Houston Symphony Magazine - February

Contents

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Official Program Magazine of the Houston Symphony 615 Louisiana, Suite 102, Houston, Texas 77002 (713) 224-4240 • www.houstonsymphony.org

February • 2011

Programs 12 February 3, 5, 6 16 February 11-13 23 February 14 24 February 18-20 26 February 24, 26, 27

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Check out the Symphony’s March concerts!

6

Lindy & John Rydman of Spec’s Wines, Spirits & Finer Foods hosted the Houston Symphony’s annual Vintage Virtuoso event.

On Stage and Off 3 Credits 31-39 Donors 7 From the Orchestra 4 Hans Graf 5 Letter to Patrons 10 Orchestra and Staff 30 Symphony Society

2011-2012 Season Announcement!

Features 6 2011 Houston Symphony Ball 20-21 Season Announcement 40 Backstage Pass 11 In Memoriam 29 Music Matters!

9 Spotlight on Sponsors 11 Support Your Symphony 8 Upcoming Performances 6 Vintage Virtuoso

20-21

Cover photo by Sandy Lankford.

For advertising contact New Leaf Publishing at (713) 523-5323 info@newleafinc.com • www.newleafinc.com • 2006 Huldy, Houston, Texas 77019 www.houstonsymphony.org

Preview the all-star line-up of concerts and guest artists in store for you next season!

Credits...........................

Mark C. Hanson Executive Director/CEO Jessica Taylor Editor Carl Cunningham Program Annotator Elaine Reeder Mayo Editorial Consultant

www.newleafinc.com (713) 523-5323 Janet Meyer Publisher janetmeyer@newleafinc.com Keith Gumney Art Director kgumney@newleafinc.com Jennifer Greenberg Projects Director jenniferg@newleafinc.com Frances Dowling Senior Account Executive fdowling@newleafinc.com Linda Lang Senior Account Executive lindalang@newleafinc.com Frances Powell Account Executive divascenes@aol.com Carey Clark CC Catalyst Communications Marlene Walker Walker Media LLC Sarah Hill Intern The activities and projects of the Houston Symphony are funded in part by grants from the Texas Commission on the Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts and the City of Houston through the Houston Downtown Alliance, Miller Theatre Advisory Board and Houston Arts Alliance.

The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion at The Woodlands is the Summer Home of the Houston Symphony.

Digital pre-media services by Vertis APS Houston Contents copyright Š 2011 by the Houston Symphony

LATE SEATING In consideration of audience members, the Houston Symphony makes every effort to begin concerts on time. Ushers will assist with late seating at pre-designated intervals. You may be asked to sit in a location other than your ticketed seat until the end of that portion of the concert. You will be able to move to your ticketed seat at the concert break.

CHILDREN AT CONCERTS In consideration of our patrons, we ask that children be 6 years and older to attend Houston Symphony concerts. Children of all ages, including infants, are admitted to Weatherford Family Concerts. Any child over age 1 must have a ticket for those performances.

CAMERAS, RECORDERS, CELL PHONES & PAGERS Cameras and recorders are not permitted in the hall.

Patrons may not use any device to record or photograph performances. Please silence cell phones, pagers and alarm watches and refrain from texting during performances.

February 2011

Hans Graf............................................................................................................

Welcome to Jones Hall and the Houston Symphony’s February performances!

Our programs on February 11th, 12th and 13th are dedicated to one of the most amazingly sensual, but also precise masters of orchestral composition: Maurice Ravel.

More Spanish than any Spanish composer – according to the judgment of the greatest of the real Spanish ones, Manuel de Falla – Ravel wrote not only the hypnotic, seducing and masterfully catastrophic Boléro (which will end and crown our concert), but also the funny and slightly daring little comedy, L’Heure Espagnole (The Spanish Hour). You are certainly invited to smile and even laugh out loud during this story about a poor watchmaker’s wife who seems to try everything to live up to all the prejudices French men could possibly have about Spanish women, their fire and independence. Think of Carmen!

Our very own Houstonian, the wonderful Susanne Mentzer will sing the leading part in this charming little opera. Admire Ravel’s Spanish temperament, which he captures musically with the precision of a Swiss watchmaker.

Photo by Sandy Lankford

Biography............................................................................................................

Known for his wide range of repertoire and creative programming, distin- Music Festival and returned to Tanglewood and Chicago’s Grant Park guished Austrian conductor Hans Graf – the Houston Symphony’s 15th Music Festival.

Director – is one of today’s most highly respected musicians. He began his An experienced opera conductor, Graf first conducted the Vienna tenure here on Opening Night of the 2001-2002 season.

State Opera in 1981 and has since led productions in the opera houses of Prior to his appointment in Houston, he was music director of the Calgary Berlin, Munich, Paris and Rome, including several world premieres. Recent Philharmonic, the Orchestre National Bordeaux Aquitaine, the Salzburg engagements include Parsifal at the Zurich Opera and Boris Godunov at the Mozarteum Orchestra and the Iraqi National Symphony Orchestra.

Opera National du Rhin in Strasbourg.

A frequent guest with all of the major North American orchestras, Born in 1949 near Linz, Graf studied violin and piano as a child. He Graf has developed a close relationship with the Boston Symphony and earned diplomas in piano and conducting from the Musikhochschule in appears regularly with the orchestra during the subscription season Graz and continued his studies with Franco Ferrara, Sergiu Celibidache and and at the Tanglewood Arvid Jansons. His career Music Festival. was launched in 1979 Hans Graf conducting the Dallas Symphony Orchestra on January 13, 2011: He made his when he was awarded “…Graf deftly balanced fantasy with fastidious control. first prize at the Karl Böhm Carnegie Hall debut with the Houston Symphony Competition.

Without a wasted motion, he crafted a performance by in January 2006 and His extensive discogturns mysterious and exciting.” returned leading the raphy includes recordScott Cantrell, Dallas Morning News Orchestra of St. Luke’s in ings with the Houston March 2007. He and the Symphony, available Houston Symphony were invited to appear at Carnegie Hall in January through houstonsymphony.org: works by Bartók and Stravinsky, 2010 to present the New York premiere of The Planets—An HD Odyssey.

Zemlinsky’s Lyric Symphony, Berg’s Three Pieces from the Lyric Suite Internationally, Graf conducts in the foremost concert halls of Europe, and a DVD of The Planets—An HD Odyssey.

Japan and Australia. In October 2010, he led the Houston Symphony on a Graf has been awarded the Chevalier de l’ordre de la Legion tour of the UK to present the international premiere of The Planets—An HD d’Honneur by the French government for championing French music Odyssey – a project that has been picked up by the Cleveland, Seatlle and around the world and the Grand Decoration of Honour in Gold for Sydney Symphony Orchestras. He has participated in the Maggio Musicale Services to the Republic of Austria.

Fiorentino, Bregenz and Aix en Provence and appeared at the Salzburg Hans and Margarita Graf have homes in Salzburg and Houston. They Festival. In summer 2010, he conducted the opening concert of the Aspen have one daughter, Anna, who lives in Vienna.

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Letter to Patrons.................................................................................................

Photo by Alexander Portraits

Bobby Tudor President Photo by bruce bennett

Last month, we announced concert programming for our 2011-2012 season, and we are delighted to share a few of the highlights with you.

Under the direction of Music Director Hans Graf, the 2011-2012 season will open with two performances of the inspirational “Ode to Joy” from Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 on September 9 and 10, 2011, and will close with dramatic performances of Carmina Burana by Carl Orff on May 17-20, 2012. These concerts, along with many others during the season, will feature the talented Houston Symphony Chorus under the direction of Charles Hausmann.

The 2011-2012 season will also include the highly-anticipated sequel to our successful, multi-media Planets project. Orbit—An HD Odyssey, to be premiered on February 18, 2012, will feature high-definition images of Earth taken from NASA’s shuttle missions, the International Space Station and satellites orbiting our planet. Stunning images of Earth will be set against two equally stunning works of the symphonic repertoire – John Adams’ Short Ride in a Fast Machine and Richard Strauss’ Also Sprach Zarathustra.

Our patrons’ yearning for a deeper connection to music and musicians inspired the creation of a new interactive concert series for 2011-12, called ACCESS. With the aid of Miles Hoffman, frequent classical music contributor to National Public Radio, the ACCESS Series is designed to be a highly accessible and informative approach to a symphony concert. ACCESS concerts, a collection of three Friday evening performances, will begin at 7:00 p.m. and include pre- and post-concert activities for your enjoyment.

To learn even more about the exciting offerings of the 2011-2012 season, we invite you to visit our Website or to pick up a season brochure in the lobby. To our current subscribers, thank you for considering a renewal to your existing subscription! To our important single ticket buyers, please consider becoming a subscriber and taking advantage of wonderful benefits reserved for you.

Of course, we still have plenty of inspirational music to enjoy during the second half of our 2010-2011 season. As always, we appreciate your support of our wonderful Symphony and look forward to seeing you again soon in Jones Hall.

Mark C. Hanson Executive Director/CEO

February 2011

Vintage Virtuoso....................................................................................

Patrons Celebrate Vintage Virtuoso On December 1, 2010, Lindy and John Rydman of Spec’s Wines, Spirits & Finer Foods hosted the annual Vintage Virtuoso event benefitting the Houston Symphony. Held at the InterContinental Hotel, the event began with a tasting of more than 100 wines and fine spirits. Following the tasting and musical entertainment by a string quartet of Symphony musicians, guests were treated to a delectable four-course dinner. all photos © pete baatz

^ Ron Fredman, Jill and Dr. Ray Kirk

^ Lindy and John Rydman with their daughter, Lisa, and son-in-law, Hermen Key

^ Jim Shaffer, Tara Wuthrich, Helen Shaffer and David Wuthrich

Save the Date!. .....................................................................................

Houston Symphony Ball Plans are Under Way! The 2011 Symphony Ball themed Scheherazade and Her Magical Nights is the largest annual fundraising event of the Houston Symphony League. A tribute to the education and community engagement programs of the Houston Symphony, the Ball is expected to raise more than $1,000,000 and attract more that 700 community leaders.

This black-tie event will take place at the Hilton Americas - Houston on March 25, 2011. Many surprises are planned, so don’t miss this gala event! The silent auction will be a treasure-trove of travel, dinners, jewelry and fashion. Night Owls will enjoy an after party that will last until the wee hours.

Sponsorships are available from $10,000 to $50,000, and tickets run from $750 to $2,500. For more information, please contact Samantha Gonzalez at (713) 238-1487.

Sharin Gaille Ball Chair Honoring Past and Present Symphony Society Chairmen Houston Symphony Ima Hogg Philanthropy Award Spec’s Wines, Spirits & Finer Foods Houston Symphony Maurice Hirsch Corporate Citizen Award Jay and Shirley Marks Raphael Fliegel Award for Visionary Leadership

www.houstonsymphony.org

From the Orchestra...........................................................................................

Photo by sandy lankford

On behalf of the musicians of the Houston Symphony, it gives me great pleasure to welcome you to Jones Hall and this exciting month of concerts. In addition to Beethoven and Dvorˇák’s great seventh symphonies and the fiery Spanish works of Ravel, this month also brings a visit from world-renowned violinist and orchestra favorite, Gil Shaham. In 2004, Gil founded his own record label, Canary Classics, during a time of major upheaval in the recording industry. The technological advances that make it possible for Gil to run his own label allow him to record the repertoire he chooses – in the way he chooses – and the results have had great critical and commercial success. I had the great pleasure of joining Gil in his first release, The Fauré Album, and Frank Huang joins Gil on his most recent Mendelssohn Octet release.

Considering the recent changes in the business led me to reflect on how recordings have changed our concept of what music is.

In the time when Bach and Haydn wrote music for use in a single performance and its unique audience, listening to music was inseparable from live performance. The first recordings miraculously allowed music to be heard without musicians present and provided people new access to music. As early recordings could not be edited, what the listener heard was still similar to a live performance. With the introduction of tape and editing in the 1940s, there began a slow change from the concept of a recording as souvenir of a live performance to a perfected testament for the ages (much as Beethoven and the Romantic composers began composing works with an eye to posterity, as well as the present day). For Brinton Averil Smith the last 50 years, the modern studio recording has involved multiple takes and splices, all of which help Principal Cello achieve a beautifully perfect product, but can also interrupt the natural spontaneity and flow of the performance – more like filming a movie than acting in a play.

At the same time, the increase in availability of recordings has changed music from a special event to an omnipresent part of our lives. Everywhere we go, music bombards us: in cars, on the telephone, in stores and elevators. Imagine if commercial buildings were wallpapered with reproductions of Mirós and Picassos, how quickly we could become desensitized! I love recordings and the chance they afford for me to hear things I never otherwise could. It’s fantastic that we can hear music anywhere, and that all the music of the world is easily available online. However, the hyper-availability of music has ultimately brought us back to a time when the concert is once again something unique in our lives; a time when we put aside the chaos of our daily lives and gather together in real life, as part of a community, to surrender our souls to art. And for the musicians, a time when we worry not about perfection, but about communicating to our audience in the brief moment that we share. Thank you for joining us.

February 2011

Upcoming Performances.................................................................................. © uli webber

Rachmaninoff’s Rhapsody

March 4, 5, 6, 2011 Fidelity Investments Juanjo Mena, conductor Classical Series Gabriela Montero, piano Turina: Danzas fantásticas Rachmaninoff: Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini Mozart: Symphony No. 40 Rachmaninoff’s Rhapsody was made popular in the 1980 movie Somewhere in Time. Rachmaninoff himself played the first performance in Philadelphia, with former Houston Symphony Music Director Leopold Stokowski on the podium. You’ll be dazzled by piano virtuoso Gabriela Montero, known not only for her impeccable technique and musicality, but also for her incredible ability to improvise on any given theme.

Tickets: from $25

© michael tammaro

Pops Knockouts

Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pops at Jones Hall

March 18, 19, 20, 2011 Michael Krajewski, conductor Houston Symphony Chorus Charles Hausmann, director Hum along to some of the greatest classical hits of all time, including “O Fortuna” from Carmina Burana, the 1812 Overture and Fantasia on “Greensleeves,” featuring Houston Symphony musicians in the solo spotlight. Come out and enjoy the orchestral classics that you know and love!

Tickets: from $25

Richard Strauss’ Don Quixote

March 24, 26, 27, 2011 Hans Graf, conductor Erin Wall, soprano Brinton Averil Smith, cello Wayne Brooks, viola R. Strauss: Don Juan R. Strauss: Four Last Songs R. Strauss: Don Quixote Live the stories of delusional knight Don Quixote of La Mancha, from tilting at windmills to his imaginary lady love, Dulcinea.

Fidelity Investments Classical Series

TOTAL Gold Classics

Tickets: from $25

2011-2012 Houston Symphony Season Just Announced!

Highlights Include: CLASSICAL:

POPS:

FAMILY:

SPECIALS: Opening Night: Ode to Joy

Fidelity Investments Classical Series

Emanuel Ax Plus Tchaikovsky 3 November 19, 20, 2011

September 9, 10, 2011, 7:30 pm

Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pops at Jones Hall

Viva Italia!

September 2, 3, 4, 2011

Once Upon a Dream: Princes & Princesses

Christoph Eschenbach Returns December 6, 2011, 7:30 pm

The Night Before Christmas

A Linda Eder Christmas

Beethoven’s Fifth

Very Merry Pops

October 15, 2011

Mozart’s A Little Night Music

Tribute to John Denver with Jim Curry

December 3, 2011

December 13, 2011, 7:30 pm

Music of The Little Mermaid

Orbit—An HD Odyssey

Cole Porter’s Great American Songbook

Perfect Pitch: Music of Baseball

February 23, 25, 26, 2012 March 22, 24, 25, 2012

Petrouchka & Beethoven April 13, 14, 15, 2012

December 9, 10, 11, 2011

April 5, 6, 7, 2012

March 10, 2012 April 28, 2012

Sequel to The Planets—An HD Odyssey February 18, 2012, 7:30 pm

April 27, 28, 29, 2012 Thank you to our media partners:

www.houstonsymphony.org

See pages 20 and 21 for more!

Spotlight on Sponsors............................................

Baker Botts L.L.P., one of Texas’ oldest law firms, has been an integral part of Houston’s business and arts community since 1840, when its founder, Peter W. Gray, commenced his law practice in the Bayou City. The firm traces its relationship with the Houston Symphony to the 1920s and 1930s when firm partner Walter H. Walne dedicated considerable time and energy to rebuilding the Symphony, serving as its president for six seasons during this pivotal time.

Baker Botts continues its support today by providing one of its partners to serve as the Symphony’s general counsel. The Houston Symphony has always been at the forefront of cultural progress in Houston and continues to enrich our city with innovative and inspiring performances.

Baker Botts is a full-service global law firm, recognized for in-depth understanding of the industries we serve. We have the experience, the knowledge and the right people to solve our clients’ most significant legal challenges. Our lawyers are focused on client satisfaction – which has become a defining characteristic of the firm.

For more than 170 years, Baker Botts has demonstrated an overall commitment to excellence.

Deeper understanding. Better solutions.

Cameron International Corporation (NYSE: CAM) is a leading provider of flow equipment products, systems and services to worldwide oil, gas and process industries. Leveraging its global manufacturing, engineering, sales and service network, Cameron works with drilling contractors, oil and gas producers, pipeline operators, refiners and other process owners to control, direct, adjust, process, measure and compress pressures and flows. Cameron has approximately 19,000 employees in more than 100 countries.

Cameron’s business legacies predate the beginnings of the world’s modern petroleum industry. In 1833, brothers Charles and Elias Cooper opened a small, one-horse-powered foundry in Mount Vernon, Ohio. From these beginnings, Cameron now incorporates the traditions and strengths of many outstanding companies, including true pioneers in the industry, such as Cameron Iron Works, dating from 1920, and others that rose to leading market positions in more recent times.

Because Cameron cares about its employees, customers, shareholders and communities, it is committed to strategic giving and employee involvement that cre-

ates a meaningful impact and aligns with the company’s core values and culture.

Volunteerism is part and parcel of Cameron corporate culture. The spirit and generosity of employees make it happen. Long a hallmark of Cameron, volunteerism thrives today on a greater scale than ever before.

Wherever Cameron is around the globe, you will find its employees donating time and expertise to help people and organizations in need. In addition, employees step up to the plate with individual gifts to charities of their choice, and Cameron encourages charitable giving through its employee Matching Gifts and Matching Volunteer Hours programs.

Like Cameron, the Houston Symphony is forged of tradition and refined by experience. The Symphony plays a vital role in the Houston community by enriching lives and educating students through a variety of programs and concerts. We are pleased and excited to sponsor the Cameron Explorer Concert Series.

It’s the Cameron Way. Giving Together.

Visit www.c-a-m.com.

The Methodist Hospital’s Center for Performing Arts Medicine (CPAM) is a national model for research, education and treatment of performing artists and acts as a primary resource in this emerging health care field. Founded in 2000 and located in Houston’s famed Texas Medical Center, CPAM is the most comprehensive program of its kind in the nation designed to meet the special needs of ballerinas, opera singers, dancers, musicians, actors and other performing artists. While several clinics across the country treat artists, none has such a comprehensive vision.

As Houston is the third largest home to working artists in the nation, CPAM is filling a vital need within our community. This program focuses on more than just treating illness and injury to performing artists, but also involves research and education, all supported by the nationally recognized Methodist Hospital. More than 70 physicians and dentists in 28 specialties lend their services to CPAM, not only expediting appointments for the artists when needed, but also developing specially designed check-ups to meet their specific needs. Research is currently being conducted in several areas to prevent or better treat the injuries sustained by performing artists. The Methodist CPAM program provides health education to help the artists perform at their best, as well as train other health care providers throughout Texas and across the country on how to treat those injuries and illnesses unique to the performing arts community.

The Methodist Hospital. Leading Medicine.

February 2011

Orchestra and Staff. ..........................................................................................

Mark C. Hanson, Executive Director/CEO

Hans Graf, Music Director Roy and Lillie Cullen Chair Michael Krajewski, Robert Franz,

Principal Pops Conductor

Associate Conductor

Sponsor, Cameron Management

Sponsor, Madison Charitable Foundation

Brett Mitchell,

Assistant Conductor First Violin: Frank Huang, Concertmaster Max Levine Chair Eric Halen, Associate Concertmaster Ellen E. Kelley Chair Assia Dulgerska, Assistant Concertmaster Cornelia and Meredith Long Chair Qi Ming, Assistant Concertmaster Fondren Foundation Chair Marina Brubaker, Hewlett-Packard Company Chair Alexandra Adkins MiHee Chung Sophia Silivos Rodica Gonzalez Ferenc Illenyi** Si-Yang Lao Kurt Johnson Christopher Neal Sergei Galperin Quan Jiang*

Xiao Wong Myung Soon Lee James Denton Anthony Kitai

Second Violin: Jennifer Owen, Principal Charles Tabony, Associate Principal Hitai Lee Kiju Joh Ruth Zeger Margaret Bragg Martha Chapman Kevin Kelly Mihaela Oancea Christine Pastorek Amy Teare Geoffrey Applegate*

Piccolo: Allison Garza

double Bass: David Malone, Acting Principal Janice H. and Thomas D. Barrow Chair Mark Shapiro, Acting Associate Principal Eric Larson Robert Pastorek Burke Shaw Donald Howey Michael McMurray Flute: Aralee Dorough, Principal General Maurice Hirsch Chair John Thorne, Associate Principal Judy Dines Allison Garza

Oboe: Robert Atherholt, Principal Lucy Binyon Stude Chair Anne Leek, Associate Principal Colin Gatwood Adam Dinitz English Horn: Adam Dinitz Clarinet: David Peck, Principal Thomas LeGrand, Associate Principal Christian Schubert Open position

Viola: Wayne Brooks, Principal Joan DerHovsepian, Associate Principal George Pascal, Assistant Principal Wei Jiang Linda Goldstein Fay Shapiro Daniel Strba Thomas Molloy Phyllis Herdliska Joshua Kelly*

E-Flat Clarinet: Thomas LeGrand Bass Clarinet: Open position Tassie and Constantine S. Nicandros Chair Bassoon: Rian Craypo, Principal Stewart Orton Chair Eric Arbiter, Associate Principal American General Chair Elise Wagner J. Jeff Robinson

Cello: Brinton Averil Smith, Principal Christopher French, Associate Principal Haeri Ju Jeffrey Butler Kevin Dvorak

Contrabassoon: J. Jeff Robinson

Horn: William VerMeulen, Principal Wade Butin, Acting Associate Principal* Brian Thomas Robert and Janice McNair Foundation Chair Nancy Goodearl Philip Stanton Julie Thayer Trumpet: Mark Hughes, Principal George P. and Cynthia Woods Mitchell Chair John DeWitt, Associate Principal Robert Walp, Assistant Principal Anthony Prisk Speros P. Martel Chair Trombone: Allen Barnhill, Principal Bradley White, Associate Principal Phillip Freeman Bass Trombone: Phillip Freeman Tuba: Dave Kirk, Principal Timpani: Ronald Holdman, Principal Brian Del Signore, Associate Principal Percussion: Brian Del Signore, Principal Mark Griffith Matthew Strauss Harp: Paula Page, Principal Keyboard: Scott Holshouser, Principal Neva Watkins West Chair Orchestra Personnel Manager: Steve Wenig Assistant Orchestra Personnel Manager: Michael Gorman Librarian: Thomas Takaro Assistant LibrarianS: Erik Gronfor Michael McMurray Stage Manager: Donald Ray Jackson Assistant Stage Manager: Kelly Morgan

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Steinway is the official piano of the Houston Symphony. James B. Kozak, Piano Technician. Local assistance is provided by Forshey Piano Co. The Houston Symphony’s concert piano is a gift of Mrs. Helen B. Rosenbaum.

Stage Technician: Toby Blunt Zoltan Fabry Cory Grant *Contracted Substitute ** Leave of Absence

Martha GarcĂ­a, Assistant to the Executive Director Meg Philpot, Director of Human Resources

Steven Brosvik, General Manager Roger Daily, Director, Music Matters!

Kristin L. Johnson, Director, Operations Steve Wenig, Orchestra Personnel Manager Michael Gorman, Assistant Orchestra Personnel Manager Donald Ray Jackson, Stage Manager Kelly Morgan, Assistant Stage Manager Jessica Williams, Fidelity Partnership Coordinator Meredith Williams, Assistant to the General Manager Carol Wilson, Manager, Music Matters!

Michael D. Pawson, Chief Financial Officer Sally Brassow, Controller Philip Gulla, Director, Technology Amed Hamila, Director, Database Support Heather Fails, Manager, Ticketing Database Janis Pease LaRocque, Manager, Patron Database Kay Middleton, Receptionist Maria Ross, Payroll Manager Armin (A.J.) Salge, Network Systems Engineer Chris Westerfelt, Manager, Accounts Payable and Special Projects

Aurelie Desmarais, Senior Director, Artistic Planning Merle N. Bratlie, Director, Artist Services Thomas Takaro, Librarian Amanda Tozzi, Director, Popular Programming and Special Projects Erik Gronfor, Assistant Librarian Michael McMurray, Assistant Librarian Rebecca Zabinski, Artistic Assistant

Glenn Taylor, Senior Director, Marketing Allison Gilbert, Director of Marketing, Subscription & Group Sales Melissa H. Lopez, Director of Marketing, Special Projects Carlos Vicente, Director of Marketing, Single Tickets Jenny Zuniga, Director, Patron Services Natalie Ferguson, Graphic Designer Jeff Gilmer, Group Representative, Inside Sales Haley Gehring, Patron Services Specialist Jason Landry, Senior Manager, Patron Services Erin Mushalla, Marketing Assistant Melissa Pate, Assistant Manager, Patron Services Representatives Tim Richey, Manager, VIP Patron Services Derrick Rose, Group Representative, Outside Sales Aisha Roberts, Patron Services Specialist Melissa Seuffert, Assistant Marketing Manager, Digital Media/Young Audience Engagement

Jennifer R. Mire, Senior Director, Communications Jessica Taylor, Editor, Magazine Holly Cassard, Manager, Public Relations

Ron Fredman, Senior Director, Development Tara Black, Director, Individual Giving Vickie Hamley, Director, Volunteer Services Brandon VanWaeyenberghe, Director, Corporate Relations Peter Yenne, Director, Foundation Relations and Development Communications Jessica Ford, Gifts Officer Samantha Gonzalez, Manager, Events Abbie Lee, Patron Services Assistant Sarah Slemmons, Development Associate, Administrative Services Lena Streetman, Manager, Individual Giving

Support Your Symphony...

Houston Symphony Library Campaign Marches On

The Houston Symphony’s Focus on the Music campaign enjoyed another successful year in 2010. We extend our deepest appreciation to the generous donors who supported this important initiative.

Focus on the Music provides the perfect way for supporters to make a lasting and meaningful contribution to the Symphony. When you purchase music, instruments or equipment through the campaign, you not only enhance the Symphony’s performances onstage, but also support our education and outreach efforts in the Greater Houston community.

To make a gift to the Library Campaign and help expand this Symphony’s repertoire and capabilities, please call the Development Department at (713) 337-8500.

In Memoriam ...............

David Waters

The Houston Symphony family mourns the loss of retired musician David Waters, who passed away September 25, 2010, after a year-long battle with leukemia. He was 70 years old.

David was born and raised in Houston, graduating from Austin High School. He received his bachelor’s degree in music education from the University of Houston and a Master of Music degree from the University of Texas. His career as the bass trombonist with the Houston Symphony spanned more than four decades (1966-2007), and he was a founding faculty member of Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music. His musical legacy continues through the musicians he trained; they perform and teach worldwide.

David is survived by his wife, Dixie, his step-children, Tasia and John Green, and a large extended family.

McIntyre + Robinowitz A R C H I T E C T S Full service residential and commercial design firm New construction and renovations 718 Heights Blvd, Houston, TX 77007 TEL 713.520.9336

February 2011 11

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Notes..................................

Program

by Carl Cunningham

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SINFONIA DA REQUIEM, OPUS 20 Benjamin Britten

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Born: Nov 22, 1913, Lowestoft, England Died: Dec 4, 1976, Aldeburgh, England

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Fidelity Investments Classical Series

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Work composed: 1939-40 Recording: Stuart Bedford, London Symphony (Naxos)

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Thursday, February 3, 2011 8 pm Saturday, February 5, 2011 8 pm Sunday, February 6, 2011 2:30 pm Jones Hall

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Instrumentation: three flutes (one doubling piccolo and alto flute), two oboes, English horn, three clarinets, (one doubling E-flat clarinet and one doubling bass clarinet), alto saxophone, two bassoons, contrabassoon, six horns, three trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion, two harps, piano and strings

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Gil Shaham Plus Beethoven 7

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Hans Graf, conductor Gil Shaham, violin

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Walton Violin Concerto I Andante tranquillo II Presto capriccioso alla napolitana III Vivace

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Britten Sinfonia da Requiem, Opus 20 I Lacrymosa: Andante ben misurato— II Dies Irae: Allegro con fuoco—Alla marcia—Avanti!— III Requiem Aeternum: Andante molto tranquillo

The terse, tragic Sinfonia da Requiem was Benjamin Britten’s first major orchestral composition. Significantly, it was composed just as World War Two was beginning in Europe, but the composer, an avowed pacifist, maintained that the work bore no relationship to that terrible conflict threatening his homeland. He dedicated the work in memory of his parents.

The symphony had been commissioned by the Japanese government in celebration of the 2,600th anniversary of that nation’s imperial dynasty, but when the Japanese learned that symbols of Christianity – titles from the Latin Mass for the Dead – would be attached to all three movements, they noted that the score contained no felicitous reference to their anniversary festivities and the work was rejected.

Britten and his companion, tenor Peter Pears, were on an extended three-year period of residence and travel in North America at the time, and the first performance was finally given by Sir John Barbirolli and the New York Philharmonic on March 29, 1941.

The Sinfonia da Requiem is set in three uninterrupted movements that bear general relationships to the symphonic form, though the work concludes with an elegiac slow movement instead of a more traditional fast finale. The opening movement, a highly compressed sonata form, begins with several thunderclap timpani strokes that gradually die down, setting the tone for a slow, symphonic dirge. A quietly grieving theme, begun by the first bassoon, is repeated over and over as it gradually swells into a wailing chorus, expanded and elaborated upon by the entire orchestra. This theme, and its melodic and rhythmic variants, dominates the entire movement, growing into a huge, painful climax before dying quietly away at the end.

The Scherzo, titled “Dies Irae,” is a movement full of fury and shrill orchestral effects: a rattling “flutter-tongue” vibration for the woodwind players, racing triple-tongue passages and a sarcastic use of mutes for the brass. The strings are caught up in crisp, dry staccato and bound-

INTERMISSION Beethoven Symphony No. 7 in A major, Opus 92 I Poco sostenuto—Vivace II Allegretto III Presto—Assai meno presto—Presto IV Allegro con brio

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Hans Graf’s biography appears on page 4.

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Gil Shaham’s performance on Saturday evening is generously sponsored by Lorraine & Alexander Dell.

The printed music for Walton’s Violin Concerto was donated by Michael B. & Christine E. George.

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The printed music for Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7 in A major, Opus 92 was donated by Paul H. & Maida M. Asofsky.

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Prelude is sponsored by Fluor.

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

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These concerts are being recorded for future broadcast on KUHF 88.7 FM, the Radio Voice of the Houston Symphony.

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12 www.houstonsymphony.org

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KUHF 88.7 FM is the Classical Season media sponsor.

The Houston Symphony currently records under its own label, Houston Symphony Media Productions, and for Naxos. Houston Symphony recordings also are available on the Telarc, RCA Red Seal, Virgin Classics and Koch International Classics labels.

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.................................................................................................................... ing-bow strokes, and they are joined by the harps and percussion in slashing, sliding “glissando” effects up and down the scale toward the end of this bitter movement.

Where harsh sounds pervade the texture of the first two movements, the short, concluding “Requiem in aeternam” is mostly suffused with sweet harmonies and a gentle, reflective melody line. Following the pattern of the first two movements, it also dies away very quietly.

VIOLIN CONCERTO William Walton Born: Mar 29, 1902, Oldham in Lancashire, England

reflects the character of the second movement. It is a brilliant scherzo, full of dashing figuration and all manner of light violinistic tricks – many of them performed as tightrope feats high up on the violin fingerboard. The Trio is a droll piece, played at a slower pace, but even more dazzling figuration accompanies the return of the scherzo, bringing the movement to a deft conclusion.

The extended finale alternates a jocular march (oddly set in ¾ meter) with more lyrical sections featuring the solo violin in elaborate display passages, including a lengthy cadenza lightly accompanied by the orchestra. A final

burst of energy brings the concerto to a rousing conclusion.

SYMPHONY NO. 7 IN A MAJOR, OPUS 92 Ludwig van Beethoven Born: Dec 16, 1770, Bonn, Germany Died: Mar 27, 1827, Vienna, Austria Work composed: 1812 Recording: Simon Rattle, Vienna Philharmonic (EMI Classics) Instrumentation: pairs of flutes, oboes, clarinets, bassoons, horns and trumpet, timpani and strings

Died: Mar 8, 1983, Ischia, Italy Work composed: 1936-39; revised 1943 Recording: Kurt Nikkanen, violin; William Boughton conducting the New Haven Symphony (Nimbus) Instrumentation: pairs of flutes (second doubling piccolo), oboes (second doubling English horn), clarinets and bassoons, four horns, two trumpets, three trombones, timpani, percussion, harp and strings We owe the existence of Walton’s Violin Concerto to a commission from famed violinist Jascha Heifetz. Recognizing the combination of a brilliant technique, glowing tone and impeccable musicianship in Heifetz’s playing, Walton produced an expansive concerto that blended technical virtuosity with romantic sweetness, humor and a texture that is often light and airy.

Two lyrical themes are simultaneously presented at the beginning of the opening sonata movement – the main theme, arching upward in the solo violin part, and a lower, less obtrusive theme played by the cellos and bassoon (later by the clarinet). After they’ve been discussed at some length, a change in tonality brings forth a secondary theme, played by the orchestra alone. When the solo violin returns to conclude the exposition section, it is accompanied by a group of solo woodwind players – a harbinger of things to come at the end of the movement.

The development is marked by a brisk uptake in the speed and spirit of the music, as orchestra and soloist begin a lengthy and rigorous examination of the thematic content, including much display of brilliant passagework and an elaborate cadenza by the soloist.

The initial themes return separately, with the soloist playing the lower theme first. After an intense orchestral climax, orchestral soloists join the solo violinist in a feathery “chamber music” ending to the movement.

The concerto was composed at a late medieval villa overlooking Italy’s Amalfi coast, and the designation of mood and tempo in the score, “Presto, capriccioso alla napolitana,” February 2011 13

Notes continued.........................

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The year 1812 was a dividing line between the best of times and the worst of times in Beethoven’s life. During that year, he completed both the Seventh and Eighth symphonies, two of his most joyous, carefree pieces.

With them, he looked back upon a large catalogue of major works that were bringing him considerable financial prosperity. In July, he had a fateful romantic encounter with an unnamed woman (presumably Antonie Brentano) which resulted in the celebrated letter to his “Immortal Beloved.”

By September, however, the morally straight-laced composer was involved in a legal dispute to break up an illicit affair between his younger brother and the man’s housekeeper. Early in 1813, a state of depression set in, and friends reported finding Beethoven in a weakened, disheveled condition, having gone without food for three days in a possible attempt to end his life, according to biographer Maynard Solomon.

Several aspects of the Seventh Symphony are unusual. Its opening movement is prefaced by the longest introductory section of any symphony until the gigantic symphonies of Mahler at the end of the 19th century. This serene introduction almost constitutes an independent movement, and when its lovely ascending scale passages have run their extended course, it leads into a joyous sonata movement whose dance-like rhythm sets the emotional tone for the whole symphony.

The second movement is unusual in that its tempo marking, “Allegretto,” does not constitute a genuine slow movement. (Similarly, Beethoven omitted a slow movement in his Eighth Symphony.) In its formal design, the movement is a hybrid combining elements of a large three-part song form (A-B-A plus codetta) with a set of variations.

The third movement is novel in two respects. It moves to the slightly distant tonalities of F major and D major, and it enlarges the typical Scherzo and Trio from a three-part form to a five-part design (A-B-A-B-A plus codetta).

This was an expansion Beethoven previously attempted, but later excised from the Scherzo of his Fifth Symphony – and employed later in the gigantic Scherzo of his Ninth Symphony.

Beethoven’s celebration of dance music is completed in the fourth movement, which combines elements of a large rondo form with the spirit of an Irish reel. Its high horn parts are noteworthy for their exuberant sound and the exhausting technical challenges they pose. ©2011, Carl R. Cunningham

Biography...................

Gil Shaham, violin

Gil Shaham – one of today’s foremost violinists – combines flawless technique with inimitable

.......................................... warmth and generosity of spirit. He is sought after for international appearances on the great concert stages and at the most prestigious festivals.

This season, Shaham plays the Walton concerto (New York Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, Zurich’s Tonhalle-Orchester and Milwaukee Symphony); Prokofiev’s Second (National Symphony and Orchestre de Paris); Bartók’s Second (St. Petersburg’s Mariinsky Orchestra and Sinfonieorchester Berlin); and the Barber and Hartmann concertos (Toronto and Chicago Symphonies respectively). photo by boyd hagen

Shaham

Last season, Shaham’s “Violin Concertos of the 1930s” project included 35 performances, and its first recording will be released this season on his own label, Canary Classics.

The violinist has collaborated with family, friends and colleagues including his wife, violinist Adele Anthony; sister, pianist Orli Shaham; and brother-in-law, conductor David Robertson, as well as Houston Symphony Concertmaster Frank Huang and Principal Cellist Brinton Averil Smith.

Shaham’s numerous bestselling concerto and solo CDs have appeared on record charts in the U.S. and abroad, and earned multiple Grammys®, a Grand Prix du Disque, Diapason d’Or and a Gramophone Editor’s Choice Award.

Born in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois (1971), Shaham’s family moved to Israel where he began violin studies with Samuel Bernstein (Rubin Academy of Music) at age 7. While studying with Haim Taub in Jerusalem, he debuted with the Jerusalem Symphony and the Israel Philharmonic and began studies with Dorothy DeLay and Jens Ellerman (Aspen).

After taking first prize in Israel’s Claremont Competition (1982), he became a scholarship student at Juilliard, where he worked with DeLay and Hyo Kang. He also studied at Columbia University.

Shaham was awarded an Avery Fisher Career Grant (1990) and received the coveted Avery Fisher Award (2008). He plays the 1699 “Countess Polignac” Stradivarius and lives in New York City with his wife and their two children.

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February 2011 15

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Program

by Carl Cunningham

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Maurice Ravel

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Born: Mar 7, 1875, Ciboure, France Died: Dec 28, 1937, Paris, France

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Fidelity Investments Classical Series

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Friday, February 11, 2011 8 pm Saturday, February 12, 2011 8 pm Sunday, February 13, 2011 2:30 pm Jones Hall

Although Maurice Ravel only lived the first three months of his life in his birthplace before moving with his family to Paris, he always took pride in his maternal Basque heritage. He periodically returned for rest and relaxation to the tiny seaside village of Ciboure, tucked in the very Southwestern corner of France between Biarritz and the Spanish border. And like many of his contemporaries, including Debussy, Chabrier and Rimsky-Korsakov, Ravel composed several works exhibiting his fondness for the music of neighboring Spain.

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Ravel’s Spain with Boléro

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Hans Graf, conductor Susanne Mentzer, mezzo-soprano *Brenton Ryan, tenor *Samuel Schultz, baritone *Rafael Moras, tenor *Stephen Anthony Ray, baritone

L’HEURE ESPAGNOLE (THE SPANISH HOUR) Work composed: 1907-09

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Recording: Jean Fournet, Chicago Lyric Opera Orchestra. Singers Teresa Berganza, Alfredo Kraus, Herbert Kraus, Sesto Bruscantini, Giorgio Tadeo (Living Stage)

Ravel L’heure espagnole (The Spanish Hour) INTERMISSION Ravel Rapsodie espagnole I Prélude à la nuit: Très modéré— II Malagueña: Assez vif III Habanera: Assez lent IV Feria: Assez animé Ravel Don Quichotte à Dulcinée 1 Chanson romanesque: Moderato 2 Chanson épique: Molto moderato 3 Chanson à boire: Allegro Ravel/Graf Chants populaires 1 Chanson espagnole Ravel Vocalise (Pièce en forme de habanera) Ravel Boléro

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Instrumentation: piccolo, two flutes, two oboes, English horn, two clarinets, bass clarinet, two bassoons, contrabassoon, four horns, two trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion, two harps, celesta, offstage chimes and strings

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*Houston Symphony debut Hans Graf’s biography appears on page 4.

Shell Favorite Masters

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Friday’s concert is generously sponsored by The Methodist Hospital System.

The SoundPlusVision series is sponsored by the Alkek & Williams Foundation and supported in part by an endowed fund from The Cullen Trust for the Performing Arts Fund for Creative Initiatives.

The printed music for Ravel’s Rapsodie espagnole was donated by Mr. & Mrs. Andrew Wilkomirski.

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The scores for Ravel’s Boléro were donated by Gary L. Hollingsworth.

Prelude is sponsored by Fluor.

KUHF 88.7 FM is the Classical Season media sponsor.

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The Houston Symphony currently records under its own label, Houston Symphony Media Productions, and for Naxos. Houston Symphony recordings also are available on the Telarc, RCA Red Seal, Virgin Classics and Koch International Classics labels.

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

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The printed music for Ravel’s Don Quichotte à Dulcinée was donated by Michael B. & Christine E. George.

These concerts are being recorded for future broadcast on KUHF 88.7 FM, the Radio Voice of the Houston Symphony.

Ravel’s one-act comedy is based on a play by Franc-Nohain that had a successfull run at Odéon Theater (1904). The story, set in 18thcentury Toledo, involves a clockmaker’s wife who schedules trysts with her lovers just after 1 p.m. on Thursdays, while her gullible husband is regularly out adjusting and repairing all the municipal clocks in the city’s public spaces.

Unexpectedly, a husky muleteer arrives with a watch needing repair at the moment the clockmaker is leaving for his rounds. The wife keeps him busy hauling grandfather clocks back and forth from her upstairs bedroom, while she waits for appointments with a poet and a rich banker. But the poet wastes her time singing flowery verses, while the banker proves too vain for her taste. Finally, she takes the muleteer upstairs, just as the clockmaker returns to find the other two hiding inside his clocks – which he promptly sells to them.

The vocal line is largely set in short dialogue phrases, with some longer arias toward the end of the opera. Much of the opera’s beauty is found in Ravel’s exquisite orchestral setting, which includes delicate scoring for percussion instruments to simulate the ticking and chiming of timepieces in the clockmaker’s shop.

RAPSODIE ESPAGNOLE Work composed: 1907-08

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Recording: Charles Dutoit conducting the Montreal Symphony (Decca) Instrumentation: two piccolos, two flutes, two oboes, English horn, two clarinets, bass clarinet, three bassoons, contrabassoon, four horns, three trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion, two harps, celesta and strings Subtlety, brevity and a pointed orchestral technique are hallmarks of Ravel’s style, and they are admirably expressed in his first significant orchestral piece, the Rapsodie espagnole.

The opening movement, “Prelude to the Night,” is an impressionistic sketch in which delicate fragments of melody and orchestral

tone color are set against a repeated four-note motive. Trumpets and castanets interject the sharp rhythms of the succeeding “Malagueña” against successive waves of tightly packed string, wind and brass tone. Its fury suddenly dissolves in an exotic cadenza for the English horn, garnished with echoes of the four-note motive from the first movement.

The “Habanera” is the most exquisite of the four movements. The typical syncopated rhythm of this Cuban dance, made famous by the Habanera of Bizet’s opera, Carmen, is delicately threaded through a succession of entries by the oboe, muted trumpet, solo violin, horn and harp. Snatches of several festive

melodies gather in a brilliant potpourri, turning the concluding “Feria” into a joyous exhibition of Ravel’s orchestral talent.

DON QUICHOTTE à DULCINÉE CHANTS POPULARIES VOCALISE (PIÈCE EN FORME DE HABANERA) Work composed: 1932-33 (Don Quichotte), 1910 (Chanson espagnole), 1907 (Vocalise) Recording: Teresa Berganza, mezzo-soprano; Dalton Baldwin, piano (EMI Classics) Instrumentation: two flutes, two oboes (second doubling English horn), two clarinets, two bassoons, two horns, trumpet, percussion, harp and strings Ravel’s three Don Quixote songs were his final compositions, written at a time when a neuromuscular disorder started its inexorable fiveyear course toward ending his life. The songs were originally intended as part of a film score starring Fyodor Chaliapin in the title role of Cervantes addled knight, but Ravel was unable to complete the remaining music.

In the first song, Quixote vows to move heaven and earth to satisfy every wish and whim of his beloved Dulcinea (who is really a rough barmaid in Cervantes’ comic novel), and in the second song, he invokes the aid of the archangel Michael and St. George in protecting her. In the final drinking song, Quixote apparently drowns his disillusionment in a frothy mug of ale. The three songs are set in Spanish dance rhythms: consecutively, a quajira, a Basque dance known as a zortzico and a jota for the drinking song.

The Chants populaires is one of four prizewinning folksong arrangements Ravel entered in a Russian competition designed to promote the awareness and performance of international folksong. A relentless militant rhythm (similar to a boléro) underlies a bitter comment in the text about the hardening effect of war upon a man’s soul, though the colloquialism in the original Galician text would be considered racially insensitive today. A French translation changes the words, comparing their hardened hearts to thistles.

The Vocalise (Pièce en forme de habanera) was one of several such pieces commissioned by a Paris Conservatory vocal professor as exercises for his students. It is an example of a century-old tradition of textless exercises sung to vowel sounds with instrumental accompaniment. Rachmaninoff’s Vocalise, Opus 34, has gained the greatest fame as a concert piece among numerous works in this genre.

BOLÉRO Work composed: 1928 Recording: Charles Dutoit conducting the Montreal Symphony (Decca)

18 www.houstonsymphony.org

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Instrumentation: piccolo, two flutes (second doubling piccolo), two oboes (second doubling oboe d’amore), English horn, two clarinets (second doubling E-flat clarinet), bass clarinet, two bassoons, contrabassoon, four horns, four trumpets, three trombones, tuba, soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone, timpani, percussion, harp, celesta and strings Ravel’s international fame reached its height in 1928, following numerous awards and commissions from abroad, plus a four-month United States tour that included two Houston concerts under sponsorship of Rice University.

Following his return to Paris in the late spring, Ravel began work on a commission from dancer/choreographer Ida Rubinstein for a ballet with a Spanish theme. At first, he orchestrated some pieces from Isaac Albéniz’s piano suite, Ibéria, but abandoned that project after copyright problems emerged. Instead, he composed what became his most popular original work. Originally, he called it Fandango, but soon settled on its present title, Boléro.

Ravel’s intention was precisely set forth in a written statement issued after the premiere: to compose a 17-minute piece involving “one long, very gradual crescendo” and the insistent repetition of a rhythmic pattern over “folk tunes of the usual Spanish-Arabian kind.” The side drum takes up the rhythm, maintaining it until the next-to-last measure, while the flute begins a beguiling melody over a simple string accompaniment. Gradually, more and more instruments join in – often in exotic combinations – until the entire orchestra throbs with the relentless, sometimes wailing melody.

Rubinstein and her dance company gave the work its premiere in November 1928 and, when performance rights to the musical score were generally available the following year, Boléro suddenly became an enormously popular orchestral piece. However, a 1930 tour performance by Arturo Toscanini and the New York Philharmonic at the Paris Opera became notorious when Ravel sat stonily in his box and refused to acknowledge the conductor’s gesture of recognition. Backstage after the concert, Ravel complained that Toscanini’s tempo was much too fast, and the conductor retorted that a boléro is not a funeral march. ©2011, Carl R. Cunningham

(Houston Grand Opera). Orchestral appearances include Mahler 3 (Florida Orchestra), Mahler 2 (Indianapolis Symphony) and a performance of Now and Again (Eighth Blackbird).

Mentzer has appeared with the world’s great opera companies, orchestras and festivals in North America, Europe, Buenos Aires and on tour in Japan (Metropolitan Opera, Mostly Mozart and the Bavarian State Opera). Other recent appearances include: a nationwide broadcast on PBS’ Live from Lincoln Center, Beethoven’s 9th Symphony (National Symphony Orchestra), Ravel’s Shéhérazade (St. Louis Symphony) and Britten’s Spring Symphony (San Francisco Symphony).

In addition to her extensive discography, Mentzer has recorded two recitals: The Eternal Feminine, (Koch International Classics) and her personal favorite, Wayfaring Stranger (Erato).

She appeared on PBS’ Live from the Met and was a Breakfast with the Arts (A&E Network) series Artist of the Week. DVD credits include Don Giovanni (Teatro alla Scala), Les Contes d’Hoffmann (Opéra de Paris) and The First Emperor (Metropolitan Opera).

She is professor of voice at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music, served on the faculty of the Aspen Music Festival and School and the DePaul University School of Music, worked with Continued on page 22

Biographies. ...............

Susanne Mentzer, mezzo-soprano

American mezzo-soprano Susanne Mentzer is recognized for her generous vocal and interpretive gifts and is widely admired for her versatility in the recital, concert and operatic arenas.

Performances in this and upcoming seasons include Eugene Onegin (Pittsburgh Opera), The Golden Ticket (Opera Theater of St. Louis), and Dead Man Walking and Le Nozze di Figaro February 2011 19

2011-2012 Classical Season Just Announced!......................................................

Music Inspires

Hans Graf, Music Director

Music Director Hans Graf announces the 2011-2012 Houston Symphony Season!

From monumental works to a hefty collection of musical superstars, this season has it all. Experience the Houston Symphony’s 20112012 Season and be inspired.

Here are just a few highlights of what’s in store…

Kirill Gerstein, piano

RachFest!

Rachmaninoff has enchanted music lovers for generations with his incredibly romantic themes. Come experience a special three-week festival, “RachFest!,” which will pay tribute to this most beloved Russian composer, featuring pianist Kirill Gerstein performing all four of Rachmaninoff’s piano concertos.

RachFest 1 – Rach 3

André Watts, piano

Watts Plays Beethoven’s Emperor

September 30, October 1, 2, 2011 David Afkham, conductor André Watts, piano Beethoven: Coriolan Overture Schubert: Symphony No. 8, Unfinished Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 5, Emperor Striking in manner, Beethoven’s brilliant Emperor concerto opens with a shining piano cadenza.

Get ready to experience a work as original and exciting as anything Beethoven ever wrote. At the keyboard, we welcome back legendary American pianist, André Watts.

January 5, 7, 8, 2012 Edward Gardner, conductor Kirill Gerstein, piano Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 3 Rachmaninoff: Symphonic Dances

Frank Huang, concertmaster

Carmina Burana

RachFest 2 – Rach 1 & 4

May 17, 19, 20, 2012 Hans Graf, conductor Frank Huang, violin Marc Molomot, tenor Hugh Russell, baritone Houston Symphony Chorus Charles Hausmann, director Bach: Es ist genug Berg: Violin Concerto Orff: Carmina Burana

January 13, 14, 15, 2012 Hans Graf, conductor Kirill Gerstein, piano Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 1 Rachmaninoff: Isle of the Dead Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 4

RachFest 3 – Rach 2

By popular demand, the Houston Symphony will close its season with Carmina Burana, a giant of the classical repertoire. The theme “O Fortuna” from the cantata has become a staple in popular culture wherever there’s need for drama.

January 19, 21, 22, 2012 Hans Graf, conductor Kirill Gerstein, piano Rachmaninoff: Vocalise Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 2 Rachmaninoff: Symphony No. 3

Hilary Hahn Plus Enigma

March 30, 31, April 1, 2012 Alexander Shelley, conductor Hilary Hahn, violin Britten: Four Sea Interludes from Peter Grimes Prokofiev: Violin Concerto No. 1 Elgar: Sospiri Elgar: Enigma Variations “Hahn is one of those rare performers who can dazzle you with the warmth of her personality and knock you dead with the dexterity of her technique...”

-Los AngelesTimes 20 www.houstonsymphony.org

Hilary Hahn, violin

Fidelity Investments Classical Series

2011-2012 Pops Season Just Announced!. ............................................................

Michael Krajewski, Principal Pops Conductor

The Best of Spielberg and Williams January 27, 28, 29, 2012 Michael Krajewski, conductor

Hollywood’s Dream Team Spend an evening enjoying the most epic music from Hollywood’s Dream Team: Stephen Spielberg and John Williams. The orchestra plays Mike’s favorite selections from Schindler’s List, Raiders of the Lost Ark, E.T., Saving Private Ryan and more!

Bowfire!

March 9, 10, 11, 2012 Robert Franz, conductor The ultimate string sensation!

Bowfire’s all-star lineup of virtuosic fiddlers delivers a mix of Celtic, rock, bluegrass, Texas-swing and classical music.

Idina Menzel

October 14, 15, 16, 2011 The Star of Rent, Wicked and Glee debuts with the Houston Symphony!

This Tony® Award-winning Broadway powerhouse and star of Glee joins your Houston Symphony to dazzle you with hits from her starring roles in Wicked and Rent, plus songs from her album, I Stand, and more!

Live & Let Die

The Music of Paul McCartney November 4, 5, 6, 2011 Michael Krajewski, conductor Tony Kishman, guitar and vocals

Tony Kishman performs music from Paul McCartney’s iconic Beatles years, his hits with Wings and songs from his decades-long solo career. Hear everything from “Hey Jude” and “Band on the Run” to “Can’t Buy Me Love” and “Live and Let Die.”

Tiempo Libre: Hot in Havana!

May 25, 26, 27, 2012 Michael Krajewski, conductor

Tiempo Libre, the sizzling, dance-inducing Latin music group will throw one big Cuban party with Mike and your Houston Symphony!

Tony Kishman

For 2011-2012 concert and package information, visit houstonsymphony.org.

Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pops at Jones Hall February 2011 21

Biographies. ............... © marty umans

Mentzer

continued from page 19

the George London Foundation and is a board member of the William M. Sullivan Foundation.

Mentzer began her studies in music therapy (University of the Pacific), received her bachelor and master degrees (The Juilliard School), honed her craft in the Houston Grand Opera Studio and studied voice with Norma Newton. © jared slater

Ryan Brenton Ryan, tenor

A Missouri native, tenor Brenton Ryan is in his second year of graduate studies at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music, studying with Dr. Stephen King.

This season at Rice Opera Theater, Ryan performs in Rorem’s Our Town and Monteverdi’s L’Incoronazione di Poppea. Other highlights include solo roles in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, under the baton of Larry Rachleff, and performances in Sondheim’s A Little Night Music and the prologue of Richard Strauss’ Ariadne auf Naxos.

Ryan received his Bachelor of Music degree from DePaul University (Chicago), where he performed in Mikado, Britten’s The Beggar’s Opera and Conrad Susa’s Transformations. He was awarded the three-year New Horizon Fellowship for the Aspen Music Festival and School (2008) where he sang in Corigliano’s The Ghosts of Versailles during the 2010 season.

Samuel Schultz, baritone

Baritone Samuel Schultz has been seen in L’elisir d amore, Così fan tutte, The Rape of Lucretia, Street Scene, A Little Night Music, Viva la mamma!, and covered roles in Don Giovanni and The Mikado. In addition to tonight’s debut, his Houston Grand Opera debut in Ariadne auf Naxos comes in April, and the Pack Language Continued on page 29

22 www.houstonsymphony.org

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Symphony Special

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Monday, February 14, 2011 7:30 pm Jones Hall

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Clay Aiken

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This evening’s program will be announced from the stage.

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The Houston Symphony does not appear on this program.

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Clay Aiken

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The lushly arranged classics on Clay Aiken’s fifth studio album showcase his powerful tenor voice and considerable interpretive gifts. Tried and True (Decca Records) includes respectfully updated ‘50s and ‘60s tunes that Aiken listened to as a child in Raleigh, North Carolina.

The album opens with a swinging version of “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You,” followed by tunes including “Suspicious Minds,” Unchained Melody,” “Moon River” (featuring Vince Gill) and “Crying” (with Broadway star Linda Eder).

Seven years after launching his career on the second season of American Idol, Aiken has sold more than six million Billboard chart-topping, gold-certified, platinum and double-platinum albums worldwide. In addition to launching nine live tours, becoming a New York Times best-seller by co-authoring Learning to Sing: Hearing the Music In Your Life, executive producing and starring in his first TV special, A Clay Aiken Christmas, and winning several American Music and Billboard Music Awards, Aiken donates much of his time to his own foundation, National Inclusion Project, and to UNICEF as a Goodwill Ambassador.

Aiken debuted on Broadway in the Tony Award-winning musical, Monty Python’s Spamalot (2008). He has appeared on television programs such as Live with Regis and Kelly (2006); the sit-coms Ed (2004), Scrubs (2006) and 30 Rock (2009); and soap operas All My Children (2005) and Days of Our Lives (2006).

He has appeared on Saturday Night Live, Late Night with David Letterman, Larry King Live, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and Jimmy Kimmel Live! multiple times.

In June, Aiken launches his first tour since his son, Parker’s, August 2008 birth, co-headlining with good friend Ruben Studdard. The “Timeless” tour presents renditions of classic hits from the past five decades in 17 U.S. venues beginning July 23rd in Asheville, NC.

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The Houston Symphony currently records under its own label, Houston Symphony Media Productions, and for Naxos. Houston Symphony recordings also are available on the Telarc, RCA Red Seal, Virgin Classics and Koch International Classics labels.

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Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pops at Jones Hall

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Friday, February 18, 2011 8 pm Saturday, February 19, 2011 8 pm Sunday, February 20, 2011 7:30 pm Jones Hall

Photo by michael tammaro

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Biographies. ........................

Program

Krajewski

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Kenny Loggins Michael Krajewski, conductor Scott Bernard, guitar and vocals Tom Brechtlein, drums and vocals Loren Gold, keyboard and vocals Shem von Schroeck, bass and vocals

Michael Krajewski, conductor

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Much in demand across the United States and Canada, Michael Krajewski delights concertgoers with his imaginative, entertaining programs and wry sense of humor. Audiences leave his concerts smiling, remembering the evening’s music and surprises.

Maestro Krajewski joined the Houston Symphony as Principal Pops Conductor at the beginning of the 2000-01 season. His fans especially enjoy the Star-Spangled Salute at Miller Outdoor Theatre and The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, and the Houston holiday tradition, Very Merry Pops.

He also serves as principal pops conductor of the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra and the New Hampshire Music Festival Orchestra.

He was recently promoted to Principal Pops Conductor for the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra – the first in Atlanta! He previously held principal pops conductor positions with the Long Beach and New Mexico Symphonies.

As a guest conductor, he has performed with the Boston Pops and the Hollywood Bowl orchestras, and has appeared with symphonies across the U.S., including those of Baltimore, Dallas, Detroit, Minnesota, Phoenix, St. Louis, San Antonio, San Francisco and more. In Canada, he has led Ottawa’s National Arts Centre Orchestra, as well as the Edmonton and Winnipeg symphonies.

Krajewski has performed with an eclectic group of artists including Sir James Galway, Marilyn Horne, Alicia de Larrocha, Roberta Flack, Judy Collins, Art Garfunkel, Al Hirt, Cab Calloway, The Kingston Trio, Ben E. King, Mary Wilson, Patti Austin, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Canadian Brass and Pink Martini.

With degrees from Wayne State University and the University of Cincinnati CollegeConservatory of Music, Krajewski furthered his training at the Pierre Monteux Domaine School for Conductors. He was a Dorati Fellowship Conductor with the Detroit Symphony and later served as that orchestra’s assistant conductor.

Michael Krajewski lives in Orlando, Florida, with his wife, Darcy. When not conducting, he enjoys travel, photography, jogging, bicycling and solving The New York Times Sunday crossword puzzle.

Anderson/Wendel

The Classical Jukebox

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Baroque Festival Overture

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Arr. R. Wendel

K. Jenkins Palladio, Concerto Grosso for String Orchestra I Allegreto CATcerto for Chamber Orchestra and Video

Arr. G. Prechel

Percussion Audition

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M. Piecˇaitis

INTERMISSION The remainder of the program will be announced from the stage.

Presenting Sponsor

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Appearances by Principal Pops Conductor Michael Krajewski are generously sponsored by Cameron Management.

Saturday’s concert is generously sponsored by CenterPoint Energy.

This weekend’s concerts are generously sponsored by Cameron.

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24 www.houstonsymphony.org

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The Houston Symphony currently records under its own label, Houston Symphony Media Productions, and for Naxos. Houston Symphony recordings also are available on the Telarc, RCA Red Seal, Virgin Classics and Koch International Classics labels.

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Kenny Loggins

Brilliant singer-songwriter and guitarist Kenny Loggins has a lifelong passion for exploring the endless power of the song. An enduring recording artist and live performer with an extraordinary impact in a world of one-hit wonders and 15-minute sensations, 12 of his albums have gone platinum and beyond.

Born in Everett, Wash., Loggins moved to the Los Angeles area as a young boy. After a short stint as a guitarist and songwriter, he began work on his first album. Originally intended as his solo debut, producer Jim Messina’s involvement increased and the subsequent Kenny Loggins with Jim Messina Sittin’ In (1972) quickly established the accidental duo as one of the most significant recording and touring acts of the ‘70s.

After his split from Messina in 1976, Loggins achieved solo stardom with million-selling solo albums such as Celebrate Me Home, Nightwatch, Keep The Fire and High Adventure.

He co-wrote the 1979 Grammy® award-winning Song of The Year, “What a Fool Believes,” with long-time friend, Michael McDonald of the Doobie Brothers and won the Best Male Pop Vocal Grammy® for “This Is It” in 1980.

In the ‘80s, Loggins became famous as the king of the movie theme songs, thanks to massive smashes like “I’m Alright” (Caddyshack), “Footloose” (Footloose), “Danger Zone” (Top Gun) and “Nobody’s Fool” (Caddyshack II).

Other albums include the 1985 Vox Humana, 1988 Back to Avalon, 1991 Leap of Faith, 1997 The Unimaginable Life, 2003 It’s About Time, 1998 December and two acclaimed CDs for children: 1994 radiant Return To Pooh Corner and its follow-up, More Songs From Pooh Corner.

In 2005, Loggins reunited with Jim Messina, to great surprise and considerable acclaim. As much personally as musically, the “Sittin’ in Again” tour was so successful and inspiring that they took their show on the road once again in 2009.

February 2011 25

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Program

by Carl Cunningham

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SYMPHONY NO. 3, (THE CAMP MEETING) Charles Ives

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Born: Oct 20, 1874, Danbury, Connecticut Died: May 19, 1954, New York, New York

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Fidelity Investments Classical Series

Work composed: 1902-04; revised 1909 Recording: Michael Tilson Thomas conducting the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra (Nimbus)

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Thursday, February 24, 2011 8 pm Saturday, February 26, 2011 8 pm Sunday, February 27, 2011 2:30 pm Jones Hall

Instrumentation: flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, two horns, trombone, bells and strings

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James Gaffigan, conductor Jonathan Biss, piano

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Ives Symphony No. 3 (The Camp Meeting) I Old Folks Gatherin’: Andante maestoso II Children’s Day: Allegro moderato III Communion: Largo

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Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 3 in C minor, Opus 37 I Allegro con brio II Largo III Rondo: Allegro INTERMISSION Dvorˇák Symphony No. 7 in D minor, Opus 70 I Allegro maestoso II Poco adagio III Scherzo: Vivace IV Finale: Allegro

Total Gold Classic

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This weekend’s concerts are generously sponsored by Baker Botts L.L.P. The Kathleen Cullen Burton Guest Conductor Series is supported by a generous gift from The Cullen Trust for the Performing Arts.

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James Gaffigan’s Saturday appearance is sponsored by Barbara & Pat McCelvey.

The printed music for Ives’ Symphony No. 3 (The Camp Meeting) was donated by Michael B. & Christine E. George.

The printed music for Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 3 in C minor, Opus 37 was donated by Mr. & Mrs. Steven Jay Williams.

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Prelude is sponsored by Fluor.

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The printed music for Dvorˇák’s Symphony No. 7 in D minor, Opus 70 was donated by the Musicians of the Houston Symphony.

KUHF 88.7 FM is the Classical Season media sponsor.

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26 www.houstonsymphony.org

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

The Houston Symphony currently records under its own label, Houston Symphony Media Productions, and for Naxos. Houston Symphony recordings also are available on the Telarc, RCA Red Seal, Virgin Classics and Koch International Classics labels.

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Jonathan Biss’ Saturday performance is sponsored by Angel & Craig Fox.

These concerts are being recorded for future broadcast on KUHF 88.7 FM, the Radio Voice of the Houston Symphony.

The genesis of Charles Ives’ Third Symphony was as long and complex as anything he wrote. As Kenneth Singleton notes in his preface to its most authoritative score, the symphony originated as a set of organ preludes Ives composed and performed about 1901, toward the end of his term as organist at New York’s Central Presbyterian Church. Over the next three years, he expanded and orchestrated the pieces into a symphony. In 1909, Ives revised the score and made an ink copy which was later lost. In 1911, a New York copying service made a more readable ink copy, and Gustav Mahler (then conductor of the New York Philharmonic), took it home to Vienna, where it too was lost after his death.

Like many of Ives’ works, the symphony languished unperformed for 35 years, until composer Lou Harrison had the nearly illegible 1904 score copied and conducted it on April 5, 1946, in a concert by the New York Little Symphony.

That prompted a spate of performances by other organizations, and the Ives revival was suddenly on. The following year, the symphony won the Pulitzer Prize for music.

In a detailed analysis of the symphony, scholar John Kirkpatrick identified six 19thcentury hymns whose phrases Ives excerpted and re-combined to make up the thematic material of the symphony. While religious experience and philosophical inquiry are implied in the content of many Ives works, the Third Symphony is considered by several scholars to hark back to the simple religion of Ives’ youth in Danbury, Connecticut. To some extent, the Danbury experience of Ives’ childhood is revealed in the titles he gave the three movements: “Old Folks Gatherin’,” “Children’s Day” and “Communion.”

The Third Symphony was composed at a time when Ives’ musical style was changing and it represented, as Ives said, “a ‘crossway’ between the old and the new.” Though flavored with strong dissonance, its music is more rooted in tonal harmony than later Ives works.

Ives’ individuality surfaces in his approach to musical forms. The symphony has only three movements, not the customary four, and while the second movement approximates a scherzo

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Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 3

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.................................................................................................................... with a march-rhythm trio section, the symphony ends with an ethereal slow movement.

PIANO CONCERTO NO. 3 IN C MINOR, OPUS 37 Ludwig van Beethoven Born: Dec 16, 1770, Bonn, Germany Died: Mar 27, 1827, Vienna, Austria Work Composed: 1800-03 Recording: Pianist Radu Lupu, with Lawrence Foster conducting the London Symphony (Eloquence) Instrumentation: pairs of flutes, oboes, clarinets, bassoons, horns, trumpets, timpani and strings Being a pianist and composer, Beethoven found the concerto an important medium of self-expression and self-promotion. Thus, Beethoven completed three piano concertos between 1795 and 1800, his first five years as a young musician trying to make his way in Viennese musical circles. (An earlier concerto from his juvenile years in Bonn exists only in a piano score.)

Initial sketches for the Third Concerto in C minor date back to about 1796, but biographer Alexander Thayer calculated that Beethoven composed the body of the concerto during the

summer of 1800. The premiere was not until April 5, 1803, at Vienna’s Theater an der Wien.

The C minor Concerto is considered the work in which Beethoven fully mastered the art of writing a “symphonic concerto” – that is to say, blending the concept of alternate solo and orchestral statements common to the baroque concerto with the tonal and thematic principles of sonata and rondo forms developed by 18thcentury symphonic composers. It also confirmed Beethoven’s intent to expand the concerto to heroic dimensions, a trend begun with his C major Concerto two years earlier.

The concerto opens with a long orchestral exposition, presenting an urgent triadic opening theme in C minor, followed by several subsidiary themes of similar character. A shift to the relative major key, E-flat, brings a second main theme that is more song-like. The music returns to the minor key in preparation for the piano, which takes up all of the themes in a florid solo exposition.

Interaction between soloist and orchestra, thematic and dramatic involvement are strong attributes of the development section. The recapitulation brings an elaborate figurative display from the pianist, capped by a tightly-knit cadenza which Beethoven composed for this concerto six years after the premiere.

The slow movement takes the concerto to the threshold of musical Romanticism. This highly poetic song form is set in the remote and colorful key of E major, and the music is enhanced by breathtaking themes and gorgeous pianistic filigree. In the robust finale, Beethoven combines rondo and sonata principles in a lengthy seven-part movement (ABA development ABA) that includes a fugal episode at the center and a fast, teasing coda, ending the concerto in a bright C major tonality.

SYMPHONY NO. 7 IN D MINOR, OPUS 70 Antonín Dvorˇák Born: Sep 8, 1841, Nelahozeves near Kralupy, Bohemia Died: May 1, 1904, Prague, Bohemia Work Composed: 1884-85 Recording: Marin Alsop conducting the Baltimore Symphony (Naxos) Instrumentation: two flutes, (one doubling piccolo), two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, two trumpets, three trombones, timpani and strings If ever the image of Brahms was implanted on the music of Dvorˇák, it was in his Seventh

February 2011 27

Notes continued...........................................................................................

James Gaffigan, conductor

American conductor James Gaffigan is hailed for his insightful musicianship and the natural ease of his conducting. In summer 2011, he begins appointments with the Lucerne Symphony Orchestra (chief conductor) and the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra (principal guest conductor).

28 www.houstonsymphony.org

Gaffigan made his professional opera debut conducting La Bohème (Zurich Opera) and conducted performances of Don Giovanni (Aspen Music Festival) and Falstaff (Glyndebourne) in 2009. Last year, he co-conducted Così fan tutti with Sir Charles Mackerras (Glyndebourne) and led performances of Marriage of Figaro (Aspen).

He leads the Houston Grand Opera and makes his Vienna State Opera debut in 2011.

Born in New York City (1979), Gaffigan studied at the LaGuardia High School of Music and Art and the Juilliard School Preparatory Division. A New England Conservatory of Music graduate, he earned his Masters of Music in conducting at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music. He was chosen as an academy conductor in the American Academy of Conducting’s inaugural year in Aspen (2000).

He received the Academy’s first Robert Harth Conducting Award (2002), was selected as a Tanglewood Music Center conducting fellow and won first prize at the 2004 Sir Georg Solti International Conducting Competition.

Gaffigan previously led the San Francisco Symphony (associate conductor) and the Cleveland Orchestra (assistant conductor). He currently lives in Lucerne with his wife, writer Lee Taylor Gaffigan.

musical intelligence, he performs diverse repertoire, including commissions from Leon Kirchner, Lewis Spratlan and Bernard Rands this season.

Biss

Biographies. ...............

Gaffigan has guest conducted the Philadelphia and Cleveland orchestras, the Chicago, Houston, National, New World and Baltimore symphonies, and the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, among others. This season, he returns to the Cincinnati and Indianapolis symphonies and debuts with the Vancouver and Milwaukee orchestras. Internationally, he returns to the Munich and Rotterdam Philharmonics, Deutsches Symphony Orchestra Berlin, Bournemouth Symphony, the Leipzig and Stuttgart Radio Orchestras and debuts with the Dresden Staatskappelle, Sydney Symphony and the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra.

Gaffigan

Symphony in D minor. In no other Dvorˇák symphony is there such a sense of a lonely hero struggling against the dark forces of fate.

Dvorˇák’s reverence for Brahms extended back 11 years before this work, when Brahms (along with conductor Johann Herbeck and critic Eduard Hanslick) nominated the obscure young Bohemian composer for the Austrian State Stipend in 1874. The cash award, the honor and the support by Brahms eventually won Dvorˇák a Viennese publisher and a window on the world that led to international performances during the last 30 years of his life. A decade later, he won several important conducting engagements in England and also received a commission for a new symphony from the London Philharmonic Society.

The very serious, tightly knit sonata forms Dvorˇák composed in the two outer movements most strongly reflect the muscularity of Brahms’ musical style. The opening movement begins quietly with a somber theme in the lower strings, building upon its basic idea in several large musical sentences. Eventually, the woodwinds – mainly clarinets – introduce a lilting second theme and, finally, the full orchestra returns to conclude the exposition with the principal theme, this time in the major key.

The two themes are pitted against each other in a fairly brief though substantial development. Dvorˇák then reverses the dynamic sequence in the recapitulation, returning the main theme full force, followed by the lyrical second theme and a quiet coda based on the first theme.

The middle movements more readily identify Dvorˇák’s Bohemian heritage. The slow movement is a string of song-like melodies, interrupted by turbulent episodes that follow each other in no specified order. The movement is rounded off by a return of the first two melodies at the end. The third movement is a typical Dvorˇákian scherzo, whose stamping cross-rhythms suggest the Bohemian dance called a Furiant.

Like the first movement, the finale is again a sonata form cast in a heroic mould.

But where the first movement ends in a tone of resignation, this movement turns from the minor to the major key, culminating in a victorious climax. ©2011, Carl R. Cunningham

Since his New York recital and New York Philharmonic debuts at age 20, Biss has appeared with the foremost orchestras of North America, Europe, Asia and Australia. He is a frequent performer at leading international music festivals and gives recitals in major music capitals at home and abroad. Collaborations this season include scheduled performances with Midori and Miriam Fried (violin), Antoine Lederlin (cello) and Nobuko Imai (viola).

His newest recording was named one of the best albums of the year by NPR Music.

Albums for EMI Classics include a live recording of Mozart Piano Concertos 21 and 22 (Orpheus Chamber Orchestra) and Schumann and Beethoven recital discs, which were recognized with a Diapason d’Or Award and an Edison Award, respectively.

Biss studied at Indiana University with Evelyne Brancart and at The Curtis Institute of Music with Leon Fleisher. He represents the third generation in a family of professional musicians, including his grandmother, Raya Garbousova, for whom Samuel Barber wrote his Cello Concerto, and his parents, Miriam Fried (violin) and Paul Biss (viola/violin). He has received the Leonard Bernstein Award, the Andrew Wolf Memorial Chamber Music Award, an Avery Fisher Career Grant and the 2003 Borletti-Buitoni Trust Award.

He was the first American participant in BBC’s New Generation Artist program. Biss blogs about his life as a musician at jonathanbiss.com.

Acknowledgements

The Official Airline of the Houston Symphony

Jonathan Biss, piano

American pianist Jonathan Biss, widely regarded for his artistry and interpretations, has won international recognition for his orchestral, recital and chamber music performances and for his award-winning recordings. Noted for his prodigious technique, intriguing programs and

The Official Health Care Provider of the Houston Symphony

Music Matters!. ....................................................................................

Math According to Music Matters!

14 Student Concerts = 36,000 young Symphony lovers 8 Family Concerts = 6,600 introductions to symphonic music 26 Schools X 4 Performances/yr. = 15,000 music education experiences 2 Student Competitions = Dozens of inspired young artists

All of these Houston Symphony educational activities and the nearly 60,000 young lives they influence annually are coordinated by two staff members. How do they do it, you ask? The answer: volunteers who come from corporations, social organizations and our own Symphony family.

The Houston Symphony League and Houston Symphony LeagueBay Area, our longest dedicated groups, provide the majority of volunteers for many events that introduce students to and enhance their appreciation of symphonic music. The David Dewhurst Student Concert series – Symphony Detectives for younger elementary students and Cameron Symphony Explorers for upper elementary-middle school students – are held during the school day. Approximately 15 volunteers meet, greet and seat the 2,600 in attendance at each of the 14 performances.

The Weatherford Family Concerts series, presented on four Saturday mornings throughout the year, includes an hour of concert-related activities in the Jones Hall lobby, each of which requires an abundance of volunteers who patiently show youngsters how to hold a violin, make a sound on a brass mouthpiece or create a concert-related craft.

The mission of the Houston Symphony League-Bay Area is to expose students in the Clear Creek Independent School District to multiple symphonic experiences. CCISD’s 26 elementary schools are treated to several performances every year. Each grade sees a musical puppet

show or ensemble performance; and – once they’ve reached fifth grade – enjoy an Explorer Concert at Jones Hall. More than 2,900 CCISD fifth graders were Symphony Explorers this year!

The Houston Symphony League Concerto Competition is the longest-running project of the Houston Symphony League. Eighteen young musicians from southeast Texas performed on January 8, 2011, at the University of Houston’s Moores School of Music. Dozens of League volunteers were on hand to greet, escort and feed the contestants and judges. The Ima Hogg Competition, held annually in June at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music, involves a variety of volunteers working the Semifinals Round – meeting, escorting, announcing, cooking, serving and more, while others transport contestants to and from the airport and other locations throughout the week.

Other events, such as our Sounds Like Fun! summer concerts and Magical Musical Morning – a children’s Christmas activity – involve League members as puppeteers or instrument petting zoo-ers. In addition to this plethora of volunteer activities, League members also lend a hand in the Symphony offices, as needed.

In order to continue broadening the musical horizons of Houstonarea students, the two Symphony education staff members rely on the hundreds of priceless volunteers who help the Houston Symphony Education Department enhance the lives of children through music. We are grateful to those who tirelessly devote untold hours to help young people appreciate music – our projects could not succeed without you!

Change a life; create a spark; bring a community together.

Volunteer! Music Matters!

Biographies continued from page 22....................................................................... © Roldan de moras

© jamie schultz photography

Moras

Schultz

© braeden rogers

Annual New York Metropolitan Opera National Council Southwest Region Auditions.

Ray

Institute for Singers (Rice University) is funding his May trip to Florence, Italy to study Italian.

Stephen Anthony Ray, baritone Solo concert repertoire includes Handel’s Messiah, Fauré’s Requiem, Bach’s Magnificat and Poulenc’s Rapsodie nègre. As a United States Senate Page Program alumnus, he had the prestigious honor of singing for Congress.

Schultz will complete the graduate program at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music this spring, and has represented the program at Regional Opera Gala Concerts in Aspen, Chicago, Dallas, New York City and San Francisco (2008).

Rafael Moras, tenor

Tenor Rafael Moras is a National Foundation for the Advancement of the Arts (NFAA) Young ARTS Winner (2006), United States Presidential Scholar in the Arts (2006) and Winner of the 51st

Moras debuted in The Magic Flute and subsequently performed in Così Fan Tutte and The Pirates of Penzance (University of Texas at San Antonio Lyric Theater and Orchestra). He participated in the NFAA-sponsored HBO documentary series, Masterclass under Maestro Plácido Domingo, and recently participated in the Wolf Trap Opera’s Studio Program. This spring, he sings in The Secret Garden (UTSA) followed by his Senior Recital.

Moras studies under Dr. Diana Allan in pursuit of a Bachelor of Music Degree in Voice Performance (UTSA). He will attend Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music as a graduate student of Dr. Stephen King this fall.

Baritone Stephen Anthony Ray is pursuing the Master of Music in vocal performance degree at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music as a student of Dr. Stephen King.

He has participated in Holst’s Savitri, Mozart’s Don Giovanni and Le Nozze di Figaro, Strauss’ Arabella and Saint-Saëns’ Samson et Dalila. Ray twice performed as the baritone soloist in Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, was the guest baritone soloist in Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana and performed in Così fan tutte, Die Zauberflöte and Elijah.

A Sherwood, Arkansas native, Ray completed his bachelor’s degree in music at Ouachita Baptist University and advanced to the Grand Finals of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions (2008).

February 2011 29

Symphony Society Board. .................................................................................

Executive Committee...............................................................................................

President Bobby Tudor

Chairman of the Board Ed Wulfe Immediate Past President Jesse B. Tutor

Executive Director/CEO Mark C. Hanson Chairman Emeritus Mike Stude

Vice President, Artistic and Orchestra Affairs Brett Busby

Vice President, Finance and Board Governance Steven P. Mach

Vice President, Volunteers Barbara McCelvey

Vice President, Popular Programming Allen Gelwick

Vice President, Education Cora Sue Mach

Vice President, Development David Wuthrich

Vice President, Audience Development and Marketing Robert A. Peiser

General Counsel Paul R. Morico

President, Endowment Ulyesse J. LeGrange

EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS

Nancy Littlejohn, President, Houston Symphony League Martha GarcĂ­a, Secretary Mark Hughes, Orchestra Representative Rodney Margolis Burke Shaw, Orchestra Representative Brinton Averil Smith, Orchestra Representative

At-Large Members Gene Dewhurst Jay Marks Helen Shaffer

Governing Directors.....................................................................................................

Terry Ann Brown Prentiss Burt Brett Busby * John T. Cater Janet Clark Michael H. Clark Scott Cutler Lorraine Dell Viviana Denechaud Gene Dewhurst Kelli Cohen Fein Julia Frankel Allen Gelwick Stephen Glenn

Gary L. Hollingsworth Ryan Krogmeier Ulyesse LeGrange Rochelle Levit Nancy Littlejohn April Lykos Cora Sue Mach Steven P. Mach Beth Madison Rodney Margolis Jay Marks Mary Lynn Marks Barbara McCelvey Gene McDavid

* Alexander K. McLanahan Kevin Meyers Paul Morico Arthur Newman Robert A. Peiser Fran Fawcett Peterson Geoffroy Petit David Pruner Stephen Pryor Gloria Pryzant John Rydman Manolo Sanchez Helen Shaffer Jerome Simon

David Steakley Mike Stude Bobby Tudor * Jesse B. Tutor Margaret Waisman Fredric A. Weber Vicki West Margaret Alkek Williams Ed Wulfe David Wuthrich Robert A. Yekovich

Trustees. .................................................................................................................

Philip Bahr * Janice Barrow Darlene Bisso Meherwan Boyce Walter Bratic Nancy Bumgarner Lynn Caruso Jane Clark Brandon Cochran Louis Delone Susanna Dokupil Tom Fitzpatrick Chris Flood Craig A. Fox

David Frankfort Susan Hansen Kathleen Hayes Brian James Joan Kaplan I. Ray Kirk Carolyn Mann Paul M. Mann Judy Margolis Brad Marks Jackie Wolens Mazow Elisabeth McCabe Marilyn Miles Tassie Nicandros

Scott Nyquist Edward Osterberg Jr. J. Hugh Roff Jr. Kathi Rovere Michael E. Shannon Jule Smith Michael Tenzer L. Proctor (Terry) Thomas Stephen G. Tipps * Betty Tutor Mrs. S. Conrad Weil David Ashley White James T. Willerson Steven J. Williams

Ex-Officio Martha GarcĂ­a Mark C. Hanson Mark Hughes Deanna Lamoreux Burke Shaw Brinton Averil Smith * Life Trustee

............................................................................................................................

Past 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.

30 www.houstonsymphony.org

J. Hugh Roff Jr. Robert M. Hermance Gene McDavid Janice H. Barrow Barry C. Burkholder Rodney H. Margolis Jeffrey B. Early Michael E. Shannon Ed Wulfe Jesse B. Tutor Past Presidents of the Houston Symphony League

Miss Ima Hogg Mrs. John F. Grant Mrs. J. R. Parten Mrs. Andrew E. Rutter

Mrs. Aubrey Leon Carter Mrs. Stuart Sherar Mrs. Julian Burrows Ms. Hazel Ledbetter Mrs. Albert P. Jones Mrs. Ben A. Calhoun Mrs. James Griffith Lawhon Mrs. Olaf La Cour 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 H. Carruth

Mrs. David Hannah Jr. Mary Louis Kister Ellen Elizardi Kelley 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 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 Nancy Willerson Jane Clark

Annual Campaign Donors. ...............................................................................

The Houston Symphony expresses appreciation to the donors listed on this and the following pages for their generous contributions in support of Symphony programs. More information is available from the Individual Giving Department at (713) 337-8500, the Corporate Support Department at (713) 337-8520 or at houstonsymphony.org.

Corporations........................................................................................................

As of January 10, 2011

$ 100,000-$499,999

BBVA Compass

Continental Airlines Fidelity Investments Shell Oil Company

$50,000-$99,999

American Express * Cameron Chevron ConocoPhillips Frost * GDF SUEZ Energy North America The Methodist Hospital System Shell Oil Company TOTAL UBS * Weatherford International Ltd. $ 25,000-$49,999 Andrews Kurth, LLP

Chubbs Group of Insurance Companies * ExxonMobil

Fulbright & Jaworski L.L.P. * JPMorgan Chase KPMG LLP * Marathon Oil Corporation Vinson & Elkins LLP

Star Furniture USI Vitol Inc. * Wells Fargo Wood Group Management Services

$10,000-$24,999

$500-$9,999 Beck, Redden & Secrest, LLP * Beirne, Maynard & Parsons, LLP Bloomberg L.L.P. Crown Castle Ironshore Insurance Services, LLP Lockton Companies Oceaneering International, Inc. Porter & Hedges, LLP PricewaterhouseCoopers, Inc. * Randalls Food Markets, Inc. Seyforth Show * Smith, Graham & Company * South Texas College of Law * Swift Energy Company Texas Children’s Hospital Wortham Insurance & Risk Management

Anadarko Petroleum Corporation Baker Botts L.L.P. * Bank of America * Boeing Bracewell & Giuliani LLP * CenterPoint Energy Cooper Industries, Inc. * Devon Energy Corporation Ernst & Young * Fluor Corporation H. E. Butt Grocery Company Margolis, Phipps & Wright, P.C. * Macy’s Foundation Memorial Hermann Northern Trust The Rand Group, LLC Spir Star, Inc.

Foundations. .........................................................................................................

As of January 10, 2011

* John P. McGovern Foundation

$1,000,000 & above

$25,000-$49,999

* Houston Endowment, Inc. * Houston Symphony League The Wortham Foundation Inc.

Ann & Gordon Getty Foundation The Humphreys Foundation * Sterling-Turner Foundation

$500,000-$999,999

$10,000-$24,999

* M. D. Anderson Foundation

$100,000-$499,999

The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation * The Brown Foundation The Cullen Foundation The Cullen Trust for the Performing Arts The Cynthia & George Mitchell Foundation Madison Charitable Foundation * Spec’s Charitable Foundation

$50,000-$99,999

Albert & Ethel Herzstein Charitable Foundation The Alkek & Williams Foundation * Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo Educational Fund

* Bauer Foundation Carleen & Alde Fridge Foundation * The Melbern G. & Susanne M. Glasscock Foundation * George & Mary Josephine Hamman Foundation * Houston Symphony League Bay Area * The Powell Foundation * Vivian L. Smith Foundation The Schissler Foundation Strake Foundation * Vaughn Foundation Warren Family Foundation

$2,500-$9,999

Stanford & Joan Alexander Foundation The Becker Family Foundation

* Ray C. Fish Foundation William E. & Natoma Pyle Harvey Charitable Trust Huffington Foundation Leon Jaworski Foundation William S. & Lora Jean Kilroy Foundation * Robert W. & Pearl Wallis Knox Foundation Lubrizol Foundation * Kinder Morgan Foundation * Lynne Murray, Sr. Educational Foundation Nightingale Code Foundation The Helmle Shaw Foundation Susman Family Foundation Government Donors * City of Houston through the Houston Downtown Alliance, Houston Arts Alliance & Miller Theatre Advisory Board National Endowment for the Arts State Employee Charitable Campaign * Texas Commission on the Arts * Sponsors of Houston Symphony Education & Outreach Programs

Corporate Matching Gifts........................................................................................

Aetna Akzo Nobel AT&T Bank of America Boeing Caterpillar Chevron

Coca-Cola El Paso Corporation Eli Lilly and Company ExxonMobil Fannie Mae General Electric General Mills

Goldman, Sachs & Co. Halliburton Hewlett-Packard IBM ING Financial Services Corporation JPMorgan Chase

KBR Kirby Corporation Occidental Petroleum SMART Modular Technologies, Inc. Spectra Energy

February 2011 31

Leadership Gifts................................................................................................

The Houston Symphony gratefully acknowledges those individuals who support our artistic, educational and community engagement programs with Leadership Gifts at the highest levels. Donors at these levels set the standard for supporting the Symphony and we are proud to list them here.

Ima Hogg Society – $150,000 or More Lieutenant Governor David H. Dewhurst Ms. Beth Madison Madison Benefits Group, Inc. Mr. George P. Mitchell Mr. M. S. Stude Mr. & Mrs. Robert B. Tudor III President’s Society – $75,000 - $99,999 Mrs. Margaret Alkek Williams

Maestro’s Society – $50,000 - $74,999 Maestro Hans Graf & Mrs. Graf Rochelle & Max Levit Mr. & Mrs. Alexander K. McLanahan Nancy & Robert Peiser Laura & Michael Shannon Mr. & Mrs. Jesse B. Tutor

Concertmaster Society – $25,000 - $49,999

Janice & Tom Barrow Mr. & Mrs. Edward F. Blackburne Jr. Mr. Michael H. Clark & Ms. Sallie Morian Gene & Linda Dewhurst Dr. Kelli Cohen Fein & Martin J. Fein Mr. & Mrs. Russell M. Frankel Ms. Sharin Shafer Gaille Stephen & Mariglyn Glenn Dr. Gary L. Hollingsworth Dr. Ken Hyde Drs. M.S. & Marie-Luise Kalsi Mr. & Mrs. Ulyesse J. LeGrange Cora Sue & Harry Mach Barbara & Pat McCelvey Mrs. Sybil F. Roos Ms. Louisa Stude Sarofim Mr. & Mrs. James A. Shaffer Mr. & Mrs. Robert R. Springob, Laredo Construction, Inc. 32 www.houstonsymphony.org

Patron Donor Society........................................................................................

Members of the Patron Donor Society support the Houston Symphony with gifts to the Annual Fund and Events.

Members of the Society are offered a wide array of benefits and recognition including invitations to special events and more. For more information on how to become a member of the Houston Symphony Patron Donor Society, please call the Development Department at (713) 337-8523.

Principal Musician Society $15,000 - $24,999 Mr. & Mrs. Philip A. Bahr Gary & Marian Beauchamp Mr. & Mrs. J. Brett Busby The Robert & Jane Cizik Foundation Mr. Richard Danforth Allen & Almira Gelwick Lockton Companies Mrs. Aileen Gordon

Mr. & Mrs. Marvin Kaplan Joella & Steven P. Mach Mr. & Mrs. Rodney H. Margolis Dr. & Mrs. Robert M. Mihalo Mr. & Mrs. David R. Pruner Ann & Hugh Roff Mrs. Maryjane Scherr David & Paula Steakley

Paul Strand Thomas Alice & Terry Thomas Mr. & Mrs. Benjamin Warren Mr. & Mrs. Conrad Weil Jr. Vicki & Paul West Dr. Jim T. Willerson Mr. & Mrs. Steven Jay Williams

Artist/Conductor Sponsor $10,000 - $14,999 Anonymous (1) Captain & Mrs. W. A. “Cappy” Bisso III Mr. & Mrs. Walter V. Boyle Ruth White Brodsky Marilyn & Coleman Caplovitz Ms. Jan Cohen Dr. Scott Cutler Leslie Barry Davidson & W. Robins Brice Mr. & Mrs. Michael Dokupil Mr. George B. Geary

Mr. & Mrs. Richard D. Hansen Mr. Harold E. Holliday Jr. & Hon. Anna Holliday, R. Mr. & Mrs. David V. Hudson Jr. Debbie & Frank Jones Dr. & Mrs. I. Ray Kirk Mrs. Beverly T. McDonald Mr. Cameron Mitchell Mr. & Mrs. Lucian L. Morrison Jr. Mrs. Lila Rauch

Julia & Albert Smith Foundation Stephen & Pamalah Tipps Gene Carlton & Ann Trammell Margaret Waisman, M.D. & Steven S. Callahan, Ph.D. Ms. Jennifer R. Wittman Cyvia & Melvyn Wolff Winthrop A. Wyman & Beverly Johnson Erla & Harry Zuber

Musician Sponsor Society $7,500 - $9,999 Eric S. Anderson & R. Dennis Anderson Mr. & Mrs. Karl H. Becker Mr. & Mrs. Charles G. Black III Dr. & Mrs. Meherwan P. Boyce Ms. Terry Ann Brown Mrs. Lily Carrigan Mr. & Mrs. Gerald F. Clark William J. Clayton & Margaret A. Hughes Roger & Debby Cutler Dr. & Mrs. Alexander Dell Judge & Mrs. Harold DeMoss Jr. Mary Ann & Larry Faulkner Mr. & Mrs. Chris Flood Angel & Craig Fox Mr. S. David Frankfort Christina & Mark Hanson Mr. & Mrs. John A. Irvine

Mr. Brian James Mrs. Margaret H. Ley Mr. & Mrs. Erik P. Littlejohn Mr. & Mrs. Thomas J. Lykos Jr. Dr. & Mrs. Paul M. Mann Dr. & Mrs. Michael Mann Jay & Shirley Marks Mr. & Mrs. J. Stephen Marks Dr. & Mrs. Malcolm L. Mazow Mr. & Mrs. Brian P. McCabe Betty & Gene McDavid Miss Catherine Jane Merchant Mike & Kathleen Moore Sue A. Morrison Mr. & Mrs. Richard P. Moynihan Bobbie & Arthur Newman Mrs. Tassie Nicandros

Ms. Peggy Overly & Mr. John Barlow Mr. & Mrs. Jonathan E. Parker Mr. & Mrs. Philip M. Peterson Gloria & Joe Pryzant Kathryn & Richard Rabinow Mr. Glen A. Rosenbaum Mrs. Helen B. Rosenbaum Mr. & Mrs. William J. Rovere Jr. Mr. & Mrs. William T. Slick Jr. Mr. & Mrs. Tad Smith Dr. Alana R. Spiwak & Sam Stolbun Mr. & Mrs. Keith Stevenson Ann & Joel Wahlberg Mr. & Mrs. Fredric A. Weber Nancy Willerson Mr. & Mrs. Wallace S. Wilson Mr. & Mrs. Ed Wulfe

Mr. & Mrs. Philip J. Burguieres Mr. & Mrs. David Denechaud Mr. & Mrs. Paul F. Egner Jr. Aubrey & Sylvia Farb Diane Lokey Farb Ms. Bernice Feld

Mr. & Mrs. Marvy A. Finger Mr. Edwin C. Friedrichs & Ms. Darlene Clark Thomas & Patricia Geddy Dr. & Mrs. William D. George Mrs. James J. Glenn Jr. Mr. & Mrs. David Gow

Conductor’s Circle $5,000 - $7,499 Anonymous (1) Joan & Stanford Alexander Mr. Alan Aronstein Mr. Ronald C. Borschow Joe Brazzatti Mrs. Catherine Campbell Brock & Dr. Gary Brock

February 2011 33

Individual Donors........................................................................................................

Jo A. & Billie Jo Graves William A. Grieves & Dorothy McDonnell Grieves Mr. & Mrs. Frank Herzog Drs. Blair & Rita Justice Dr. & Mrs. Bernard Katz Mr. & Mrs. Stephen A. Lasher Mr. Cylde Lea & Ms. Pamela Fazzone Mr. E. W. Long Jr. Mr. & Mrs. George McCullough Sidney & Ione Moran Paul & Rita Morico Mary & Terry Murphree Mr. & Mrs. Robert E. Nelson Mr. & Mrs. Edward C. Osterberg Jr. Mr. Howard Pieper Mr. Robert J. Pilegge Ms. Karen S. Pulaski Mr. & Mrs. William K. Robbins Jr. Mr. & Mrs. Ken N. Robertson Drs. Alejandro & Lynn Rosas Mr. Carlos Rossi Mr. & Mrs. Richard P. Schissler Jr. Donna & Tim Shen Mr. & Mrs. Mark R. Smith Mr. & Mrs. John Speer Mr. & Mrs. Antonio M. Szabo Mr. Stephen C. Tarry Mr. Brian Teichman Shirley & David R. Toomim C. Harold & Lorine Wallace Robert G. Weiner Mr. & Mrs. Donald E. Woodard Jr. Woodell Family Foundation Nina & Michael Zilkha

Grand Patron $2,500 - $4,999

Anonymous (1) Wade & Mert Adams Mr. & Mrs. John S. Arnoldy Dr. & Mrs. Jeffrey B. Aron Mr. Jeff Autor Mr. & Mrs. John C. Averett Mr. Richard C. Bailey Mr. A. Greer Barriault & Ms. Clarruth A. Seaton Mr. & Mrs. Ken Barrow Mr. & Mrs. John Bauer Mr. & Mrs. Brad Beitler Ms. Dianne Bowman Jim & Ellen Box Mr. & Mrs. Walter Bratic The Honorable & Mrs. Peter Brown Mrs. George L. Brundrett Jr. Mr. & Mrs. Sean Bumgarner Alan & Toba Buxbaum Mr. & Mrs. W. T. Carter IV Mr. & Mrs. Thierry Caruso Margot & John Cater Mr. William Choice & Mrs. Linda Able Choice Mr. & Mrs. Allen Clamen Janet F. Clark Mr. & Mrs. Brandon Cochran Mr. & Mrs. Robert Creager 34 www.houstonsymphony.org

Mr. & Mrs. James W. Crownover Mr. & Mrs. Louis F. DeLone J.R. & Aline Deming Mr. & Mrs. Jack N. Doherty Mr. & Mrs. Daniel Dror Mr. Roger Eichhorn Mr. William Elbel & Ms. Mary J. Schroeder Mrs. Robin A. Elverson Mr. Parrish N. Erwin Jr. Mr. & Mrs. Bruce Ference Mr. & Mrs. Tom Fitzpatrick Mr. & Mrs. Ron Fredman Mrs. Lila-Gene George Mr. & Mrs. Buddy Haas Mr. & Mrs. Joseph A. Hafner Jr. Marion & Jim Hargrove Mr. & Mrs. Tim W. Harrington Mr. & Mrs. Michael J. Hayes Mr. & Mrs. W. R. Hayes Mark & Ragna Henrichs Mr. & Mrs. Doug R. Hinzie Mr. & Mrs. James E. Hooks Dr. & Mrs. Joseph Jankovic Mr. & Mrs. John F. Joity Mr. & Mrs. Richard D. Kinder William & Cynthia Koch Mr. & Mrs. Ryan Krogmeier Mrs. Barry Lewis Kevin & Lesley Lilly Robert & Gayle Longmire Mr. Bradley H. Marks Mr. & Mrs. Andrew McFarland James & Mary McMartin Mr. & Mrs. William B. McNamara Mr. & Mrs. Kevin O. Meyers Stephen & Marilyn Miles Mr. & Mrs. Arnold M. Miller Mr. & Mrs. Robert Mitchell Julia & Chris Morton Mr. Austin M. O’Toole & Ms. Valerie Sherlock Mr. & Mrs. Geoffroy Petit Mr. & Mrs. Anthony G. Petrello Mr. Michael H. Price Mr. & Mrs. Stephen Pryor Mr. Peter A. Ragauss & Ms. Jennifer Smith Michael & Vicky Richker Mr. & Mrs. Dave Roberts Dr. & Mrs. Franklin Rose Linda & Jerry Rubenstein Mr. & Mrs. Clive Runnells Mr. & Mrs. Manolo Sanchez Beth & Lee Schlanger Dr. Philip D. Scott & Dr. Susan E. Gardner Mr. & Mrs. Jerry Simon Mr. Louis H. Skidmore Jr. Joel V. & Mary M. Staff Mr. & Mrs. Michael Tenzer Mr. & Mrs. Gene Van Dyke Mr. & Mrs. Wil VanLoh Stephen & Kristine Wallace Mrs. Naomi Warren Mr. David Ashley White Mr. & Mrs. C. Clifford Wright Mr. & Mrs. David J. Wuthrich

Judge Clarease R. Yates & Mr. Cary Yates Dr. & Mrs. Robert Yekovich Edith & Robert Zinn Patron $1,000 - $2,499

Anonymous (8) David M. & Lisa B. Aaronson Dr. & Mrs. George J. Abdo Rolaine & Morrie Abramson Mr. & Mrs. Elliot Abramson Mrs. Nancy C. Allen, President Greentree Fund John & Pat Anderson Mr. & Mrs. Thurmon Andress Mr. Maurice J. Aresty Mr. & Mrs. John M. Arnsparger Mr. & Mrs. Paul H. Asofsky Mr. & Mrs. Arnie Azios Edward & Joyce Backhaus Stanley & Martha Bair Mr. & Mrs. Ralph Balasco Ms. Marion Barthelme & Mr. Jeff Fort Mr. & Mrs. Joshua L. Batchelor Ms. Sallymoon S. Benz Dr. & Mrs. Devinder Bhatia Ms. Joan H. Bitar John Blomquist Mr. & Mrs. Daniel Boggio Dr. & Mrs. Milton Boniuk Mr. & Mrs. John F. Bookout Mr. & Mrs. James D. Bozeman Mr. & Mrs. Richard H. Brackett Mr. & Mrs. Robert Bray Mr. & Mrs. Kevin Brophy Susan & Richard Brown Mr. & Mrs. Laurence Burns Mrs. Anne H. Bushman Dr. & Mrs. William T. Butler Mr. & Mrs. Barent W. Cater Dr. Robert N. Chanon Mrs. Cielle Clemenceau Mr. & Mrs. James G. Coatsworth Mr. & Mrs. Charles Comiskey Mr. Mark C. Conrad Dr. & Mrs. James D. Cox Mr. David A. Coyle Sylvia & Andre Crispin Mr. & Mrs. T. N. Crook Mr. & Mrs. Harry H. Cullen Jr. Mr. Carl Cunningham Mr. & Mrs. Jeremy Davis Mr. & Mrs. Jerry H. Deutser Mr. & Mrs. Robert Deutser Mike & Debra Dishberger Dr. Burdett S. & Mrs. Kathleen C.E. Dunbar Mr. & Mrs. Edward N. Earle Carolyn & David Edgar Dr. Kenneth L Euler Mr. & Mrs. Donald Faust Sr. Mrs. Carolyn Grant Fay Jerry E. & Nanette B. Finger Dr. & Mrs. Ronald Fischer John C. Fitch Mr. Dale Fitz Mr. & Mrs. Vince D. Foster Mr. & Mrs. Edwin Freedman Ms. Beth Freeman Paula & Alfred Friedlander J. Kent & Ann Friedman Sally & Bernard Fuchs Mr. & Mrs. Todd Fuller Mr. & Mrs. Magnus Fyhr

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Mr. & Mrs. Gerard Gaynor Mr. & Mrs. John Gee Mr. Jerry George Mrs. Joan M. Giese Ms. Nancy D. Giles Mr. Walter Gilmore Mr. & Mrs. Thomas W. Glanville Mr. & Mrs. Morris Glesby Mr. & Mrs. Bert H. Golding Helen B. Wils & Leonard Goldstein Robert & Michele Goodmark Dr. & Mrs. Brad Goodwin Mr. & Mrs. Tony Gracely Ms. Joyce Z. Greenberg Mr. Charles H. Gregory Mary & Paul Gregory Ms. Christine R. Griffith Mr. & Mrs. Robert M. Griswold Ms. Carmen C. Halden Mrs. Thalia Halen Mr. & Mrs. Robert C. Hanna Rita & John Hannah Ms. Margaret W. Hansen Dr. & Mrs. Eric J. Haufrect Mr. & Mrs. Philip J. Hawk Mr. & Mrs. Jesse B. Heath Jr. Mr. & Mrs. Eric Heggeseth Marilyn & Robert M. Hermance Mr. & Mrs. Richard Hoffert Mr. Tim Hogan Mr. & Mrs. Norman C. Hoyer Dr. & Mrs. Robert Ivany Mr. Jacek Jaminski Mr. Eric S. Johnson & Dr. Ronada Davis Mr. & Mrs. Walter Kase Sam & Cele Keeper Linda & Frank S. Kelley Mr. & Mrs. Bill King Mary Louis Kister Mr. & Mrs. Melvin Krezer Jr. Dr. & Mrs. Russell W. Kridel Mr. Willy Kuehn Mr. & Mrs. Kevin Lane Mr. & Mrs. Jack Lee Dr. & Mrs. Kenneth Eugene Lehrer Mr. William W. Lindley Mr. & Mrs. Michael Linn Ms. Barbara Lister Mr. & Mrs. H. Arthur Littell Ms. Nancey Lobb Dr. & Mrs. Fred R. Lummis Jr. Mr. & Mrs. J.A. Mawhinney Jr. Mr. & Mrs. Bill McCartney Mr. & Mrs. James W. McCartney Mr. & Mrs. David R. McKeithan Jr. Ms. Jennifer R. Mire Mr. & Mrs. Richard Mithoff Dr. Florence M. Monroe Dr. Eleanor D. Montague Ms. Marsha L. Montemayor John & Ann Montgomery Mr. & Mrs. Gerarld Moynier Mr. & Mrs. Marvin Mueller Ms. Jennifer Naae Mr. & Mrs. Stephen Newman Mr. & Mrs. Charles G. Nickson John & Leslie Niemand Nils & Stephanie Normann Mr. & Mrs. Patrick Olfers Jane & Kenneth Owen Mr. & Mrs. Robert Page Mr. & Mrs. Raul Pavon

Michael & Shirley Pearson Mr. & Mrs. James D. Penny Mr. & Mrs. Gary Petersen Mr. & Mrs. W. Hugh Phillips III Mr. & Mrs. Harry J. Phillips Jr. Mr. James D. Pitcock Mr. & Mrs. James Postl Mr. John Potts Clinton & Leigh Rappole Record Family Dr. Madaiah Revana, MD Hilda & Hershel Rich Mr. & Mrs. Allyn Risley Ms. Janice Robertson & Mr. Douglas Williams Minnette & Jerome Robinson Ms. Regina J. Rogers Mrs. Annetta Rose Mary Louise & David Sanderson Ms. Paula Santoski Mrs. Myrna Schaffer Mr. & Mrs. Lawrence Schanzmeyer Mr. & Mrs. Marc J. Shapiro Mr. & Mrs. Russell Sherrill Mr. & Mrs. W. Allen Shindler Mrs. Camille Simpson Mr. & Mrs. Wesley Smith Dean & Kay L. Snider Ms. Kelly Somoza Carol & Michael Stamatedes Mr. & Mrs. George Stark Mr. & Mrs. James R. Stevens Cassie B. Stinson & James H. Gibbons Mr. & Mrs. Toby Summers Mrs. Mary Swafford Ms. Jeanine Swift Mr. & Mrs. Albert S. Tabor Jr. Mr. Stephen Tangney Mr. Mark Taylor Jean & Doug Thomas Mr. & Mrs. Timothy J. Unger Mr. & Mrs. Thomas Vallee Mr. & Mrs. William Visinsky Mr. David Waddell Mr. & Mrs. Fred Wahrlich Mr. Danny Ward & Ms. Nancy Ames Ms. Joann E. Welton Mr. & Mrs. Eden N. Wenig Mr. & Mrs. Patrick J. Whelan Mr. Thomas H. Wilson Dr. & Mrs. Jerry S. Wolinsky Mr. & Mrs. Jeff Wray Ms. Ellen A. Yarrell Mr. Sam M. Yates, III Mr. & Mrs. Mark Yzaguirre Mr. & Mrs. Charles Zabriskie Mrs. Betsy I. Zimmer Mr. Terry Zmyslo

Composer’s Circle $500 - $999

Anonymous (6) Mr. & Mrs. N. T. Adams Ms. Henrietta K. Alexander Ms. Joan Ambrogi Corbin & Char Aslakson Mr. & Mrs. Jerry Axelrod Mr. & Mrs. David M. Balderston Ms. Virginia C. Ballard Dr. David Barry Mr. & Mrs. Mark Berkstresser

Mr. & Mrs. George Boerger Mr. & Mrs. Thomas Bolam Mr. Arno S. Bommer Mr. & Mrs. Giorgio Borlenghi Mr. & Mrs. Danny J. Bowers Jr. Ms. Sally Brassow Katherine M. Briggs Ms. Barbara A. Brooks Mr. J. W. Brougher Dr. Bob Brown & Ms. Dena Rafte Fred & Judy Brunk Mrs. Shirley Burgher Mr. & Mrs. Joseph L. Campbell Mrs. Marjorie Capshaw Mr. Petros Carvounis Mr. & Mrs. Kevin J. Casey Mr. & Mrs. E. Thomas Chaney K.D. Charalampous, M.D. Virginia A. Clark Jim R. & Lynn Coe Mr. & Mrs. Mark W. Coffin Mrs. Barbora Cole Mr. & Mrs. Todd Colter Mr. Robert A. Colton Ms. Barbara A. Conte Mr. & Mrs. Byron Cooley Mr. H. Talbot Cooley Michael T. Coppinger Mr. & Mrs. William C. Crassas Mr. & Mrs. Timothy J. Crull Ms. Ann Currens Ms. Anna M. Dean Dr. & Mrs. Clotaire D. Delery Ms. Aurelie Desmarais Bruce B. Dice Mr. & Mrs. Mark Diehl Mrs. & Mrs. Carr P. Dishroon Mr. & Mrs. Mark W. Dobbins Mr. & Mrs. James P. Dorn Elizabeth H. Duerr Mr. Dan Dunham Drs. Gary & Roz Dworkin Mildred & Richard Ellis Mr. & Mrs. William Evans Dr. & Mrs. Louis A. Faillace Mr. & Mrs. Jonathan B. Fairbanks Ms. Ursula H. Felmet Mr. & Mrs. Harvey Fleisher Mr. James B. Flodine & Ms. Lynne Liberato Mr. & Mrs. Charles Flourney Ms. Martha Garcia Martha & Gibson Gayle Jr. Mr. & Mrs. Harry Gendel Dr. & Mrs. Jack Gill William E. Gipson Gen. & Mrs. Melbern G. Glasscock Lee & Sandy Godfrey Mr. & Mrs. Herbert I. Goodman Dr. & Mrs. Harvey L. Gordon Mr. Dane Grenoble Ms. Jo Ann C. Guillory Zahava Haenosh Gaye Davis & Dennis B. Halpin Dr. & Mrs. Carlos R. Hamilton Ms. Vickie Hamley Mr. & Mrs. Robert L. Hansen Mr. & Mrs. Stephen Harbachick Bruce Harkness & Alice Brown Mr. & Mrs. Robert S. Harrell Mr. & Mrs. Brian Haufrect Mr. & Mrs. David L. Haug

Mr. & Mrs. Frank L. Heard Jr. Mr. & Mrs. Walter A. Hecht Mr & Mrs. Dean Hennings Mr. & Mrs. Robert P. Herrmann Ms. Hilda R. Herzfeld Ann & Joe Hightower Mr. & Mrs. Ross K. Hill Mr. & Mrs. Richard P. Hogan Mr. Ronald Holley & Dr. Natasha Holley Mr. & Mrs. Robert E. Holloway Ms. Vicki Huff Diane & Geoffrey Ibbott Mrs. Paula Jarrett Mr. Mark Johansson Mr. & Mrs. Wesley A. Johnson Mr. & Mrs. Okey B. Johnson Mr. Scot W. Johnson Dr. & Mrs. Robert E. Jordon Lucy & Victor Kormeier Mr. Rodney Kubicek Suzanne A. & Dan D. Kubin Ms. Joni Latimer Mr. & Mrs. Richard D. Lee II Mr. Richard Leibman Ms. Golda K. Leonard H. Fred & Velva G. Levine Michael & Sharon Lewis Mr. James C. Lindsey Mr. Kelly Bruce Lobley Mrs. Sylvia Lohkamp Mr. & Mrs. Stevens Mafrige Mr. Christopher Mancini Ms. Liz Markell Ms. B. Lynn Mathre & Mr. Stewart O’Dell Mr. & Mrs. Richard Mattix Mr. & Mrs. James McBride Ms. Suzanne McCarthy Lawrence McCullough & Linda Jean Quintanilla Mr. & Mrs. Kevin McEvoy Mr. George McKee Ms. Mary J. McKerall & Ms. Marilyn Flick Mrs. Dorri Melvin Dr. & Mrs. John Mendelsohn Mr. Ronald A. Mikita Mr. & Mrs. Herbert G. Mills Mr. & Mrs. John C. Molloy Mr. & Mrs. John H. Monroe Jr. Mr. Richard Murphy Daniel & Karol Musher Alan & Elaine Mut Mr. & Mrs. Geoffrey B. Newton Mr. & Mrs. Morris Orocofsky Ms. Margie Ortega Mr. & Mrs. Enrique Ospina Mrs. Caroline Osteen Mr. & Mrs. Sheldon I. Oster Mr. & Mrs. Marc C. Paige Mr. Robert Pastorek Rachel & Michael Pawson Mr. & Mrs. James L. Payne Mrs. Preston A. Peak Dr. & Mrs. Joseph V. Penn Mr. & Mrs. William O. Perkins III Mr. John M. Petrosky Ms. Meg Philpot Mary H. & Lynn K. Pickett Kim & Ted A. Powell Mr. Robert W. Powell Doris F. Pryzant Mrs. Dana Puddy Elias & Carole Qumsieh February 2011 35

Individual Donors........................................................................................................

Dr. & Mrs. Henry H. Rachford Jr. Dr. Mike Ratliff Mr. & Mrs. William B. Rawl Mr. & Mrs. John Q. Reans Mrs. Edith G. Reed Ms. Louisa B. Reid Dr. Alexander P. Remenchik & Ms. Frances Burford Mary & Jesse Roberts Mr. & Mrs. Fabrice Roche Ms. Franelle Rogers Milton & Jill Rose Mr. Edward Ross Mr. John E. Ryall Dr. Raymond E. Sawaya Mr. & Mrs. Lawrence Sherlock Mr. Barry E. Silverman & Ms. Shara Fryer Barbara & Louis Sklar Ms. Marcia Smart Mr. & Mrs. Stephen N. Smith Dr. & Mrs. C. Richard Stasney Ms. Joyce Steensrud Mr. Myron F. Steves Dr. & Mrs. David Sufian Mrs. Louise Sutton Mr. & Mrs. Glenn Taylor Mr. Kerry Taylor Ms. Betsy Mims & Mr. Howard D. Thames Jacob & Elizabeth Thomas Mr. & Mrs. Tom Thweatt Dr. & Mrs. Karl Tornyos Mr. Daniel S. Trachtenberg Ms. Cathleen J. Trechter Mr. & Mrs. Robert A. Tremant Mr. & Mrs. D.E. Utecht Mr. & Mrs. Juan B. Vallhonrat Dr. & Mrs. Gage VanHorn Ms. Jana Vander Lee Mr. & Mrs. Bill Vaughn Jan & Don Wagner Dean B. Walker Mr. & Mrs. William B. Wareing Mr. Kenneth W. Warren Mr. & Mrs. James A. Watt J. M. Weltzien Mr. & Mrs. Ben White Mr. & Mrs. Andrew Wilkomirski Nancy Willerson Mr. & Mrs. Le Roy Yeager Mr. William A. Young Mr. Ray Young

Sustaining Member $250 - $499

Anonymous (20) Mr. & Mrs. W. Kendall Adam Mr. John Adkins Jr. Ms. Lina Amador Dr. & Mrs. Roy Aruffo Mr. Rudy Avelar Mr. & Mrs. David Baggett Mr. & Mrs. Gabriel Baizan Mr. & Mrs. John Baker Mr. & Mrs. James A. Baker III Mr. & Mrs. Saul Balagura Mr. & Mrs. Seth Barrett Mr. & Mrs. John A. Barrett Dr. & Mrs. Robert C. Bast Jr. Mr. Steve A. Bavousett Ms. Roberta Benson Mrs. Robert L. Berge 36 www.houstonsymphony.org

Mr. & Mrs. Paul C. Berner Mr. & Mrs. Matthew Beshears Mr. & Mrs. Randall Beste Mr. & Mrs. Ed Billings James S. & Linda Birtwistle Ms. Suzie Boyd Bob F. Boydston Ms. Tiffany Breeding Mr. & Mrs. Richard L. Brooks Mr. & Mrs. Steven Brosvik Sally & Laurence Brown Ms. Courtney Brynes Mr. & Mrs. Bruce Buhler Mr. & Mrs. Rick A. Burris Mrs. Miriam Byrd Mr. Eugene Byrd Mr. & Mrs. Raul Caffesse Mr. & Mrs. Dean L. Callender Virginia & William Camfield Mr. & Mrs. J. Scott Campbell Ms. Sandra Campos Mr. & Mrs. Kent Chenevert Mr. Kenneth Chin Mr. & Mrs. Thomas C. Cleveland Mr. & Mrs. Ralph Cohen Mr. Tulio Colmenares Mr. & Mrs. Clayton A. Compton Ms. Erin Connally Mr. Cecil C. Conner Mr. William S. & Dr. Mary Alice Cowan Ms. Jeanne A. Cox Ms. Christina Daniels Ms. Mary Joe Danquard Leon Davis Ms. Elizabeth Del Pico Mr. & Mrs. Richard P. Delaney Mr. & Mrs. Jack Dinerstein Mr. & Mrs. Ira Dinitz Patrick & Risha Dozark Mr. & Mrs. Clifford C. Dukes Mr. & Mrs. James H. Dupree Mr. & Mrs. David Dybell Dr. & Mrs. David W. Edelstein Mr. Ramsay M. Elder Mr. & Mrs. Peter Erickson Mr. Mike Ezzell Ms. Ann S. Farrell Mr. Chris C. Fellows Mrs. John T. Files Mr. & Mrs. James Flannigan Mr. & Mrs. Theodore C. Flick Mr. Richard L. Flowers Jr. Mr. & Mrs. John M. Forney Mr. Joe Fowler Mr. & Mrs. Michael S. Francisco Ms. Johnella V. Franklin Mr. Ralph F. Frankowski Ms. Diane L. Freeman Robert A. Furse, M.D. Ms. Martha Gardill Shifra & Terry Gardner Dr. & Mrs. Gary M. Gartsman Mr. & Mrs. Duane V. Geis Mr. & Mrs. James E. Gerhardt Mr. Fred Gesiorski Mr. Glen Gettemy Debbie & Kyle Gibson Dr. & Mrs. Richard J. Gigliotti Dr. & Mrs. Johnny Golden Ms. Heidi Good Mr. Jon Kevin Gossett Mr. Ned Graber

Mr. & Mrs. Tim Graham Mrs. Howard Grekel Mr. Teruhiko Hagiwara Mr. & Mrs. Roy T. Halle Mr. & Mrs. Tod P. Harding Ms. Karen Harding Mr. Paul Harmon Dr. & Mrs. William S. Harwell Mr. & Mrs. William Haskins Mrs. Clora B. Heath Ms. Joy Herin Mr. & Mrs. John R. Heumann Mr. & Mrs. John Heyburn Jess Hines Jr. Susan Hodge Mr. David Hoffman Jacque Holland Howard & Dorothy Homeyer Mr. & Mrs. John Homier S.y. & Y.j. Kim Hong Mr. & Mrs. Robert M. Hopson John & Nancy Howard George E. Howe Mr. John Howenstine Mr. & Mrs. Aaron Howes Mr. & Mrs. George M. Hricik Mr. Tyler Hubbard Mr. James M. Hughes Mr. & Mrs. James R. Hutton Mr. & Mrs. Mark Johnson Ms. Sheila K. Johnstone Mr. & Mrs. Kenneth Kades Mr. Guido Kanschat Dr. & Mrs. Andrew P. Kant Mr. & Mrs. Kenneth Kantor Mr. & Mrs. David Karohl Mr. & Mrs. Curtis R. Kayem Dr. Helen K. Kee Ms. Arlette Keene Mr. & Mrs. Hugh R. Kelly Dr. & Mrs. Sherwin Kershman Dr. James Killian Dr. Alemka Kisic Dr. Nora J. Klein Dr. & Mrs. Douglas D. Koch Mr. & Mrs. Sam Koster Dr. & Mrs. James H. Krause Mr. Vijay Kusnoor Mr. & Mrs. Phillip Ladin Mr. & Mrs. Thomas S. Latham Mr. & Mrs. William Leighton Mr. & Mrs. Robert Leonard Mr. & Mrs. Earl L. Lester Jr. Mr. & Mrs. Ralph A. Lillich Jr. Louise & Oscar Lui Dr. Ellen Lumpkin Tom & Kathleen Mach Mr. & Mrs. Harry E. Mach III Mr. Kemp Maer Mrs. D.B. Marchant Mrs. Renee Margolin Mr. & Mrs. J. H. Marten Mr. Mark Matovich Mr. R. Scott McCay Mrs. Alison McDermott & Mr. Adrian Glasser Ms. Judi McGee Mr. Daniel McHenry Mr. & Mrs. Lawrence McManus Odette & James McMurrey Mr. & Mrs. James L. McNett Mr. & Mrs. Joseph R. Melanson Jr.

Dr. Robert A. Mendelson Mr. & Mrs. Charles A. Michalski Ms. Georgette M. Michko Ellen Ochoa & Coe F. Miles Mr. Russell J. Miller & Mrs. Charlotte M. Meyer Mr. & Mrs. Thomas J. Mireles Dr. David Moeller Ms. Kathleen Moore & Mr. Steven T. Homer Mr. & Mrs. Michael J. Morgan Ms. Lauren Morgan Joyce & Owen Morris Mr. & Mrs. Ryan Moss Mr. Joel Ray Needham Mr. & Mrs. David S. Neuberger Mr. Philip R. Neuhaus Mary Murrill North Mr. & Mrs. Charles Ofner Marjory & Barry Okin Mr. & Mrs. Duncan H. Orr Julie & Chip Oudin III Mr. William Pannill Grace & Carroll Phillips Ms. Alice Phillips Mr. Verne Pignolet Ms. Deborah Posso Mr. & Mrs. Arthur H. Pratt Mr. Arthur Preisinger Mr. & Mrs. Harold Preston Mr. Chip Purchase Ms. Nita D. Pyle Mr. & Mrs. Manuel E. Quintana Mr. & Mrs. Paul Ramirez Ms. Joanna Raynes Loreta & Ronald Rea Vicki & J.B. Reber Mr. & Mrs. Joseph Redden Mr. & Mrs. Norman T. Reynolds Mr. & Mrs. Walter Rhodes Mr. & Mrs. William K. Rice Mr. & Mrs. Claud D. Riddles Mr. & Mrs. Charles E. Rinehart Mrs. George Risman Mr. James L. Robertson Mr. Brian Rodgers & Mrs. Sally Evans Drs. Herbert & Manuela Roeller Mr. & Mrs. Keith A. Rogers Mr. & Mrs. Mervin Rosenbaum Mr. & Mrs. Norman Rosenthal Dr. & Mrs. Barry Sachs Ms. Rachael Sanders Mr. Ed Schneider & Ms. Toni A. Oplt Mrs. Joan Schnitzer Levy Garry & Margaret Schoonover Dee & Sharon Schrinner Mr. & Mrs. Douglas Schwaab Ms. Elizabeth Schwarze Charles & Andrea Seay Mr. & Mrs. Charles O. Shearouse Mr. Lawrence E. Shelton Art & Ellen Shelton Pamela & Richard Sherry Mr. Barrett Sides Mr. Stephen C. Smith & Mr. Ronald Jenson Mr. & Mrs. William Smith Mr. Marc Sofia Hans C. Sonneborn Ms. Blanche Stastny Mr. & Mrs. Donald K. Steinman Mr. Philip A. Stemmler Mr. & Ms. Gary Stenerson

.....................................................................................................................................

William F. Stern Ms. Jean Stinson Dr. & Mrs. Richard Strax Dr. John R. Stroehlein & Ms. Miwa Sakashita Mr. & Mrs. Hans Strohmer Ms. Lori Summa Ms. Barbara Swartz Mr. & Mrs. Robert B. Symon Mr. & Mrs. George Tallichet Dr. Shahin Tavackoli Ms. Jessica Taylor Mr. Robert M. Taylor Mr. & Ms. Gary Teletzke Howard Tellepsen Jr. Mr. & Mrs. Gerald Thurmond David & Ann Tomatz Mr. & Mrs. Edmunds Travis Jr. Mr. Paul R. Tregurtha Mr. & Mrs. Ronald Trowbridge Dr. Robert Ulrich & Ms. June R. Russell Mr. John T. Unger & Ms. Kathy Welch Dr. & Mrs. Brad Urquhart Mr. Steven Valerius Mr. Viet Van Dr. Holly & Mr. Michael Varner Mr. Eugene Wagenecht Ms. Sandria Ward Mr. & Mrs. John Wardell Ms. Victoria Wendling Drs. A. & J. Werch Mr. & Mrs. G. Thomas Whitcomb Mr. Richard White Mr. Donald White Mr. & Mrs. Cornel Williams Mr. & Mrs. Russell R. Williams Mr. & Mrs. Stephen R. Wood Miss Susan Wood Mr. & Mrs. Clifford E. Woodward

Mrs. Dalia Woss Mr. & Mrs. Byron Wright Mrs. Peggy J. Wylie Mrs. Barbara S. Young Mr. & Mrs. Paul J. Zohlen

Mr. & Mrs. Ben A. Reid Shirley & Marvin Rich Mr. & Mrs. Louis J. Snyder Ms. Jody Verwers Mr. & Mrs. Lawrence D. Wallace Mr. & Mrs. William B. Welte III Sally & Denney Wright

Principal Pops Conductor’s Circle $5,000 or More

Headliner $1,000-$1,499

Mr. & Mrs. Edward F. Blackburne Jr. Allen & Almira Gelwick Lockton Companies Dr. & Mrs. Bernard Katz Paul & Rita Morico Mr. Robert J. Pilegge Mr. & Mrs. William K. Robbins Jr. Mr. & Mrs. Ken N. Robertson Mrs. Sybil F. Roos Mrs. Maryjane Scherr Mr. & Mrs. Donald E. Woodard Jr.

Rev. & Mrs. H. Eldon Akerman Mrs. Alan Gaylor Mr. & Mrs. Fred L. Gorman Mr. & Mrs. Jerry L. Hamaker Mr. & Mrs. George A. Helland Michael & Darcy Krajewski Mr. Anthony G. Ogden Mr. & Mrs. Steve Sims Ms. Virginia Torres Ms. Amanda Tozzi

Grand Patron Pops $2,500-$4,999

Producer $500-$999

Mr. Christopher Buehler & Ms. Jill Hutchison Mr. & Mrs. Byron F. Dyer Carol & Larry Fradkin Mrs. Barry Lewis Mr. & Mrs. Allan Quiat Linda & Jerry Rubenstein Mr. & Mrs. Leland Tate

Mr. Stephen J. Banks Mr. Allen J. Becker Mr. John S. Beury W. M. Calvert Mr. & Mrs. Warren J. Carroll John & Joyce Eagle Mr. Harold Jennison Ms. Mary Keathley Mr. Don E. Kingsley Charles C. & Patricia Kubin Mr. & Mrs. Barry H. Margolis Mr. & Mrs. Joe T. McMillan Mr. Gerard & Mrs. Helga Meneilly Dr. & Mrs. Raghu Narayan W. R. Purifoy Mr. & Mrs. Philip Redding Mr. & Mrs. George A. Rizzo Jr.

Pops Patron $1,500-$2,499

Ms. Tara Black Jim & Ellen Box Ms. Sara J. Devine Mr. & Mrs. James E. Dorsett Julius & Suzan Glickman Mr. Robert Grant Mr. & Mrs. Mark S. Rauch

Mr. Morris Rubin Mr. & Mrs. Tim Shaunty Norbert F. Stang Mr. & Mrs. Carl N. Tongberg Mr. Roger Trandell Gene & Donna Tromblee

Director $250-$499

Anonymous (1) Mrs. Elsie Ameen Ann B. Beaudette Dr. & Mrs. R.L. Brenner Mr. Jay T. Brown Ms. Carol Brownstein Richard & Marcia Churns Marilyn & Tucker Coughlen Mr. T. J. Doggett Mr. & Mrs. Jim Gunther Mr. & Mrs. Dale Hardy Mr. Larry January Dr. George S. Knapp Mr. Richard S. Ledermann Mr. & Mrs. Roger Lindgren Mr. & Mrs. Roger Medors Mr. & Mrs. Carrol R. McGinnis Patrick & Peggy McKinney Mary Murrill North Ms. Phyllis Schaffer Dr. & Mrs. A. Carl Schmulen Mr. & Mrs. Harold L. Siegele Mr. & Mrs. David K. Smith Ms. Beth Stegle Mr. & Mrs. William G. Straight Sandy Vander Kam Dr. & Mrs. William C. Watkins Mr. & Mrs. Don Wilton As of December 29, 2010

In Kind Donors.........................................................................................................

As of January 10, 2011

Alexander’s Fine Portrait Design Baker Botts Be Friends Bergner & Johnson BKD, LLP Bright Star Casi Cielo Productions Cognetic Mr. Carl R. Cunningham

Darryl & Co. Deville Fine Jewelry DocuData Solutions The Events Company Hilton Americas - Houston Houston Chronicle Jackson and Company JOHANNUS Organs of Texas Jim Benton of Houston LLC JR’s Bar & Grill

KUHF 88.7 FM The Lancaster Hotel Limb Design Morton’s The Steakhouse Music & Arts Neiman Marcus New Leaf Publishing, Inc. PaperCity Pride Houston Pro/Sound

Saint Arnold’s Brewery Saks Fifth Avenue Shecky’s Media, Inc. Silver Eagle Distributors Sky Bar Spec’s Wines, Spirits & Finer Foods Strip House Valobra Jewelry & Antiques John Wright/Texprint

Annual Fund Donations Support

Performance Excellence, Education and Community Engagement.

With Your Support…

• More than 600,000 Houstonians will enjoy the Symphony this year.

• Our Classical, Pops, Family and Holiday concert series will continue to feature the world’s best musicians and guest artists, inspiring as they entertain.

• Our free concerts, master classes, competitions and small-ensemble recitals, broadcasts and more will bring the joy of music to every corner of Houston.

• Our student concerts and music-education programs will introduce symphonic music to more than 35,000 children from 19 school districts, in turn helping them succeed in class while building self-esteem.

Music gives voice and wings to the human spirit, but it cannot survive without your generosity.

Your gift does make a difference. Please make it today.

Call (713) 337-8500 to make your gift by phone, or give online at houstonsymphony.org.

February 2011 37

Legacy Society. .................................................................................................

The Legacy Society honors those who have included the Houston Symphony in their long-term estate plans through bequests, life-income gifts or other deferred-giving arrangements. Members of the Legacy Society enjoy a variety of benefits, including an annual musical event with a renowned guest artist. The Houston Symphony extends its deepest thanks to the members of the Society, and with their permission, is pleased to acknowledge them.

Anonymous (10) Mr. & Mrs. Thomas D. Barrow George & Betty Bashen Dorothy B. Black Ermy Borlenghi Bonfield Ronald C. Borschow Anneliese Bosseler Joe Brazzatti Zu Broadwater Terry Ann Brown Dr. Joan K. Bruchas & H. Philip Cowdin Eugene R. Bruns Sylvia J. Carroll William J. Clayton & Margaret A. Hughes Leslie Barry Davidson Harrison R. T. Davis Mr. & Mrs. Jeremy Davis Judge & Mrs. Harold DeMoss Jr. Jean & sJack Ellis Mrs. Robin A. Elverson The Aubrey and Sylvia Farb Family Ginny Garrett Michael B. George Stephen & Mariglyn Glenn Mr. & Mrs. Keith E. Gott Randolph Lee Groninger Marilyn & Robert M. Hermance Dr. Gary L. Hollingsworth Dr. Edward J. & Mrs. Patti Hurwitz Kenneth Hyde Mr. Brian James

Drs. Rita & Blair Justice Dr. & Mrs. Ira Kaufman, M.D. John S. W. Kellett Ann Kennedy & Geoffrey Walker Dr. & Mrs. I. Ray Kirk Mr. & Mrs. Ulyesse LeGrange Mrs. Frances E. Leland Dr. Mary R. Lewis E. W. Long Jr. Sandra Magers Rodney H. Margolis Mr. & Mrs. Jay Marks James Matthews Dr. and Mrs. Malcolm Mazow Mr. & Mrs. Gene McDavid Charles E. McKerley Mr. & Mrs. Alexander K. McLanahan Miss Catherine Jane Merchant Dr. & Mrs. Robert M. Mihalo Ron Mikita Katherine Taylor Mize Ione Moran Sidney Moran Sue A. Morrison and Children Mr. & Mrs. Richard P. Moynihan Gretchen Anne Myers Bobbie & Arthur Newman Edward C. Osterberg Jr. Joan D. Osterweil Imogen “Immy� Papadopoulos Sara M. Peterson

Mr. Howard Pieper Geraldine S. Priest Daniel F. Prosser Gloria & Joe Pryzant Mrs. Dana Puddy Walter M. Ross Mr. & Mrs. Michael B. Sandeen Charles K. Sanders Charles King Sanders Mr. & Mrs. Charles T. Seay II Mr. & Mrs. James A. Shaffer Dr. & Mrs. Kazuo Shimada Jule & Albert Smith Mr. & Mrs. Louis J. Snyder Mike & sAnita Stude Emily H. & Daniel K. Terry Stephen G. Tipps Mr. & Mrs. Jesse B. Tutor Dr. Carlos Vallbona & Children Margaret Waisman, M.D. & Steven S. Callahan, Ph.D. David M. Wax & Elaine Arden Cali Robert G. Weiner Geoffrey Westergaard Jennifer R. Wittman Mr. & Mrs. Bruce E. Woods Mr. & Mrs. David Wuthrich As of January 5, 2011 sDeceased

Houston Symphony Chorus Endowment Donors...........................................

Paul & Vickie Davis ExxonMobil David & Joyce Fox

Robert Lee Gomez Philip & Audrey Lewis Dave Nussmann

Remora Energy Susan Scarrow

In Memoriam.....................................................................................................

We honor the memory of those who in life included the Houston Symphony in their estate plans.

Their thoughtfulness and generosity will continue to inspire and enrich lives for generations to come!

W. P. Beard Mrs. H. Raymond Brannon Anthony Brigandi Lawrence E. Carlton, M.D. Lee Allen Clark Jack Ellis Frank R. Eyler Helen Bess Fariss Foster Christine E. George Mrs. Marcella Levine Harris

General & Mrs. Maurice Hirsch Miss Ima Hogg Burke & Octavia Holman Mrs. L. F. McCollum Joan B. McKerley Monroe L. Mendelsohn Jr. Mrs. Janet Moynihan Constantine S. Nicandros Hanni Orton Stewart Orton, Legacy Society co-founder

Dr. Michael Papadopoulos Miss Louise Pearl Perkins Walter W. Sapp, Legacy Society co-founder J. Fred & Alma Laws Lunsford Schultz John K. & Fanny W. Stone Dorothy Barton Thomas Mrs. Harry C. Wiess Mrs. Edward Wilkerson

For more information on creating a legacy for the benefit of the Symphony, please contact the Planned Giving Office at (713) 337-8524 or e-mail plannedgiving@houstonsymphony.org.

38 www.houstonsymphony.org

My Houston, My Symphony: Campaign for a Sound Future. .......................

Artistic excellence, strong leadership, robust ticket sales and growing philanthropic support are vital, but they alone cannot guarantee the Houston Symphony’s future. To do so, its endowment must be increased. My Houston, My Symphony: Campaign for a Sound Future has two major goals: add $60 million to the Symphony’s endowment and raise $15 million in working capital. We are proud to recognize those who have already made commitments to this campaign and invite others to join them as we build an artistically and financially sound Houston Symphony.

Campaign Cabinet

Members

George Mitchell, Honorary Chair M. S. Stude, Chair Gene Dewhurst, Vice Chair Jesse B. Tutor, Vice Chair Mike McLanahan, Vice Chair Ulyesse J. LeGrange, Vice Chair

Jan Barrow Daniel Dror Rochelle Levit Rodney H. Margolis Jay Marks J. Stephen Marks

Houston Symphony Endowment Harry J. Phillips Jr. Robert B. Tudor III Wallace S. Wilson

President

Ulyesse J. LeGrange

Trustees

Prentiss Burt Janet Clark J. Cole Dawson III Gene Dewhurst Jesse B. Tutor

............................................................................................................................

Mr. & Mrs. Jay Marks * Mr. & Mrs. Lucian L. Morrison Jr. Foundations......................

Mrs. Sue A. Morrison & Children Mr. & Mrs. Arthur Newman $10,000,000 The Brown Foundation, Inc. * $1,000,000 - $4,999,999 Anonymous The Cullen Trust for the Performing Arts * Houston Endowment Inc. Spec’s Charitable Foundation The Wortham Foundation, Inc. $500,000 - $999,999 The Fondren Foundation $100,000 - $499,999 M. D. Anderson Foundation The Cullen Foundation The Margaret & James A. Elkins, Jr. Foundation The William Randolph Hearst Foundation Albert & Ethel Herzstein Charitable Foundation Mach Family Fund The Marks Charitable Foundation $25,000 - $99,999 Dror Charitable Foundation The Kayser Foundation The Nightingale Code Foundation

Corporations. ................... $100,000 - $250,000 Baker Botts L.L.P. Chevron ConocoPhillips Fulbright & Jaworski L.L.P. Marathon Oil Company Foundation $50,000 - $99,000 Locke Lord Bissell & Liddell LLP $25,000 - $49,999 Amegy Bank of Texas Goldman Sachs $10,000 - $24,999 Sterling Bank

Individuals.......................

Founder Anonymous Grand Guarantor Mr. & Mrs. Philip A. Bahr * Mr. & Mrs. Thomas D. Barrow * Lieutenant Governor David H. Dewhurst Barbara & Patrick McCelvey Phoebe and Bobby Tudor Guarantor Estate of Lawrence E. Carlton, M.D. Mr. & Mrs. Marvin Kaplan Mr. & Mrs. Rodney H. Margolis

Estate of Mr. Walter W. Sapp * Mr. & Mrs. Michael E. Shannon Mr. & Mrs. Jesse B. Tutor * Major Benefactor Dr. & Mrs. Alexander Dell Levit Family/Grocers Supply Dr. & Mrs. Michael Mann Benefactor Anonymous * Linda & Gene Dewhurst Mrs. Robin A. Elverson Mr. & Mrs. Marvy A. Finger Houston Symphony Chorus Drs. Blair & Rita Justice Drs. M.S. & Marie-Luise Kalsi * Mr. & Mrs. James A. Shaffer Mr. & Mrs. Stephen G. Tipps *

Major Sponsor Anonymous Mr. & Mrs. David J. Beck Mrs. Ruth White Brodsky Mr. & Mrs. John T. Cater Mr. Michael H. Clark & Ms. Sallie Morian * Mr. Martin J. Fein & Dr. Kelli Cohen Fein in memory of Jean Viney Mr. & Mrs. Russell M. Frankel Stephen & Mariglyn Glenn Dr. Gary L. Hollingsworth Ms. Martha Kleymeyer Mr. & Mrs. Gene McDavid Mr. & Mrs. Michael D. Moore * Mr. & Mrs. Scott S. Nyquist Kathy & Harry Phillips Fund Gloria & Joe Pryzant Mr. & Mrs. J. Hugh Roff Jr. Ms. Charlotte A. Rothwell Mr. & Mrs. Paul N. Schwartz Ms. Ann Trammell Mr. & Mrs. Steven J. Williams Mr. & Mrs. Ed Wulfe Sponsor Anonymous (2) Mr. Clayton Baird Mr. & Mrs. Gary Beauchamp * Mrs. Ermy Borlenghi Bonfield Ms. Catherine Campbell-Brock & Dr. Gary Brock Ms. Janet F. Clark Mr. & Mrs. Jeffrey B. Early Mr. & Mrs. Craig A. Fox * Mr. Frank T. Garcia & Dr. Elizabeth M. Spankus Mr. & Mrs. Robert M. Hermance Mr. Jack Holmes * Dr. & Mrs. I. Ray Kirk Mr. & Mrs. Ulyesse J. LeGrange Dr. & Mrs. Daniel E. Lehane Mr & Mrs. Harry Mach Ms. Judi McGee Mr. & Mrs. Alexander K. McLanahan *

Mr. & Dr. Edward C. Osterberg Jr. Nancy & Bob Peiser Mr. & Mrs. Joseph P. Quoyeser Mr. & Mrs. Albert J. Smith Jr. Mr. & Mrs. Fredric A. Weber *

Major Patron Mr. Thomas Becker & Mr. Jim Rosenfeld * Mr. Gordon B. Bonfield Mr. Anthony Brigandi Ms. Terry Ann Brown Mr. & Mrs. John R. Dennis III Mr. & Mrs. Osborne J. Dykes III Mr. & Mrs. Frank J. Hevrdejs Mr. & Mrs. Frank G. Jones Mr. E. W. Long Jr. The MacDonald-Peterson Foundation Inc. Mr. & Mrs. Tommy O. Mann Mr. & Mrs. C. W. Merchant Mr. & Mrs. James M. Mercurio * Mr. & Mrs. Kirk B. Michael Mrs. Hanni Orton * Mr. & Mrs. J. Dale Ramsey Mr. & Mrs. William J. Rovere Jr. Dr. Margaret Waisman & Dr. Steven S. Callahan Vicki & Paul S. West Mr. & Mrs. Melvyn Wolff Mr. David Zerhusen & Mrs. Kathy Schoff Patron Mr. & Mrs. Willie J. Alexander Mrs. Marty Ambrose Ms. Martha Z. Carnes Dr. Scott Cutler Mrs. Benjamin Danziger Ms. Leslie B. Davidson & Mr. W. Robins Brice Paul & Vickie Davis Mr. & Mrs. Patrick M. Dreckman The Estate of Emma Sue B. Frank Dr. Susan E. Gardner & Dr. Philip D. Scott Robert Lee Gomez Mr. Robert Grant Mr. & Mrs. Anthony W. Hall Jr. Susan & Dick Hansen Mr. & Mrs. Robert S. Harrell Mr. & Mrs. Fraser A. McAlpine Mr. & Mrs. John S. Orton Mr. & Mrs. P. C. Peropoulos Mrs. Helen Rosenbaum * Joseph & Holly Rubbo Susan Scarrow Estate of Dorothy Barton Thomas Mr. David Ashley White Mr. & Mrs. David J. Wuthrich * Donor to endowment and working capital Listing as of August 9, 2010

February 2011 39

Backstage Pass. .................................................................................................

Cynthia and Robert Nelson, musician sponsors

Mihaela Oancea Frusina, second violin

Birthplace: Cynthia – Houston, TX; Bob – New Jersey

Birthplace: Bucharest, Romania

Education: Cynthia – Peabody College (now part of Vanderbilt) and Baylor University, BS; Bob – University of Houston, BS in mathematics

Education: Bachelor and Masters degrees in violin performance (Shepherd School of music, Rice University)

Joined the Houston Symphony: Cynthia – Bob took me to a Very Merry Pops concert led by Michael Krajewski in 1999. I have loved Bob, Mike and the Houston Symphony since! Bob – I am a long-time pops subscriber.

Joined the Houston Symphony: September 1995

© jeff gilmer

Earliest musical memory: Cynthia – I grew up hearing good music done well, thanks to Gabriel Fransee’, our church musician. Bob – Growing up, my parents frequently listened to “Big Band” music.

All in the family: Cynthia and her sister sing in choirs; our son plays the double-trigger bass trombone and sings; and our granddaughter sings.

2010-2011 Season Highlights: Cynthia – I enjoyed having Chris Botti back.

He brings marvelous talent with him, and our orchestra seems to enjoy playing with him. Mostly, anytime Mike is conducting is special. Bob – I am looking forward to the Rodgers and Hammerstein concerts.

Favorite Symphony experiences: Cynthia – I love it all! The music is astounding; the musicians and staff are interesting, personable and friendly; and the events are entertaining and educational. Bob – Live music just cannot be beat. Our orchestra does so well playing both classical and pops music. I also really enjoy Michael Krajewski.

Pastime and good company: Cynthia – I love to travel, read and spend time with family. Bob – I like to fish, and my wife and I both like taking road trips, staying off the major highways and enjoying local attractions as we go.

Became Musician Sponsors: 2004. Participated in the matching gifts programs where we worked and also contribute stock.

Special thoughts: Our involvement with Mihaela allows us to interact with and know her and her family. At a dinner, we talked and laughed with Mihaela and her husband until we were almost the last ones to leave!

All for a reason: The Symphony, of course, means wonderful music. It also means new musical experiences, people and artists, and having a world-class orchestra to listen to live. The orchestra’s impact on the community is impressive. Musicians provide live music for people who might not have an opportunity to hear such musicianship, including our son’s residential facility for the mentally handicapped. We need to support our local cultural organizations so they will be there for us and future generations.

Pass it on: We are fortunate to be able to give at the Musician Sponsor level and would recommend it. We probably would not know a Symphony musician or fully appreciate their talents, dedication and personalities had we not become musician sponsors.

40 www.houstonsymphony.org

Discovering my vocation: I started playing the violin when I was 5 years old at the George Enescu Music School in my hometown. I remember hearing my sister, Rodica, practicing the violin and wanted to play it too, but my parents thought that I should start a different instrument, so I started piano lessons. I kept saying that really, the violin was for me and didn’t give up until my parents gave in and started me on the violin.

Earliest musical memory: I remember hearing my school orchestra performing Wagner’s Meistersinger Overture and Strauss’ Die Fledermaus and loved the amazing sound they were making. I wanted to be part of such a vibrant and exciting experience, too.

Best thing about being a musician: Trying to be the best that you can be every week and with every piece of repertoire gives you a sense of accomplishment. It also makes for an interesting and challenging career that takes a lot out of you, physically and emotionally. It’s also great to come to work and be surrounded by wonderful, talented musicians who play so well together.

Alternative Reality: I’ve never really given it much taught, but I think I’d be a racecar driver. I like speed and the adrenaline rush that comes with it.

Favorite performance repertoire: Any Beethoven symphony! The energy and the amazing range of emotions that can come out of a wellperformed Beethoven symphony is magical!

Musical inspiration: One special and life-changing moment was when I came to this country (1987) and specifically to Houston, at the invitation of a great musician, teacher and wonderful human being, Sergiu Luca. He gave me a chance at a great life and mentored me into what I am today. After studying with him for seven years at Rice University, I realized how fortunate I was to experience the amazing journey into making music under his guidance.

Pastime and good company: I like spending time outdoors with my husband, Ovi and three kids, Simone (16), Robert (13) and Alex (5). We just returned from a skiing trip to Taos that was well-deserved time spent together as a family after a busy fall of school-related and athletic events that my kids are involved in. We had a great time enjoying the crisp cold weather and snow in New Mexico.