

Jill and Allyn Risley

Dr. Douglas and Alicia Rodenberger

Linda & Jerry Rubenstein

Susan D. Sarofim

Garry and Margaret Schoonover

Susan and Ed Septimus

Laura & Mike Shannon

Donna and Tim Shen

Dr. & Mrs. Robert B. Sloan

Houston Christian University

Mr. and Mrs. Jim R. Smith

Anthony and Lori Speier

Mr. and Mrs. Karl Strobl

Drs. Ishwaria & Vivek Subbiah

Mrs. Marguerite M. Swartz

Mr. & Mrs. Tony Williford

Doug and Kay Wilson

Ms. Beth Wolff

Robert and Michele Yekovich

Anonymous

Mr. & Mrs. Steven Sherman

Mr. and Mrs. Lance Smith

Mr. and Mrs. Quentin Smith

Mr. and Mrs. George Sneed

Sam & Linda Snyder

Richard & Mary Spies

Elizabeth and Alan Stein

Susan L. Thompson

Carol and Eric Timmreck

Nanako & Dale Tingleaf

Pamalah* and Stephen Tipps

Dr. Brad and Mrs. Frances Urquhart

Mr. and Mrs. David Vannauker

David and Robin Walstad

Dr. Robert Wilkins and Dr. Mary Ann ReynoldsWilkins

Nancy B. Willerson**

Ms. Barbara E. Williams

Doug Williams and Janice Robertson

Ms. Tara Wilson

Woodell Family Foundation

Mr. & Mrs. C. Clifford Wright

Jr.

Mrs. Lorraine Wulfe

Trish and Steve Yatauro

Erla & Harry Zuber

Anonymous (8)

Our Donors

$2,500+

Mr. James S. Adams II

Dr. Julia Andrieni and Dr. Rob Phillips**

Rick Ankrom

Candida Aversenti

Ms. Jacqueline Baly

Mr. and Mrs. Stephen J. Banks

Consurgo Sunshine

Tatyana and Edward Baumgartner

Drs. Henry & Louise Bethea

Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Bickel

Mr. and Mrs. Gerald W. Bodzy

George Boerger

Mr. Russell Boone

Margery Anderson and Farhad Bozorgmehr

Mr. and Mrs. Kevin J. Bradford

Mr. Sonny Brandtner

Joe Brazzatti

Jane and Ron Brownlee

Mr. and Mrs. Laurence Burns

Justice Brett and Erin Busby

David Bush

Cheryl & Sam* Byington

Mr. Steve Carroll & Ms. Rachel Dolbier

Margot & John Cater

Drs. David A. Cech and Mary R. Schwartz

Lynn Coe

Mr. and Mrs. J. Carlton Cook

Ms. Sandra Cooper

Mr. and Mrs. John Dabbar

Mrs. Myriam Degreve

Joseph and Rebecca Demeter

Dr. and Mrs. Allen Deutsch

Mrs. Edward N. Earle

Mr. John Egbert and Ms. Kathy Beck

Mr. William P. Elbel and Ms. Mary J. Schroeder

Mr. and Mrs. David French

Dr. and Mrs. Robert H. Fusillo

Mr. Alejandro E. Gallardo

Ms. Leslie Gassner

Wm. David George, Ph.D.

Jill Gildroy

Dr. Michael Gillin and Ms. Pamela Newberry

Kathy & Albrecht Goethe

Ms. Lidiya Gold

Julianne & David Gorte

Rebecca and Andrew Gould

Mrs. Lena Grabowski**

Mr. and Mrs. Charles H. Gregory

Cortney Guebara

Mr. and Mrs. Charles R. Hall

Dr. & Mrs. Carlos R. Hamilton Jr.

Barbara and Christopher Hekel

Richard and Arianda Hicks

Mr. Stanley Hoffberger

Mr. and Mrs. John Homier

Mr. and Mrs. R. O. Hunton

C. Birk Hutchens

Mr. and Mrs. Rick C. Jaramillo

Mady & Ken Kades

Ms. Mandy Kao

Anna Kaplan

Kathryn L. Ketelsen

Hoole & Kramr CPAs -

Samantha and Chris Kramr

Jane & Kevin Kremer

Kirk Kveton

Stephanie and Richard Langenstein

Ms. Deborah Laws

Dr. Hilary Beaver & Dr. Andrew Lee

Evelyn Leightman

Mr. William W. Lindley

Matthew and Kristen Loden

Kirby and David Lodholz

Mr. and Mrs. Stephen A. Lubanko

Music Director Fund

Mr. & Mrs. Peter MacGregor

Ms. Mary Marquardsen

David and Heidi Massin

Mr. and Mrs. Christopher McCarty

William D. & Karinne McCullough

Mary Ann & David McKeithan

Stephen & Marilyn Miles

Larry and Lyn Miller

David and Jamie Ming

Ginni and Richard Mithoff

David R. Moore

Amanda Morgan

Richard & Juliet Moynihan

Stephanie Weber and Paul Muri

Mr. & Mrs. Richard Murphy

Mr. & Mrs. Robert E. Nelson

Mr. and Mrs. Geoffrey B. Newton

Mr. and Mrs. Anthony J. Nocella

Ms. Barbara Nussmann

Macky Osorio

Dr. Michael A. Ozer and Ms. Patricia A. Kalmans

Nancy Parra

George & Elizabeth Passela

Mrs. Fran Fawcett Peterson

Linda Tarpley Peterson

Dr. and Mr. Vanitha Pothuri

Roland and Linda Pringle

Mrs. Dana Puddy

Mr. & Mrs. Florante Quiocho

Clinton and Leigh Rappole

Dr. Michael and Janet

Rasmussen

Dr. and Mrs. William H. Reading, MD

Mr. and Mrs. David Reeves

Mr. & Mrs. J.B. Reimer

Patricia Richards

Mr. and Mrs. Nicholas Rockecharlie

Mrs. Diane Roederer

Dr. and Mrs. Franklin Rose

Mr. and Mrs. Bryan Ruez

Mr. & Mrs. John Ryder

Mr. Robert T. Sakowitz

Harold H. Sandstead, M.D.

Lawrence P. Schanzmeyer

Mr. Tony W. Schlicht

Dr. Mark A. Schusterman

Ms. Becky V. Shaw

Mr. Carlos Sierra

Leslie Siller

Hinda Simon

Georgiana Stanley

Jeaneen and Tim Stastny

Christine Ann Stevens & Richard Crishock

Mr. & Mrs. Hans Strohmer

Mr. Bill Stubbs

Dr. and Mrs. Van W. Teeters

Emily H. & David K. Terry

Juliana and Stephen Tew

Musicians of the Houston Symphony Inc.

Jean and Doug Thomas

Courtney & Bill Toomey

Sal and Denise Torrisi

Patricia Van Allan

Mr. & Mrs. Douglas Walt

H. Richard Walton

Nancy Ames and Danny Ward

Alton and Carolyn Warren

Ms. Katherine Warren

Dr. and Mrs. Richard T. Weiss

Mr. and Mrs. Dennis Williams

Mr. and Mrs. Christopher Winkler

Scott and Lori Wulfe

Mrs. Linda Yelin

Mr. and Mrs. Charles Zabriskie

Anonymous (4)

The Houston Symphony has entered a new era with the introduction of internationally acclaimed conductor, Juraj Valčuha, as our Music Director. The purpose of the Music Director Fund is to provide leadership support to allow Maestro Valčuha to realize his artistic vision.

To join the Music Director Fund, supporters make a leadership gift of $100,000 above and beyond their annual giving. To participate, please contact Christine Ann Stevens, Senior Director, Development at christine.stevens@houstonsymphony.org or 713.337.8521.

Margaret Alkek Williams

Robin Angly & Miles Smith

Janice Barrow*

Gary and Marian Beauchamp/The Beauchamp Foundation

Barbara J. Burger

Albert & Anne Chao

Jane and Robert* Cizik

Janet F. Clark

Cullen Trust for the Performing Arts

Gardenia Foundation

Cindy E. Levit

Barbara and Pat McCelvey

John & Lindy Rydman / Spec’s Wines, Spirits & Finer Foods

Mike Stude

Young Associates Council

The Houston Symphony’s Young Associates Council (YAC) is a philanthropic membership group for young professionals, music aficionados, and performing arts supporters interested in exploring symphonic music within Houston’s flourishing artistic landscape. YAC members are afforded exclusive opportunities to participate in musically focused events that take place not only in Jones Hall, but also in the city’s most sought-after venues, private homes, and friendly neighborhood hangouts. From behind-the-scenes interactions with the musicians of the Houston Symphony to jaw-dropping private performances by world-class virtuosos, the Houston Symphony’s Young Associates Council offers incomparable insight and accessibility to the music and musicians that are shaping the next era of orchestral music.

YOUNG ASSOCIATE LEADERSHIP

Kirby Lodholz, Chair

Carrie Brandsberg-Dahl, Vice Chair

YAC - CONDUCTOR'S CIRCLE ($5,000+)

Carrie and Sverre BrandsbergDahl#

Eric Brueggeman

Lindsay Buchanan#

Vicky Dominguez

Carolyn and Patrick Gaidos

Claudio Gutiérrez

Lori Harrington and Parashar Saikia

Elaine and Jeff Hiller#

Carey Kirkpatrick

Elissa and Jarrod Martin

YAC - VIRTUOSO CIRCLE ($2,500-$4,999)

Christopher P. Armstrong and Laura Schaffer

Lauren and Mark Bahorich

Tim Ong and Michael Baugh

Emily Bivona and Ryan Manser

Haydée del Calvo and Esteban Montero

Xandro Canales

YAC ($1,500-$2,499)

Kendrick Alridge

Amber Ali

Fiona Anklesaria

Luisa Banos and Vladi Gorelik

Mandy Beatriz

Adair and Kevin Brueggeman

David Chaluh

Lincoln Chen

Megan and John Degenstein

Aurelia and Jeffrey Detwiler

Chante Westmoreland Dillard and Joseph Dillard

Evin Ashley Erdoğdu

Ryan Cantrell

Denise and Brandon Davis

Andria Elkins

Laurel Flores#

Allegra Lilly and Robin Kesselman#

Kirby and David Lodholz#

Kelser McMiller#

Laurel Flores, Communications Chair

Jeff Hiller, Membership Chair

Joshua McDonald

Aprill Nelson#

Liana and Andrew Schwaitzberg#

Aerin and Quentin Smith#

Justin Stenberg#

Ishwaria and Vivek Subbiah

Gwen and Jay McMurrey

David R. Moore

Sergio Morales

Emily and Joseph MorrelPorter Hedges LLP

Stephanie Weber and Paul Muri

Maxine Olefsky and Justin Kenney

Kusum and K. Cody Patel#

Carlos Sierra

Kristin and Leonard Wood

Owen Zhang

Adam Ewald

Florence Francis

Kallie Gallagher

Patrick B. Garvey

Amy Goodpasture

Rebecca and Andrew Gould

Nicholas Gruy

Kendall and Chris Hanno

Ashley and John Horstman

C. Birk Hutchens

Mariya Idenova

Jonathan T. Jan

Anna Kaplan

For more information, please contact Katie Salvatore, Development Officer, at katie.salvatore@houstonsymphony.org or 713.337.8544.

Lina Liu

Marisa and Tandy Lofland

Joel Luks

Miriam Meriwani

Shane A. Miller

Zoe Miller

David Moyer

Trevor Myers

Lee Bar-Eli and Cliff Nash

Lauren Paine

Blake Plaster

Anna Robshaw

Clarice Jacobson and Brian Rosenzweig

Chicovia Scott

Tim Sesby

Leonardo Soto

Bryce Swinford

Elise Wagner#

Alexander Webb

Kathy Zhang-Rutledge and Mack Wilson

Marquis Wincher

# Steering Committee

Corporate, Foundation & Government Partners

The Houston Symphony is proud to recognize the leadership support of our corporate, foundation, and government partners that allows the orchestra to reach new heights in musical performance, education, and community engagement, for Greater Houston and the Gulf Coast Region.

CORPORATE PARTNERS (as of February 29, 2024)

Principal Corporate Guarantor ($250,000 and above)

Spec’s Wines, Spirits & Finer Foods / Spec’s Charitable Foundation**

Grand Guarantor ($150,000 and above)

ConocoPhillips**

Guarantor ($100,000 and above)

Bank of America

Boston Consulting Group* Frost Bank

Underwriter ($50,000 and above)

Amerapex

Baker Botts L.L.P.*

Cameron Management*

Chevron**

CKP*

Houston Christian University

Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo**

Sponsor ($25,000 and above)

EOG Resources

The Events Company*

ExxonMobil

H-E-B/H-E-B Tournament of Champions**

Partner ($15,000 and above)

Beam Suntory City Kitchen* Faberge

Supporter ($10,000 and above)

American Tank and Vessel, Inc.

Accordant Advisors*

Houston First Corporation*

Marine Foods Express, Ltd.**

Mark Kamin & Associates

Benefactor ($5,000 and above)

Beck Redden LLP

Russell Reynolds Associates, Inc.

Patron (Gifts below $5,000)

Amazon

Avatar Innovations

Baker Hughes

Christian Dior

KPMG US Foundation, Inc.

Houston Methodist* KTRK ABC-13*

Kalsi Engineering Oliver Wyman* PaperCity*

Kinder Morgan Foundation** Kirkland & Ellis

The Lancaster Hotel* Nexus Health Systems

Oxy**

PNC**

Rémy Martin Sewell

Neiman Marcus*

One Market Square Garage* Rand Group, LLC* Silver Eagle Distributors Houston, LLC

Gorman’s Uniform Service Jackson & Company*

New Timmy Chan Corporation Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe, L.L.P.

University of St. Thomas* Volume Social Club*

Shell USA, Inc.**

Silver Eagle Beverages Truist

Univision Houston & Amor 106.5FM Vinson & Elkins LLP

Lockton Companies of Houston USI Southwest

Quantum Energy Partners

Sire Spirits

Beth Wolff Realtors

Vivaldi Music Academy

Zenfilm*

Wortham Insurance & Risk Management

Mercantil ONEOK, Inc.

Nippon Steel North America, Inc.

Quantum Bass Center*

SEI, Global Institutional Group

For information on becoming a corporate partner, please contact Timothy Dillow, Senior Director, Development, at timothy.dillow@houstonsymphony.org or 713.337.8538.

SERCA Wines*

Smith, Graham & Company

Soren Pedersen Catering & Events*

Stewart Title Company

TAM International, Inc.

* Includes in-kind support

**Education and Community Engagement Support

Corporate, Foundation & Government Partners

FOUNDATIONS & GOVERNMENT AGENCIES (as of February 29, 2024)

Diamond Guarantor ($1,000,000 and above)

The Brown Foundation, Inc.

Houston Symphony Endowment**

Premier Guarantor ($500,000 and above)

The Alkek and Williams Foundation

Grand Guarantor ($150,000 and above)

City of Houston through the Miller Theatre Advisory Board**

The Cullen Foundation

Guarantor ($100,000 and above)

The Jerry C. Dearing Family Foundation

Underwriter ($50,000 and above)

Albert and Ethel Herzstein Charitable Foundation Beauchamp Foundation

The Elkins Foundation

Sponsor ($25,000 and above)

The Melbern G. & Susanne M. Glasscock Foundation**

Partner ($15,000 and above)

Ruth & Ted Bauer Family Foundation**

William E. & Natoma Pyle Harvey Charitable Foundation**

The Hood-Barrow Foundation

Supporter ($10,000 and above)

Edward H. Andrews

The Carleen & Alde Fridge Foundation

George & Mary Josephine Hamman Foundation

Benefactor ($5,000 and above)

Leon Jaworski Foundation

Patron (Gifts below $5,000)

The Lubrizol Foundation

The Scurlock Foundation

Houston Symphony League

The Wortham Foundation, Inc.

City of Houston through Houston Arts Alliance

The Cullen Trust for the Performing Arts

The Hearst Foundation**

The Humphreys Foundation

MD Anderson Foundation

The Houston Arts Combined Endowment Fund

The Fondren Foundation

Houston Symphony Chorus Endowment

LTR Lewis Cloverdale Foundation

William S. & Lora Jean Kilroy Foundation

The Vivian L. Smith Foundation**

The Schissler Foundation

Sterling-Turner Foundation

The Vaughn Foundation

The C. Howard Pieper Foundation

Texas Commission on the Arts**

John P. McGovern Foundation** The Powell Foundation**

The William Stamps Farish Fund

Petrello Family Foundation

The Pierce Runnells Foundation

Strake Foundation**

The Radoff Family Foundation

Keith & Mattie Stevenson Foundation

For information about becoming a foundation or government partner, please contact Christina Trunzo, Director, Foundation Relations, at christina.trunzo@houstonsymphony.org or 713.337.8530. **Education and Community Engagement Support

Houston Symphony Endowment

The Houston Symphony Endowment is organized and operated exclusively for the benefit of the Houston Symphony Society. Your contributions to the Endowment ensure the financial sustainability of your orchestra now and for generations to come.

A named endowed fund is a wonderful way to honor a loved one or to celebrate you and your family’s passion for the Houston Symphony. Named funds may be permanently established within the Houston Symphony Endowment with a minimum contribution of $250,000. Your fund can be designated for general purposes or specific interests.

One of the most impactful funds you can create is an Endowed Orchestra Chair. Opportunities to endow an Orchestral Chair begin at $1,500,000. Endowing a chair provides the Houston Symphony with funds to attract, retain, and support musicians of the highest caliber.

For more information about how you may support the Houston Symphony Endowment through a bequest or with a gift during your lifetime, please contact Hadia Mawlawi, Senior Associate, Endowment and Planned Giving, at hadia.mawlawi@houstonsymphony.org or 713.337.8532.

TRUSTEES

James H. Lee, President

David Krieger

ENDOWMENT FUNDS $250,000+

Janice H. and Thomas D. Barrow Chair

Brinton Averil Smith, Principal Cello

Barbara J. Burger Chair

Ian Mayton, Horn

The Brown Foundation Guest Pianist Fund

The Brown Foundation Miller Outdoor Theatre Fund in memory of Hanni and Stewart Orton, Legacy Society Co-Founders

Margarett and Alice Brown Fund for Education

Janet F. Clark Fund

Roy and Lillie Cullen Chair

Juraj Valčuha, Music Director

The Cullen Foundation Maestro’s Fund

The Cullen Trust for the Performing Arts Fund for Creative Initiatives

The Margaret and James Elkins Foundation Fund

The Virginia Lee Elverson Trust Fund

Fondren Foundation Chair Boson Mo, Assistant Concertmaster

William Randolph Hearst Endowed Fund for Education Programs

William Dee Hunt

Ajay Khurana

The General and Mrs. Maurice Hirsch Memorial Concert Fund in memory of Theresa Meyer and Jules Hirsch, beloved parents of General Maurice Hirsch, and Rosetta Hirsch Weil and Josie Hirsch Bloch, beloved sisters of General Maurice Hirsch

General Maurice Hirsch Chair

Aralee Dorough, Principal Flute

Houston Symphony Chorus Fund

Joan and Marvin Kaplan Fund

Ellen E. Kelley Chair

Eric Halen, Co-Concertmaster

Max Levine Chair

Yoonshin Song, Concertmaster

Mary R. Lewis Fund for Piano Performance

M.D. Anderson Foundation Fund

Mary Lynn and Steve Marks Fund

Barbara and Pat McCelvey Fund

Mr. and Mrs. Alexander K. McLanahan Endowed Chair

William VerMeulen, Principal Horn

Monroe L. Mendelsohn Jr. Fund

Lynn Mathre Scott Wise

George P. and Cynthia Woods Mitchell Summer Concerts Fund

Bobbie Nau Chair

Mark Nuccio, Principal Clarinet

C. Howard Pieper Foundation Fund

Walter W. Sapp Fund, Legacy Society Co-Founder

Fayez Sarofim Guest Violinist Fund through the Cullen Trust for the Performing Arts

The Schissler Foundation Fund

Spec’s Charitable Foundation Salute to Educators Concert Fund

The Micijah S. Stude Special Production Fund

Bobby and Phoebe Tudor Fund

Mr. and Mrs. Jesse B. Tutor Endowed Fund

Margaret Alkek Williams Chair John Mangum, Executive Director/CEO

The Wortham Foundation Classical Series Fund in memory of Gus S. and Lyndall F. Wortham

Houston Symphony

Legacy Society

The Legacy Society honors those who have included the Houston Symphony Endowment in their long-term estate plans through a bequest in a will, life-income gifts, or other deferred-giving arrangements.

For more information, please contact Hadia Mawlawi, Senior Associate, Endowment and Planned Giving, at hadia.mawlawi@houstonsymphony.org or 713.337.8532.

CRESCENDO CIRCLE $100,000+ (as of February 29, 2024)

Dr. and Mrs. George J. Abdo

Priscilla R. Angly

Jonathan and Ann Ayre

Myra W. Barber

Janice Barrow*

Jim Barton

James Bell

Joe Anne Berwick*

Joan H. Bitar, MD

James and S. Dale Brannon

Walter and Nancy Bratic

Joe Brazzatti

Terry Ann Brown

Mary Kathryn Campion and Stephen Liston

Drs. Dennis and Susan Carlyle

Janet F. Clark

Virginia A. Clark

Mr. William E. Colburn

Elizabeth DeWitts

Andria N. Elkins

Farida Abjani

Dr. Antonio Arana*

Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey B. Aron

George* and Betty Bashen

Ann Baker Beaudette*

Dorothy B. Black*

Kerry Levine Bollmann

Ermy Borlenghi Bonfield

Zu Broadwater

Dr. Joan K. Bruchas* and Mr. H. Philip Cowdin*

Mr. Christopher and Mrs. Erin Brunner

Eugene R. Bruns

David Neal Bush

Cheryl and Sam* Byington

Sylvia J. Carroll

Dr. Robert N. Chanon

William J. Clayton and Margaret A. Hughes

Mr. and Mrs. Byron Cooley

The Honorable* and Mrs. William Crassas

Karl A. Dahm

Dr. Lida S. Dahm

Leslie Barry Davidson

Susan Feickert

Ginny Garrett

Mr. and Mrs. Harry H. Gendel

Christine E.* and Michael B. George

Jean and Jack* Ellis

The Aubrey* and Sylvia Farb Family

Helen Hudspeth Flores*

Eugene Fong

Mrs. Aggie L. Foster

Stephen and Mariglyn Glenn

Evan B. Glick

Jo A. and Billie Jo Graves

Mario Gudmundsson

Claudio J. Gutiérrez

Deborah Happ and Richard Rost

Marilyn and Bob Hermance

Dr. Charles and Tammie Johnson

Dr. Rita Justice

Dr. James E. and Betty W. Key

Calvin and Helen Leeke

Mr.* and Mrs. U. J. LeGrange

Joella and Steven P. Mach

Mauro H. Gimenez and Connie A. Coulomb

Bill Grieves*

Mr. Robert M. Griswold

Randolph Lee Groninger

Mr. and Mrs. Jerry L. Hamaker

Gloria L. Herman*

Timothy Hogan and Elaine Anthony

Dr. Gary L. Hollingsworth

Dr. Edward J. and Mrs. Patti* Hurwitz

Dr. Kenneth Hyde

Brian and Catherine James

Barbara and Raymond Kalmans

Dr. and Mrs. I. Ray Kirk

Mrs. Frances E. Leland

Samuel J. Levine

Mrs. Lucy Lewis

Sandra Magers

David Ray Malone and David J. Sloat

Mr. and Mrs. Rodney H. Margolis

Jay and Shirley* Marks

James G. Matthews

Mary Ann and David McKeithan

Dr. Tracey Samuels and Mr. Robert McNamara

Martha and. Alexander Matiuk

Michelle and Jack Matzer

Dr. and Mrs. Malcolm L. Mazow

Bill and Karinne McCullough

Muffy and Mike McLanahan

Dr. Georgette M. Michko

Dr. Robert M. Mihalo*

Alfred Cameron Mitchell*

Mr. and Mrs. Marvin H. Mueller

Drs. John and Dorothy Oehler

Gloria G. Pryzant

Constance E. Roy

Donna Scott

Charles and Andrea Seay

Mr. and Mrs. James A. Shaffer

Michael J. Shawiak

Jule* and Albert* Smith

Louis* and Mary Kay Snyder

Mr. and Mrs. D. Bradley McWilliams

Catherine Jane Merchant*

Marilyn Ross Miles and Stephen Warren Miles Foundation

Sidney and Ione Moran

Janet Moynihan*

Richard and Juliet Moynihan

Gretchen Ann Myers

Patience Myers

John N. Neighbors* in memory of Jean Marie Neighbors

Mr.* and Mrs. Richard C. Nelson

Bobbie Newman

John and Leslie Niemand

Leslie Nossaman

Dave G. Nussmann*

John Onstott

Macky Osorio

Susan and Edward Osterberg

Mr. and Mrs. Edmund and Megan Pantuliano

Christine and Red Pastorek

Peter* and Nina Peropoulos

Linda Tarpley Peterson

Sara M. Peterson

Mrs. Jenny Popatia in memory of Dr. Tajdin R. Popatia

Ronald Mikita* & Rex Spikes

David and Helen Stacy

Frank Shroeder Stanford in memory of Dr. Walter O. Stanford

Mike and Anita* Stude

Mr. and Mrs. Jesse B. Tutor

Elba L. Villarreal

Margaret Waisman, M.D. and Steven S. Callahan, Ph.D.

Mr. and Mrs. Fredric A. Weber

Robert G. Weiner & Toni Blankmann

Vicki West in honor of Hans Graf

Susan Gail Wood

Jo Dee Wright

Ellen A. Yarrell

Anonymous (3)

Geraldine Smith Priest

Dana Puddy

Patrick T. Quinn

Lila Rauch*

Ed and Janet Rinehart

Mr. Floyd W. Robinson

Walter Ross*

Dr. and Mrs. Kazuo Shimada

Lisa and Jerry Simon

Tad and Suzanne Smith

Sherry Snyder

Marie Speziale

Jean Stinson*

Emily H. and David K. Terry

Douglas Thomas

Stephen G. Tipps

Ann K. Tornyos

Steve Tostengard*, in memory of Ardyce Tostengard

Jana Vander Lee

Bill and Agnete Vaughan

Dean B. Walker

Stephen and Kristine Wallace

Geoffrey Westergaard

Nancy B. Willerson

Jennifer R. Wittman

Lorraine and Ed* Wulfe

David and Tara Wuthrich

Katherine and Mark Yzaguirre

Anonymous (8)

Musician Sponsorships

Donors at the Sponsorship Circle level and above are provided the opportunity to be recognized as sponsoring a Houston Symphony Musician.

For more information, please contact Alexa Ustaszewski, Major Gifts Officer, at alexa.ustaszewski@houstonsymphony.org or 713.337.8534.

(As of February 29, 2024)

Dr. Angela Apollo

Scott Holshouser, Principal Keyboard

Dr. Saúl and Ursula Balagura

Charles Seo, Cello

Gary and Marian Beauchamp/ The Beauchamp Foundation

Martha Chapman, Second Violin

Nancy and Walter Bratic

Christopher Neal, First Violin

Mr. Gordon J. Brodfuehrer

Maki Kubota, Cello

Mr. Robert Bunch and Ms. Lilia Khakimova

Alexander Potiomkin, Bass Clarinet and Clarinet

Ralph Burch

Robin Kesselman, Principal Double Bass

Barbara J. Burger

Andrew Pedersen, Double Bass

Mary Kathryn Campion, PhD

Rodica Gonzalez, First Violin

Drs. Dennis and Susan Carlyle

Louis-Marie Fardet, Cello

Jane Cizik

Qi Ming, Assistant Concertmaster

Janet F. Clark

MuChen Hsieh, Principal Second Violin

Michael H. Clark and Sallie Morian

Assistant Principal Viola

Virginia A. Clark

Lindsey Baggett, ViolinCommunity-Embedded Musician

Roger and Debby Cutler

Tong Yan, First Violin

Mike and Debra Dishberger

Phillip Freeman, Bass Trombone

Joan and Bob Duff

Robert Johnson, Associate Principal Horn

Aggie L. Foster & Steve Simon

Mihaela Frusina, Second Violin

Steve and Mary Gangelhoff

Judy Dines, Flute

Stephen and Mariglyn Glenn

Christian Schubert, Clarinet

Evan B. Glick

Fay Shapiro, Viola

Suzan and Julius Glickman

Thomas LeGrand, Associate Principal Clarinet and E-flat Clarinet

Mr. and Mrs. Fred L. Gorman

Christopher French, Associate Principal Cello

Mark and Ragna Henrichs

Donald Howey, Double Bass

Gary L. Hollingsworth and Kenneth J. Hyde

Robert Walp, Assistant Principal Trumpet

Mrs. James E. Hooks

Burke Shaw, Double Bass

Drs. M.S. and Marie-Luise

Kalsi

Eric Halen, Co-Concertmaster

Joan & Marvin Kaplan

Foundation/The Kaplan, Brooks, and Bruch Families

Mark Nuccio, Principal Clarinet

Dr. Sippi and Mr. Ajay Khurana

David Connor, Double Bass –Community-Embedded Musician

Dr. and Mrs. I. Ray Kirk

John C. Parker, Associate Principal Trumpet

Cindy E. Levit

Adam Trussell, Bassoon and Contrabassoon

Max Levit

Sergei Galperin, First Violin

Cora Sue and Harry* Mach

Joan DerHovsepian, Principal Viola

Joella and Steven P. Mach

Eric Larson, Double Bass

Mrs. Carolyn and Dr. Michael Mann

Ian Mayton, Horn

Cindy Mao and Michael Ma

Si-Yang Lao, First Violin

Mr. and Mrs. Rodney H.

Margolis

Eric Halen, Co-Concertmaster

Mr. and Mrs. J. Stephen Marks

Brian Del Signore, Principal Percussion

Mr. Jay Marks

Sergei Galperin, First Violin

Michelle and Jack Matzer

Kurt Johnson, First Violin

Barbara and Pat McCelvey

Adam Dinitz, English Horn

Muffy and Mike McLanahan

William VerMeulen, Principal Horn

Dr. Eric McLaughlin and Mr. Eliodoro Castillo

Jonathan Fischer, Principal Oboe

Martha and Marvin McMurrey

Rodica Gonzalez, First Violin

Dr. Miguel & Mrs. Valerie MiroQuesada

Leonardo Soto, Principal Timpani

Rita and Paul Morico

Elise Wagner, Bassoon

Scott and Judy Nyquist

Sheldon Person, Viola

Dr. Susan Osterberg and Mr. Edward C. Osterberg Jr. MiHee Chung, First Violin

Mr. and Mrs. Jonathan E.

Parker

Jeffrey Butler, Cello

Mr. David Peavy and Dr. Stephen McCauley

Jeremy Kreutz, Cello

Gloria and Joe Pryzant

Matthew Strauss, Percussion

Allan and Jean Quiat

Richard Harris, Trumpet

Laurie A. Rachford

Timothy Dilenschneider, Associate Principal Double Bass

Ron and Demi Rand

Annie Chen, Second Violin

Ed & Janet Rinehart

Amy Semes, Associate Principal Violin

Mrs. Sybil F. Roos

Mark Hughes, Principal Trumpet

Mr. Glen A. Rosenbaum

Aralee Dorough, Principal Flute

John and Lindy Rydman / Spec’s Wines, Spirits & Finer Foods

Anthony Kitai, Cello

Kathy and Ed Segner

Kathryn Ladner, Flute & Piccolo

Mr. and Mrs. James A. Shaffer

Eric Halen, Co-Concertmaster

Margaret and Joel Shannon

Rainel Joubert, Violin–Community-Embedded Musician

Tad and Suzanne Smith

Marina Brubaker, First Violin

Alana R. Spiwak and Sam L. Stolbun

Wei Jiang, Acting Associate Principal Viola

Mike Stude

Brinton Averil Smith, Principal Cello

Bobby and Phoebe Tudor

Bradley White, Acting Principal Trombone

Mr. & Mrs. Jesse B. Tutor

Joan DerHovsepian, Principal Viola

Margaret Waisman, M.D. and Steven S. Callahan, Ph.D. Mark Griffith, Percussion

Stephen and Kristine Wallace

Rian Craypo, Principal Bassoon

Mr. & Mrs. Fredric A. Weber

Allegra Lilly, Harp

Robert G. Weiner and Toni Blankman

Anastasia Ehrlich, Second Violin

Vicki West

Rodica Gonzalez, First Violin

Steven and Nancy Williams

MiHee Chung, First Violin

Jeanie Kilroy Wilson and Wallace S. Wilson

Xiao Wong, Cello

Nina and Michael Zilkha

Kurt Johnson, First Violin

Jesse H. Jones Hall Renovation Donors

Thank you to our Donors. We are grateful to the generous donors who have contributed $43,650,000 to date toward our $60 million goal.

(As of February 29, 2024)

$10 MILLION+

Nancy and Charles Davidson

$5

MILLION+

The Brown Foundation, Inc.

The City of Houston / Houston First Corporation

$1 MILLION+

Janice H. Barrow

The Robert and Jane Cizik Family

Janet F. Clark

ConocoPhillips

The Cullen Foundation

The Cullen Trust for the Performing Arts

The Elkins Foundation

Houston Endowment

Barbara and Pat McCelvey

The Shirley and David Toomim Family

The Wortham Foundation, Inc.

FRIENDS OF JONES HALL

Anne and Albert Chao

Mr. & Mrs. J. Stephen Marks

Beverly and James Postl

Vivian L. Smith Foundation

Mr. and Mrs. Jesse B. Tutor

For more information, please contact Tim Dillow, Senior Director of Development, at timothy.dillow@houstonsymphony.org or 713.337.8538 or Christine Ann Stevens, Senior Director of Development, christine.stevens@houstonsymphony.org or 713.337.8521

ANNUAL GIVING: BY THE NUMBERS

When you donate to the Annual Fund, you help the Houston Symphony bring world-class orchestral performances to Greater Houston and serve thousands of Houstonians through free and low-cost concerts, and our Education and Community Engagement initiatives. Take a look at some of the accomplishments we were able to achieve in the 2022–23 Season thanks to your contributions:

ARTISTIC HIGHLIGHTS

3 23

153 102 22 CONCERTS GUEST ARTISTS/CONDUCTORS HOUSTON SYMPHONY DEBUTS

28,690 WORLD PREMIERES

TOTAL LIVE FROM JONES HALL LIVESTREAM CONCERTS

EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT INITIATIVES

122,340 Houstonians served through Education and Community Engagement Initiatives

46 Orchestra musicians participated in nearly 428 community engagement events at hospitals, schools, senior centers, and community venues

20 Student Concerts

5 Free Neighborhood Concerts

5 Free/low-cost concerts at Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion

4 Free concerts at Miller Outdoor Theatre

LIVE FROM JONES HALL LIVESTREAM VIEWS

Scan here to donate to the Annual Fund online:

Melodies of Empowerment:

Celebrating Women's History Month

Symphony beginnings

• Houston Symphony Orchestra Association officers in 1913 consisted of 5 women (4 of 6 officers were women)

• 6 out of 13 concertmasters have been women

• Violinists Rosetta Hirsch and Marian Jenkins were charter members of the Houston Symphony in 1913

Former Music Director Efrem Kurtz

• The number of women in the orchestra fluctuated between 14 and 21 during his tenure; while New York Philharmonic and Boston Symphony Orchestra had no female players at this time and the NBC Symphony had one

• Special attire was designed for women to closely match the men’s formal attire consisting of white vests, black jackets, and floor length skirts

This Season at the Houston Symphony:

Coming soon:

Erin Morley, Soprano

Missy Mazzoli, Composer Dorothy Chang, Composer Xian Zhang, Conductor

Alexandra Dariescu, Piano Rachel WillisSørensen, Soprano

Ravel's Daphnis and Chloe

Mozart + Beethoven's Eroica | Mar. 22, 23 & 24

Romeo and Juliet + Dvořák's Cello Concerto | Mar. 29 & 30

Romeo and Juliet + Dvořák's Cello Concerto | Mar. 29 & 30

Pines of Rome + Grieg's Piano Concerto | May. 2, 4 & 5

An Alpine Symphony | June 1 & 2

Julia Wolfe, Composer Valčuha Conducts Ravel's La Valse

LaKisha Jones, Vocalist "I Will Survive"— Diva Legends

Nova Y. Payton, Vocalist "I Will Survive"— Diva Legends

Mandy Gonzalez, Vocalist Very Merry Pops

Yoonshin Song, Violin Mendelssohn's Scottish Symphony + Yoonshin Song

Juraj Valčuha, Music Director