Photo by Anthony Rathbun
LETTER TO PATRONS
Photo by bruce bennett
Robert A. Peiser President
Mark C. Hanson Executive Director/CEO
Happy New Year! We hope your holiday season was filled with the love and joy of family and good friends. Although the holidays may be over, we invite you to join the Houston Symphony in lively conversation and joyful celebration of music at the first 2015 concert in our Musically Speaking with Andrés series. On January 15, Music Director Andrés Orozco-Estrada and co-host Carlos Andrés Botero share their insights and passion for Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 12 in Stude Concert Hall at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music. Andrés leads the orchestra in this four-movement symphony, complete with insights and discussion on Shostakovich. To learn more about these unique, intimate and engaging concert experiences, please read our “Conversation with Carlos” on page 13. The New Year also brings us a new and innovative concert experience with the Houston Symphony’s first opera-in-concert with Andrés, featuring Mozart’s The Abduction from the Seraglio. This semi-staged concert will include dramatic lighting, projected text, world-class vocalists and on-stage narrators. Take heart that it will not be the last, though, as Andrés envisions treating us to an opera-in-concert every other season. Our David Dewhurst Student Concert Series continues this month with the Robbins Foundation Symphony Detective Concerts. These concerts introduce students in grades 1–3 to the orchestra’s key players and encourage active listening and critical thinking skills. As part of our intensive Education and Community Engagement initiatives, the student concerts annually reach almost 100,000 children. One of those students is Angel Vela, a young violinist and aspiring conductor. Angel recently sent us a grateful and moving note to share how Andrés and the Houston Symphony impacted his life. Please read Angel’s story on page 10. His handwritten note has inspired all of us to continue in our mission to share the power of orchestral music with students and communities throughout our great city. As we embark upon the new calendar year, our thoughts also look forward to our upcoming 201516 concert season. We invite you to tune in to Houston Public Media TV 8 on Saturday, January 24, at 7pm for our very special 2015-16 season announcement. The event will also be webcast throughout the world. While we are eager for the upcoming season, we have many more electrifying performances to come this season including three concerts featuring legendary violinist and conductor Itzhak Perlman on February 12, 14 and 15. We’ll see you there!
New Century Society for Artistic Excellence and Innovation The New Century Society for Artistic Excellence and Innovation recognizes the Houston Symphony’s most committed and loyal supporters who have pledged their leadership support over a three-year period to help secure the orchestra’s financial future. For more information or to pledge your support, please contact Mark C. Hanson, Executive Director/CEO, at (713) 238-1411 or David Chambers, Chief Development Officer, at (713) 337-8525.
Ms. Marie Taylor Bosarge Janice H. Barrow Mr. George P. Mitchell Mrs. Kitty King Powell Bobby & Phoebe Tudor Margaret Alkek Williams Lieutenant Governor & Mrs. David H. Dewhurst Mr. & Mrs. Jim R. Smith Mike Stude Mr. & Mrs. Jesse B. Tutor Robin Angly & Miles Smith Rochelle & Max Levit Cora Sue & Harry Mach Joella & Steven P. Mach Mr. & Mrs. J. Stephen Marks
www.houstonsymphony.org
Houston Methodist Nancy & Robert Peiser Mr. & Mrs. William K. Robbins Jr. / The Robbins Foundation Laura & Michael Shannon Baker Botts L.L.P. Beauchamp Foundation Mr. & Mrs. Edward F. Blackburne Jr. Mr. & Mrs. John P. Dennis III Stephen & Mariglyn Glenn The Joan & Marvin Kaplan Foundation Barbara & Pat McCelvey John B. Onstott / Geo. H. Lewis & Sons Mr. & Mrs. James A. Shaffer Wells Fargo