InTune — The Houston Symphony Magazine — September 2019

THE HOUSTON SYMPHONY MAGAZINE

SEPTEMBER 2019

COMMON WITH THE 20 HOUSTON SYMPHONY

RENÉE ELISE GOLDSBERRY 24

OPENING NIGHT: RACHMANINOFF 26 PIANO CONCERTO NO. 3

FIESTA SINFÓNICA 30

STRAVINSKY’S FIREBIRD 34

GERSHWIN’S PIANO CONCERTO & 38 PORGY AND BESS

September 4

September 6, 7 & 8

September 14

September 15

September 19, 21 & 22

September 27, 28 & 29

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InTUNE | S E P T E M B E R

2019

Programs

Common with the Houston Symphony

September 4 ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������20 Renée Elise Goldsberry

September 6, 7 & 8 ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������24 Opening Night: Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 3

September 14 ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������26 Fiesta Sinfónica

September 15 ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������30 Stravinsky’s Firebird

September 19, 21 & 22 ��������������������������������������������������������������������������34 Gershwin’s Piano Concerto & Porgy and Bess

September 27, 28 & 29 ������������������������������������������������������������������������38

Features

Letter to Patrons ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������2 Become a Grand Patron ������������������������������������������������������������������������������ 10 You’re Invited to Join the Legacy Society ������������������������������������������11 2019 Ball Recap ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������ 12 Yoonshin Song �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 14 The Greatest City in the World: Renée Elise Goldsberry �������� 16 Preview: Rick Steves’ Europe: A Symphonic Journey ����������������� 18 Backstage Pass with Adam Trussell �����������������������������������������������������52

Your Houston Symphony

Your Symphony Experience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Andrés Orozco-Estrada, Music Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Upcoming Broadcasts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Orchestra Roster ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������6 Society Board of Trustees ������������������������������������������������������������������������������7 Staff Listing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Our Supporters

Houston Symphony Donors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Young Associates Council . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Corporate, Foundation, and Government Partners ��������������������46 Houston Symphony Endowment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Legacy Society & In Memoriam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Education and Community Engagement Donors . . . . . . . . . 50 Musician Sponsorships . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

Learn all about Renée Elise Goldsberry’s Houston roots

16

InTUNE is published by the Houston Symphony.

615 Louisiana, Suite 102, Houston, TX 77002 713.224.4240 | houstonsymphony.org All rights reserved.

LETTER TO PATRONS SEPTEMBER 2019

The beginning of a new season is always an exciting time for an orchestra, but this year there is an added element of anticipation in the air as we welcome a new member of the Houston Symphony family: Concertmaster Yoonshin Song. After an exhaustive threeyear search of top candidates from around the world, Yoonshin won this key position with her virtuoso technique and deeply felt musicality. Learn more about this extraordinary violinist on page 14. Combined with fantastic guest artists and thrilling repertoire, Yoonshin’s appointment promises to make our 106th season among our best yet.

InTune is produced by the Houston Symphony’s Marketing and Communications department.

Calvin Dotsey. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Publications Editor Melanie O’Neill. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Publications Designer Elaine Reeder Mayo. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Editorial Consultant Shweiki Media. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Printing Ventures Marketing Group. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Advertising The Houston Symphony is a non-profit organization that relies on the support of our generous donors. Presenting nearly

170 concerts annually with an ensemble of 88 full-time professional musicians, the Symphony is Houston’s largest performing arts organization. We enrich the lives of hundreds of thousands through more than 1,000 annual community-based performances and inspiring classroom visits. Your support enables us to continue creating innovative and commanding musical experiences.

The activities and projects of the Houston Symphony are funded in part by grants from the City of Houston, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Texas Commission on the Arts.

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

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.

All content © 2019. Contents cannot be reproduced in any manner, whole or in part, without written permission from the Houston Symphony or InTune Magazine.

Our concerts this month are a case in point. Principal POPS Conductor Steven Reineke kicks off our POPS Series with the help of a very special guest—Renée Elise Goldsberry, one of the stars of Broadway’s Hamilton and a native Houstonian. Get to know this brilliant vocalist on page 16. On the classical side, our Opening Night Concert features a titan of the keyboard, Yefim Bronfman, playing Rachmaninoff’s formidable Piano Concerto No. 3. Hot off a series of performances with the Vienna Philharmonic, Music Director Andrés Orozco-Estrada then returns to lead two spectacular programs: Stravinsky’s Firebird, featuring the complete score of the 1910 ballet, and Gershwin’s Piano Concerto & Porgy and Bess with renowned pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet.

The excitement continues next month, when Andrés leads choral masterpieces by Mahler and Mendelssohn, and acclaimed guest conductor Marek Janowski interprets stirring classics by Beethoven and Wagner. Rick Steves also joins the orchestra for Rick Steves’ Europe: A Symphonic Journey, a live musical tour of the continent with the beloved public television personality as your guide. Get a preview of the concerts on page 18, where Rick shares his love of music. We hope you enjoy this visit to Jones Hall, and—as Rick Steves might say—until next time, keep on listening.

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HOUSTON symphony JONES HALL FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS 615 Louisiana St. Suite 102 Houston, TX 77002

PATRON SERVICES

713.224.7575 Mon–Sat | 12p.m.–6 p.m. patronservices@houstonsymphony.org

GROUP SALES

713.238.1435 Mon–Fri | 9 a.m.–5 p.m. groupsales@houstonsymphony.org

ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICES 713.238.1420 Mon–Fri | 9 a.m.–5 p.m.

YOUR SYMPHONY EXPERIENCE JONES HALL

ETIQUETTE

Sixty-six foot ceilings, scarlet carpet, teakwood, and travertine marble greet visitors to Jones Hall, the home of the Houston Symphony. Opened in 1966, Jones Hall has a uniquely designed movable ceiling that enables the auditorium to shrink or expand from approximately 2,150 to 2,900 seats.

For Classical concerts, if a work has several movements it is traditional to hold applause until the end of the last movement. If you are unsure when a piece ends, check the program or wait for the conductor to face the audience.

If you feel truly inspired, however, do not be afraid to applaud! Brief applause between movements after an exceptional performance is always appreciated.

PRELUDE PRE-CONCERT CONVERSATIONS Led by Musical Ambassador Carlos Andrés Botero, Prelude Pre-Concert Conversations are held 45 minutes in advance of each Classical Series performance and provide interesting insights into composers and their works.

DEVICES Please silence all electronic devices before the performance. Photography and audio/video recordings of these performances are strictly prohibited.

FOOD & DRINK POLICY Encore Café offers a selection of food and drink options before performances and during intermission; we also have several bars located throughout the concert hall where you may purchase beer, wine, and mixed drinks. However, food or drinks are prohibited in the auditorium for Classical Series performances. Drinks (in plastic containers) are allowed for POPS concerts and some Symphony Specials.

LOST AND FOUND For lost and found inquiries, please contact Front of House Manager Sarah Rendón during the performance.

She also can be reached at sarah.rendon@houstonsymphony.org.

You also may contact Houston First after the performances at 832.487.7050.

CONNECT WITH US |

CHILDREN Children ages 6 and up are welcome to all Classical, POPS, and Symphony Special concerts. Children of all ages are welcome at BBVA Compass Family Series performances. Children must have a ticket for all ticketed events.

LATE SEATING Each performance typically allows for late seating, which is scheduled in intervals and determined by the conductor. Our ushers and front of house manager will instruct you on when late seating is allowed.

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

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

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InTUNE — September 2019 | 3

OROZCO-ESTRADA MUSIC DIRECTOR

ROY AND LILLIE CULLEN CHAIR Energy, elegance, and spirit—these are the qualities that distinguish Andrés Orozco-Estrada as a musician. Since the 2014–15 season, he has been music director of the Houston Symphony and principal conductor of the Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra. Beginning in the 2020–21 season, he will be chief conductor of the Vienna Symphony.

Andrés conducts many of the world's leading orchestras, including the Vienna Philharmonic, the Staatskapelle Dresden, the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, the Orchestra dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, the Orchestre National de France, and American orchestras in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, and Chicago. He has also directed successful concerts and opera performances at the Glyndebourne and Salzburg festivals.

Highlights of the 2019–20 season include performances with the Vienna Philharmonic at the BBC Proms and the Lucerne Festival, as well as tours to China, South Korea, and Japan. In the spring, Andrés Orozco-Estrada conducts his debut concert with the New York Philharmonic and returns as a guest to the rostrum of the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra. In May 2020, the Dutch National Opera Amsterdam premieres a new production of Carmen under his direction. With the Houston Symphony, he presents a new two-week Schumann Festival in February featuring the composer’s symphonies, concertos, choral works, and chamber music. The same month, he conducts three concerts at the Wiener Musikverein, leading the Vienna Symphony as principal conductor designate.

Andrés is particularly committed to new concert formats in which spoken commentary and visual elements complement the music as he rediscovers known repertoire together with the audience—be it a Spotlight concert with the Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra or a Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra family concert.

His CD releases at Pentatone have attracted critical praise. His Dvořák cycle with the Houston Symphony was praised by Pizzicato as a “vital Dvořák with warm colors.” With the Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra, recordings of Stravinsky's Firebird and The Rite of Spring were hailed as “beguiling” by Gramophone, and the same publication recently described him as “a fine Straussian” in a review of their recent recording of the Alpine Symphony from his Richard Strauss cycle.

In addition, his interpretations of all the Brahms and Mendelssohn symphonies are available on recordings.

Born in Medellín, Colombia, Andrés began his musical education with the violin. He received his first conducting lessons at 15 and began study in Vienna in 1997, where he was accepted at the prestigious University of Music and Performing Arts in the conducting class of Uroš Lajovic, a student of the legendary Hans Swarowsky. Andrés has since lived in Vienna.

4 | Houston Symphony

Tune in to Houston Public Media News 88.7 FM Sunday nights at 8 p.m. to hear great performances from past Houston Symphony concerts. You can also listen Wednesday nights at 8 p.m. online through Houston Public Media's digital Classical station.

SEPTEMBER 2019 BROADCAST SCHEDULE ALL BROADCASTS AIR AT 8 P.M. September 8 | News 88.7 September 11 | Classical RECORDED: May 18–20, 2018

September 15 | News 88.7 September 18 | Classical RECORDED: September 13–16, 2018

September 22 | News 88.7 September 25 | Classical RECORDED: September 23–25, 2016

Andrés Orozco-Estrada, conductor Emanuel Ax, piano Mozart: Quintet in E-flat major for Piano, Oboe, Clarinet, Bassoon, and Horn Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 27 Stravinsky: The Rite of Spring Andrés Orozco-Estrada, conductor Nicole Heaston, soprano Kelley O'Connor, mezzo-soprano Peter Dugan, piano Houston Symphony Chorus Betsy Cook Weber, director Ives: Symphony No. 4, I. Prelude Mahler: Symphony No. 2, Resurrection Andrés Orozco-Estrada, conductor Agudelo: El Sombrerón Krause: Pathways Mahler: Symphony No. 1

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ROSTER

ORCHESTRA Andrés Orozco-Estrada Music Director Roy and Lillie Cullen Chair FIRST VIOLIN Yoonshin Song, Concertmaster Max Levine Chair Eric Halen, Co-Concertmaster Ellen E. Kelley Chair Qi Ming, Assistant Concertmaster Fondren Foundation Chair Marina Brubaker Tong Yan MiHee Chung Sophia Silivos Rodica Gonzalez Ferenc Illenyi Si-Yang Lao Kurt Johnson Christopher Neal Sergei Galperin Boson Mo* SECOND VIOLIN MuChen Hsieh, Principal Hitai Lee Mihaela Frusina Annie Kuan-Yu Chen Jing Zheng Martha Chapman Tianjie Lu Anastasia Sukhopara Tina Zhang Jordan Koransky Katrina Bobbs Savitski* Amy Semes*

HORN William VerMeulen, Principal Mr. and Mrs. Alexander K. McLanahan Endowed Chair Robert Johnson, Associate Principal Jesse Clevenger*, Assistant Principal Brian Thomas Nancy Goodearl Ian Mayton

FLUTE Aralee Dorough, Principal General Maurice Hirsch Chair Matthew Roitstein, Associate Principal Judy Dines Kathryn Ladner

TRUMPET Mark Hughes, Principal George P. and Cynthia Woods Mitchell Chair John Parker, Associate Principal Robert Walp, Assistant Principal Richard Harris

PICCOLO Kathryn Ladner

TROMBONE Allen Barnhill, Principal Bradley White, Associate Principal Phillip Freeman

ENGLISH HORN Adam Dinitz

CELLO Brinton Averil Smith, Principal Janice and Thomas Barrow Chair Christopher French, Associate Principal Anthony Kitai Louis-Marie Fardet Jeffrey Butler Maki Kubota Xiao Wong Charles Seo Annamarie Reader* James R. Denton**

6 | Houston Symphony

DOUBLE BASS Robin Kesselman, Principal Timothy Dilenschneider, Associate Principal Mark Shapiro Eric Larson Andrew Pedersen Burke Shaw Donald Howey Michael McMurray

OBOE Jonathan Fischer, Principal Lucy Binyon Stude Chair Anne Leek, Associate Principal Colin Gatwood Adam Dinitz

VIOLA Wayne Brooks, Principal Mr. & Mrs. Jesse B. Tutor Legacy Society Chair Joan DerHovsepian, Associate Principal George Pascal, Assistant Principal Wei Jiang Linda Goldstein Sheldon Person Fay Shapiro Daniel Strba Jarita Ng Phyllis Herdliska

Community-Embedded Musicians David Connor, double bass Rainel Joubert, violin Patricia Quintero Garcia, violin Alexa Sangbin Thomson, viola

Steven Reineke Principal POPS Conductor Robert Franz Associate Conductor Betsy Cook Weber Director, Houston Symphony Chorus

CLARINET Mark Nuccio, Principal Thomas LeGrand, Associate Principal Christian Schubert Alexander Potiomkin E-FLAT CLARINET Thomas LeGrand BASS CLARINET Alexander Potiomkin Tassie and Constantine S. Nicandros Chair BASSOON Rian Craypo, Principal Issac Schultz*, Associate Principal Elise Wagner Adam Trussell

BASS TROMBONE Phillip Freeman TUBA Dave Kirk, Principal TIMPANI Leonardo Soto, Principal Matthew Strauss, Associate Principal PERCUSSION Brian Del Signore, Principal Mark Griffith Matthew Strauss HARP Megan Conley, Principal** KEYBOARD Scott Holshouser, Principal *Contracted Substitute ** On Leave

CONTRABASSOON Adam Trussell

Orchestra Personnel Manager Michael Gorman

Librarian Thomas Takaro

Stage Manager Stefan Stout

Assistant Orchestra Personnel Manager Josh Hall

Assistant Librarians Aspen McArthur Michael McMurray

Assistant Stage Manager José Rios

Stage Technicians Nick DiFonzo Justin Herriford Armando Rodriguez

TRUSTEES

2019–20 SEASON

SOCIETY BOARD of

PAST PRESIDENTS OF THE HOUSTON SYMPHONY SOCIETY

Executive Committee Janet F. Clark President John Rydman President-Elect Steven P. Mach Chairman Immediate Past President

Robert A. Peiser* Honorary Chairman Paul Morico General Counsel Mike S. Stude Chairman Emeritus

Barbara McCelvey Secretary John Mangum^ Executive Director/CEO

Evan B. Glick Chair, Popular Programming Barbara J. Burger Chair, Finance Miles O. Smith Chair, Artistic & Orchestra Affairs Brad W. Corson Chair, Governance & Leadership Viviana Denechaud Chair, Development Tracy Dieterich Chair, Community Partnerships Bobby Tudor At Large Immediate Past Chair,

Mary Lynn Marks Chair, Volunteers & Special Events Billy McCartney Chair, Education William J. Toomey II President, Houston Symphony Endowment Robert Orr Chair, Strategic Planning Manolo Sánchez Chair, Marketing & Communications Jesse B. Tutor Chair, Audit

Maureen Higdon^ President, Houston Symphony League Andrés Orozco-Estrada^ Music Director Adam Dinitz^ Musician Representative Mark Hughes^ Musician Representative Mark Nuccio^ Musician Representative Christine Kelly-Weaver^ Assistant Secretary ^Ex-Officio *In Memoriam

GOVERNING DIRECTORS Farida Abjani Michael W. Adler Marcia Backus Janice Barrow ** Gary Beauchamp Bill Bullock Barbara J. Burger Janet F. Clark Brad W. Corson Viviana Denechaud Michael Doherty Terry Everett Sippi Khurana, M.D.

TRUSTEES

Jonathan Ayre Philip A. Bahr James M. Bell Jr. Devinder Bhatia, M.D. Nancy S. Bratic Terry Ann Brown** Ralph Burch Justice Brett Busby Dougal Cameron John T. Cater** Michael H. Clark Virginia Clark Evan D. Collins, M.D., MBA Andrew Davis, Ph.D. Tracy Dieterich Kelli Cohen Fein, M.D. Jeffrey B. Firestone Eugene A. Fong Aggie L. Foster Julia Anderson Frankel Ron Franklin

Rochelle Levit, Ph.D. Cora Sue Mach ** Steven P. Mach Paul M. Mann, M.D. Rodney Margolis** Jay Marks ** Mary Lynn Marks Billy McCartney Barbara McCelvey Alexander K. McLanahan ** Paul R. Morico Robert Orr John Rydman**

Kafi Slaughter Ex-Officio Miles O. Smith Tracy Dieterich Mike S. Stude ** Evan B. Glick William J. Toomey II Maureen Higdon Bobby Tudor ** Nina McGlashan Betty Tutor ** Gloria G. Pryzant Jesse B. Tutor ** Manolo Sánchez Judith Vincent Andrés Orozco-Estrada Margaret Alkek Williams ** John Mangum Scott Wulfe Mark Nuccio David Wuthrich Adam Dinitz Mark Hughes Christine Kelly-Weaver

Betsy Garlinger Evan B. Glick Susan A. Hansen Gary L. Hollingsworth Brian James Joan Kaplan I. Ray Kirk, M.D. Ulyesse J. LeGrange** Carlos J. López Michael Mann, M.D. Jack Matzer Jackie Wolens Mazow Gary Mercer Marilyn Miles Shane A. Miller Janet Moore Leslie Nossaman Scott Nyquist Edward Osterberg Jr. Gloria G. Pryzant David Pruner

Tadd Pullin Richard Robbins, M.D. J. Hugh Roff Jr.** Miwa Sakashita Manolo Sánchez Ed Schneider Helen Shaffer ** Michael E. Shannon** Robert B. Sloan, D.D. Theol.

Jim R. Smith Tad Smith Ishwaria Subbiah, M.D. L. Proctor (Terry) Thomas III Shirley W. Toomim Margaret Waisman, M.D. Fredric A. Weber Mrs. S. Conrad Weil Robert Weiner Vicki West Steven J. Williams

Frank Wilson Ellen A. Yarrell Robert Yekovich Frank Yonish Ex-Officio Ann Ayre Jennifer Gravenor Jessie Woods David Lopez **Lifetime Trustee *Deceased

Mrs. Edwin B. Parker Miss Ima Hogg Mrs. H. M. Garwood Joseph A. Mullen, M.D. Joseph S. Smith Walter H. Walne H. R. Cullen Gen. Maurice Hirsch Charles F. Jones Fayez Sarofim John T. Cater Richard G. Merrill Ellen Elizardi Kelley John D. Platt

E.C. Vandagrift Jr. J. Hugh Roff Jr. 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 Robert B. Tudor III Robert A. Peiser Steven P. Mach

PAST PRESIDENTS OF THE HOUSTON SYMPHONY LEAGUE Miss Ima Hogg Mrs. John F. Grant Mrs. J. R. Parten Mrs. Andrew E. Rutter Mrs. Aubrey Leno Carter Mrs. Stuart Sherar Mrs. Julian Barrows Ms. Hazel Ledbetter Mrs. Albert P. Jones Mrs. Ben A. Calhoun Mrs. James Griffith Lawhon Mrs. Olaf LaCour Olsen Mrs. Ralph Ellis Gunn Mrs. Leon Jaworski Mrs. Garrett R. Tucker Jr. Mrs. M. T. Launius Jr. Mrs. Thompson McCleary Mrs. Theodore W. Cooper Mrs. Allen W. Carruth Mrs. David Hannah Jr. Mary Louis Kister Mrs. Edward W. Kelley Jr. Mrs. John W. Herndon Mrs. Charles Franzen Mrs. Harold R. DeMoss Jr. Mrs. Edward H. Soderstrom

Mrs. Lilly Kucera Andress Ms. Marilou Bonner Mrs. W. Harold Sellers Mrs. Harry H. Gendel Mrs. Robert M. Eury Mrs. E. C. Vandagrift Jr. Mrs. J. Stephen Marks Terry Ann Brown Nancy Strohmer Mary Ann McKeithan Ann Cavanaugh Mrs. James A. Shaffer Lucy H. Lewis Catherine McNamara Shirley McGregor Pearson Paula Jarrett Cora Sue Mach Kathi Rovere Norma Jean Brown Barbara McCelvey Lori Sorcic Jansen Nancy B. Willerson Jane Clark Nancy Littlejohn Donna Shen Dr. Susan Snider Osterberg Dr. Kelli Cohen Fein Vicki West Mrs. Jesse Tutor Darlene Clark Beth Wolff

PAST PRESIDENTS OF THE HOUSTON SYMPHONY LEAGUE BAY AREA Fran Strong Selma Neumann Julia Wells Dagmar Meeh Priscilla Heidbreder Harriett Small Nina Spencer Elizabeth Glenn Ebby Creden Charlotte Gaunt Norma Brady Cindy Kuenneke Helen Powell Sharon Dillard Diane McLaughlin Roberta Liston Suzanne Hicks Sue Smith

Shirley Wettling Jo Anne Mills Phyllis Molnar Pat Bertelli Emyre B. Robinson Dana Puddy Angela Buell Pat Brackett Joan Wade Yvonne Herring Deanna Lamoreux Glenda Toole Carole Murphy Patience Myers James Moore Mary Voigt Martha McWilliams

FRIENDS OF JONES HALL REPRESENTATIVES Ronald G. Franklin

Steven P. Mach

Barbara McCelvey

Robert Orr InTUNE — September 2019 | 7

STAFF

ADMINISTRATIVE

The Houston Symphony Administrative Staff is made up of 71 full-time and part-time professionals who work diligently behind the scenes to ensure all operations within the organization are run effectively and efficiently.

This inspiring team is dedicated to bringing the great music of the Houston Symphony to our community.

SENIOR MANAGEMENT GROUP

FINANCE | ADMINISTRATION | IT | HR

John Mangum, Executive Director/CEO,

Margaret Alkek Williams Chair Pam Blaine, Chief of Education and Community Engagement Elizabeth S. Condic, Chief Financial Officer Vicky Dominguez, Chief Operating Officer Nancy Giles, Chief Development Officer Gwen Watkins, Chief Marketing Officer

Brittany Basden, Support Engineer Robert Boyd, Budget Manager Henry Cantu, Accountant II Kimberly Cegielski, Staff Accountant Joel James, Senior HR Manager Tanya Lovetro, Director, Finance Morgana Rickard, Controller Gabriela Rivera, Senior Accountant Anthony Stringer, Director, IT Ariela Ventura, Office Manager/HR Coordinator Lee Whatley, Senior Director, IT and Analytics

Christine Kelly-Weaver, Executive Assistant/Board Liaison DEVELOPMENT Michael Arlen, Associate Director,

Individual Giving and Major Gifts Julie Busch, Manager, League Relations and Fundraising J. Steven Covington, Director, Endowment and Planned Giving Timothy Dillow, Director, Special Events Amanda T. Dinitz, Major Gifts Officer Samuel García, Development Associate Jessica Jelinek, Development Associate, Gifts and Records Amber Jones, Manager, Donor Stewardship Mary Beth Mosley, Director, Institutional Giving and Stewardship Tyler Murphy, Development Officer, Major Giving Groups Shane L. Platt, Development Associate, Individual Giving Martin Schleuse, Development Communications Manager Molly Simpson, Director, Individual Giving and Major Gifts Jennifer Staples, Manager, Special Events Christine Ann Stevens, Major Gifts Officer Lena Streetman, Research Analyst Christina Trunzo, Associate Director,

Foundation and Government Grants EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT Allison Conlan, Director, Education Anna Dean, Education and Community Engagement Coordinator Emily Nelson, Associate Director,

Education and Community Engagement Ana Rodriguez, Education and Community Engagement Manager

8 | Houston Symphony

MARKETING | COMMUNICATIONS | PATRON SERVICES Mark Bailes, Marketing Coordinator Shelby Banda, Patron Services Representative Joshua Chavira, Patron Services Representative Calvin Dotsey, Communications Specialist Heather Fails, Manager, Ticketing Database BreeAngela Hamilton, Digital Marketing Coordinator Kerry Ingram, Director, Digital Marketing Edgar Ivan-Morales, Patron Services Representative Kathryn Judd, Director, Marketing Mateo Lopez, Assistant Manager, Patron Services Center Melanie O’Neill, Creative Specialist Sarah Rendón, Front of House Manager Mireya Reyna, Publicist Vanessa Rivera, Digital Marketing Manager Ashley Rodriguez, Patron Services Senior Representative Eric Skelly, Senior Director, Communications Melissa Taylor, Graphic Designer Jenny Zuniga, Director, Patron Services OPERATIONS | ARTISTIC Carlos Andrés Botero, Musical Ambassador Becky Brown, Director, Operations Stephanie Calascione, Artistic Operations Assistant Anna Diemer, Chorus Manager Jessica Fertinel, Assistant to the Music Director Michael Gorman, Orchestra Personnel Manager Josh Hall, Assistant Orchestra Personnel Manager Aspen McArthur, Assistant Librarian Michael McMurray, Assistant Librarian Lesley Sabol, Director, Popular Programming Brad Sayles, Recording Engineer Thomas Takaro, Librarian Meredith Williams, Associate Director, Operations Rebecca Zabinski, Director, Artistic Planning

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BECOME A OF THE HOUSTON SYMPHONY DONORS WHO CONTRIBUTE BETWEEN $2,500 AND $4,999 IN ANNUAL FUND SUPPORT RECEIVE THESE BENEFITS: • Season access to the Patron Donor Lounge with complimentary drinks, pre-concert and during intermission • One-time pass to the Green Room • One-time valet parking pass • Invitation to three private rehearsals • Invitation to a Houston Symphony “Insider Event” • Early bird ticket email notification

To become a Grand Patron, you can make your donation online at houstonsymphony.org/donate, or contact Michael Arlen, Associate Director, Individual Giving and Major Gifts at michael.arlen@houstonsymphony.org or 713.337.8529.

10 | Houston Symphony

Jesse and Betty Tutor, Chairs The Houston Symphony Legacy Society

YOU’R E INVITED to join the Legacy Society Dear Friends of the Houston Symphony, On behalf of the Houston Symphony, thank you for supporting our mission to inspire and engage a large and diverse audience in Greater Houston. If you are like us, the Houston Symphony has become a part of your extended family. The joy of attending performances, being involved as patrons and volunteers, and developing lifelong friendships has enriched our lives. We hope you, too, have enjoyed this meaningful experience.

If you would like to share this important part of your life with others, we invite you to join the Legacy Society. As a member, you will be part of a growing group of friends who are dedicated to ensuring the ongoing legacy of great classical music.

All you have to do is include the Symphony in your will or other estate plans.

An estate gift increases the Houston Symphony Endowment and ensures the orchestra’s continued success for future generations of Houstonians by providing a predictable revenue stream that allows us to confidently plan for our future.

The Houston Symphony was built on a foundation established by visionary civic leaders like Miss Ima Hogg and many others who made our Symphony one of the nation’s finest ensembles and a great source of civic pride. We believe we have a responsibility to continue that heritage in a way that will forever sustain these accomplishments.

Please consider becoming a part of the Legacy Society. We would like you to celebrate with us the joy of providing for our Symphony’s future and the contributions it will make to our Houston community for many years to come.

Again, thank you for your ongoing support and patronage of the Houston Symphony.

Sincerely,

Jesse and Betty Tutor, Chairs The Houston Symphony Legacy Society

HOW TO JOIN THE LEGACY SOCIETY 1. Establish a gift for the Houston Symphony in your will or other estate plans. Typical legacy gifts include bequests, 401K or retirement plan designations, life insurance, and real property, some of which provide significant tax benefits for your estate and heirs.

2. We suggest you consult with your own advisor about your financial and personal goals.

3. The Houston Symphony federal tax ID number is 20-8350227 for use in preparation of your plans. For any questions or to receive more information about legacy giving, contact J. Steven Covington, Director, Endowment and Planned Giving at 713.337.8532 or steven.covington@houstonsymphony.org.

4. Enjoy the friendship and benefits of being a Legacy Society member! Our list of current donors is on page 49 of the magazine.

InTUNE — September 2019 | 11

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1. Bill & Courtney Toomey 2. Ball Honorees, Houston Symphony Society Presidents (left to right): Rodney Margolis, Jan Barrow, Steve Mach, Jesse Tutor, Janet Clark, Robert Hermance, Bobby Tudor, and Ed Wulfe (seated) 3. Margaret Alkek Williams and John Mangum 4. Pat & Barbara McCelvey, Jan Barrow, and Andrés Orozco-Estrada

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5. 2019 Houston Symphony Ball Dance Floor 6. Lexi Sakowitz, Elise Lubanko, and Allison Harper 7. Matthew Roitstein and Judith Vincent 8. Bi Nguyen and Jordan Seff 9. Valerie & Tracy Dieterich 10. John & Lindy Rydman, Lisa Rydman, and Eric Lindsey 11. Phoebe & Bobby Tudor 12. Rini & Edward Ziegler 13. James Bell, Kimberly Lacher, and Ishwaria & Vivek Subbiah PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF WILSON PARISH, DANIEL ORTIZ, AND JENNY ANTILL

12 | Houston Symphony

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8 9 Vintage Music Garden, the 2019 Houston Symphony Ball, returned to The Post Oak Hotel at Uptown Houston on May 10. Chaired by Courtney and Bill Toomey, the Ball raised more than $1.2 million for the Symphony’s Education and Community Engagement Programs. For the fifth consecutive year, Phillips 66 was the Ball’s Presenting Sponsor.

Guests entered the black-tie event to find a green lattice gazebo covered in fresh flowers, and characters in vintage garb strolling throughout the foyer. More than 450 guests perused a silent auction of unique items and experiences, including a pair of 18 karat white gold and diamond earrings from Tenenbaum Jewelers, Preferred Jewelry Partner of the Houston Symphony. The auction, ably chaired by Allison Harper, raised $209,000.

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Once inside the ballroom, with lavish vintage garden décor by Richard Flowers of The Events Company, guests enjoyed a gourmet multi-course dinner by Executive Chef Jean-Luc Royere, accompanied by wines chosen by Lindy and John Rydman and Lisa Rydman of Spec’s Wines, Spirits & Finer Foods.

After dinner, attendees crowded the dance floor to move to the sounds of The Jordan Kahn Orchestra.

The 2019 Ball honored the Presidents of the Houston Symphony Society—those leaders who, for the last 40 years, have overseen the growth of a Grammywinning orchestra. The Presidential honorees were John Cater, Robert Hermance, Janice Barrow, Rodney Margolis, Ed Wulfe, Jesse Tutor, Bobby Tudor, Steven Mach, and Janet Clark.

The Houston Symphony is grateful to have had the opportunity to honor Ed Wulfe’s contributions prior to his passing on August 28, 2019.

The Ball was followed by a rollicking After Party chaired by Lexi Sakowitz and Elise Lubanko.

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The 2020 Houston Symphony Ball will be chaired

by Rini and Edward Ziegler.

InTUNE — September 2019 | 13

YOONSHIN SONG

THE HOUSTON SYMPHONY’S NEW CONCERTMASTER

14 | Houston Symphony

Yoonshin Song, concertmaster 

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his month, the Houston Symphony welcomes a new concertmaster: Yoonshin Song. After a rigorous and exhaustive three-year search that considered 39 top candidates from around the world, our musicians, Music Director Andrés Orozco-Estrada, and orchestra administrators at last found a violinist to fill the shoes of Frank Huang, who left the Houston Symphony to become concertmaster for the New York Philharmonic in 2015.

So, who is Yoonshin Song? Like many violinists, Yoonshin had an early start on her instrument, beginning lessons at age 5 in her home country of South Korea. “My mother loves classical music, so when my brother and I were young, she dreamt of us being able to play some instruments—piano for my brother and violin for me. I had no choice!” she says with a smile.

Fortunately, Yoonshin took to the instrument as few children do, and progressed so rapidly she had made her solo debut with the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra by age 11.

She soon developed an impressive resume, performing as soloist with many other distinguished orchestras and winning a raft of competitions, including the prestigious Stradivarius International Violin Competition in the United States.

Ultimately, she decided to pursue a career as a concertmaster, and before her appointment in Houston, Yoonshin served as concertmaster for the Detroit Symphony Orchestra from 2012 to 2019.

“A concertmaster’s life is extremely rich in musical experiences,” Yoonshin reflected. “It provides access to so many different ways of experiencing the gift of music. You get to play an endless number of beautiful symphonic works while still enjoying solo opportunities and chamber music within the circle of the orchestra.”

But it was her first performances with the orchestra in November 2018 that convinced the Symphony she was the violinist we wanted as our new concertmaster. “Yoonshin’s appearance with our orchestra was amazingly fortuitous,” related Principal Cello Brinton Smith, who served as chair of the concertmaster search committee. “As luck would have it, our scheduled guest concertmaster had to cancel, and Yoonshin had a free week and was willing to fly down on just a few hours’ notice to serve as guest concertmaster.”

This diversity of musical activities makes the concertmaster’s career a rewarding one, but the position also comes with many crucial responsibilities. “The concertmaster leads the first violin section, but also gives direction to the whole ensemble with help from the principals of the other sections,” Yoonshin explained. “This, of course, should all be coordinated under the conductor’s musical direction,” she added. “My role is to convey the conductor’s intentions efficiently and clearly to the other orchestra members with my gestures and words during the rehearsal process. I also try to help the whole musical process in other ways—from practical suggestions to inspirational ideas— in order to produce the best musical experience for ourselves and audiences.”

The program was a challenging one of works by Strauss, Scriabin, and Weill that included several exposed solos for the concertmaster. Sitting just on the other side of the conductor, Brinton was in a unique position to observe Yoonshin at work.

“It was immediately apparent to us from the first rehearsal that she had that perfect combination of virtuosity and musical and personal leadership we had been seeking. Finding the right fit for this most crucial position is a bit like searching for a spouse. You can sort through hundreds of well-qualified candidates for years, but when you do finally find the right person, you just know it.”

It almost goes without saying that the concertmaster is also responsible for playing violin solos in the orchestral repertoire— many of which are incredibly difficult. Concertmasters typically have opportunities to play concertos and other major solo works with orchestra, and on rare occasions may even be called upon to fill in for an ailing or unavailable guest soloist at short notice.

Yoonshin is excited to dive into her new role as concertmaster, which she officially begins at our Opening Night Concert with Yefim Bronfman on September 14. Reflecting on the upcoming season, Yoonshin noted that she is particularly looking forward to the Schumann Festival in February. “I am curious how it will feel to live with so much of Schumann’s wonderful music in such a short period of time,” she said. “I’m also excited to help this musical genius’s masterpieces come to life for Houston audiences.” Until then, we can look forward to many superb performances as we welcome this new member of the Symphony family to Houston. –Calvin Dotsey

In Yoonshin’s hands, however, technical feats seem effortless, and listeners can simply be swept away by the music. Houston audiences have already had several opportunities to experience her virtuoso technique and musical sensitivity live—before officially starting as concertmaster, she gave us a preview of things to come by performing with the orchestra, for the final three Classical Series programs of the 2018–19 season in May.

The feeling was mutual. “The chemistry was good,” Yoonshin noted, recalling her first visit. “I liked the warm weather, but found the people in the Houston Symphony to be even warmer!”

Yoonshin Song holds the Max Levine Chair.

InTUNE — September 2019 | 15

THE GREATEST CITY in the world

RENÉE ELISE GOLDSBERRY COMES HOME TO HOUSTON

Renée Elise Goldsberry’s career is soaring, taking her to extraordinary places, and it shows no signs of slowing down.

She has broken into feature films with roles in All About You, Sisters, and Pistol Whipped, and ever since she first appeared as a backup singer on Ally McBeal, she has been a compelling presence on television with leading roles on One Life to Live, The Good Wife, and Altered Carbon, as well as numerous high-profile guest appearances.

But the stage always calls her home. “There’s something about being on a stage,” said the star of such Broadway hits as The Lion King, Rent, The Color Purple, and the originator of the role of Angelica Schuyler in the Broadway mega-hit Hamilton. “It uses every part of you: your brain, your heart, your soul, your body, every bit of talent you can pray to God to

16 | Houston Symphony

send your way. I’m excited that as I grow older, there’s always going to be a stage where I can sing. When I was in Hamilton, I used to joke that in the second act I was eventually going to come down in a stairlift chair! That’s how I feel about theater.

It’s just too good for the soul. The people who show up to see it, we’re all kindred spirits. As long as we can commune in that way, I’ll be there.”

It was on a stage that Renée’s career got its start, right here in Houston. “I was raised in Houston, and I always come home once or twice a year,” she proudly proclaimed. “I went to Duchesne Academy of the Sacred Heart and Spring Branch Middle School. I was baptized at Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church, and I’ve spent every New Year’s Eve and birthday in Houston for as long as I can remember.”

The Houston International Theater School (HITS) first set Renée on her theatrical path. “That’s where I fell in love with Broadway. When I was 8 years old, I was in Guys and Dolls, in the chorus in the back with a bunch of other kids,” she said. The same year, Houston Grand Opera came looking for child performers. “They needed a children’s company. They auditioned over at HITS, and my brother and I got to be the little urchin children in Carmen. We were the kids onstage eating oranges.”

beautiful thing that people will show up to sit down with me for two hours, as opposed to a character in a show they know and love.” She hastened to add that a full orchestra is on stage with her. “It’s ‘come hear Renée Elise Goldsberry.’ But it’s not me by myself at all. To pack a stage like that is the most amazing experience as a performer: to realize the joy of being surrounded by that kind of talent and that kind of artistry.

And really what’s so fun is to discover how good they make anything sound.

Now, after theatrical success on an almost unimaginable scale, the Jones Hall stage is calling Renée home once again. “I’ve been travelling around the country playing this particular concert with wonderful symphonies, and it feels amazing,” she reflected. Only one thing has been missing: “What’s strange is that the people I’m closest to in the world have not yet shared this with me,” she said, but her Houston Symphony debut is about to change that.

“The beauty of this show is that audiences will hear songs they know and love from the shows I’ve done, while I also share my experiences with those songs in a very intimate setting—a beautiful symphony hall. It’s really just me and a microphone and the best musicians in the world. That the audience full of people thought it would be worth their time becomes really special and really beautiful, and it always leaves me on cloud nine. I’ve never finished a show and not been humbled and so grateful for the opportunity to do this.”

–Eric Skelly

When asked how performing her symphony show presents challenges different from her other theatrical work, she thoughtfully replied: “The biggest difference is convincing myself that it’s okay to have two hours with just Renée. It’s a

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InTUNE — September 2019 | 17

concert PREVIEW OCTOBER 11, 12 & 13 • JONES HALL

Rick Steves A SYMPHONIC JOURNEY On October 11, 12, and 13, the beloved European travel guru and public television personality Rick Steves joins the Houston Symphony for a musical tour of the continent: Rick Steves’ Europe: A Symphonic Journey. Complete with stunning film footage of some of Europe’s most spectacular travel destinations and performances of The Blue Danube waltz, Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy,” and more classical favorites, these performances will take listeners on a one-of-a-kind journey from the comfort of Jones Hall’s red velvet seats. Rick Steves himself shares how his own love of music inspired this unique concert experience.

Houston Symphony: How did the idea for Rick Steves’ Europe: A Symphonic Journey originate? How would you describe this concert experience?

Rick Steves: I love travel, music, and history. I’m a tour guide on a mission to help Americans gain a broader perspective. After two decades of producing TV shows for public television, I have a wonderful archive of footage from across Europe. It occurred to me that I could weave these passions and resources together into a concert—and Europe: A Symphonic Journey was born.

I’ve long been impressed by how excited Americans get about American music (Aaron Copland, Leroy Anderson, John Philip Sousa, and so on)—just like Norwegians thrill to Edvard Grieg, Austrians waltz to Johann Strauss, 18 | Houston Symphony

and German hearts beat faster to Richard Wagner. As a teacher, my personal mission is to help Americans better appreciate other cultures. I designed this concert to start in America, so the audience could feel the patriotic musical thrill that comes with that...and then we take a tour of Europe, sampling similar musical thrills from other cultural perspectives—each piece honors a different nationality. And then, the finale: Europe’s official anthem, Beethoven's “Ode to Joy,” paying homage to the continent’s motto: “United in Diversity.”

HS: In your show, we have seen you tickle the ivories once or twice. What is your musical background?

RS: My father was a piano tuner, band director, and piano importer. He brought the finest European pianos to America, and I grew up filing the hammers of Bösendorfers and German Steinways. For years, I aspired to be a piano teacher.

I had 50 wonderful students, but it was tough to keep them practicing regularly in the summer. So, I’d take summers off to travel in Europe. And before long, I had to make a tough choice: teach piano…or teach Europe. I chose the latter, and I’ve spent four months a year in Europe since then. But I still have my beloved European grand piano—and when people ask me now where I travel for a vacation, I like to say, “Home…playing my piano while enjoying my view of the Olympic Mountains.”

HS: Do you have any favorite classical composers? Any favorite non-classical artists?

in Europe, taking about 30,000 Americans a year on more than 1,000 Rick Steves tours.

RS: While I’m not an accomplished pianist, I enjoy playing Scarlatti, Schumann, Schubert, Bartók, Mozart, and Ginastera. My most dog-eared book of music is my big black Beatles Complete, which I’ve owned for about 40 years.

HS: What do you think has been the secret to your success?

HS: In your travels, have you ever visited a place associated with classical music that made a particularly vivid impression?

RS: I love visiting places in Europe that inspired artists I enjoy. Just like Monet was inspired by his water lilies, Grieg was inspired by his fjord-side setting outside of Bergen, in the west of Norway.

HS: How did you get into the travel business? Was this a creative use of a history major, or was it something you knew you wanted to do early on?

RS: My college sweetheart was also a piano teacher. We dreamed of someday getting married and nuzzling our two grand pianos together. Even though I aspired to teach piano, I got two unrelated degrees: business administration and European history. When European travel stole my heart, I just happened to have the educational tools to turn it into a business. Today, I employ more than 100 colleagues in Seattle at Rick Steves’ Europe, and we keep 100 guides busy

RS: Specializing in what I love. I’ve had great partners, and we’ve worked hard for many years, always staying laserfocused on the same mission: equipping, educating, and inspiring Americans to have efficient, economical, and perspective-broadening European travels. I try to teach with passion, create great content, and amplify it generously. I don’t measure profits by how much money I’ve earned, but by how many trips I’ve positively impacted.

HS: If you could give our audience a few top pieces of travel advice, what would they be?

RS: Be a cultural chameleon and embrace the local favorites.

Be an extrovert—it’s meeting people that carbonates your experience. Equip yourself with good information and expect yourself to travel smart.

Don’t miss Rick Steves’ Europe: A Symphonic Journey on October 11, 12, and 13! Visit houstonsymphony.org for tickets and more info.

InTUNE — September 2019 | 19

FEATURED PROGRAM

COMMON with the Houston Symphony Wednesday

September 4

7:30 p.m.

Jones Hall

Steven Reineke, conductor

TONIGHT’S PROGRAM WILL BE ANNOUNCED FROM THE STAGE. THERE WILL BE ONE INTERMISSION.

20 | Houston Symphony

Common with the Houston Symphony | Program Biographies

Program BIOGRAPHIES Video enhancement of Houston Symphony concerts is made possible by the Albert and Ethel Herzstein Charitable Foundation through a special gift celebrating the Foundation's 50th anniversary in 2015.

Steven Reineke | conductor Steven Reineke has established himself as one of North America’s leading conductors of popular music. In addition to his role as Principal POPS Conductor of the Houston Symphony, this season, he celebrates his 10th anniversary as music director of The New York Pops at Carnegie Hall. Additionally, he is principal pops conductor of the National Symphony Orchestra at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra.

Steven is a frequent guest conductor with The Philadelphia Orchestra, and his extensive North American conducting appearances include Atlanta, Cincinnati, Edmonton, San Francisco, and Sarasota.

On stage, he has created programs and collaborated with a range of leading artists from the worlds of hip hop, Broadway, television, and rock, including Common, Kendrick Lamar, Nas, Sutton Foster, Megan Hilty, Cheyenne Jackson, Wayne Brady, Peter Frampton, and Ben Folds, among others. In 2017, he led the National Symphony Orchestra on NPR’s All Things Considered, performing live music excerpts between news segments in a first for the show’s 45-year history. In 2018, Steven led the same orchestra and hip hop legend Nas performing his seminal album, Illmatic, on PBS’s Great Performances.

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As the creator of more than 100 orchestral arrangements for the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra, Steven’s work has been performed worldwide, and can be heard on numerous Cincinnati Pops Orchestra recordings on the Telarc label. His symphonic works Celebration Fanfare, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, and Casey at the Bat are performed frequently in North America, including performances by the New York Philharmonic and Los Angeles Philharmonic. His Sun Valley Festival Fanfare commemorated the Sun Valley Summer Symphony’s pavilion, and his Festival Te Deum and Swan’s Island Sojourn were debuted by the Cincinnati Symphony and Cincinnati Pops Orchestras. His numerous wind ensemble compositions are published by the C.L. Barnhouse Company and are performed by concert bands worldwide.

A native of Ohio, Steven is a graduate of Miami University of Ohio, where he earned Bachelor of Music degrees with honors in both trumpet performance and music composition. He lives in New York City with his husband, Eric Gabbard.

InTUNE — September 2019 | 21

Program BIOGRAPHIES , continued

Common | vocalist An Academy Award, Golden Globe, Emmy, and Grammywinning artist, actor, and activist, Common continues to break barriers with critically acclaimed, diverse roles and success at the box office.

Starring alongside Melissa McCarthy, Tiffany Haddish, and Elisabeth Moss, Common recently wrapped production on The Kitchen, a film based on the DC/Vertigo female-led comic book series. Also on the big screen, he lent his voice to Warner Brothers’ animated feature, Smallfoot, together with Channing Tatum, James Corden, Zendaya, LeBron James, Gina Rodriguez, and Yara Shahidi. He appears in the Fox 2000 film The Hate You Give opposite Amandla Stenberg, Issa Rae, and KJ Apa. He also appears in Andrea Di Stefano’s action-thriller, Three Seconds, with an all-star cast, including Clive Owen, Rosamund Pike, and Joel Kinnaman.

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He starred in the Oscar-nominated film, Selma; and alongside John Legend, he won the Academy Award and Golden Globe in 2015 for Best Original Song in a Motion Picture for “Glory,” which was featured in the film. In 2016, he appeared in David Ayer’s high profile comic book movie, Warner Bros’ Suicide Squad. The film broke box office records here and around the world.

Common executive produced Black Samurai, a TV adaption of Marc Olden’s 1974 book series, which inspired the 1977 film of the same name. Behind-the-scenes, he recently executive-produced the Netflix drama, Burning Sands, and performed the original song “The Cross” for the closing credits with Lianne La Havas. He serves as an executive producer of Showtime’s hit TV series The Chi. Common’s 11th studio album, Black America Again, released on ARTium/Def Jam Recordings, includes the socially conscious single “Black America Again” featuring Stevie Wonder and the anthem “Letter to the Free,” the end-title track to Ava DuVernay’s powerful Oscarnominated documentary, 13th, for which he also received the 2017 Emmy for “Best Music and Lyrics.” He was featured on Andra Day’s song “Stand Up for Something,” co-written by Common and eight-time Academy Awardnominee Diane Warren for the soundtrack of Open Road Films’ Marshall. The original song received Oscar, Grammy, NAACP, and Critic Choice Award nominations, as well as the Hollywood Song Award at the 2017 Hollywood Film Awards.

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Mika Hasler Competition Foundation

11th Mika Hasler Competition

European Pastries since 1990

Wedding Cakes • Birthday Cakes Party Trays

Sunday, January 12, 2020 Duncan Hall, Rice University

First Prize: $10,000

Second Prize: $5,000 Deadline for application: December 15, 2019

All instruments may apply Age: Under 23 by December 15, 2019 Winners recital: Feb. 7, 2020, Duncan Hall, Rice University Apply online at: www.mikahaslercompetition.org

InTUNE — September 2019 | 23

FEATURED PROGRAM

RENÉE ELISE GOLDSBERRY Friday Saturday Sunday

September 6 September 7 September 8

8:00 p.m.

8:00 p.m.

2:30 p.m.

Jones Hall

Steven Reineke, conductor

Shostakovich Arr. B. Elliott C. Mayfield/ C. McDonald B. Goldberg/McDonald P. Griffin/McDonald P. Simon/G. A. Rassen Dylan/Rassen

Festive Overture, Opus 96 On a Clear Day (You Can See Forever)/I Can See Clearly Now People Get Ready I’ve Got To use My Imagination lyrics by Gerry Goffin

Up To the Mountain (MLK Song) Bridge Over Troubled Water lyrics by Paul Simon

Lord Protect My Child Standing By the Bedside of a Neighbor/Freedom Suite I N T E R M I S S I O N

F. Price J. Williams-L. Harrison/ R. Casteel Bizet/Elliott E. Garner/Casteel Mancini/Casteel H. Zimmer-M. MancinaLebo M/Elliott L.-M. Miranda/Ž. Pirnat Miranda J. Larson/Elliott

24 | Houston Symphony

Symphony No. 3 in C minor

IV Scherzo. Finale: Allegro

(You Don’t Know) How Glad I Am Beat Out Dat Rhythm on a Drum from Carmen Jones lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II

Misty

lyrics by Johnny Burke

Peter Gunn

lyrics by Jay Livingston-Ray Evans

Shadowland from The Lion King Satisfied from Hamilton The Schuyler Sisters Medley from Rent

Did you know?

• The Houston International Theater School (HITS) first set Renée on her theatrical path. “That’s where I fell in love with Broadway.

When I was 8 years old, I was in Guys and Dolls, in the chorus in the back with a bunch of other kids,” she said.

• During the 1980s, Renée was also a part of the Houston Grand Opera’s Children's Chorus. She and her brother appeared in Carmen and Hansel and Gretel. “My brother also got to do The Magic Flute,” she added.

“He was way more experienced than me.”

Learn more about Renée on page 16.

Renée Elise Goldsberry | Program Biographies

Program BIOGRAPHIES These performances are generously supported in part by: Underwriter

Steven Reineke | conductor

Please see Steven Reineke’s biography on page 21.

Partner Evan B. Glick

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

Renée Elise Goldsberry | vocalist Renée Elise Goldsberry received the Tony, Grammy, Drama Desk, and Lucille Lortel Awards for her performances off and on Broadway in the musical phenomenon Hamilton. Since winning the Tony Award, she has appeared in Baz Luhrmann’s The Get Down for Netflix and has shot the title role for HBO’s The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks opposite Oprah Winfrey. She is currently starring in the Netflix series Altered Carbon.

Prior to Hamilton, Renée’s appearances on stage include her Outer Critics Circle Awardnominated performance opposite Frances McDormand in the play Good People, as well as the original stage version of The Color Purple. She made her Broadway debut in The Lion King and was the last Mimi in Rent. Her off-Broadway appearances have included several Shakespeare productions for the Public Theater’s New York Shakespeare Festival, where Hamilton originated.

Her television appearances include recurring roles on The Good Wife, Law & Order: SVU, and The Following. She was twice nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award for her performance on One Life to Live. On film, she appeared most recently in Sisters with Tina Fey and Amy Poehler and in Every Secret Thing with Diane Lane and Elizabeth Banks.

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InTUNE — September 2019 | 25

FEATURED PROGRAM

OPENING NIGHT Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 3 Saturday

September 14

7:30 p.m.

Jones Hall Leonard Slatkin, conductor Yefim Bronfman, piano

Glinka Borodin/M. Sargent Tchaikovsky Rachmaninoff

Kamarinskaya, Fantasy for Orchestra

ca. 7

Nocturne from String Quartet No. 2

ca. 9

Capriccio Italien, Opus 45

ca. 16

Piano Concerto No. 3 in D minor, Opus 30

I Allegro ma non tanto

II Intermezzo: Adagio—

III Finale: Alla breve

ca. 41

26 | Houston Symphony

Did you know?

• Rachmaninoff himself gave the first performances of his Piano Concerto No. 3 during his American tour in 1909–1910.

Opening Night: Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 3 | Program Biographies

Opening Night is supported in part by:

Corporate Sponsor & Lead Corporate Gala Underwriter

Program BIOGRAPHIES Leonard Slatkin | conductor Internationally acclaimed conductor Leonard Slatkin is music director laureate of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO) and directeur musical honoraire of the Orchestre National de Lyon (ONL). He maintains a rigorous schedule of guest conducting throughout the world and is active as a composer, author, and educator.

Opening Night Concert & Gala Dinner Barbara J. Burger, Chair Kusum and K. Cody Patel, Co-Chairs The Opening Night Concert & Gala Dinner has received leadership support from:

Underwriter ConocoPhillips Janet F. Clark

Margaret Alkek Williams Phoebe and Bobby Tudor Cameron Management Chevron Virginia A. Clark Mariglyn and Stephen Glenn Kirkland & Ellis Joella and Steven P. Mach / Cora Sue and Harry Mach Katie and Bob Orr / Oliver Wyman Dr. John R. Stroehlein and Ms. Miwa Sakashita Betty and Jesse B. Tutor Vinson & Elkins, LLP Robin Angly and Miles Smith Baker Botts L.L.P. Barbara J. Burger Jena and Buddy Clark Joan and Bob Duff Kusum and K. Cody Patel The Powell Foundation Sidley Austin LLP / Viviana and David Denechaud

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

In the 2019–20 season, he will celebrate his 75th birthday year with several of the orchestras he has led over the course of his 50-year career, including the St. Louis Symphony, National Symphony Orchestra, Nashville Symphony, DSO, and ONL. Other highlights include return engagements with the Houston Symphony, RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra in Dublin, Toronto Symphony Orchestra, and NHK Symphony Orchestra in Tokyo; debuts with the KBS Symphony Orchestra in Seoul, NDR Radiophilharmonie in Hannover, and Würth Philharmonic in Künzelsau, Germany; and three weeks in Spain conducting orchestras in Castile-León, Bilbao, and the Balearic Islands.

Leonard has received six Grammy awards and 33 nominations.

His recent Naxos recordings include works by Saint-Saëns, Ravel, and Berlioz (with the ONL) and music by Copland, Rachmaninoff, Borzova, McTee, and John Williams (with the DSO). In addition, he has recorded the complete Brahms, Beethoven, and Tchaikovsky symphonies with the DSO (available online as digital downloads).

A recipient of the prestigious National Medal of Arts, he also holds the rank of Chevalier in the French Legion of Honor. He has received Austria’s Decoration of Honour in Silver, the League of American Orchestras’ Gold Baton Award, and the 2013 ASCAP Deems Taylor Special Recognition Award for his debut book, Conducting Business: Unveiling the Mystery Behind the Maestro.

His second book, Leading Tones: Reflections on Music, Musicians, and the Music Industry, was published by Amadeus Press in 2017.

Leonard Slatkin has conducted virtually all the world’s leading orchestras. As music director, he has held posts in New Orleans; St. Louis; Washington, DC; London (with the BBCSO); Detroit; and Lyon, France. He has also served as principal guest conductor in Pittsburgh, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, and Cleveland.

Visit leonardslatkin.com

InTUNE — September 2019 | 27

Program BIOGRAPHIES , continued

Program NOTES

Yefim Bronfman | piano

Kamarinskaya, Fantasy for Orchestra

Internationally recognized as one of today's most acclaimed and admired pianists, Yefim Bronfman stands among a handful of artists regularly sought by festivals, orchestras, conductors, and recital series. His commanding technique, power, and exceptional lyrical gifts are consistently acknowledged by the press and audiences alike.

In celebration of the 80th birthday of Maestro Yuri Temirkanov, Yefim’s 2018–19 season began with a European tour with the St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra. It was followed by a Scandinavian tour with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra and concerts in Europe during the season with the Orchestre National de France, London Philharmonic Orchestra, WDR Symphony Orchestra Cologne, Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, the Berlin Philharmonic, and with the Vienna Philharmonic on tour. In the United States, he returned to orchestras in Houston, Cleveland, New York, Los Angeles, St. Louis, Cincinnati, San Francisco, and Dallas, and appeared in recital in New York (Carnegie Hall), Berkeley, Stanford, Aspen, Madrid, Geneva, Cologne, Leipzig, Munich, Berlin, Naples, Rome, and on tour in the spring with mezzo-soprano Magdalena Kožená.

He has given numerous solo recitals in the leading halls of North America, Europe, and the Far East, including acclaimed debuts at Carnegie Hall in 1989 and Avery Fisher Hall in 1993. In 1991, he gave a series of joint recitals with Isaac Stern in Russia, marking Yefim’s first public performances there since his emigration to Israel at age 15. That same year, he was awarded the prestigious Avery Fisher Prize, one of the highest honors given to American instrumentalists. In 2010, he was honored as the recipient of the Jean Gimbel Lane Prize in Piano Performance from Northwestern University Bienen School of Music.

Born in Tashkent in the Soviet Union, Yefim immigrated to Israel with his family in 1973, where he studied with pianist Arie Vardi, head of the Rubin Academy of Music at Tel Aviv University.

In the United States, he studied at The Juilliard School, the Marlboro School of Music, and the Curtis Institute of Music under Rudolf Firkušný, Leon Fleisher, and Rudolf Serkin. He is a 2015 recipient of an honorary doctorate from the Manhattan School of Music.

Yefim Bronfman became an American citizen in July 1989.

Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka (1804–1857)

The father of the Russian style of classical music, Mikhail Glinka began as an aristocratic amateur, but his operas A Life for the Tsar and Ruslan and Lyudmila established him as a master of rare inventiveness. One of his last important works was Kamarinskaya, a tuneful little piece that would profoundly influence generations of composers to come.

Indeed, Tchaikovsky would later reflect that the whole “Russian symphonic school” was “all in Kamarinskaya, just as the whole oak is in the acorn.”

The “Kamarinskaya” of the title is a naigrïshi, a short, repetitive Russian dance tune that lends itself to improvisation—not unlike “Chopsticks” or “Heart and Soul.” Indeed, the critic Vladimir Stasov remembered playing “the [Kamarinskaya] theme for [Glinka] in the treble of the piano” as Glinka improvised below “with a million newer and newer variations.” With Kamarinskaya, Glinka would bring this technique of repeated melody with varied accompaniments to the orchestra, creating a famous “changing background” technique that careful listeners may notice in each of the other pieces on tonight’s program.

It was a musical pun, however, that inspired Glinka to compose the piece: in 1848, he “noticed quite by accident a kinship between the wedding song ‘From Beyond the Mountains High,’ […] and the dance song ‘Kamarinskaya’ […]” After a brief introduction, “From Beyond the Mountains High” appears in the strings. Glinka repeats the melody, employing the “changing background” technique, until the violins seize upon a fragmentary idea that accelerates into the “Kamarinskaya” tune. After manifold variations, Glinka reveals the hidden “kinship” between the two melodies: the Kamarinskaya melody is simplified and gradually slows, transforming into a reprise of “From Beyond the Mountains High.” The piece ends with more colorful variations on the Kamarinskaya theme.

The Instruments: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, trombone, timpani, and strings

Nocturne from String Quartet No. 2

Alexander Porfiryevich Borodin (1833–1887) Alexander Borodin was a Russian chemist who, in his spare time, composed some of Russian music’s most beloved masterpieces, including his String Quartet No. 2. The quartet dates from the summer of 1881, and Borodin dedicated it to his wife, Ekaterina, to commemorate the 20th anniversary of their first meeting. In the 20th century, the English conductor Malcolm Sargent made this arrangement of the popular slow movement for string orchestra.

It begins with a lyrical melody in the tenor register of the cellos, which is answered by the high soprano of the violins. Fragments of this theme are then developed, building to an emotional climax before the main theme returns as an intimate duet between solo violin and cello. The piece dies away in a lingering coda, ending softly on some of the strings’ highest notes.

The Instruments: strings

28 | Houston Symphony

Opening Night: Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 3 | Program Notes

Capriccio Italien, Opus 45

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840–1893) While visiting Rome during the winter of 1879–80, Tchaikovsky was inspired to compose his Capriccio Italien at “the height of carnival,” as he wrote to his friend and patron Nadezhda von Meck. “[T]he joy of the local crowd […] is inhaled in the local air, warm, caressing. Such days are wonderful!” Tchaikovsky mused.

The piece is appropriately a light, buoyant work characterized by brilliant orchestration and catchy, Italianate melodies. It begins with a reveille-like trumpet fanfare; the composer’s brother, Modest, informs us that Tchaikovsky’s hotel in Rome was next to a cavalry barracks that sounded this bugle call each day. The main themes include a languorous melody introduced by the strings; a lilting waltz introduced by the oboes; a dancing tune featuring the tambourine; and a fast, minor-key tarantella introduced by the woodwinds. Near the end, the waltz makes a grand return, leading to a thrilling Tchaikovskian finale.

The Instruments: 3 flutes (1 doubling piccolo), 2 oboes, English horn, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 4 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion, harp, and strings

Piano Concerto No. 3 in D minor, Opus 30 Sergei Vasilyevich Rachmaninoff (1873–1943)

After a busy season of concertizing in Europe, Rachmaninoff and his family happily returned to his in-laws’ country estate, Ivanovka, for the summer of 1909. In a letter, Rachmaninoff described how such rural settings stimulated his imagination: “I go for a long walk in the country. My eye catches the sharp sparks of light on fresh foliage after showers; my ears the rustling undernote of the woods. Or I watch the pale tints of the sky over the horizon after sundown, and they come: all voices at once. Not a bit here, a bit there. All.” It was not long before the voices began to sing to him of a new work: his Piano Concerto No. 3. When questioned years later, Rachmaninoff recalled how he had composed the germinal melody of the piece: “It simply ‘wrote itself’!” The piece begins with this theme, a haunting melody introduced by the soloist. The theme then moves to the violas, leading to a virtuoso transitional passage that dies away. A warmer, contrasting theme emerges as a quiet dialogue between strings and piano. At first, the theme has a march-like character, but it soon becomes lyrical and passionate in the hands of the soloist.

The following reprise of the haunting opening soon wanders off course, and the soloist builds relentlessly to a harrowing climax. Shadowy music then leads to the concerto’s cadenza, an extended, virtuoso passage for the soloist alone. The cadenza effectively doubles as the reprise of the main ideas of the movement, building to a monumental, chordal version of the main theme. Woodwinds mark the midpoint of the cadenza with dreamy fragments of the main melody before the soloist continues alone with an expressive reprise of the second theme.

A final appearance of the opening melody brings the movement to a quiet, yet unresolved ending.

The slow second movement opens with a sighing, rhapsodic theme for oboe. The soloist enters with an intense, chromatic cry before playing expressive variations on the theme. After a strong, cathartic variation, a fast, scherzando passage begins. Beneath gossamer runs for the soloist, woodwinds play a waltz-like tune that is, in fact, a disguised version of the opening theme of the concerto. After a final variation on the slow movement theme from the orchestra, the soloist reenters with a call to arms.

Powerful orchestral chords launch the soloist directly into the finale’s heroic main theme, whose rhythms recall the tattoo of drums and fanfares. A vigorous transition full of marching rhythms leads to a more lyrical, contrasting theme and a powerful orchestral tutti. A series of delicate variations then fuses elements of the lyrical second theme from the first movement and the heroic, main theme of the finale. After poignant reminiscences of both main themes of the first movement, the variations peacefully die away.

The heroic rhythms that began the movement then resurface in the orchestra, driving to a reprise of the finale’s main themes.

Suddenly, the orchestra cuts off, beginning a tense crescendo.

The eerie, brittle sound of strings col legno (playing with the wood of the bow) underlies the soloist’s mounting virtuoso feats. At last, the tension breaks with a climactic, soaring version of the finale’s passionate second theme. The concerto then races to an exhilarating conclusion. —Calvin Dotsey The Instruments: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion, and strings

ConocoPhillips has been a proud supporter of the Houston Symphony for five decades. It applauds the Symphony’s efforts to promote music education, cultural awareness, and Houston’s vibrant arts community.

As one of the world’s largest independent exploration and production companies, ConocoPhillips is committed to being a great neighbor and responsible citizen in the communities in which its employees live and work. The company’s support of the Houston Symphony is just one example of how it gives back to the community.

InTUNE — September 2019 | 29

FEATURED PROGRAM

FIESTA SINFÓNICA Sunday

September 15

6:00 p.m.

Jones Hall

Jacomo Bairos, conductor *Yunuet Laguna, soprano *Houston Symphony debut

Cuban Overture

ca. 11

Did you know?

Lecuona/Gould

Gitanerias, from Andalucía Suite

ca. 4

Lecuona/Gould

La Comparsa, from Danzas Afro-Cubanas

ca. 4

Lecuona/Gould

Malagueña

ca. 4

G. Charpentier

Depuis le jour from Louise

ca. 6

¿Qué te importa que no venga? from Los Claveles

ca. 5

Falla

Ritual Fire Dance from El amor brujo

ca. 4

Falla

Two Dances from El Sombrero de tres picos ca. 9 (The Three-Cornered Hat) II The Miller’s Dance (Farruca): Poco vivo—moderato assai III Final Dance (Jota): Poco mosso—Allegro ritmico, molto moderato e pesante

• American composer George Gershwin composed his Cuban Overture in July 1932 after a vacation in Havana, which he later described as “two hysterical weeks…where no sleep was had.” It was premiered shortly thereafter at a packed concert in New York City to a crowd of more than 17,000. Gershwin later recalled, “It was, I really believe, the most exciting night I have ever had.”

Gershwin

J. Serrano

J. S. Bach/S. Hyken

Toccata y Fuga en Re menor

30 | Houston Symphony

ca. 4

Fiesta Sinfónica | Program Biography

Fiesta Sinfónica is sponsored in part by:

Program BIOGRAPHY Jacomo Bairos | conductor Portuguese-American conductor Jacomo Bairos is the 17th music director for the Amarillo Symphony, co-founder and artistic director for Miami’s Nu Deco Ensemble, and performs regularly as a guest conductor with some of the world’s finest orchestras.

Media Partners

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

Chevron is one of the world's leading integrated energy companies with more than 60,000 people conducting business worldwide—including a workforce of more than 10,000 right here in Houston.

Each year, Chevron contributes millions of dollars and thousands of volunteer hours to non-profit organizations that serve the needs of the communities where the company operates.

Houston employees have donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to local charities, and they provide nearly 30,000 volunteer hours each year.

Chevron has a long legacy of philanthropy in the Bayou City. In fact, this year, Chevron celebrates its 30th anniversary of supporting the Houston Symphony’s education and community programs.

Chevron provides high-quality energy products to customers, value to investors, and benefit to the Houston community through direct involvement.

Chevron calls that the power of human energy. chevron.com

In the 2018–19 season, Jacomo appeared with the San Francisco Symphony and made subscription debuts with the Boston Pops Orchestra and the Singapore and Fort Worth Symphony Orchestras. He also conducted the Wichita and Winston-Salem Symphonies and continued his longstanding relationship with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Grand Rapids Symphony, where he conducts new music performances in collaboration with the American Composers Orchestra’s EarShot program. He also directed the National Symphony Orchestra’s critically acclaimed DECLASSIFIED series, as well as the orchestra’s In Your Neighborhood initiative and multiple pops programs.

Jacomo has appeared here and with orchestras in Detroit, North Carolina, Knoxville, and Alabama; the Louisiana and Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestras; and the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra. He has made numerous returns to the Atlanta, St. Louis, San Diego, Florida, Sarasota, Jacksonville, Charlotte, and Charleston orchestras. International engagements include the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra; Singapore, Leipzig, and Oaxaca Symphony Orchestras; as well as the Orquestra Sinfónica do Porto Casa da Música (Poturgal), Provincial de Santa Fe (Argentina), and Universidad de Guanajuato (Mexico).

The diverse range of Jacomo’s artist collaborators include famed pianists Jeremy Denk, Garrick Ohlsson, Conrad Tao, Anne-Marie McDermott, and mezzo-soprano J’Nai Bridges as well as Ben Folds, Bryce Dessner, Jacob Collier, Angélique Kidjo, Gregory Porter, Kishi Bashi, Danay Suarez, Seu Jorge, Bilal, Aaron Diehl, Cory Henry, and Jon Batiste.

A graduate of The Juilliard School, Jacomo is an award-winning tubist, having given masterclasses and concerts with major festivals and orchestras. He has performed, toured, and recorded with the New York Philharmonic as well as with the orchestras of Chicago, Cincinnati, and Seattle. He has held principal positions with orchestras in America and Spain, and from 2004–07, he was principal tuba for the Singapore Symphony Orchestra.

Born in Lisbon, Portugal, Jacomo is also a yoga teacher and a practitioner of Vipassanā meditation. He mentors and works with underserved children throughout the South Florida and Texas panhandle regions. He makes his home in Miami, Florida.

InTUNE — September 2019 | 31

FAMILY SERIES

MUSIC FROM HARRY POTTER & MORE

Grab your wizard robes for a magical morning sure to leave the entire family spellbound!

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12, 10 & 11:30 A.M. MUSICAL FUN FOR ALL AGES! Art activities • Instrument petting zoo • Onstage costume parade

Watch the second installment of the original Star Wars trilogy on the giant screen, with every note of John Williams’s score played live!

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 8 P.M. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 8 P.M. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2:30 P.M. & 8 P.M. SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2:30 P.M. PRESENTATION LICENSED BY DISNEY CONCERTS IN ASSOCIATION WITH 20 CENTURY FOX, LUCASFILM LTD., AND WARNER/CHAPPELL MUSIC. © 2019 & TM LUCASFILM LTD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. TH

HOUSTONSYMPHONY.ORG 713.224.7575

Your Values.

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Our Advice.

From left: Shelitha Smodic, Maureen Phillips, Tom Williams, Leah Bennett, Donnie Roberts, Susan Wedelich, Katie Slater

Westwood Wealth Management | Houston 10000 Memorial Drive, Suite 650, Houston, Texas 77024 | T 713.683.7070 westwoodgroup.com

FEATURED PROGRAM

STRAVINSKY’S FIREBIRD Thursday Saturday Sunday

September 19 September 21 September 22

8:00 p.m.

8:00 p.m.

2:30 p.m.

Jones Hall

Andrés Orozco-Estrada, conductor Leonidas Kavakos, violin

Stravinsky

Scherzo fantastique, Opus 3

ca. 11

Stravinsky

Violin Concerto in D

I Toccata: Tempo L = 120

II Aria I: Tempo L = 116

III Aria II: Tempo J = 48

IV Capriccio: Tempo J = 120—Presto

ca. 22

I N T E R M I S S I O N

Stravinsky

L’oiseau de feu (The Firebird)

34 | Houston Symphony

ca. 44

Did you know?

• Michel Fokine, The

Firebird’s choreographer, recalled his collaboration with Stravinsky: “Stravinsky played, and I interpreted the role of Tsarevich, the piano substituting for the wall. I climbed over it, jumped down from it, and crawled, fear-struck, looking around—my living room.”

Stravinsky's Firebird | Program Biographies

Program BIOGRAPHIES FROST BANK GOLD CLASSICS

These performances are generously supported in part by: Guarantor General & Mrs. Maurice Hirsch Memorial Concert Fund Partner Eugene Fong

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

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

These concerts are part of the Margaret Alkek Williams Sound + Vision Series, which is also supported by The Cullen Trust for the Performing Arts Endowed Fund for Creative Initiatives.

Andrés Orozco-Estrada | conductor

Please see Andrés Orozco-Estrada's biography on page 4.

Leonidas Kavakos | violin Leonidas Kavakos is a violinist of rare quality, known for his virtuosity, superb musicianship, and the integrity of his playing. By age 21, Leonidas had won three major competitions: the Sibelius (1985), Paganini, and Naumburg (1988). This success led to his recording the original Sibelius Violin Concerto (1903–04), the first recording of this work, which won the 1991 Gramophone Concerto Recording of the Year Award. Leonidas was awarded the 2014 Gramophone Artist of the Year, and was the 2017 winner of the Léonie Sonning Music Prize, Denmark’s most prestigious musical honor.

Highlights of his 2019–20 season include the Sony release of his recording of the Beethoven Violin Concerto play-conducting with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra and a U.S. tour performing Beethoven trios with Emanuel Ax and Yo-Yo Ma that concludes with three concerts at Carnegie Hall. In North America this season, in addition to these concerts, he performs with the symphony orchestras of Chicago, Philadelphia, and Montréal, as well as with the Munich Philharmonic at Carnegie Hall and the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra in Boston. In Europe, he performs with the Vienna Philharmonic, London Symphony Orchestra, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Mariinsky Orchestra, and Orchestre de Paris, among others. He performs in Asia with the Hong Kong Philharmonic, Singapore Symphony Orchestra, Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, and Taiwan Philharmonic. He also gives recitals in Shanghai and Xinghai.

Leonidas has developed close relationships with many of the world’s most prestigious orchestras, and more recently, he has also built a strong profile as a conductor. This season, he conducts the Orchestre philharmonique de Radio France, Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Czech Philharmonic, and RAI National Symphony Orchestra in Torino.

He has an exclusive contract with Sony Classical, for whom he has previously recorded the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto and Mozart’s Violin Concertos play-conducting with the Camerata Salzburg. In 2017, he joined Ma and Ax for a recording of the Brahms Trios. Upcoming recording projects include the complete Bach Solo Sonatas and Partitas.

Leonidas’s other recordings include Virtuoso, Brahms’ Violin Sonatas with Yuja Wang, Brahms’ Violin Concerto with the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, and the complete Beethoven Violin Sonatas with Enrico Pace, all on the Decca label.

Leonidas plays the “Willemotte” Stradivarius violin of 1734.

InTUNE — September 2019 | 35

Program NOTES Scherzo fantastique, Opus 3

Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky (1882–1971) During the summer of 1907, the 25-year-old Igor Stravinsky wrote to Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, his teacher and Russia’s most revered elder composer: “I am hard at work on […] the composition of the ‘Fantastic Scherzo,’ ‘Bees’ […] the idea of this Scherzo came to me in St. Petersburg, as you know, but I did not have a subject. Just now Katya [Stravinsky’s wife] and I have read Maeterlinck’s Life of the Bees, a partly artistic, partly philosophical book that pleased me, as they say, to my toes.”

Best remembered as a Belgian symbolist playwright, Maeterlinck suggestively anthropomorphized scenes from the lifecycle of bees in his book, which vividly describes a hive’s “innumerable agitations of the honeycomb, the perpetual, enigmatic and crazy jiggling of the nurses on the brood chamber, the bridges and the ladders animated by the wax […]” The outer sections of Stravinsky’s scherzo depict this buzzing world with the most adventurous harmonies he had written thus far.

Additionally, his unique scoring features three harps and a plethora of woodwinds, but omits timpani, trombones, and tuba, making for light, transparent sonorities perfectly matched to his apiarian subject.

A contrasting middle section represents the nuptial flight of the queen bee. The tempo slows for an alto flute solo as Stravinsky abandons his experiments in favor of yearning Wagnerian harmonies. Stravinsky explained this stylistic transformation to Rimsky-Korsakov: “The harmony in ‘The Bees’ will be fierce, like a toothache, but all at once it should turn pleasant, like cocaine.”

Thousands try, but only a few drones successfully mate with the queen while flying high in the air. Though the act itself is fleeting, the exertion kills them, allowing Maeterlinck to wax Wagnerian: “An admirable ecstasy, wherein death […] stamps the instant of happiness on the sublime transparence of the great sky […] rendering the kiss one that can never be forgotten.” As fragments of the love theme arise in the lower strings with increasing passion, the music builds to a suitable anticlimax: the lifeless drone falls away and the queen returns to her humming hive.

Rimsky-Korsakov was delighted by the new work, although he did not live to see its premiere in 1909. Another man did, however: Sergei Diaghilev, who would commission Stravinsky to compose The Firebird later that year.

The Instruments: 3 flutes (1 doubling piccolo, 1 doubling alto flute), piccolo, 2 oboes, English horn, 3 clarinets (1 doubling E-flat clarinet), bass clarinet, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 4 horns, 3 trumpets, percussion, 3 harps, celesta, and strings

Violin Concerto in D

Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky (1882–1971) Stravinsky’s Violin Concerto dates from 1931, a year far removed from the heady epoch that produced the Scherzo fantastique and The Firebird. After World War I, artists across Europe began to strive for a new clarity, tranquility, and objectivity in their works, frequently making reference to the styles and abstract forms 36 | Houston Symphony

of the past. Stravinsky, naturally, was in the vanguard of this new movement, which soon became known as “neoclassicism.”

With its playful character and light touch, his violin concerto exemplifies this style.

Stravinsky composed the work specifically for the PolishAmerican violinist Samuel Dushkin, who had studied with such greats as Leopold Auer and Fritz Kreisler. Stravinsky was especially attracted by Dushkin’s musical intelligence, because he needed the violinist’s help to create a work that would showcase an instrument Stravinsky himself did not play. For instance, Dushkin related a telling incident regarding the chord that opens the piece; it consists of the notes of the violin’s top three strings, except the A is transposed up two octaves. “I had never seen a chord with such an enormous stretch, from the E to the top A,” Dushkin recalled, and he told Stravinsky it was impossible to play. “Stravinsky said sadly ‘Quel domage’ (what a pity). After I got home, I tried it, and, to my astonishment, I found that in that register, the stretch […] was relatively easy to play, and the sound fascinated me. I telephoned Stravinsky at once to tell him that it could be done. […] This chord, in a different dress, begins each of the four movements. Stravinsky himself calls it his ‘passport’ to that concerto.”

In this fashion, the two worked on the concerto, with Stravinsky presenting ideas and Dushkin offering suggestions. The result is a thoroughly idiomatic work that delights the ear with many piquant and original sonorities.

Stravinsky labels the first movement a toccata, a type of baroque piece that showcases dexterity. After the opening “passport” chord, the first movement begins with the presentation of a main idea in the trumpets. This idea is restated and developed throughout the movement until it returns in its original form near the end. Structurally, the movement is not unlike one by Bach, whose music frequently provided inspiration to Stravinsky during his neoclassical phase.

The inner movements, Arias I and II, are a study in contrasts. The first is ironic, featuring a would-be melancholy theme which soon becomes overrun with ornamentation—a nod to the often florid embellishments baroque singers typically added to opera arias of their era. By contrast, Aria II seems more sincere, featuring a poignant melody for the soloist.

Savvy listeners may recognize hints of Bach’s “Double” Violin Concerto in D minor, BWV 1043, throughout the playful final movement, a Capriccio (“caprice”). Indeed Bach’s concerto was one of Stravinsky’s favorite pieces, and Stravinsky himself acknowledged it as the inspiration for a passage when the soloist is joined by an orchestral violin for a duet. The tempo picks up for a presto finale, bringing the concerto to a spirited conclusion.

The Instruments: 2 flutes, piccolo, 2 oboes, English horn, 3 clarinets (1 doubling E-flat clarinet), 3 bassoons (1 doubling contrabassoon), 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion, and strings

Stravinsky's Firebird | Program Notes

L’oiseau de feu (The Firebird)

Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky (1882–1971) In 1909, the Russian impresario Sergei Diaghilev decided to produce a spectacular new ballet that would be the highlight of the spring season in Paris: The Firebird. He was running out of time, however; after three other, more established composers fell through, he turned to a young, relatively untested Igor Stravinsky.

The premiere on June 25, 1910, would cause a sensation, catapulting Stravinsky to international fame.

The ballet begins in the magic garden of the sorcerer-king Kashchey the Deathless. Shrouded in darkness, knights and princes who have turned to stone lie on one side of the garden and a golden gate leading to Kashchey’s castle on the other. In the center is a tree that bears golden apples.

All at once, a brilliant crescendo and decrescendo passes through the orchestra as the Firebird flies through the garden, briefly illuminating it with a blinding light. In pursuit is Ivan Tsarevich, represented by a solo horn playing fragments of a Russian folk song. Throughout the ballet, Ivan is associated with the noble sound of this instrument.

The Firebird reappears for her glitteringly orchestrated dance.

After a brief pause in the music, Ivan catches her by surprise.

After struggling to escape, the Firebird recognizes that she has been captured, and she and the Prince dance together. This dance begins with a sensuous, exotic melody for solo oboe, English horn, and viola; a contrasting middle section features a brittle accompaniment from cellos and basses played col legno (with the wood of the bow). After the dance ends, Ivan allows the Firebird to go free. In gratitude, she gives him one of her feathers, telling him she will soon return his kindness.

Ivan contemplates this gift accompanied by a horn solo, until the grotesque music of Kashchey’s garden resumes. Ivan is about to leave when high violins and lyrical woodwind solos signal the entrance of the 13 princesses who are Kashchey’s prisoners.

Ivan hides, and the youngest and fairest of the princesses shakes golden apples from the tree (illustrated by tremolo strings and a cymbal). Fast, fluttering music accompanies the princesses’ game with the golden apples.

It comes to an abrupt stop when Ivan reveals himself.

Accompanied by his solo horn, he introduces himself to the princesses, and they invite him to dance a korovod, or round dance. In a tribute to his teacher, Stravinsky adapted the melody from a Russian folk song that Rimsky-Korsakov also used in his Sinfonietta. Ivan and the youngest princess fall in love, but their kiss at the end of the dance is interrupted by trumpet calls; the princesses must return to Kashschey’s palace. Ivan and the princess part reluctantly, but Ivan determines to rescue her from the castle. As soon as he touches the golden gate, however, magic alarm bells ring out, and Kashchey’s demonic retinue captures him. Kashchey himself appears with a thunderous roll from the timpani and bass drum.

He confronts Ivan for trespassing, but Ivan spits at the evil sorcerer, much to his displeasure. The princesses intercede

on Ivan’s behalf with plaintive woodwind solos, but to no avail.

After a pause, Kashchey begins to turn Ivan to stone with rumbling waves of sound from the depths of the orchestra.

Before it is too late, Ivan remembers the Firebird’s feather and summons her. Her flaming music signals her return, and she uses her magic to make Kashchey and his minions dance. This Infernal Dance borrows its main melody from a passage in RimskyKorsakov’s opera Mlada that represented a witches’ sabbath.

Stravinsky’s genius for rhythm, however, transforms the idea with syncopations and a series of startling musical lightning bolts.

Exhausted from the dance, Kashschey and his creatures fall into a deep slumber, and the Firebird begins her lullaby with a haunting melody for bassoon. At the end of the lullaby, Kashchey awakens, but the Firebird shows Ivan where to find the egg that holds his soul. He tosses it from side to side accompanied by a lurching orchestra, and then smashes it, killing Kashchey and undoing his evil magic.

The resplendent finale begins with a horn solo based on a melody from a collection of folk songs Rimsky-Korsakov had published.

The theme is repeated, building to an exhilarating ending. The chromatic chords that end the ballet outline the Firebird’s motif, bringing the work to a magical conclusion. —Calvin Dotsey The Instruments: 3 flutes (1 doubling piccolo), piccolo, 3 oboes, English horn, 3 clarinets (1 doubling E-flat clarinet), bass clarinet, 3 bassoons (1 doubling contrabassoon), contrabassoon, 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion, 3 harps, celesta, piano, and strings, plus 3 trumpets, 2 tenor tubas, 2 bass tubas, and percussion offstage

As part of its commitment to supporting the Texas communities it serves, Frost Bank is pleased to underwrite the Houston Symphony’s Gold Classics series.

Founded in San Antonio in 1868, Frost—one of the 50 largest U.S. banks—is the banking subsidiary of Cullen/ Frost Bankers, Inc. The $30.7 billion company operates more than 130 financial centers across Texas, including more than 30 Houston-area locations. As other banks scale back their operations, Frost has been adding more financial centers.

Banks—especially Texas banks—don’t get to be 150 years old unless they succeed by helping their customers succeed, and Frost is well-known for its award-winning customer service. Frost has received the highest ranking in customer satisfaction in Texas in the J.D. Power U.S. Retail Banking Satisfaction Study for nine consecutive years, and it ranked No. 12 in the nation based on customer scores in the American Banker/Reputation Institute Survey. frostbank.com InTUNE — September 2019 | 37

FEATURED PROGRAM

GERSHWIN’S PIANO CONCERTO & PORGY AND BESS Friday Saturday Sunday

September 27 September 28 September 29

8:00 p.m.

8:00 p.m.

2:30 p.m.

Jones Hall

Andrés Orozco-Estrada, conductor Jean-Yves Thibaudet, piano

Chávez Gershwin

Sinfonía India

ca. 12

Did you know?

Piano Concerto in F

I Allegro

II Adagio—Andante con moto

III Allegro agitato

ca. 29

• After having taken piano lessons as a kid growing up in Manhattan’s Lower East Side, Gershwin dropped out of high school to become a song-plugger (someone who tried to get singers to take up newly written songs) on Tin Pan Alley.

He wrote the music for his first Broadway show at age 20.

I N T E R M I S S I O N

Copland Gershwin /S. Bowen

El Salón México

ca. 11

Catfish Row (Symphonic Suite in Five Parts) from Porgy and Bess 1. Catfish Row: Allegro con brio 2. Porgy Sings: Allegro 3. Fugue: Sempre agitato 4. Hurricane: Adagio 5. Good mornin’, Sistuh!: Moderato commodo—Allegretto

ca. 28

38 | Houston Symphony

Gershwin's Piano Concerto & Porgy and Bess | Program Biographies

Program BIOGRAPHIES SHELL FAVORITE MASTERS

These performances are generously supported in part by: Supporter Mr. and Mrs. Jim R. Smith

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

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

Andrés Orozco-Estrada | conductor

Please see Andrés Orozco-Estrada's biography on page 4.

Jean-Yves Thibaudet | piano For more than three decades, Jean-Yves Thibaudet has performed world-wide, recorded more than 50 albums, and built a reputation as one of today’s finest pianists.

From the start of his career, he delighted in music beyond the standard repertoire, from jazz to opera, which he personally transcribed to play on the piano. His profound professional friendships crisscross the globe and have led to spontaneous and fruitful collaborations in film, fashion, and visual art.

He expresses his passion for education and fostering young musical talent as the first artist-in-residence at the Colburn School in Los Angeles, where he makes his home. The school has extended the residency for an additional three years and has announced the Jean-Yves Thibaudet Scholarships to provide aid for Music Academy students, whom Jean-Yves will select for merit-based awards, regardless of their instrument choice.

In the 2019–20 season, Jean-Yves renews many longstanding musical partnerships. As the St. Louis Symphony’s artist-in-residence, he plays a pair of season-opening concerts conducted by Stéphane Denève. He later tours with Midori and gives the world premiere of Aaron Zigman’s Tango Manos concerto for piano and orchestra with the China Philharmonic Orchestra, going on to perform it with the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France and the San Francisco Symphony. A noted interpreter of French music, Jean-Yves performs works by Ravel, Saint-Saëns, Connesson, and Debussy around the world; as one of the premiere interpreters of Messiaen’s Turangalîla-Symphonie, Jean-Yves performs the piece in his hometown as artist-in-residence of the Orchestre National de Lyon. In addition to performing Gershwin’s Concerto for Piano in F here, he presents it in Lyon, Los Angeles, Boston, New York, Naples, Tokyo, and at the Kissinger Sommer Festival in Bad Kissingen, Germany, where he is artist-in-residence.

Jean-Yves’s recording catalogue has received two Grammy nominations, the Preis der Deutschen Schallplattenkritik, the Diapason d’Or, the Choc du Monde de la Musique, the Edison Prize, and multiple Gramophone awards.

He was the soloist on the critically acclaimed films Atonement, Pride and Prejudice, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, and Wakefield.

In 2010, the Hollywood Bowl honored Jean-Yves Thibaudet for his musical achievements by inducting him into its Hall of Fame. Previously a Chevalier of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, he was awarded the title Officier by the French Ministry of Culture in 2012. His concert wardrobe is designed by Dame Vivienne Westwood. www.jeanyvesthibaudet.com Mr. Thibaudet’s worldwide representation: HarrisonParrott. Mr. Thibaudet records exclusively for Decca Records.

InTUNE — September 2019 | 39

Program NOTES Sinfonía India

audacity, impertinence, its feverish delight in its motion, its lapses into rhythmically exotic melancholy.”

The decades following the Mexican Revolution of 1910–1920 witnessed a cultural renaissance as artists reëvaluated preColumbian cultures, inspiring new, national styles of art. Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera emerged as leading voices in the visual arts during this period; in music, there was Carlos Chávez.

His Sinfonía India exemplifies the heady zeitgeist of postRevolutionary Mexico. As a boy, Chávez frequently heard the music of Mexican Indians; and in this piece, he incorporated several authentic indigenous melodies. He also Mexicanized the European orchestra by introducing many indigenous percussion instruments, including the Grijutian (a string of deer hooves) and the Tenabari (a rattle made of butterfly cocoons).

After a percussive opening gesture, the concerto begins with the long-short rhythms of the Charleston, which Gershwin meant to evoke “the young, enthusiastic spirit of American life.” The pianist then enters with a more introspective, lyrical theme. These two main ideas are developed throughout a movement marked by sudden, mercurial changes of mood and tempo. The pianist’s initial theme makes a soaring return in the strings near the end.

Carlos Chávez (1899–1978)

This interest in folk music traditions and ancient peoples was not limited to Mexico, but existed in dialogue with international trends. Many works of this kind (such as Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring) reflect a desire to revivify modern civilization by reconnecting with nature and a primal, ancestral past. “Never will one find a morbid or degrading sentiment, never a negative feeling toward other men or toward Nature in this music of our immediate American ancestors,” Chávez noted.

The piece begins with a vibrant chorus of competing motifs throughout the orchestra led by a trumpet call. The violins then introduce the first main theme, a dancing melody of the Cora Indians, above which piccolos imitate bird calls. The music slows for the second main theme, a lyrical, song-like melody introduced by the E-flat clarinet. This theme comes from the Yaqui people, and the other instruments of the orchestra gradually join it. Doubled horn and oboe introduce a darker, soulful theme of the Sonora Indians, which likewise grows more intense as it progresses. At last the music accelerates, leading to a return of the dancing Cora theme. After a reprise of the Yaqui theme, the music of the introduction also returns. To end the piece, Chávez introduces a lively new theme from the Seri Indians, which brings the symphony to a thrilling close.

The Instruments: 3 flutes (1 doubling piccolo), piccolo, 3 oboes, 2 clarinets, bass clarinet, E-flat clarinet, 3 bassoons, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 2 trombones, timpani, percussion, harp, and strings

Piano Concerto in F

George Gershwin (1898–1937) Amid a busy schedule of composing hit Broadway and West End musicals, George Gershwin found time to fulfill a commission for a new Piano Concerto in 1925. He had only made a name for himself in the concert hall the year before with his epochal fusion of jazz and classical music, Rhapsody in Blue. Regarding his new concerto, Gershwin said, “Many persons had thought that the Rhapsody was only a happy accident. Well, I went out, for one thing, to show them that there was plenty more where that had come from.” The 27-year-old Gershwin performed the solo part himself at the world premiere with the New York Symphony. The World reported, “The truth is that George Gershwin is a genius […] He alone actually expresses us. He is the present, with all its 40 | Houston Symphony

The second movement approaches the intimate world of chamber music, featuring solos for trumpet, oboe, flute, and violin in addition to those for the piano. Described by Gershwin as “almost Mozartian in its simplicity” and possessed of “a poetic, nocturnal tone,” the main theme takes the form of a bluesy solo for muted trumpet accompanied by a trio of clarinets. This main theme alternates with two contrasting episodes: the first is a faster, more playful one that begins when the piano enters; the second introduces a singing “big tune” in the strings.

For the finale, Gershwin created what he called “an orgy of rhythms,” a showcase for the pianist’s virtuoso technique. The driving repeated notes of the toccata-like main theme alternate with reminiscences of themes from the first and second movements, culminating in a grand return of the lyrical theme the soloist first played at the beginning of the concerto.

The Instruments: 2 flutes, piccolo, 2 oboes, English horn, 2 clarinets, bass clarinet, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion, and strings

El Salón México

Aaron Copland (1900–1990) Eager to entice his friend and fellow composer Aaron Copland to visit Mexico, Carlos Chávez made him a tempting offer in 1932: an all-Copland concert at the National Conservatory. Copland took the bait. His interest in Mexico, however, went beyond the opportunity of hearing his works performed. With its vibrant new artistic life, Copland was eager to see post-revolutionary Mexico with his own eyes. He was not disappointed. “Mexico has turned out even grander than I expected, and I expected pretty grand things. The best is the people,” he wrote in a letter to a friend.

One place in particular captured the composer’s imagination: El Salón México. A contemporary guide book described it as a “Harlem type night-club” with “three halls: one for people dressed in your way, one for people dressed in overalls but shod, and one for the barefoot.” Copland fell in love with the establishment and soon resolved to write a piece about it. “It wasn’t the music that I heard there, or the dances that attracted me, so much as the spirit of the place,” Copland wrote, and indeed, for inspiration he drew not on popular dance music, but traditional Mexican folk songs. The piece would deconstruct and reassemble these melodies through a sophisticated, collagelike technique, creating a modern portrait of contemporary Mexico. Throughout, Copland orchestrates with pure, crisp colors, and the music features bold, clear melodic lines, like a musical analogue of Diego Rivera’s murals.

Gershwin's Piano Concerto & Porgy and Bess | Program Notes

The work begins with upward-thrusting motifs based on fragments of the folk tune “El Palo Verde.” This soon dies away to slow, playfully off-kilter oom-pahs from the trombone and bassoons, perhaps imitating an old, out-of-tune barrel organ.

Above this, a trumpet and clarinet trade off with a floridly embellished melody. The dance gets going as bass instruments outline a rhythmic pattern, above which bass clarinet and bassoon introduce another traditional song, “El Mosco.” A series of melodies, some piquant, others sentimental, passes through the orchestra as the tempo accelerates, building to a powerful, halting return of “El Palo Verde.”

The music then slows, and the cycle begins again. A clarinet begins a new melody above a chamber music accompaniment, and woodwinds mingle waltz-like corridos. These dreamy waltzes gradually give way to more lively music, including a cheeky solo for E-flat clarinet. The music becomes faster and faster, leading to a thrilling conclusion.

The Instruments: 2 flutes, piccolo, 2 oboes, English horn, 2 clarinets, bass clarinet, E-flat clarinet, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion, piano, and strings

Catfish Row (Symphonic Suite in Five Parts) from Porgy and Bess George Gershwin (1898–1937)

For many, Porgy and Bess is Gershwin’s magnum opus. The opera is an adaptation of Porgy, a novel by DuBose Heyward that Gershwin reportedly devoured in a single sitting when he first read it in 1926. Even before he had decided on Porgy as a subject, Gershwin had always been set on composing an opera featuring a predominantly black cast. Inspired by its vivid characters and dramatic situations, Gershwin at last set to work on the opera in 1933, making several visits to Charleston, South Carolina, and its environs where the novel is set. There, Gershwin immersed himself in the musical traditions of black Charlestonians and composed a significant portion of the opera.

Todd Duncan, a distinguished black baritone who had studied at Columbia University, created the role of Porgy. When approached, Duncan was initially skeptical of Gershwin, whom he considered “as being Tin Pan Alley and something beneath me,” but when he went to hear Gershwin and his brother, Ira, play through the opera at the piano, he was won over: “These beautiful melodies in this new idiom—it was something I had never heard. I just couldn’t get enough of it….Well, they finally finished, and when he ended with ‘I’m on My Way,’ I was crying. I was weeping.”

To promote the opera and familiarize audiences with its music, Gershwin prepared a suite of highlights for orchestra (the suite was named “Catfish Row” by Ira many years later). The first movement, Catfish Row, derives from the opening of the opera.

In the opera, the extended piano solo that occurs after the racing orchestral introduction is traditionally played by an onstage upright piano as the curtain rises, revealing the community of Catfish Row (inspired by an actual Charleston neighborhood called Cabbage Row). This soon transitions into one of the most

famous numbers in the opera, “Summertime,” a lullaby sung by the young mother, Clara, to her infant. In the suite, her soprano voice is evoked by solos for violin and oboe. The brief coda accompanies the start of the fateful craps game that follows.

The second movement, Porgy Sings, features two numbers sung

by Porgy, a lame beggar and the opera’s hero (Porgy was inspired in part by a real Charleston personality named Samuel Smalls).

First, a twangy banjo strums the tune of “I Got Plenty o’ Nuttin’,” Porgy’s ironic comparison of wealth and poverty. A cello solo then segues into “Bess, You Is My Woman,” the love duet of Porgy and Bess, a beautiful but troubled woman. The dramatic third movement, Fugue, is taken from the fight scene in which Porgy kills Crown, Bess’s violent and possessive ex-boyfriend. The fourth movement, Hurricane, begins calmly before developing into the storm that claims the lives of both Jake and his wife, Clara, who sang “Summertime” at the beginning of the opera.

The last movement, Good Mornin’, Sistuh, opens with a depiction of morning on Catfish Row as residents greet each other. The return of the fast music that began the opera signals Porgy’s return from prison, where he was held in contempt of court for refusing to identify Crown’s body. Upon returning, he discovers that Bess has been lured to New York by the predatory drug dealer, Sportin’ Life. In the final number that ends the opera and the suite, “Oh Lawd, I’m on My Way,” Porgy sets out to find her. —Calvin Dotsey The Instruments: 2 flutes, piccolo, 2 oboes, English horn, 4 clarinets (1 doubling bass clarinet), bassoon, 3 horns, 3 trumpets, 2 trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion, piano, banjo, and strings

Shell Oil Company, a longtime leadership contributor to the Houston Symphony, underwrites the Houston Symphony’s Favorite Masters Series of classical subscription concerts as part of the company’s continuing commitment to the communities it serves.

Since it was founded, Shell Oil Company has invested more than $1 billion in charitable, cultural, and educational organizations throughout Houston and the United States. Shell’s support of culture and the arts encompasses a wide range of symphony, opera, and theater groups, as well as the visual arts and science museums.

In recognition of its broad range of award-winning support, the Houston Symphony salutes Shell Oil Company and applauds its support of the Symphony and other arts and culture institutions.

InTUNE — September 2019 | 41

At Brazos Towers I have been the Treasurer of the Residents Association. I’ve run the Gift Shop. I shoot photos of our monthly birthday parties. I’ve got a lot going on. Staying engaged keeps you alive!

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The Hallmark and its sister property, Brazos Towers at Bayou Manor, are the senior living communities of Brazos Presbyterian Homes, Inc. Brazos Presbyterian Homes, Inc. serves older adults of all faiths, regardless of race, color, sex, national origin, age or handicap, except as limited by state and federal law.

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Dr. & Mrs. John Slater Mr. & Mrs. William T. Slick Jr. Mr. & Mrs. Robert R. Springob, Laredo Construction, Inc. Mr. David Stanard & Ms. Beth Freeman Stephanie & Bill Swingle Susan L. Thompson Mr. Aaron J. Thomas & Mrs. Jennifer Chang Eric & Carol Timmreck Nanako & Dale Tingleaf Pamalah & Stephen Tipps Ms. Joann E. Welton Ms. Barbara E. Williams Ms. Beth Wolff Cyvia & Melvyn* Wolff Woodell Family Foundation Sally & Denney Wright Robert & Michele Yekovich Mr. & Mrs. Edward R. Ziegler Edith & Robert Zinn Erla & Harry Zuber Anonymous (3)

$2,500–$4,999 Dr. & Mrs. George J. Abdo Mr. & Mrs. Michael Adler Mr. & Mrs. Roy Allice Ms. Adrienne Amin Pat & John Anderson Mr. Jeff Autor Ms. Marcia Backus Mrs. Bonnie Bauer Dr. & Mrs. Philip S. Bentlif Drs. Henry & Louise Bethea George & Florence Boerger Mr. & Mrs. Doug Bosch James & Judy Bozeman Robert & Gwen Bray Mr. Chester Brooke & Dr. Nancy Poindexter Ms. Barbara A. Brooks The Honorable Peter Hoyt Brown* Mr. & Mrs. Bruce G. Buhler Mr. Bill Bullock Anne H. Bushman Ms. Deborah Butler Cheryl & Sam Byington Dr. Robert N. Chanon Tatiana Chavanelle Rhoda & Allen Clamen Mr. & Mrs. William V. Conover II Ms. Jeanette Coon & Thomas Collins Ms. Miquel A. Correll Mr. & Mrs. Steven Dalicandro Mr. & Mrs. Rene Degreve Joseph & Rebecca Demeter Ms. Cynthia Diller Mike & Debra Dishberger Mr. & Mrs. Michael Doherty Bob & Mary Doyle

Mrs. Edward N. Earle David & Carolyn Edgar Mr. Roger Elswick Mr. & Mrs. J. Thomas Eubank Jr. Paula & Louis Faillace Christine Falgout / Island Operating Company Jo Lynn & Gregg Falgout / Island Operating Company Mrs. Ronald Fischer James H. & Beverly W. Fish Patrick & Jeannine Flynn Edwin Friedrichs & Darlene Clark Mr. & Mrs. Steven Gangelhoff Mr. & Mrs. Neil Gaynor Thomas & Patricia Geddy Ms. Margaret W. Germani Joan M. Giese Julius & Suzan Glickman Mr. & Mrs. Herb Goodman Julianne & David Gorte Alexandra & Daniel Gottschalk Eric & Angelea Halen Mr. & Mrs. Charles R. Hall Mr. & Mrs. Hunt Harper Marilyn & Bob Hermance Richard & Arianda Hicks Susan Hodge & Mike Stocker Mr. & Mrs. Robert Humphries Mr. & Mrs. R. O. Hunton Steve & Kerry Incavo Arlene J. Johnson Stacy & Jason Johnson William & Cynthia Koch Jane & Kevin Kremer Mr. David Lee Golda Anne & Robert Leonard

Mr. William W. Lindley Mr. Jeff H. Lippold Mr. & Ms. Brian Mann Mr. & Mrs. Michael L. Mason David & Heidi Massin Ms. B. Lynn Mathre & Mr. Stewart O'Dell Ms. Kathy McCraigh Ernie & Martha McWilliams Mr. Larry Miller Mrs. Suzanne Miller Ginni & Richard Mithoff Mr. & Mrs. Thomas L. Molloy Elizabeth K. Moore Janet Moore Ione & Sidney Moran Mary Beth Mosley Mr. John L. Nau III Mr. & Mrs. Geoffrey B. Newton Mrs. Kay Onstead John & Kathy Orton Capt. & Mrs. Kim Parker Mr. Tadd Pullin Clinton & Leigh Rappole Mrs. Janet Rhodes Mr. & Mrs. John T. Riordan Dr. & Mrs. Richard Robbins Doug Williams & Janice Robertson Douglas & Alicia Rodenberger Ms. Regina J. Rogers Mrs. Evie Ronald Drs. Alejandro & Lynn Rosas Mr. Reuben Rosof Rosemarie & Jeff Roth Mr. Morris Rubin Mr. & Mrs. Bryan Ruez Mr. & Mrs. John Ryder

Ahmed Saleh Laura Moore & Don Sanders Lawrence P. Schanzmeyer Mr. & Mrs. Dylan Seff Susan & Ed Septimus Mr. Don W. Shackelford Becky Shaw Arthur E. & Ellen Shelton Ms. Leslie Siller Hinda Simon Molly Simpson & Patrice Abivin Mr. Hilary Smith & Ms. Lijda Vellekoop Richard & Mary Spies Georgiana Stanley Richard P. Steele & Mary J. McKerall Mr. & Mrs. James R. Stevens Jr. Drs. James & Elizabeth Tang Georgeta Teodorescu & Bob Simpson Jean & Doug Thomas Paul Thomas & Jussi Thomas Ms. Laura Turley Mr. & Mrs. Timothy J. Unger Mr. & Mrs. David Vannauker Dean Walker H. Richard Walton Alton & Carolyn Warren Jay & Gretchen Watkins Dr. & Mrs. Richard T. Weiss Jennifer R. Wittman Mr. & Mrs. Frank Yonish Anonymous (4)

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

Young Associate Premium Farida Abjani Ann & Jonathan Ayre Mr. James M. Bell & Ms. Kimberly Lacher Eric Brueggeman Tatiana Chavanelle

Young Associate





$2,500 or more

Valerie Palmquist Dieterich & Tracy Dieterich Vicky Dominguez Terry Everett & Eric Cheyney Alexandra & Daniel Gottschalk Shane Miller

$1,500–$2,499

Dr. Genevera Allen & Michael Weylandt Michael Arlen Drs. Laura & William Black Sverre & Carrie Brandsberg-Dahl Catherine Bratic & Mike Benza Divya & Chris Brown Megan Brown Garreth DeVoe Amanda & Adam Dinitz

Christine Falgout / Island Operating Company Emily & Matthew Fellows Jay Fields Laurel Flores Carolyn & Patrick Gaidos Rebecca & Andrew Gould Jennifer & Joshua Gravenor Claudio Gutierrez Jeff & Elaine Hiller Ashley & John Horstman

Tim Ong & Michael Baugh Toni Oplt & Ed Schneider Kusum & K. Cody Patel Ahmed Saleh Becky Shaw Molly Simpson & Patrice Abivin

Drs. Ishwaria & Vivek Subbiah Georgeta Teodorescu & Bob Simpson Susan & Andrew Truscott

Stacy & Jason Johnson Kirby & David Lodholz Brian McCulloch & Jeremy Garcia Charyn McGinnis & Michelle Stair Emily & Joseph Morrel Porter Hedges LLP Aprill Nelson Blake Plaster Kimberly & Evan Scheele

Liana & Andrew Schwaitzberg Nadhisha & Dilanka Seimon Maggie Sheridan Aerin & Quentin Smith Mark Stadnyk & Amanda Hassler Katherine Thomasson & Michael Talbot Elise Wagner Gwen Watkins

For more information, please contact: Tyler Murphy, Development Officer, Major Giving Groups, 713.337.8536.

InTUNE — September 2019 | 45

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

For more information on becoming a corporate foundation or government partner, please contact Mary Beth Mosley, Director, Institutional Giving and Stewardship, at marybeth.mosley@houstonsymphony.org or 713.337.8521.

CORPORATE PARTNERS Principal Corporate Guarantor  $250,000 and above *Spec’s Wines, Spirits & Finer Foods / Spec’s Charitable Foundation Grand Guarantor  $150,000 and above BBVA ConocoPhillips *Houston Public Media— News 88.7 FM; Channel 8 PBS *KTRK ABC-13 Phillips 66 *Oliver Wyman Guarantor  $100,000 and above Bank of America BB&T *Houston Methodist Kalsi Engineering *PaperCity *Tenenbaum Jewelers *United Airlines Underwriter  $50,000 and above *Baker Botts L.L.P. *Cameron Management Chevron ENGIE *The Events Company Exxon Mobil Corporation Frost Bank Houston Baptist University

(as of August 1, 2019)

Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Kirkland & Ellis *The Lancaster Hotel Occidental Petroleum Palmetto Partners Ltd./The Robert and Janice McNair Foundation *Rand Group, LLC Shell Oil Company Vinson & Elkins LLP Sponsor  $25,000 and above *Bright Star EOG Resources Goldman, Sachs & Co. H-E-B/H-E-B Tournament of Champions IberiaBank *Jackson and Company Marine Foods Express, Ltd. *Neiman Marcus Sidley Austin LLP SPIR STAR, Ltd. *Steinway & Sons The University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center Wells Fargo

CORPORATE MATCHING GIFTS Aetna Foundation, Inc. Akzo Nobel Inc. Albemarle Corporation Allstate Insurance Company American International Group (AIG) Ameriprise Financial, Inc. Aon Foundation Bank of America BBVA BHP Billiton BP/Matching Fund Programs Caterpillar Matching Gifts Program Chevron Matching Gifts Program CITGO Petroleum Corporation ConocoPhillips Company Dominion Energy Foundation Matching Gift Program

46 | Houston Symphony

Partner  $15,000 and above Anadarko Petroleum Corporation *City Kitchen *Glazier’s Distributors Gorman’s Uniform Service Heart of Fashion Independent Bank Laredo Construction, Inc. Locke Lord LLP Lockton Companies of Houston USI Southwest Supporter  $10,000 and above *Abraham’s Oriental Rugs CenterPoint Energy Emerson *Houston First Corporation Macy’s Nordstrom *Silver Eagle Distributors Triten Corporation White & Case LLP *Zenfilm

Benefactor  $5,000 and above Barclay’s Wealth and Investment Management Beck Redden LLP Louis Vuitton Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe, L.L.P. Randalls Russell Reynolds Associates, Inc. *University of St. Thomas Wortham Insurance and Risk Management Patron  Gifts below $5,000 Amazon Baker Hughes Bering’s Beth Wolff Realtors Burberry Dolce & Gabbana USA, Inc. Kinder Morgan Foundation Mercantil ONEOK, Inc. *Quantum Bass Center SEI, Global Institutional Group Smith, Graham & Company Stewart Title Company TAM International, Inc. * Includes in-kind support

(as of August 1, 2019)

Eli Lilly and Company Emerson Electric Company, Inc. ExxonMobil Matching Gift Program Fannie Mae Corporation FMC Corporation Freeport-McMorRan Copper & Gold Inc. General Electric General Mills, Inc. Goldman Sachs Halliburton Company Hewlett Packard IAC Interactive IBM Corporation ING Financial Services Intermec Johnson & Johnson JPMorgan Chase & Co.

LyondellBasell Industries Macy's, Inc. (Macy's and Bloomingdale's) Merrill Lynch Microsoft Corporation Motiva Enterprises, LLC Murphy Oil Corporation NACCO Industries Neiman Marcus Group, Inc. Northern Trust Occidental Petroleum Phillips 66 Plains All American Pipeline PricewaterhouseCoopers Prudential Financial Inc. Regions Shell Oil Company Southwestern Energy Spectra Energy

SPX Corporation Texas Instruments The Boeing Company Matching Program The Coca-Cola Company Thomson Reuters TransCanada Pipelines Limited Transocean Offshore Deepwater Drilling Inc. Travelers Companies, Inc. UBS Union Pacific Walt Disney Company Westlake Chemical Williams Companies, Inc.

FOUNDATIONS & GOVERNMENT AGENCIES Diamond Guarantor  $1,000,000 and above The Brown Foundation, Inc. Houston Symphony Endowment Houston Symphony League The Wortham Foundation, Inc. Premier Guarantor  $500,000 and above City of Houston and Theater District Improvement, Inc. The Cullen Trust for the Performing Arts Albert and Ethel Herzstein Charitable Foundation The C. Howard Pieper Foundation Grand Guarantor  $150,000 and above City of Houston through the Miller Theatre Advisory Board The Cullen Foundation The Hearst Foundations Houston Endowment The Humphreys Foundation MD Anderson Foundation

(as of August 1, 2019)

Guarantor  $100,000 and above The Jerry C. Dearing Family Foundation The Elkins Foundation

Sponsor  $25,000 and above Beauchamp Foundation National Endowment for the Arts Texas Commission on the Arts The William Stamps Farish Fund

Underwriter  $50,000 and above The Fondren Foundation Houston Symphony Chorus Endowment League of American Orchestras’ Futures Fund LTR Lewis Cloverdale Foundation John P. McGovern Foundation The Robert and Janice McNair Foundation / Palmetto Partners Ltd. The Powell Foundation The Robbins Foundation

Partner  $15,000 and above Edward H. Andrews Foundation Ruth & Ted Bauer Family Foundation The Melbern G. & Susanne M. Glasscock Foundation The Hood-Barrow Foundation Barbara Bush Literacy Foundation Houston Symphony League Bay Area The Schissler Foundation The Vivian L. Smith Foundation The Vaughn Foundation

PLAY A PART IN SECURING THE

Supporter  $10,000 and above The Carleen & Alde Fridge Foundation William E. & Natoma Pyle Harvey Charitable Foundation Petrello Family Foundation Radoff Family Foundation Anonymous Benefactor  $5,000 and above Leon Jaworski Foundation The Scurlock Foundation Keith & Mattie Stevenson Foundation Strake Foundation Patron  Gifts below $5,000 The WC Handy Foundation The Lubrizol Foundation

WHAT DO YOU LOVE MOST ABOUT THE SYMPHONY AND WANT TO SHARE WITH OTHERS? CONSIDER ENDOWING ONE OF THE FOLLOWING: • Orchestra Chair • Guest Conductor Fund • Guest Artists Fund • Classical Fund • Popular Programming Fund • Education and Community Engagement Fund • Fund for New Music • Touring Fund

ENDOW YOUR FAVORITE ORCHESTRA POSITION OR PROGRAM Our community is proud of its orchestra, and the Symphony is proud to serve Houston.

Your support of the Houston Symphony Endowment ensures that the orchestra remains a cultural keystone of our city for many years to come. There are a variety of ways to support the endowment. Like other visionary philanthropists, you may choose to name an orchestra position, a performance series, or an educational program based on your interests.

Named Endowed Funds | $250,000+ A fund may be permanently established within the Houston Symphony Endowment designated for general purposes or specific interests.

Permanently Endowed Chairs | $1,000,000+ Permanently endowing a musician chair provides the Houston Symphony with funds to attract, retain, and support musicians of the highest caliber.

To learn more about a unique endowment fund to support your favorite part of the Symphony, please contact Steven Covington, Director of Endowment and Planned Giving, at steven.covington@houstonsymphony.org or 713.337.8532.

InTUNE — September 2019 | 47

Houston Symphony ENDOWMENT The Houston Symphony Endowment is a separate non-profit organization that invests contributions to earn income for the benefit of the Houston Symphony Society.

TRUSTEES

William J. Toomey II, President Gene Dewhurst

James Lee Lynn Mathre

Jerry Simon Scott Wise

An endowed fund can be permanently established within the Houston Symphony Society through a direct contribution or via a planned gift such as a bequest. The fund can be designated for general purposes or specific interests.

For more information, please contact: Steven Covington, Director of Endowment and Planned Giving, at steven.covington@houstonsymphony.org or 713.337.8532.

ENDOWMENT FUNDS $100,000 + Accenture (Andersen Consulting) Fund AIG American General Fund M.D. Anderson Foundation Fund Mr. & Mrs. Philip Bahr Fund Janice H. & Thomas D. Barrow Fund Ronald C. Borschow Fund The Brown Foundation Guest Pianist Fund The Brown Foundation’s Miller Outdoor Theatre Fund in memory of Hanni & Stewart Orton Margarett & Alice Brown Endowment Fund for Education Lawrence E. Carlton, M.D. Endowment Fund for Youth Programs Jane & Robert Cizik Fund The Janet Clark Fund Cooper Industries, Inc. Fund The Cullen Foundation Maestro’s Fund The Cullen Trust for the Performing Arts Fund for Creative Initiatives DuPont Corporation Fund Elkins Charitable Trust Agency Fund The Margaret & James A. Elkins Foundation Fund Virginia Lee Elverson Trust Fund William Stamps Farish Fund Dr. Kelli Cohen Fein & Martin J. Fein Fund Richard P. Garmany Fund for the Houston Symphony League Concerto Competition Jo A. & Billie Jo Graves Fund George & Mary Josephine Hamman Foundation Fund The William Randolph Hearst Endowed Fund for Education Programs General & Mrs. Maurice Hirsch Memorial Concert Fund in memory of Theresa Meyer and Jules Hirsch, beloved parents of General Maurice Hirsch, and Rosetta Hirsch Weil and Josie Hirsch Bloch, beloved sisters of General Maurice Hirsch Houston Arts Combined Endowment Fund The Houston Symphony Chorus Endowment Fund Mr. & Mrs. Marvin Kaplan Fund

Ann Kennedy & Geoffrey Walker Fund Rochelle & Max Levit Fund Mary R. Lewis Fund for Piano Performance Mach Family Audience Development Fund Mr. & Mrs. Rodney H. Margolis Fund Mr. & Mrs. J. Stephen Marks Fund/ The Marks Charitable Foundation Marian & Speros Martel Foundation Fund Speros P. Martel Fund Barbara & Pat McCelvey Fund The Menil Foundation Fund Monroe Mendelsohn Jr. Estate George P. & Cynthia Woods Mitchell Summer Concerts Fund Sue A. Morrison & Children Fund National Endowment for the Arts Fund Stewart Orton Fund Papadopoulos Fund C. Howard Pieper Foundation Nancy & Robert Peiser Fund Fayez Sarofim Guest Violinist Fund through The Cullen Trust for the Performing Arts Selma S. Neumann Fund Spec’s Charitable Foundation Salute to Educators Concert Fund The Micajah S. Stude Special Production Fund Estate of Mr. Walter W. Sapp Fund The Schissler Foundation Fund Mr. & Mrs. William T. Slick Jr. Fund Dorothy Barton Thomas Fund Bobby & Phoebe Tudor Fund Mr. & Mrs. Jesse B. Tutor Fund Dede & Connie Weil Fund The Wortham Foundation Classical Series Fund endowed in memory of Gus S. & Lyndall F. Wortham The Wortham Foundation Fund

For a complete listing of Endowment Funds visit our website at houstonsymphony.org/endowment.

48 | Houston Symphony

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

CRESCENDO CIRCLE $100,000 + Dr. & Mrs. George J. Abdo Priscilla R. Angly Janice Barrow James Barton James Bell Joe Brazzatti Terry Ann Brown Drs. Dennis & Susan Carlyle Janet F. Clark Mr. William E. Colburn Darrin Davis & Mario Gudmundsson Harrison R.T. Davis Andria N. Elkins Jean & Jack* Ellis

The Aubrey & Sylvia Farb Family Eugene Fong Mrs. Aggie L. Foster Michael B. George Stephen & Mariglyn Glenn Evan B. Glick Jo A. & Billie Jo Graves Bill Grieves Jacquelyn Harrison & Thomas Damgaard Dr. Rita Justice Mr. & Mrs. U. J. LeGrange Ms. Nancey G. Lobb Joella & Steven P. Mach

Bill & Karinne McCullough Dr. & Mrs.* Robert M. Mihalo Sue A. Morrison & children in memory of Walter J. Morrison Mr. & Mrs. Marvin H. Mueller Drs. John & Dorothy Oehler Gloria G. Pryzant Donna Scott Charles & Andrea Seay Michael J. Shawiak Jule* & Albert Smith Mr. & Mrs. Louis J. Snyder Mr. Rex Spikes Mike & Anita* Stude

Mr. & Mrs. Jesse B. Tutor Elba L. Villarreal Margaret Waisman, M.D. & Steven S. Callahan, Ph.D. Mr. & Mrs. Fredric A. Weber Robert G. Weiner Vicki West in honor of Hans Graf Susan Gail Wood Jo Dee Wright Ellen A. Yarrell Anonymous (2)

Farida Abjani Mr. & Mrs. Jeffrey B. Aron Myra W. Barber Daniel B. Barnum George* & Betty Bashen Dr. Joan Hacken Bitar Dorothy B. Black Kerry Levine Bollmann Ermy Borlenghi Bonfield James & S. Dale Brannon Zu Broadwater Joan K. Bruchas & H. Philip Cowdin* Mr. Christopher & Mrs. Erin Brunner Eugene R. Bruns Cheryl & Sam Byington Sylvia J. Carroll Dr. Robert N. Chanon William J. Clayton & Margaret A. Hughes Mr. & Mrs. Byron Cooley The Honorable & Mrs. William Crassas Dr. Lida S. Dahm Leslie Barry Davidson Judge & Mrs. Harold DeMoss Jr. Susan Feickert Ginny Garrett Mr. & Mrs. Harry H. Gendel Mauro H. Gimenez & Connie A. Coulomb Mr. Robert M. Griswold Randolph Lee Groninger

Claudio J. Gutierrez Mr. & Mrs. Jerry L. Hamaker Mrs. Gloria Herman Marilyn & Robert M. Hermance Timothy Hogan & Elaine Anthony Dr. Gary L. Hollingsworth Dr. Edward J. & Mrs. Patti Hurwitz Dr. Kenneth Hyde Brian & Catherine James Barbara & Raymond Kalmans Dr. & Mrs. Ira Kaufman, M.D. John S. W. Kellett Ann Kennedy & Geoffrey Walker Dr. James E. & Betty W. Key Dr. & Mrs. I. Ray Kirk Mrs. Frances E. Leland Samuel J. Levine Mrs. Lucy Lewis E. W. Long Jr. Sandra Magers David Ray Malone & David J. Sloat Mr. & Mrs. Rodney H. Margolis Jay & Shirley* Marks James G. Matthews Mr. & Mrs. John H. Matzer III Dr. & Mrs. Malcolm L. Mazow Mary Ann & David McKeithan Mr. & Mrs. Alexander K. McLanahan Dr. Tracey Samuels & Mr. Robert McNamara Mr. & Mrs. D. Bradley McWilliams

Catherine Jane Merchant Dr. Georgette M. Michko Marilyn Ross Miles & Stephen Warren Miles Foundation Katherine Taylor Mize Ione Moran Sidney Moran Richard & Juliet Moynihan Gretchen Ann Myers Patience Myers Mr. John N. Neighbors, in memory of Jean Marie Neighbors Mr. & Mrs. Richard C. Nelson Bobbie Newman John & Leslie Niemand Leslie Nossaman Dave G. Nussmann John Onstott Macky Osorio Edward C. Osterberg Jr. Mr. & Mrs. Edmund & Megan Pantuliano Imogen “Immy” Papadopoulos Christine & Red Pastorek Peter & Nina Peropoulos Sara M. Peterson Darla Powell Phillips Geraldine Smith Priest Dana Puddy Patrick T. Quinn Lila Rauch

Ed & Janet Rinehart Mr. Floyd W. Robinson Evie Ronald Walter Ross Mr. & Mrs. James A. Shaffer Dr. & Mrs. Kazuo Shimada Lisa & Jerry Simon Tad & Suzanne Smith Sherry Snyder Marie Speziale Emily H. & David K. Terry Stephen G. Tipps Steve Tostengard, in memory of Ardyce Tostengard Jana Vander Lee Bill & Agnete Vaughan Dean B. Walker Stephen & Kristine Wallace David M. Wax* & Elaine Arden Cali Geoffrey Westergaard Nancy B. Willerson Jennifer R. Wittman Lorraine & Ed* Wulfe David & Tara Wuthrich Katherine & Mark Yzaguirre Edith & Robert Zinn Anonymous (6)

In MEMORIAM

*Deceased

We honor the memory of those who in life included the Houston Symphony Endowment in their estate plans. Their thoughtfulness and generosity will continue to inspire and enrich lives for generations to come.

Mr. Thomas D. Barrow George Bashen Paul M. Basinski W. P. Beard Ronald C. Borschow Mrs. H. Raymond Brannon Anthony Brigandi Lawrence E. Carlton, M.D. Mrs. Albert V. Caselli Lee Allen Clark William J. & Patricia S. Cunningham Fredell Lack Eichhorn Jack Ellis Mrs. Robin A. Elverson Frank R. Eyler Dr. & Mrs. Larry L. Fedder Helen Bess Fariss Foster Christine E. George

Lila-Gene George Mr. & Mrs. Keith E. Gott John Wesley Graham Dorothy H. Grieves Mrs. Marcella Levine Harris Gen. & Mrs. Maurice Hirsch Miss Ima Hogg Burke & Octavia Holman David L. Hyde Dr. Blair Justice Mr. Max Levine Dr. Mary R. Lewis Mrs. L. F. McCollum Betty & Gene McDavid Mr. & Mrs. Charles E. McKerley Doretha Melvin Monroe L. Mendelsohn Jr. Mr. Ronald Mikita

Robert Austin Moody Mrs. Janet Moynihan Arthur Newman Constantine S. Nicandros Hanni Orton Stewart Orton, Legacy Society co-founder Dr. Michael Papadopoulos Robert A. Peiser Miss Louise Pearl Perkins Mary Anne H. Phillips Mr. Howard Pieper Clive Runnells, in memory of Nancy Morgan Runnells Ugo di Portanova Mr. Charles K. Sanders Walter W. Sapp, Legacy Society co-founder

J. Fred & Alma Laws Lunsford Schultz Ms. Jean R. Sides Lola Sinclair Blanche Stastny John K. & Fanny W. Stone Dorothy Barton Thomas Dr. Carlos Vallbona Mr. Harry C. Wiess Mrs. Edward Wilkerson Daisy S. Wong / JCorp Ed Wulfe Anonymous (1)

InTUNE — September 2019 | 49

Education & Community Engagement DONORS The Houston Symphony acknowledges those individuals, corporations, and foundations that support our education and community engagement initiatives. Each year, these activities impact the lives of more than 97,000 children and students and provide access to our world-class orchestra for more than 150,000 Houstonians free of charge.

Principal Guarantor $250,000+



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

Guarantor

$100,000+



BBVA The Jerry C. Dearing Family Foundation City of Houston through the Miller Theatre Advisory Board The Hearst Foundations, Inc. Houston Endowment Houston Symphony Endowment Mr. John N. Neighbors

Underwriter



$50,000+

The Elkins Foundation ENGIE Exxon Mobil Corporation League of American Orchestras’ Futures Fund Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo The John P. McGovern Foundation The Robert & Janice McNair Foundation Occidental Petroleum The Powell Foundation Mr. & Mrs. William K. Robbins Jr./ The Robbins Foundation Shell Oil Company

Sponsor



$25,000+

Chevron Houston Symphony Hispanic Leadership Council Wells Fargo

Partner



$15,000+

Anadarko Petroleum Corporation Ruth and Ted Bauer Family Foundation Barbara Bush Literacy Foundation The Melbern G. and Susanne M. Glasscock Foundation H-E-B Tournament of Champions Houston Symphony League Houston Symphony League Bay Area Macy’s Vivian L. Smith Foundation Mr. Jay Steinfeld & Mrs. Barbara Winthrop

50 | Houston Symphony

Texas Commission on the Arts Ellen A. Yarrell in memory of Virginia S. Anderson and in honor of Cora Sue Mach

Supporter



$10,000+

CenterPoint Energy George & Mary Josephine Hamman Foundation William E. & Natoma Pyle Harvey Charitable Trust Nancy & Robert* Peiser Nordstrom

Donor



$1,000+

Lilly & Thurmon Andress Diane & Harry Gendel Kinder Morgan Foundation Cora Sue & Harry Mach Karinne & Bill McCullough Tricia & Mark Rauch Hazel French Robertson Education & Community Residency Strake Foundation

Support by Endowed Funds Education and Community programs are also supported by the following endowed funds, which are a part of the Houston Symphony Endowment: Margarett & Alice Brown Endowment Fund for Education Spec’s Charitable Foundation Salute to Educators Concert Fund The Brown Foundation’s Miller Outdoor Theatre Fund in honor of Hanni & Stewart Orton The William Randolph Hearst Endowed Fund for Education Programs Lawrence E. Carlton, M.D. Endowment Fund for Youth Programs Richard P. Garmany Fund for Houston Symphony League Concerto Competition Houston Symphony Ima Hogg Competition Endowed Fund Selma S. Neumann Fund

Support for Symphony Scouts Cora Sue & Harry Mach in honor of Roger Daily’s 13 years of service as Director of the Houston Symphony’s Education and Community Programs

Support for the CommunityEmbedded Musicians Initiative The Community-Embedded Musicians Initiative is supported in part by a generous grant from the American Orchestras’ Futures Fund, a program of the League of American Orchestras made possible by funding from the Ann & Gordon Getty Foundation.

The Houston Symphony residency at Lewis Elementary is presented by BBVA and the BBVA Foundation. We are also thankful to HISD and these lead supporters of the CommunityEmbedded Musician program: Robert and Janice McNair Foundation National Endowment for the Arts Spec’s Wines, Spirits and Finer Foods / Spec’s Charitable Foundation Mr. Jay Steinfeld & Mrs. Barbara Winthrop H-E-B Tournament of Champions

MUSICIAN SPONSORSHIPS Donors at the Conductor’s Circle Silver Baton level and above are provided the opportunity to be recognized as sponsoring a Houston Symphony Musician. For more information, please contact Tyler Murphy, Development Officer, Major Giving Groups, at tyler.murphy@houstonsymphony.org or 713.337.8536.

Janice Barrow Sophia Silivos, First Violin

Drs. M.S. & Marie-Luise Kalsi Eric Halen, Co-Concertmaster

Susan & Edward Osterberg MiHee Chung, First Violin

Gary & Marian Beauchamp Martha Chapman, Second Violin

The Joan & Marvin Kaplan Foundation Mark Nuccio, Principal Clarinet

Mr. & Mrs. Jonathan E. Parker Nancy Goodearl, Horn

Nancy & Walter Bratic Christopher Neal, First Violin

Dr. & Mrs. I. Ray Kirk Linda Goldstein, Viola

Mr. Gordon J. Brodfuehrer Maki Kubota, Cello Ralph Burch Robin Kesselman, Principal Double Bass Barbara J. Burger Andrew Pedersen, Double Bass Dr. M.K. Campion Rodica Gonzalez, First Violin Drs. Dennis & Susan Carlyle Louis-Marie Fardet, Cello

Mr. & Mrs. U. J. LeGrange Thomas LeGrand, Associate Principal Clarinet Rochelle & Max Levit Sergei Galperin, First Violin Cora Sue & Harry Mach Joan DerHovsepian, Associate Principal Viola Joella & Steven P. Mach Eric Larson, Double Bass

Nancy & Robert* Peiser Jonathan Fischer, Principal Oboe Dave & Alie Pruner Matthew Strauss, Percussion Gloria & Joe Pryzant Matthew Strauss, Percussion Ron & Demi Rand Annie Chen, Second Violin Lila Rauch Christopher French, Associate Principal Cello

Mrs. Carolyn & Dr. Michael Mann Ian Mayton, Horn

Sybil F. Roos Mark Hughes, Principal Trumpet

Mr. & Mrs. Rodney H. Margolis Eric Halen, Co-Concertmaster

Mr. Glen A. Rosenbaum Aralee Dorough, Principal Flute

Janet F. Clark MuChen Hsieh, Principal Second Violin

Mr. & Mrs. J. Stephen Marks Brian Del Signore, Principal Percussion

Linda & Jerry Rubenstein Brian Del Signore, Principal Percussion

Mr. Michael H. Clark & Ms. Sallie Morian George Pascal, Assistant Principal Viola

Jay & Shirley* Marks Sergei Galperin, First Violin

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

Jane & Robert Cizik Qi Ming, Assistant Concertmaster

Roger & Debby Cutler Tong Yan, First Violin Leslie Barry Davidson & W. Robins Brice Colin Gatwood, Oboe Scott Ensell & Family Donald Howey, Double Bass Kelli Cohen Fein & Martin Fein Ferenc Illenyi, First Violin Mr. & Mrs. Russell M. Frankel Aralee Dorough, Principal Flute Stephen & Mariglyn Glenn Christian Schubert, Clarinet Evan B. Glick Tong Yan, First Violin Mr. & Mrs. Fred L. Gorman Christopher French, Associate Principal Cello Dr. Gary L. Hollingsworth & Dr. Kenneth J. Hyde Robert Walp, Assistant Principal Trumpet

Michelle & Jack Matzer Kurt Johnson, First Violin Dr. & Mrs. Malcolm L. Mazow Rodica Gonzalez, First Violin Barbara & Pat McCelvey Adam Dinitz, English Horn Mr. & Mrs. Alexander K. McLanahan William VerMeulen, Principal Horn Martha & Marvin McMurrey Rodica Gonzalez, First Violin Dr. Robert M. Mihalo Brian Thomas, Horn Rita & Paul Morico Elise Wagner, Bassoon Mr. & Mrs. Robert E. Nelson Mihaela Frusina, Second Violin Bobbie Newman Rodica Gonzalez, First Violin Scott & Judy Nyquist Sheldon Person, Viola

Mr. & Mrs. James A. Shaffer Eric Halen, Co-Concertmaster

Ms. Judith Vincent Matthew Roitstein, Associate Principal Flute Margaret Waisman, M.D. & Steven S. Callahan, Ph.D. Mark Griffith, Percussion Stephen & Kristine Wallace Allen Barnhill, Principal Trombone Mr. & Mrs. Fredric A. Weber Megan Conley, Principal Harp Robert G. Weiner & Toni Blankman Anastasia Sukhopara, Second Violin Vicki West Rodica Gonzalez, First Violin Steven & Nancy Williams MiHee Chung, First Violin Jeanie Kilroy Wilson & Wallace S. Wilson Xiao Wong, Cello Mr. & Mrs. C. Clifford Wright Jr. Jarita Ng, Viola Lorraine & Ed* Wulfe Dave Kirk, Principal Tuba Nina & Michael Zilkha Kurt Johnson, First Violin *deceased

Laura & Michael Shannon Rian Craypo, Principal Bassoon Tad & Suzanne Smith Marina Brubaker, First Violin Alana R. Spiwak & Sam L. Stolbun Wei Jiang, Viola Mr. & Mrs. Robert R. Springob, Laredo Construction, Inc. Mihaela Frusina, Second Violin Mike Stude Brinton Averil Smith, Principal Cello Susan H. Thompson George Pascal, Associate Principal Viola Bobby & Phoebe Tudor Bradley White, Associate Principal Trombone Mr. & Mrs. Jesse B. Tutor Daniel Strba, Viola

InTUNE — September 2019 | 51

Meet Adam Trussell, contrabassoon

This month, we welcome a new member of the Houston Symphony family, contrabassoon Adam Trussell, who joined the orchestra in June. Before joining the Houston Symphony, Adam was a full-time member of the Oregon Symphony (2011–2019) as second bassoon and of the Omaha Symphony (2005– 2011) as assistant principal bassoon.

He is also principal bassoon of the Oregon Ballet Theatre.

Adam has played with many orchestras, including the Seattle, St. Louis, Kansas City, Monterrey (Mexico), and New World Symphonies; the Moscow Chamber Orchestra; and the Boston Philharmonic. During summers, he has played with the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music; Colorado Music Festival; Oregon Bach Festival; Breckenridge Music Festival; Bellingham Festival of Music; the AIMS Festival in Graz, Austria; and a festival in Denmark with the Danish Chamber Players.

In addition to his performance career, Adam teaches private students and is currently on leave from the faculties of Lewis & Clark College, the University of Portland, and Concordia University. While he was in Nebraska, he taught at the University of Nebraska Omaha and Creighton University.

Originally from Portland, Maine, Adam earned his Bachelor of Music degree from the New England Conservatory, where he studied with Gregg Henegar and Richard Svoboda. He received his Master of Music degree from Rice University, where he studied with Ben Kamins.

How did you choose your instrument?

When I was in sixth grade, my mom belatedly signed me up for band in December. When I met with the director, she informed me the bassoon was all she had left for me to play—so I played bassoon!

What inspired you to become a musician?

A tour of Brazil I took with the New England Conservatory’s Youth Philharmonic Orchestra made me want to be a professional musician. Playing Mahler’s Fifth Symphony on the tour was an incredible experience.

What is the most interesting solo you have played?

One of the coolest contrabassoon solos I have had the pleasure of playing is at the beginning of Ravel’s Piano Concerto for the Left Hand. The solo feels gigantic even though it’s only a few measures long. It’s dark and mysterious and sets the tone for the piece. I often tell people the character the contrabassoon is typecast for is the swamp monster. This character makes cameos in many pieces, but this one is one of its best.

What are your hobbies and interests outside of music?

One of my hobbies has become giving haircuts to friends—I tell people my retirement job is going to be opening a barber shop. I imagine a dog going to the shop with me. I’ve always been a dog person, but I’ve been too busy traveling to have my own. In the meantime, I’ve inadvertently become a cat person! In one of the photos I have included, you will see my cat, Eugene, dressed up in his Halloween costume. I also enjoy outdoor activities, especially boating.

Top: My professional headshot Second: My batcat, Eugene, on Halloween Third: Snowboarding on the top of the Palmer lift at Mount Hood Bottom: Waterskiing on the Columbia River

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