InTune — The Houston Symphony Magazine — January 2018

THE HOUSTON SYMPHONY MAGAZINE

JANUARY 2018

DISNEY FANTASIA LIVE IN CONCERT 18

KIRILL GERSTEIN PLAYS BRAHMS 24

TCHAIKOVSKY 4 28

January 5, 6, 7

January 11, 12, 13

January 25, 27, 28

D I S N E Y

The Houston Symphony presents Disney's masterpiece January 5, 6 & 7.

PRESENTATION LICENSED BY DISNEY CONCERTS © ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

InTUNE | J A N U A R Y

2018

Programs

Disney Fantasia Live in Concert

January 5, 6, 7 ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 18 Kirill Gerstein Plays Brahms

January 11, 12, 13 ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������24 Tchaikovsky 4

January 25, 27, 28 ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������28

Features

Letter to Patrons ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������2 Leonard Bernstein at 100 �����������������������������������������������������������������������������8 How Classical Music Became Modern ��������������������������������������������� 10 Music for the Soul at Texas Children's Hospital ������������������������ 12 Backstage Pass with Nancy Goodearl ���������������������������������������������� 44

Events

Upcoming Broadcasts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 2018 Houston Symphony Ball . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Your Houston Symphony

Andrés Orozco-Estrada, Music Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Orchestra Roster ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������5 Staff Listing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Our Supporters

New Century Society . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Leadership Council . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Vision 2025 Implementation Fund . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Hurricane Harvey Employee Assistance Fund . . . . . . . . . . 16 Houston Symphony Donors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Young Associates Council . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Vintage Virtuoso . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Corporate, Foundation and Government Partners ���������������������38 Capital Investments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Sustainability Fund. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Society Board of Trustees �������������������������������������������������������������������������� 40 Houston Symphony Endowment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Education and Community Engagement Donors . . . . . . . . 42 Musician Sponsorships. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

2018 marks the 100th anniversary of Leonard Bernstein's birth. Learn how the Houston Symphony is celebrating.

8

InTUNE is published by the Houston Symphony.

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

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

Trazanna Moreno. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chief Marketing Officer Vanessa Astros. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Senior Director, Communications Calvin Dotsey. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Publications Editor Melanie O'Neill. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Publications Designer Editorial Contributors Carlos Andrés Botero, Musical Ambassador Emily Nelson, Associate Director, Education and Community Programming Elaine Reeder Mayo. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Editorial Consultant Shweiki Media. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Printing Ventures Marketing Group. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Advertising 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 also are 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.

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InTUNE

In THE HOUSTON SYMPHONY

JANUARY 2018

2018 is a big year for music: August 25 will mark the 100th anniversary of Leonard Bernstein’s birth. Orchestras across the world will celebrate this great musician’s legacy throughout the year. As a conductor, he became the first American to lead many of the world’s leading orchestras, and as a composer, he left us with unforgettable masterpieces for both the stage and concert hall. The Houston Symphony joins the festivities in the coming months with performances of his works at home and abroad during our March European tour with Hilary Hahn. This is Andrés’ first international tour with the orchestra and the Houston Symphony’s first major European tour in more than 20 years. Learn more about our celebration of Leonard Bernstein on page 8.

This month also brings some of our most exciting classical programs of the season, featuring two powerful and deeply personal works by Brahms and Tchaikovsky. First, the internationally acclaimed Kirill Gerstein returns to play Brahms’ Piano Concerto No. 1, a work inspired by the young composer’s turbulent relationship with Robert and Clara Schumann. Then Israeli conductor Omer Meir Wellber makes his Houston Symphony debut conducting Tchaikovsky’s breathtaking Symphony No. 4. Plus, Andrés leads one of Bartók’s masterpieces, and the spellbinding Simone Lamsma plays Britten’s Violin Concerto.

Symphony fans also can look forward to the exciting announcement of our 2018-19 Season at the end of the month. I can’t mention any details yet, but you’re in for a treat.

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A MOZART THANKSGIVING November 25, 26,

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Janet F. Clark President, Houston Symphony Society

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LETTER TO PATRONS

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ANDRÉS OROZCO-ESTRADA

M U S I C D I R E C T O R ROY AND LILLIE CULLEN CHAIR

Houston Symphony Music Director Andrés Orozco-Estrada began his tenure in the 2014–15 season. He immediately established a dynamic presence on the podium and a deep bond with the musicians of the orchestra. Andrés carefully curates his programs to feature engaging combinations of classical masterworks paired with the music of today, significant artistic collaborations with composers and guest artists, and innovative use of multimedia and visual effects, all in order to make meaningful connections with the audience.

In the 2017–18 season, Andrés continues to engage with audiences both with casual commentary from the stage and discussions with guests in “Behind the Scenes with Andrés” videos. On the recording front, he and the orchestra will soon release a Music of the Americas disc, featuring Gershwin’s An American in Paris, Revueltas’ Sensemayá, Piazzolla’s Tangazo and Bernstein’s Symphonic Dances from West Side Story, recorded in early 2017. Additional projects with Pentatone include Haydn’s The Creation. In the 2016–17 season, Andrés and the Symphony released the third disc in their critically acclaimed series featuring Dvořák’s last four symphonies, his first commercial recording project with the orchestra.

Born in Medellín, Colombia, Andrés began his musical studies on the violin and started conducting at age 15. At 19, he entered the renowned Vienna Music Academy, where he studied with Uroš Lajovic (pupil of the legendary Hans Swarowsky), and completed his degree with distinction conducting the Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra at the Musikverein. Andrés burst onto the international scene with two substitutions with the Vienna Philharmonic: the first, his debut in 2010, standing in for Esa-Pekka Salonen, and then in 2012, substituting for Riccardo Muti at the Musikverein.

Andrés now regularly appears with many of the world’s leading orchestras, including the Vienna Philharmonic, the Santa Cecilia Orchestra in Rome, the Orchestre National de France, the Staatskapelle Dresden, the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra and the Mahler Chamber Orchestra.

His engagements for the 2016-17 season featured débuts with the San Francisco Symphony in April and the Berlin Philharmonic in May. Andrés and the Frankfurt Radio Symphony gave a series of concerts as orchestra-in-residence in Vienna and Salzburg, in addition to undertaking tours to Budapest, Warsaw, Monte Carlo, the Dresden Music Festival and across Spain. He also accompanied Colombia's outstanding youth orchestra, the Filarmónica Joven de Colombia, on its first European tour, conducting eight concerts in Berlin and Stuttgart, at the Rheingau Music Festival, at the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Festival and at Styriarte in Graz. Andrés will lead the Houston Symphony on a four-country, eight-city European tour in March 2018, taking the orchestra through some of Europe’s most prestigious concert halls and festivals. World-renowned violinist and three-time Grammy Award-winner Hilary Hahn will join Andrés and orchestra for all performances.

In addition to his post in Houston, Andrés is chief conductor of the Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra and principal guest conductor of the London Philharmonic Orchestra.

4 | Houston Symphony

ROSTER

ORCHESTRA Andrés Orozco-Estrada Music Director Roy and Lillie Cullen Chair FIRST VIOLIN 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 Jenna Barghouti*

DOUBLE BASS Robin Kesselman, Principal David Malone, Associate Principal Mark Shapiro Eric Larson Andrew Pedersen Burke Shaw Donald Howey Michael McMurray FLUTE Aralee Dorough, Principal General Maurice Hirsch Chair Matthew Roitstein, Associate Principal Judy Dines Kathryn Ladner PICCOLO Kathryn Ladner

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 Lindsey Baggett* Katrina Bobbs Savitski*

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

Community-Embedded Musicians David Connor, double bass Rainel Joubert, violin Anthony Parce, viola Hellen Weberpal, cello

HORN William VerMeulen, Principal Robert Johnson, Associate Principal Jesse Clevenger*, Assistant Principal Brian Thomas Nancy Goodearl Ian Mayton TRUMPET Mark Hughes, Principal George P. and Cynthia Woods Mitchell Chair John Parker, Associate Principal Robert Walp, Assistant Principal Richard Harris* TROMBONE Allen Barnhill, Principal Bradley White, Associate Principal Phillip Freeman BASS TROMBONE Phillip Freeman TUBA Dave Kirk, Principal TIMPANI Position Vacant, Principal Brian Del Signore, Associate Principal

ENGLISH HORN 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 CELLO Brinton Averil Smith, Principal Janice and Thomas Barrow Chair Christopher French, Associate Principal Anthony Kitai Louis-Marie Fardet Jeffrey Butler Kevin Dvorak Xiao Wong Myung Soon Lee** James R. Denton** Yewon Ahn*

Steven Reineke Principal POPS Conductor Robert Franz Associate Conductor, Sponsor, Ms. Marie Taylor Bosarge 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 Eric Arbiter, Associate Principal Elise Wagner

PERCUSSION Brian Del Signore, Principal Mark Griffith Matthew Strauss HARP Megan Conley, Principal** KEYBOARD Scott Holshouser, Principal *Contracted Substitute ** On Leave

CONTRABASSOON Position Vacant

Orchestra Personnel Manager Michael Gorman

Librarian Thomas Takaro

Assistant Orchestra Personnel Manager Shana Bey

Assistant Librarians Hae-a Lee Michael McMurray

Stage Manager Kelly Morgan

Stage Technicians Ritaban Ghosh Jose Rios Ryan Samuelsen David Stennis

InTUNE — January 2018 | 5

STAFF

ADMINISTRATIVE

The Houston Symphony Administrative Staff is made up of 71 full-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

Pam Blaine, Chief of Education and Community Programming Elizabeth S. Condic, Chief Financial Officer Amanda T. Dinitz, Interim Executive Director/

Chief of Strategic Initiatives Vicky Dominguez, Chief Operating Officer Trazanna Moreno, Chief Marketing Officer Mary Beth Mosley, Interim Co-Chief Development Officer/

Director, Institutional Giving and Stewardship Molly Simpson, Interim Co-Chief Development Officer/ Director, Individual Giving and Major Gifts

Lucy Alejandro, Senior Accountant Caitlin Boake, IT Associate Brittany Eckert, Support Engineer Joel James, Senior HR Manager Mateo Lopez, Finance/HR Associate Anthony Stringer, IT Associate Christian Swearingen, Payroll and Accounts Payable Analyst Justine Townsend, Director of Finance Darya Trapeznikova, Senior Budget Manager Ariela Ventura, Office Manager/HR Coordinator

Gregg Gleasner, Senior Artistic Advisor David Hyslop, Senior Advisor Christine Kelly-Weaver, Executive Assistant/Board Liaison

MARKETING/COMMUNICATIONS

DEVELOPMENT Michael Arlen, Associate Director,

Individual Giving and Major Gifts Liam Bonner, Manager, Annual Giving Groups Tiffany Bourgeois, Development Associate, Annual Fund Julie Busch, Development Associate, Special Projects &

Liaison to the Chief Development Officer Irma M. Carrillo, Development Manager, Gifts and Records Timothy Dillow, Director, Special Events Noureen Faizullah, Development Director,

Strategic Initiatives and Special Projects Denise Furlough, Manager, Special Events Vickie Hamley, Director, Volunteer Services Sydnee E. Houlette, Development Associate, Institutional Giving Rachel Klaassen, Special Events Associate Leticia Konigsberg, Director, Corporate Relations Michelle Montabana, Development Assistant,

Gifts, Records and Planned Giving Patrick Quinn, Director, Planned Giving Martin Schleuse, Development Communications Manager Sarah Slemmons, Patron Donor Relations Manager Christina Trunzo, Associate Director,

Foundation & Government Grants EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY PROGRAMMING Keisha Cassel, Manager, Education Allison Conlan, Director, Education Emily Nelson, Associate Director,

Education and Community Programming Ragan Rhodes, Manager of Education and

Community Programming 6 | Houston Symphony

Vanessa Astros-Young, Senior Director, Communications Calvin Dotsey, Communications Specialist Heather Fails, Manager, Ticketing Database Elizabeth Faulkinberry, Front of House Manager Brian Glass, Marketing Coordinator James Grant, Graphic Designer Kathryn Judd, Director, Marketing Jason Landry, Senior Manager, Patron Services Melanie O'Neill, Creative Specialist Sarah Rendón, Assistant Manager, Patron Services Mireya Reyna, Public Relations Coordinator Vanessa Rivera, Digital Marketing Manager Katie Sejba, Senior Director, Marketing & Sales Marylu Treviño, Digital Communications Manager Linsey Whitehead, Director, Creative Services Jenny Zuniga, Director, Patron Services OPERATIONS/ARTISTIC Shana Bey, Assistant Orchestra Personnel Manager Carlos Andrés Botero, Musical Ambassador Becky Brown, Director, Operations Anna Diemer, Chorus Manager Michael Gorman, Orchestra Personnel Manager Hae-A Lee, Assistant Librarian Michael McMurray, Assistant Librarian Lauren Moore, Operations Manager Kelly Morgan, Stage Manager Lesley Sabol, Director, Popular Programming Brad Sayles, Recording Engineer Thomas Takaro, Librarian Meredith Williams, Associate Director, Operations Rebecca Zabinski, Artistic Administrator

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The Houston Symphony celebrates

100 Years of Lenny

On the evening of November 13, 1943, the 25-year-old Leonard Bernstein was out celebrating the successful premiere of his first composition to appear before the New York public: I Hate Music, a charming, miniature song cycle about a child’s irreverent musings.

After much carousing, Bernstein received a call informing him that the eminent conductor Bruno Walter was ill and that as the New York Philharmonic’s assistant conductor, it fell to him to lead the concert the following day. There would be no time for rehearsal, and the concert would be nationally broadcast over the radio. Completely hung over, Bernstein met with a sniffling Walter to go over the complicated scores the next morning and called his parents to tell them to come to the concert (his father, Sam Bernstein, had always tried to dissuade him from pursuing a career in music). That afternoon, he walked out onto the stage of Carnegie Hall to make his debut conducting a major professional orchestra.

Because he was Leonard Bernstein, it was perhaps the most memorable and successful debut of any conductor in music history. He made the front page of the New York Times, and overnight he became a star. He would go on to be one of the century’s greatest conductors, as well as a charismatic television personality, a passionate educator and an outspoken political activist. 2018 marks the centennial of his birth, and orchestras all over the world are celebrating his legacy.

Though he won his greatest fame as a conductor during his life, as the years pass Bernstein is increasingly remembered as a composer, an irony that would have amused and gratified him. The musical culture of the 20th century was marked by a sharp divide between the highbrow and lowbrow, the classical and the popular.

Leonard Bernstein was one of the few figures to bridge that divide, composing hit musicals, an operetta and a film score in addition to symphonies, ballets, operas and sacred works. Even in his most “serious” compositions, his love of vernacular styles like jazz and rock ‘n’ roll shines through. Likewise, he brought the age-old symphonic techniques of the great composers to his popular scores, giving them a rare complexity and richness.

Center: Leonard Bernstein by Paul de Hueck, courtesy of the Leonard Bernstein Office Bottom: Leonard Bernstein at the piano, courtesy of the Leonard Bernstein Office 8 | Houston Symphony

During his life, he was often criticized for this musical cross pollination, and many of his contemporaries in the classical music world never took him seriously as a composer. Now, more than 27 years after his passing, his works seem to have found a secure place in the repertoire. West Side Story has even found a home in

Photo by Al Ravenna, 1955, courtesy of the Library of Congress

the opera house, as our friends at Houston Grand Opera have shown with their upcoming production. His music certainly has catchy tunes, but it also has masterful craftsmanship and powerful emotions that keep musicians and audiences coming back to his scores year after year.

The Symphony hopes to give Houston a taste of Bernstein’s accomplishments as a composer with a diverse selection of works throughout February and March, including the popular overture from his operetta, Candide, and Three Dance Episodes from On the Town, Bernstein’s first Broadway triumph. Our February concerts culminate with Hilary Hahn Celebrates Bernstein, in which the three-time Grammy Award-winning violinist will perform the Serenade after Plato’s Symposium, a virtuoso violin concerto in all but name.

Not content to confine these festivities to one city, the Houston Symphony also looks forward to the world-wide release of our new Music of the Americas recording for Pentatone in February; the recording features music director Andrés Orozco-Estrada and the Houston Symphony in an incandescent rendition of Bernstein’s Symphonic Dances from West Side Story. The Houston Symphony will also take much of this great American music to Europe during our two-week tour of the continent with Hilary Hahn in March. The Symphony will play Bernstein’s music at each of the tour’s stops in Brussels, Essen, Berlin, Warsaw, Vienna, Hamburg, Hannover and Munich.

Our celebration concludes when the orchestra returns to Houston for Stravinsky’s The Firebird over Easter weekend. The program features one of Bernstein’s most ambitious works, his Symphony No. 2, The Age of Anxiety, a profound meditation on faith in the modern world based on the poetry of W. H. Auden. Although Bernstein

labeled the work a symphony, it could almost be considered a piano concerto thanks to that instrument’s prominent and demanding solo role. Internationally acclaimed pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet will join conductor Bramwell Tovey, one of Leonard Bernstein’s most successful students, for a special performance of this masterwork.

Tovey first met Bernstein in 1986 when he had to replace an ailing conductor for a London Symphony Orchestra concert at the last minute. “About half-way through the dress rehearsal there was this terrific rumpus in the back of the hall, flashing lightbulbs, and this great celebrity-composer-genius walked in with a silk scarf, cigarette, an entourage, and of course the press literally hanging on his every word,” Tovey recounted. “He came straight up to me and said, ‘I know how you feel, because I stepped in when I was a young man. I’m here to support you.’” After watching the rehearsal, that same day Bernstein told the press that Tovey was “marvelous…he is a great hero of mine now. I mean, I never met him before this morning, but he’s become one of the great people of my life.”

“He really enabled my career that night to have a tremendous launch,” Tovey said. Tovey went on to study with Bernstein at Boston’s Tanglewood Festival, gaining great insight into the master’s approach to music. It would be hard to find a better interpreter for Bernstein. —Calvin Dotsey Join the Houston Symphony’s Bernstein celebration at Ravel’s Daphnis and Chloe (February 2, 3 & 4), Andrés Conducts Dvořák 7 (February 15, 17 & 18), Hilary Hahn Celebrates Bernstein (23, 24 & 25) and Stravinsky’s The Firebird (March 29, 30 & 31). For tickets and more information, visit www.houstonsymphony.org.

InTUNE — January 2018 | 9

CARLOS ANDRÉS BOTERO, MUSICAL AMBASSADOR

HOW CLASSICAL

M U Smodern IC

BECAME

At the dawn of the 20th century, Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring incited a riot at its Paris premiere. As controversial as it was from its inception, it is now recognized as one of the most important musical works in history. A watershed in the transition to modern orchestral music, The Rite of Spring has had seemingly endless ripples that affect the way music is made and heard today. But those who lived through such a massive quake knew that only 20 years earlier Brahms was still composing music heralded as a continuation of the Classical tradition.

Where did we take that turn into modernity? How did music change so much in only two decades? Were there any signs that announced modernity along the way for composers and audiences? For all the differences of musical style across centuries, the concerns of every epoch are remarkably similar to those of today. With every bar— from Strauss to Stravinsky and Brahms to Bernstein—we reconnect with a network of ideas and sensibilities that run through music like the genetic code of our modernity.

Now you can explore the pioneering composers who shaped modern symphonic music and defied the expectations of their times. I invite you to join my class at the Glasscock School of Continuing Studies this spring. From March 26 to May 14, the course will examine the works of Brahms, Tchaikovsky, Strauss, Sibelius, Stravinsky and Bernstein. These are the composers who changed history with their music. This is the journey of the orchestra from classicism to modern times.

Sign up today at glasscock.rice.edu.

10 | Houston Symphony

Enjoy Great Concerts From Recent Seasons on HPM This month’s broadcasts include favorites by Tchaikovsky, Mussorgsky, Berlioz and Mozart. We also spotlight Principal Trombonist Allen Barnhill, violinists Eric Halen and Jennifer Owen, and former Houston Symphony concertmaster Frank Huang, as well as the winners of the 2017 Ima Hogg Competition.

JANUARY 2018 BROADCAST SCHEDULE ALL BROADCASTS AIR AT 8PM

January 7 News 88.7 January 10 Classical

Frank Huang, leader & violin soloist Haydn: Symphony No. 39 Piazzolla: Cuatro estaciones porteñas Tchaikovsky: Serenade for Strings

RECORDED:

March 6, 8 & 9 2014

January 14 News 88.7 January 17 Classical RECORDED:

June 17, 2006

January 21 News 88.7 January 24 Classical

Rebecca Miller, conductor Allen Barnhill, trombone Mussorgsky/Rimsky-Korsakov: A Night on Bald Mountain Rimsky-Korsakov/R. Thurston: Trombone Concerto Berlioz: Symphonie fantastique

2017 Ima Hogg Competition Finals Concert

RECORDED:

June 3, 2017

January 28 News 88.7 January 31 Classical RECORDED:

January 3-5, 2014

Andrés Orozco-Estrada, conductor Eric Halen, violin Jennifer Owen, violin Haydn: Symphony No. 59, Fire Schnittke: Moz-Art á la Haydn – for two violins and chamber ensemble Mozart: Symphony No. 41, Jupiter

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MUSIC FOR THE SOUL Hope on the Road to Recovery

Houston Symphony Community-Embedded Musician Anthony Parce visits a patient at Texas Children's Hospital. (Photo credit: Paul Kuntz)

“Would you like to hear some music today?” At Texas Children’s Hospital, this question gives a little bit of control and normalcy back to kids when their lives have been turned upside-down by illness.

Houston Symphony musicians visit patients each week as part of a partnership between the Houston Symphony and the Periwinkle Arts In Medicine Program at Texas Children’s Cancer and Hematology Centers. Musicians go from room to room, offering live music to the children.

“I enjoy getting to play different things for different kids depending on what kind of mood they are in,” says Hellen Weberpal, Houston Symphony Community-Embedded Musician and cellist. “One of the most important things about my job here is being able to read the room and see what kind of music they would like to hear.”

12 | Houston Symphony

“There’s a connection these musicians make,” remarks Carol Herron, Periwinkle Arts In Medicine Program Coordinator. “It’s not just about being very talented musicians, but about their ability to connect with the patients that makes these relationships so special.”

The symphony’s relationship with Texas Children’s goes back nearly a decade, when Houston Symphony violinist Christopher Neal began visiting patients’ bedsides.

"I go room-to-room with my violin and some music, and I use cues from room decorations and conversations to know what to play,” Christopher says. “For 10 minutes, the kid and I use our imaginations to explore a musical world away from the hospital.

When we return, we are both uplifted—if even in a small way—and open to the idea of hope." —Emily Nelson

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InTUNE — January 2018 | 13

New Century Society FOR ARTISTIC EXCELLENCE AND INNOVATION The New Century Society for Artistic Excellence and Innovation recognizes the Houston Symphony’s most committed and loyal supporters who have pledged their leadership support over a three-year period to help secure the orchestra’s financial future.

For more information or to pledge your support for New Century Society, please contact: Mary Beth Mosley, Interim Co-Chief Development Officer /Director, Institutional Giving and Stewardship, 713.337.8521 Molly Simpson, Interim Co-Chief Development Officer /Director, Individual Giving and Major Gifts, 713.337.8526 Ms. Marie Taylor Bosarge Margaret Alkek Williams Janice Barrow Rochelle & Max Levit Cora Sue & Harry Mach John & Lindy Rydman / Spec’s Wines, Spirits & Finer Foods/ Spec’s Charitable Foundation Bobby & Phoebe Tudor Clare Attwell Glassell Albert & Ethel Herzstein Charitable Foundation Mr. & Mrs. Jim R. Smith Mike Stude Mr. & Mrs. Jesse B. Tutor

Robin Angly & Miles Smith Gary & Marian Beauchamp Barbara J. Burger The Hearst Foundation, Inc. The Joan and Marvin Kaplan Foundation Joella & Steven P. Mach Mr. & Mrs. J. Stephen Marks Barbara & Pat McCelvey Houston Methodist Ron Franklin & Janet Gurwitch Carol & Michael Linn & The Michael C. Linn Family Foundation Rand Group Mr. & Mrs. William K. Robbins Jr. / The Robbins Foundation Steven & Nancy Williams

Baker Botts L.L.P. Beauchamp Foundation Mr. & Mrs. Edward F. Blackburne Jr. Viviana & David Denechaud/ Sidley Austin LLP Stephen & Mariglyn Glenn Dignity Memorial Funeral Homes and Cemetaries of the Greater Houston Area Dave & Alie Pruner Mr. & Mrs. James A. Shaffer Wells Fargo

Leadership COUNCIL Leadership Council donors have committed $45,000 or more in support of the Annual Fund, special projects and fundraising events over a three-year period ($15,000+ annually).

Danielle & Josh Batchelor Mr. & Mrs. Walter V. Boyle Justice Brett & Erin Busby Billy & Christie McCartney Mr. Richard Danforth Gene & Linda Dewhurst The Elkins Foundation

Mr. & Mrs. Fred L. Gorman Christina & Mark C. Hanson Mr. & Mrs. U. J. LeGrange Mr. & Mrs. Rodney H. Margolis The Melbern G. and Susanne M. Glasscock Foundation Rita & Paul Morico

Mr. John N. Neighbors Susan & Edward Osterberg Gloria & Joe Pryzant Ken* & Carol Lee Robertson Michael J. Shawiak Lisa & Jerry Simon Stephen & Kristine Wallace

Mr. & Mrs. Fredric A. Weber Robert G. Weiner & Toni Blankmann Mr. & Mrs. C. Clifford Wright Jr. *deceased

For more information or to pledge your support for the Leadership Council, please contact: Mary Beth Mosley, Interim Co-Chief Development Officer /Director, Institutional Giving and Stewardship, 713.337.8521 Molly Simpson, Interim Co-Chief Development Officer /Director, Individual Giving and Major Gifts, 713.337.8526

14 | Houston Symphony

EARLY ADOPTERS Vision 2025 Implementation Fund Vision 2025, the Houston Symphony’s ten-year Strategic Plan, will allow the Houston Symphony to be America’s most relevant and accessible top-ten orchestra by 2025.

Vision 2025 was kick-started by early adopters in 2015. The Houston Symphony recognizes and thanks the following Early Adopters for their initial investments in support of our ambitious vision.

Vision 2025 Implementation Fund The Vision 2025 Implementation Fund will catalyze the transformative growth outlined within Vision 2025. The Houston Symphony recognizes and thanks the following supporters of the Vision 2025 Implementation Fund.

OPERATING SUPPORT Rochelle & Max Levit Bobby & Phoebe Tudor Barbara J. Burger John & Lindy Rydman/ Spec’s Wines, Spirits & Finer Foods/ Spec’s Charitable Foundation Anonymous C. Howard Pieper Foundation Clare Attwell Glassell Janet F. Clark The Brown Foundation, Inc. The Joan & Marvin Kaplan Foundation Mr. John N. Neighbors Barbara & Pat McCelvey Ms. Marie Taylor Bosarge Joella & Steven P. Mach Clive Runnells in memory of Nancy Morgan Runnells Beauchamp Foundation Lisa & Jerry Simon League of American Orchestras' Futures Fund BBVA Compass Robin Angly & Miles Smith Drs. Dennis & Susan Carlyle LTR Lewis Cloverdale Foundation Jay & Shirley Marks Vivian L. Smith Foundation Nancy & Robert Peiser Dave & Alie Pruner

Mr. Jay Steinfield & Mrs. Barbara Winthrop Michael J. Shawiak

Spir Star, Ltd. Shirley Wolff Toomim Daisy S. Wong / JCorp

Mr. & Mrs. Alexander K. McLanahan The Boeing Company Justice Brett & Erin Busby Ron Franklin & Janet Gurwitch Carol & Michael Linn and The Michael C. Linn Family Foundation Beth Madison Rita & Paul Morico Ms. Ellen A. Yarrell, in memory of Virginia S. Anderson and in honor of Cora Sue Mach

Brad & Joan Corson Mr. & Mrs. Jesse B. Tutor Estate of Freddie L. Anderson Mr. & Mrs. Marvy A. Finger Eugene Fong Dr. Gary L. Hollingsworth & Dr. Kenneth J. Hyde Mr. Jackson D. Hicks Mr. & Mrs. U. J. LeGrange Gary Mercer Mike Stude Stephen & Kristine Wallace Texas Commission on the Arts

Robert G. Weiner & Toni Blankmann Stephen & Mariglyn Glenn Evan B. Glick Viviana & David Denechaud Christina & Mark C. Hanson Debbie & Frank G. Jones Dr. Stewart Morris Donna & Tim Shen Tad & Suzanne Smith Judith Vincent

PLANNED AND ENDOWMENT GIFTS

Vicki West & Mrs. Liv Estrada Albert & Ethel Herzstein Charitable Foundation BB&T / Courtney & Bill Toomey Marzena & Jacek Jaminski Cora Sue & Harry Mach Catherine & Bob Orr Mrs. Sybil F. Roos

Dr. & Mrs. George J. Abdo Robin Angly James Barton Paul M. Basinski Mr. & Mrs. Alexander K. McLanahan Michael J. Shawiak C. Howard Pieper Foundation Dr. James E. & Betty W. Key The Hon. Stella G. & Richard C. Nelson Tad & Suzanne Smith Susan Gail Wood The Estate of Dorothy H. Grieves The Estate of David L. Hyde

EARLY ADOPTERS Margaret Alkek Williams Janice Barrow The Brown Foundation, Inc. Cora Sue & Harry Mach Albert & Ethel Herzstein Charitable Foundation Joella & Steven P. Mach Rochelle & Max Levit Steven & Nancy Williams Robin Angly & Miles Smith Carol & Michael Linn & The Michael C. Linn Family Foundation The Hearst Foundation, Inc. Mr. & Mrs. Jesse B. Tutor Bobby & Phoebe Tudor Baker Botts L.L.P. Nancy & Robert Peiser Barbara & Pat McCelvey The Robert & Janice McNair Foundation / Palmetto Partners, Ltd. John & Lindy Rydman / Spec’s Wines, Spirits & Finer Foods/ Spec’s Charitable Foundation Mr. & Mrs. Rodney H. Margolis Billy & Christie McCartney Mr. & Mrs. Jim R. Smith Danielle & Josh Batchelor BBVA Compass Dave & Alie Pruner

For more information or to pledge your support for Vision 2025, please contact: Amanda T. Dinitz, Interim Executive Director/Chief of Strategic Initiatives, 713.337.8541 Mary Beth Mosley, Interim Co-Chief Development Officer /Director, Institutional Giving and Stewardship, 713.337.8521 Molly Simpson, Interim Co-Chief Development Officer /Director, Individual Giving and Major Gifts, 713.337.8526

InTUNE — January 2018 | 15

HURRICANE HARVEY Employee Assistance Fund The Houston Symphony thanks the following generous donors who provided support to more than 12 orchestra musicians and staff who were impacted by Hurricane Harvey’s devastating floods. Their kindness gave the entire Houston Symphony strength and encouragement when we needed it most. $15,000 or more

Janet F. Clark/EOG Resources, Inc.

$10,000-$14,999 Anonymous Barbara J. Burger

$5,000-$9,999

Bobby & Phoebe Tudor

$1,500-$4,999

Louise Carlson & Richard Larrabee Mr. & Mrs. Alexander K. McLanahan Douglas & Alicia Rodenberger Steven & Nancy Williams

$500-$1,499

Anonymous Mrs. Caroline S. Callery Mr. Carl R. Cunningham Joan DerHovsepian & Erik Gronfor Vicky Dominguez Mr. Jonathan Fischer Bill & Diana Freeman Mr. & Mrs. Neil Gaynor Mr. & Mrs. Melbern G. Glasscock Bill Grieves Christina & Mark Hanson Mr. Eunice S. Heilg Ann & Joe Hightower Mr. & Mrs. J. Stephen Marks Mr. & Mrs. Robert V. Nelson Jr. Nancy & Robert Peiser Gloria & Joe Pryzant Hugh & Ann Roff Mr. & Mrs. Raymond E. Sawaya Mr. Douglas Shanda Michael J. Shawiak Tad & Suzanne Smith Emily H. & David K. Terry Alice & Terry Thomas Ms. Sandra Tirey Shirley W. Toomim Janet & Tom Walker Mr. & Mrs. John B. Wallace Mr. & Mrs. Fredric A. Weber Ms. Stephanie Willinger

16 | Houston Symphony

Additional Support

Ms. Sarah Adams Alexandra Adkins & Steve Wenig Anonymous (6) Mrs. Janet O. Barnard Mr. Richard Beebe Mr. & Mrs. Tom Black Howard Bodner Drs. Desmond & Tiffany Bourgeois Mrs. Judith Boyce Ms. Barbara A. Brooks Leone Buyse & Michael Webster Mr. Chris P. Caddell Mr. & Mrs. Albert G. Cantrell Mr. & Mrs. Daren Carter Ms. Ophelia Chen William J. Clayton & Margaret A. Hughes Ms. Carol J. Coats Jimmy & Lynn Coe Ms. Jennifer Collins Mr. & Mrs. Kelly Cooke Mr. Selagi Cortez Ms. Jeanné A. Cox Mr. Burton Dickey Amanda & Adam Dinitz Ira & Judith Dinitz Mr. & Mrs. Charlie DiStefano Ms. Renee Dominguez Mr. Randall Dunn Drs. Rosalind & Gary Dworkin Connie & Byron Dyer Evelyn Earlougher Paula & Louis Faillace Noureen Faizullah & Omar Huerta Eugene Fong Edwin Friedrichs & Darlene Clark Dr. & Mrs. Don A. Gard Ms. Kimberly Gemza Mr. & Mrs. Elliot Gershenson The Gertz Foundation L. Rusty Goetz Ms. Alexys Gonzalez Mr. James Griffith Trudy Guinee Mr. & Mrs. Brent W. Gwaltney Dr. & Mrs. Carlos R. Hamilton Jr. Mrs. Julia Hardy Dr. Alan Heilman

Ms. Renee Helfman Ms. Magdalena Hightower Ms. Catherine Hungerford Mr. Miguel Jakymec Dr. & Mrs. Joseph Jankovic Mr. Randall Johnson Dr. Rita Justice Ms. Pamela Kahl Mr. Lee Kesselman Ms. Rachel L. Klaassen & Mr. Steven J. Bosworth Ms. Radka Kral Mr. David Lea Mr. Max Lenov Mr. Ralph Leonard Mr. William W. Lindley Mr. Frances Luedeking Mr. John MacAdam Mr. & Mrs. Bruce G. Malcolm Mr. Frederick Mallari Mr. David Maloney C.C. Mann Mr. & Mrs. Rodney H. Margolis Ms. Sheryl McCurdy Mr. & Mrs. Michael R. McKown Mrs. Nancy McNease Ms. Kathryn McNiel Mr. Thomas McWillie Anne Schnoebelen Meixner Mr. Steve Metcalf Ms. Joan B. Murphy Ms. Rebecca Murphy Mr. Manoj Nagvekar Mrs. Marie Nelson Mr. Ron Noble Mr. & Mrs. Fred W. Nordenholz Mr. Kirby Nunez Ms. Kathryn O'Brien Mr. J. Thomas Oldham Mrs. Mary Page Linda Popkin-Paine & Stephen Paine Ms. Julie C. Parker Christine & Robert Pastorek Mr. David Peavy & Dr. Stephen McCauley Ms. Jean L. Pengra Ms. Alice Phillips Jenny & Tadjin Popatia

Mr. Tristan Propst Mr. Roger C. Rasco Ms. Greta Rimpo Kathryn Ritcheske Mrs. Roberta Ritcheske Mr. Luis Rivas Mr. Sebastian Rivas Mr. Danny Rojas Ms. Heidi Rosenstrauch Ms. Mary Rusek Mr. Khaldoon Sakkal Ms. Victoria Scharen Ms. Sarah Schmitt Ms. Marcela Segade Ms. Dimple Shah Leo & Karin Shipman Mr. Svetlana Shylo Molly Simpson Mrs. Patricia Sission Mark & Sally Sooby Mr. & Mrs. Robert Sorton Ms. Judith Starr Mr. Dragan Stojkovic Mr. David Streit Ms. Kristin Tassin Mr. & Mrs. Marc Tronzo Ms. Marilyn Turboff Jana Vander Lee Mrs. Nana Vaughn Mr. Fe Velasco Ms. Sophia Vignovich Margaret Waisman, M.D. & Steven S. Callahan, Ph.D. Ms. Jennifer Whitfield Mr. Robert Wigod Ms. Lora Wildenthal Nancy B. Willerson Mr. Windsor Williams Ms. Marian Wilson Mr. Todd Wolfard Mr. William Womble Ms. Celeste Wood Mr. Gregory Young

S AV E THE DATE 2018 HOUSTON SYMPHONY BALL

THE

BALINESE ROOM S AT U R D AY, M AY 1 2 , 2 0 1 8 T H E P O S T O A K H O T E L AT U P T O W N H O U S T O N R O B I N A N G LY A N D M I L E S S M I T H , C H A I R S D A R R I N D AV I S A N D M A R I O G U D M U N D S S O N , C O - C H A I R S ENT ERTA I NM ENT PROV IDE D BY T HE DAVI D CACE RES BAND A ND DJ K A LK UTTA

Robin Angly & Miles Smith FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT RACHEL KLAASSEN, ASSOCIATE, SPECIAL EVENTS, AT RACHEL.KLAASSEN@HOUSTONSYMPHONY.ORG OR 713.337.8520 WWW.HOUSTONSYMPHONY.ORG/SYMPHONY-BALL

Darrin Davis & Mario Gudmundsson

FEATURED PROGRAM

DISNEY FANTASIA LIVE IN CONCERT Friday Saturday Sunday

January 5, 2018 January 6, 2018 January 7, 2018

8:00pm 8:00pm 2:30pm

Jones Hall

Steven Reineke, conductor

Beethoven

Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Opus 67 I Allegro con brio

Beethoven

Symphony No. 6 in F major, Opus 68 (Pastoral)

Tchaikovsky Debussy/Stokowski Stravinsky

Suite from The Nutcracker, Opus 71a Clair de lune from Suite bergamasque Suite from L’oiseau de feu (The Firebird) I N T E R M I S S I O N

Ponchielli Dukas Elgar/P. Schickele Respighi

Dance of the Hours from La Gioconda L’apprenti sorcier (The Sorcerer’s Apprentice) Pomp and Circumstance March in D major, Opus 39, No. 1 Pini di Roma (Pines of Rome) I I pini di Villa Borghese (The Pines of the Villa Borghese): Allegretto vivace III I pini del Gianicolo (The Pines of the Janiculum): Lento IV I pini della via Appia (The Pines of the Appian Way): Tempo di Marcia

PRESENTATION LICENSED BY DISNEY CONCERTS © ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

18 | Houston Symphony

Disney Fantasia Live in Concert | Program Biography

Program BIOGRAPHY These performances are generously supported in part by: Guarantor General and Mrs. Maurice Hirsch Memorial Concert Fund Underwriter Margaret Alkek Williams

Sponsor Mach Family Audience Development Fund

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 being Principal POPS Conductor at the Houston Symphony, Steven is the music director of The New York Pops at Carnegie Hall, principal pops conductor of the National Symphony Orchestra at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and principal pops conductor of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. He previously held the posts of principal pops conductor of the Long Beach and Modesto Symphony Orchestras and associate conductor of the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra.

Steven is a frequent guest conductor with The Philadelphia Orchestra and has been on the podium with the Boston Pops Orchestra, The Cleveland Orchestra and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra at Ravinia. His extensive North American conducting appearances include San Francisco, Seattle, Edmonton, Pittsburgh, Vancouver, Ottawa (National Arts Centre), Detroit, Milwaukee and Calgary.

On stage, Steven 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 was featured on National Public Radio's All Things Considered leading the National Symphony Orchestra—in a first for the show’s 45-year history—performing live music excerpts between news segments.

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 was used to commemorate the Sun Valley Summer Symphony’s pavilion, and his Festival Te Deum and Swan’s Island Sojourn were debuted by the Cincinnati Symphony and Cincinnati Pops Orchestras. His numerous wind ensemble compositions are published by the C.L. Barnhouse Company and are performed by concert bands 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 currently resides in New York City with his husband, Eric Gabbard.

InTUNE — January 2018 | 19

Program NOTES Disney’s Fantasia – Live in Concert (2012)

Program notes by Alexander Rannie Copyright © 2012 by Alexander Rannie

Fantasia (1940) and Fantasia 2000 (1999) In this age of 3D, HD, widescreen, 7.1 surround sound—and that’s just in your living room!—it can be hard to fathom how revolutionary Fantasia was upon its theatrical release in 1940. Neither symphony hall concertgoers nor families headed to the movies to catch the latest Disney cartoon were prepared for the breadth and depth of color and sound that poured forth from the screen. Walt Disney (1901-1966) and conductor Leopold Stokowski (1882-1977), in collaboration with the talents of 1,000-plus artists, musicians, and engineers at the Walt Disney Studio, the RCA Corporation, composer, author and commentator Deems Taylor (1885-1966), dozens of dancers (including Marge Champion and members of the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo and Ballet Theatre) and the entire Philadelphia Orchestra, created a watershed cinematic experience that remains a visionary milestone to this day. Sadly, the expense of installing the Fantasound audio playback system in theaters, and the loss of the European market because of World War II, nixed Walt’s dream of an ongoing “Concert Feature,” wherein individual segments would be replaced by new ones. Though the Walt Disney Studio would utilize popular songs in several package films of the ’40s and ’50s, not until 1999 and the release of Fantasia 2000, spearheaded by Walt’s nephew, Roy E. Disney, would a Disneyproduced feature-length marriage of classical music and animation once again reach the screen.

Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Opus 67, Allegro con brio (1804-08) Ludwig van Beethoven

To begin Fantasia 2000 with a bang, Disney artists chose the opening movement of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, its shortshort-short-long musical motif immediately grabbing the listener’s ear. And it also slyly references the time period of the original Fantasia when this four-note motif, the same rhythm as Morse code for the letter V (“di-di-di-dah”), underscored the “V for Victory!” rallying cry of the Allies in World War II. Computer animation was combined with hand-drawn pastels to create the look of this segment, the abstractions of what might be butterflies and bats paying homage to the abstract animated films of Len Lye and Oskar Fischinger, who had earlier influenced the opening segment of the original Fantasia, Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in D minor. Here, light battles dark to the repeated rhythm of “di-di-di-dah,” suggesting that victory can’t be far away.

20 | Houston Symphony

Symphony No. 6 in F major, Opus 68 (Pastoral) Allegro, Allegro, Allegretto (1808) Ludwig van Beethoven

Conceived as an Art Deco interpretation of life in mythological Greece, Fantasia’s Pastoral segment was originally set to “The Entrance of the Little Fauns,” a brief episode from Gabriel Pierné’s ballet Cydalise et le Chèvre-pied. It soon became apparent that the story artists’ ideas were too great for such a trifle. In searching for a piece of music to support their vision, the Disney artists came across Beethoven’s program for his Sixth Symphony, in which he describes several pastoral episodes (scenes which take place in the country), including, “Happy gathering of country folk; Thunderstorm; Shepherds’ song; cheerful and thankful feelings after the storm.” Stokowski felt that Beethoven was ill-suited to Disney and Art Deco, but Fantasia’s onscreen commentator, composer Deems Taylor, was in favor of the match. Walt liked the idea that so many folks who’d never been exposed to classical music would have an opportunity to experience it as never before.

As he put it, “Gee, this’ll make Beethoven!”

Suite from The Nutcracker, Opus 71a (1892)

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

One of the striking features of Fantasia’s Nutcracker Suite is how memorable the characters are considering how short a time they’re on screen. With personality to spare, these often faceless anthropomorphized flora and fauna (and faeries) remain with us long after the last note of music has faded away. One in particular, Hop Low, the smallest of the mushrooms in the “Chinese Dance,” always elicits sympathetic laughter from the audience —even though he’s onscreen for only a minute! When animating the “Chinese Dance,” artist Art Babbitt kept a copy of the music on his desk to help navigate the play of musical counterpoint. He also admitted to being influenced by the antics of one of The Three Stooges. When asked if he received any assistance with the choreography of the mushrooms, Babbitt replied, “The only choreographic suggestion I ever got came from Walt Disney himself. I had animated the little mushroom taking his bow on the last note of music. Walt suggested he take the bow after. Both ways would have worked, depending on one’s translation of the little guy’s character.”

Clair de lune from Suite bergamasque (1890/1905)

Claude Debussy (orchestrated by Leopold Stokowski)

“Clair de lune” was fully recorded, animated and shot before being cut from Fantasia, ostensibly to shorten the overall running time of the film. The animation was later edited and released as part of the package film Make Mine Music (1946), accompanied

Disney Fantasia Live in Concert | Program Notes

by the popular song “Blue Bayou” (not to be confused with Roy Orbison’s “Blue Bayou”). Fortunately, a work print of the complete, unedited “Clair de lune,” as well as a copy of Stokowski’s original performance, survived and were reunited in a 1996 restoration.

Walt saw “Clair de lune” as a segment to stand in contrast to the others around it, a moment of reflection and repose. Its sustained, evocative, slightly mysterious mood, enhanced by remarkably fluid camera work following two herons in flight in the moonlight, reveals the work of a studio at the top of its game.

(additionally modeled on Lichine’s wife, Tatiana Riabouchinska) dance a pas de deux unrivalled in the history of ballet. A grand finale brings down the house. Literally! Walt continually added gags to Dance of the Hours, but never at the expense of the ballet.

“The whole incongruity of the thing,” he said, “is the elephants and hippos doing what graceful people do. Of course, they can use natural props like their trunks.”

Suite from L’oiseau de feu (The Firebird)

Less than a decade after Mickey Mouse’s arrival on the silver screen, Walt Disney felt that the popularity of his alter ego was waning and decided to feature him in a retelling of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s poem, The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, accompanied by Paul Dukas’ composition of the same name. A chance meeting between Walt and Leopold Stokowski led to the famed leader of the Philadelphia Orchestra agreeing to conduct at no cost. Disney envisioned a superior offering, with production values far above the usual Mickey Mouse or Silly Symphony cartoon. No expense was spared. Storyboards were done in full color. Mickey’s design was updated to allow for greater expression and, for the first time, his eyes had pupils. Animators studied live-action reference of a UCLA athlete jumping hurdles in order to accurately portray Mickey’s struggles. Layout and color design were planned in great detail in order to convey in images what could not be said with words. By the time The Sorcerer’s Apprentice was completed, its budget was several times that of a normal Silly Symphony. Realizing he couldn’t get a return on his investment with a standalone cartoon, Walt decided to make The Sorcerer’s Apprentice the centerpiece of a “Concert Feature.” “When [Sorcerer] was almost finished,” Stokowski wrote, “Walt said to me: ‘Why don’t we make a bigger picture with all kinds of music?’ and that led to Fantasia.” The Sorcerer’s Apprentice remains not only the seed from which the great “Concert Feature” grew, but perhaps the greatest 10 minutes of animated storytelling ever produced.

Igor Stravinsky

Igor Stravinsky’s ballet The Firebird was considered but rejected for use in the original Fantasia in favor of another of his ballets, The Rite of Spring. (Stravinsky was the only living composer to have heard his composition in Fantasia.) But the appeal of The Firebird’s music held fast to the artists at the Disney studio and over the years, when the idea of revisiting Fantasia was brought up, thoughts often returned to this early Stravinsky work. For Fantasia 2000, Disney artists crafted a story far removed from the original scenario of Stravinsky’s ballet: no longer a benevolent, if capricious being, the Firebird is now a frightening, fiery sprit of destruction who seeks to destroy the forest home of a Spring Sprite and her companion elk. The look of the segment taps into Anime sensibilities as well as the real-life eruption of Mount St. Helens, all to the purpose of illustrating nature’s circle of life, death and rebirth.

Dance of the Hours from La Gioconda (1876)

Amilcare Ponchielli

Using such diverse touchstones as the animal caricatures of artists T. S. Sullivant and Heinrich Kley, and a George Balanchine ballet for the 1938 film The Goldwyn Follies (where ballerina Vera Zorina emerges effulgent from a reflecting pool), director T. Hee’s anthropomorphic marriage of high art and low in Dance of the Hours never fails to elicit gales of laughter. This loving parody of classical dance, “a pageant of the hours of the day,” begins with Ostrich Ballet: Morning, in which an ostrich corps de ballet is awakened by Mlle. Upanova (modeled on Ballet Theatre ballerina Irina Baronova). Next comes Hippo Ballet: Afternoon, where Hyacinth Hippo (modeled on stage, radio and screen actress Hattie Noel, as well as live-action model for Snow White and the Blue Fairy, dancer Marge Champion) makes her first appearance.

Elephant Ballet: Evening follows, wherein the corps executes an elaborate bubble dance. (Walt suggested that the “elephants’ trunks can come up and spray like the Beverly Hills fountain.”)

Next comes Alligator Ballet: Night. Here, Ben Ali Gator (modeled on Ballet Russe dancer David Lichine) and Hyacinth Hippo

L’apprenti sorcier (The Sorcerer’s Apprentice)

Paul Dukas

InTUNE — January 2018 | 21

Program NOTES , continued

Pomp and Circumstance March in D major, Opus 39, No. 1

Sir Edward Elgar

In looking for a piece of music for Fantasia 2000 that would be familiar to a wide-ranging audience, Disney artists hit upon the idea of using Elgar’s Pomp and Circumstance March No.1, a mainstay at high school and college graduations in the United States, and familiar under various other guises worldwide.

Numerous story ideas were considered and rejected, including one that featured a royal procession of Disney princes and princesses presenting their offspring to Donald Duck! After developing and discarding a concept that involved animating every Disney character ever created, it was decided that, since The Sorcerer’s Apprentice gives Mickey Mouse his moment in the spotlight, Donald should have a moment of hope and glory as well. A retelling of the story of Noah’s Ark, with Donald in the role of the Patriarch, provided plenty of opportunities for marching—two-by-two, of course—as well a variety of possibilities for the frustrationinducing, yet humorous incidents that are the bane of Donald’s existence. That Donald loses and regains his true love in such a grand tapestry only adds to the poignancy of this duck tale.

Pini di Roma (Pines of Rome)

Ottorino Respighi

Respighi’s Pines of Rome was one of the earliest segments of Fantasia 2000 green-lit for production. And it was, according to Roy Disney, “the first musical selection I suggested.” Just as the artists working on the original Fantasia stretched the boundaries of available technology, artists working on Pines of Rome were eager to show what could be accomplished with the then still-new technology of computer animation. (This is in the days before Toy Story!) Inspired by Roy Disney’s tales of piloting through cumulus thunderhead cloud formations, Disney artists combined elements of traditional hand-drawn animation with computer generated characters and environments to create the plausible impossible—a pod of flying humpback whales! As to what happens to the whales, the artists suggest that it’s up to the interpretation of the individual viewer. Roy Disney said, “Certainly it is about hope and rebirth, but there’s also a mystical quality to it that seems to transcend all that.”

Alexander Rannie is a composer and historian whose original scores include The Ren & Stimpy Show, Walt Disney’s Alice Comedies and Screen Novelties’ Monster Safari. He has worked for Walt Disney Feature Animation (where he assisted in the restoration of Fantasia), Roy E. Disney and Shamrock Holdings, and Diane Disney Miller and The Walt Disney Family Foundation. In May of 2011, the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra gave the world premiere of Rannie’s score for Walt Disney’s Oswald the Lucky Rabbit cartoon Trolley Troubles (1927). www.alexanderrannie.com

22 | Houston Symphony

FREDELL LACK LEGACY VIOLIN SERIES

The Fredell Lack Legacy Violin Series, established in 2017 at the Moores School of Music, honors its namesake, legendary violinist Fredell Lack, by bringing world-class musical artists to the University of Houston Kathrine G. McGovern College of the Arts.

2018 FEATURED GUEST ARTISTS Joyce Hammann

Gloria Justen

Eden MacAdam-Somer

Sunday, January 21, 2018 Sunday, February 25, 2018 Sunday, June 24, 2018 Dudley Recital Hall / 2:30 p.m. Moores Opera House / 2:30 p.m. Moores Opera House / 2:30 p.m.

Joyce Hammann, violin Timothy Hester, piano

General Admission: $12 Students & Seniors: $7

Gloria Justen, violin Accompanied by UH students

Eden MacAdam-Somer, violin Timothy Hester, piano

uh.edu/kgmca/music/events-performances/lack_violin_series @UHKGMarts

@UHKGM_arts

@UHKGM_arts

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

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

New Year’s Sale

PICK 3 CONCERTS FROM 50% off the regular price!

99

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Not valid on prior purchases. Cannot be combined with other offers. Subject to availability.

Emanuel Ax, piano

TCHAIKOVSKY 4

THE BEST OF JOHN WILLIAMS

Chris Botti, trumpet

EMANUEL AX AND THE RITE OF SPRING

CHRIS BOTTI RETURNS

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Frost Bank Gold Classics

Shell Favorite Masters

FEATURED PROGRAM

KIRILL GERSTEIN PLAYS BRAHMS Thursday Friday Saturday

January 11, 2018 January 12, 2018 January 13, 2018

8:00pm 8:00pm 8:00pm

Jones Hall

Andrés Orozco-Estrada, conductor Kirill Gerstein, piano Bartók

Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta I Andante tranquillo II Allegro III Adagio IV Allegro molto

ca. 32

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

Brahms

Piano Concerto No. 1 in D minor, Opus 15 I Maestoso II Adagio III Rondo: Allegro non troppo

24 | Houston Symphony

ca. 42

Did you know?

• The film director Stanley Kubrick used an excerpt from the third movement of Bartók’s Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta in his classic horror movie, The Shining.

Bartók’s music is used for the scene in which Danny discovers Room 237 while riding his trike.

Kirill Gerstein Plays Brahms | Program Biographies

Program BIOGRAPHIES GREAT PERFORMERS SERIES

These performances are generously supported in part by: Grand Guarantor Rochelle & Max Levit

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.

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.

This concert is being recorded for future broadcasts on Houston Public Media News 88.7 airing on Sundays at 8pm and streaming online at houstonpublicmedia.org.

Andrés Orozco-Estrada | conductor

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

Kirill Gerstein | piano From Bach to Adès, Kirill Gerstein’s playing is distinguished by its clarity of expression, discerning intelligence and virtuosity. His energetic and imaginative musical personality has rapidly taken him to the top of his profession.

Highlights of his 2017-18 season in North America include debuts with the Pittsburgh and National Symphony Orchestras and re-engagements here and with the Minnesota Orchestra and the Boston, Chicago, San Francisco, Indianapolis, Colorado and Oregon symphonies. Internationally, Kirill works with the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra and the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra; the BBC Proms in London; and the Czech, Rotterdam, Stockholm and Oslo Philharmonics.

Kirill Gerstein has performed with many of the world’s finest ensembles, including with the Cleveland, Philadelphia, Tonhalle and Royal Concertgebouw Orchestras; and the Berlin, New York, Los Angeles, Munich and London Philharmonics. As a recitalist, he has appeared in prestigious venues in Vienna, Paris, Prague, Hamburg, London, Budapest, New York, Chicago, Washington and other locales. He has also performed at the Salzburg, Verbier, Lucerne and Edinburgh Festivals, the Proms in London and the Jerusalem Chamber Music Festival.

New additions to his extensive discography include recordings of Scriabin’s Piano Concerto and Prometheus with the Oslo Philharmonic and Vasily Petrenko (LAWO Classics) as well as Gershwin’s Piano Concerto in F and Rhapsody in Blue with the Saint Louis Symphony and David Robertson (Myrios Classics).

Brought up in the former Soviet Union studying both classical and jazz piano, Gerstein moved to the United States at 14, becoming the youngest student to attend Boston’s Berklee College of Music. He studied classical piano with Solomon Mikowsky in New York, Dmitri Bashkirov in Madrid and Ferenc Rados in Budapest. Kirill has won many prestigious accolades, including First Prize at the 10th Arthur Rubinstein International Piano Master Competition (2001) and a Gilmore Young Artist Award (2002). In 2010, funds from an Avery Fisher Career Grant and the Gilmore Artist Award allowed him to commission new works from Timothy Andres, Chick Corea, Alexander Goehr, Oliver Knussen and Brad Mehldau. He taught at the Stuttgart Hochschule Musik (2007-2017); and beginning in fall 2018, he will teach at the Kronberg Academy’s newly announced Sir András Schiff Performance Programme for Young Pianists.

InTUNE — January 2018 | 25

Program NOTES Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta

Piano Concerto No. 1 in D minor, Opus 15

After marrying the widow who had inherited the Roche pharmaceutical fortune, the Swiss conductor Paul Sacher became one of the richest men in the world. He poured his wealth into commissioning new music, including Béla Bartók’s Music for String Instruments, Percussion and Celesta of 1936, one of his most perfect and arresting works. Its unique instrumentation includes two string orchestras arrayed on opposite sides of the stage—one the mirror image of the other—with an array of percussion and keyboard instruments in the middle. This unusual set-up allows for musical ideas to zoom back and forth across the hall.

On February 27, 1854, Robert Schumann attempted suicide by jumping into the river Rhine. For years, he had struggled with mental illness: in his head he heard voices; the note “A” droned on for hours; strange music played; and visions of angels turned into hellish nightmares. After some fishermen rescued him, he was taken by his own request to an asylum, where he would spend the remaining two years of his life.

Béla Bartók (1881-1945)

Music begins with a brooding fugue, a kind of piece in which each instrument has an independent melody that simultaneously fits together with the other parts. Unity is provided by one main idea at the beginning, in this case a gray, wandering melody that gradually permeates the orchestra like a dense fog. It begins on the note A, and the tension increases inexorably to a series of repeated E flats, the note farthest from A on the circle of fifths. The fugue concludes by dying away, quickly cycling back to its starting point, the note A. The energetic second movement combines the lively rhythms of Hungarian fiddle music with a structural pattern that Beethoven might have used. Several melodies are introduced before being fragmented and developed in a section that features pizzicato strings and a rhythmic riff for piano. When the strings return to using their bows, the music builds to an emphatic return of the main themes, and the movement ends with a whirlwind coda.

The third movement begins with a xylophone solo: one repeated note becomes faster and faster before slowing back down. The rhythmic division of the beat in this solo follows the Fibonacci sequence (1 note per beat, then 2, 3, 5, 8, 5, 3, 2 and 1 again). Like the solo, the movement follows a palindromic plan. In a slow, terrifying crescendo, otherworldly melodies and a strangely beautiful wash of sound from the harp, piano and celesta build to a climactic cymbal crash. After this peripeteia, the melodic ideas reappear varied and in reverse order.

The finale turns from these dark ruminations to an uninhibited embrace of life. The violins begin by imitating Hungarian zithers before launching into a vivacious fiddle tune. The piano’s first melody is a wrong-note parody of the nonsense song Charlie Chaplin sings in Modern Times, a film which came out a few months before Bartók began composing this piece. In the slower middle section, the first movement fugue returns in a rich, lushly scored guise. After a cello solo, the fast dance music returns, and the movement ends with a soaring melody capped off by a final flourish.

The Instruments: timpani, percussion, harp, celesta, piano and strings 26 | Houston Symphony

Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)

From left to right: Robert Schumann, Clara Schumann and Johannes Brahms.

The Schumann portraits date from 1850, while Brahms' dates from 1853.

As soon as news of the catastrophe reached him, Johannes Brahms raced to Düsseldorf to assist Robert’s wife, Clara, who was pregnant with her seventh child. Johannes had arrived at the Schumann’s home five months before as a young, unknown composer. After hearing Johannes play some of his own music, Robert and Clara instantly recognized him as a genius. They welcomed him into their household, and Robert declared Brahms the true heir of Beethoven in a widely read musical publication, making him famous overnight.

For Johannes, the Schumanns were generous mentors and friends, and he was eager to help them in their time of need. He began to help Clara sort through Robert’s affairs and looked after her children as she prepared for childbirth and the resumption of her career as one of Europe’s leading pianists.

As Johannes and Clara spent more time together, their feelings for each other deepened into something beyond friendship. Brahms wrote to a friend, “I often have to restrain myself forcibly from just quietly putting my arms around her…” Clara confided to her diary, “There is the most complete accord between us…It is not his youth that attracts me: not, perhaps, my flattered vanity. No, it is the fresh mind, the gloriously gifted nature, the noble heart, that I love in him.”

Such feelings were unspeakable and treacherous so long as Robert remained alive. After Robert’s death, Clara and Johannes went to Switzerland accompanied by family. No one will ever know all that passed between them, but after the sojourn in Switzerland, the two parted ways. Brahms never married and Clara would never remarry; they would remain steadfast friends for the rest of their lives.

Kirill Gerstein Plays Brahms | Program Notes

Within days of Schumann’s breakdown, Brahms had begun composing a sonata for two pianos, but soon realized “even two pianos aren’t enough for me.” He began to rework it as a grand symphony that would fulfill Schumann’s prophecies, but the selfcritical Brahms was dissatisfied with his work. A year later, he wrote to Clara, “Imagine what I dreamed of last night. I used my hapless symphony to make a concerto, and was playing it as such…”

Even with the work’s final form decided, it would be another four years before it was ready for public performance.

The concerto begins with what Brahms’ friends confirmed was his immediate musical response to Schumann’s suicide attempt.

A cataclysmic low D thunders from the depths of the orchestra, and the strings enter with a powerful, jagged idea. After the opening storm, a soft, melancholy melody appears above a gently rocking accompaniment that flows like the waters of a river. After a renewed attack from the opening idea, the soloist enters with a hypnotic new melody. The soloist then enters the storm, but this time it leads to a warm, expressive hymn. The tranquil mood is then shattered by the return of the storm music, which serves as the basis for extensive development. Some hope is offered when the hymn-like theme returns, but the tempest prevails.

As Brahms was composing the slow second movement, he wrote to Clara that he was “painting a tender portrait” of her. Upon hearing it, she remarked that “the whole piece has something churchly about it; it could be an Eleison.” Indeed, the opening shows the influence of the renaissance choral music Brahms was then studying. Unbeknownst to Clara, beneath the first five bars of the melody Brahms had written “Benedictus, qui venit, in nomine Domini!” (“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord”) as if the music was meant to be sung. In 1854, Brahms had written to Clara that “I think of you as going to the concert hall like a high priestess to the altar”; perhaps this music is an expression of the same sentiment.

After the consoling “Benedictus” melody, the soloist enters, transforming the renaissance-style counterpoint into a more personal, subjective meditation. The orchestra and soloist alternate, as if the orchestra is a choir singing and the soloist an individual lost in thought. A delicate passage in the piano leads to a more Romantic, minor-key melody that becomes a searching dialogue between the soloist and orchestra. The “Benedictus” melody then leads to a more expansive theme in the woodwinds.

After a brief written-out cadenza in the piano, the movement ends with the “Benedictus” melody.

Brahms was daunted by the challenge of bringing the concerto to a conclusion. Ever the student of music history, he turned to Beethoven for help, modelling his finale on the last movement of Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 3 in C minor. His finale follows the structure of Beethoven’s, but is filled with his own original ideas

and has a completely distinct character. The soloist begins with a furious, Bach-inspired melody, to which the orchestra immediately responds. This main theme alternates with contrasting episodes leading to a coda in which the main theme returns in an optimistic D major.

After Brahms himself gave the first Leipzig performance in 1859, he wrote to a friend, “My Concerto has had a brilliant and decisive—failure…I believe this is the best thing that can happen to one; it forces one to concentrate one’s thoughts and increase one’s courage…But the hissing was too much of a good thing, wasn’t it?”

Brahms had written one of the longest and most emotionally intense concertos since Beethoven; contemporary audiences had come to expect something shorter, lighter and flashier. The concerto would only begin to be accepted years later, thanks in no small part to Clara’s performances of it. One of Brahms’ most personal and powerful works, it remains a cornerstone of the repertoire today.

The Instruments: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, timpani and strings —Calvin Dotsey

OUR THANKS ROCHELLE & MAX LEVIT Kirill Gerstein Plays Brahms is generously underwritten

by Rochelle and Max Levit, members of the Houston Symphony family for more than 30 years and current members of the New Century Society for Artistic Excellence and Innovation. Rochelle serves as a Governing Director of the Symphony’s Board of Trustees and is a member of the Artistic and Orchestra Affairs Committee. In recent seasons, Max and Rochelle have supported the orchestra’s concerts with Itzhak Perlman, Emanuel Ax and, last season, Daniil Trifonov. They also sponsor First Violinist Sergei Galperin, support the Symphony’s special events, and, in 2015, they generously helped complete the FiveYear Financial Plan. The Levits are especially excited by the Symphony’s artistic direction under the leadership of Andrés Orozco-Estrada.

The Houston Symphony thanks the Levits for making these performances by Kirill Gerstein and the orchestra possible.

InTUNE — January 2018 | 27

FEATURED PROGRAM

TCHAIKOVSKY 4 Thursday Saturday Sunday

January 25, 2018 January 27, 2018 January 28, 2018

8:00pm 8:00pm 2:30pm

Jones Hall

*Omer Meir Wellber, conductor *Simone Lamsma, violin * Houston Symphony debut

Mozart

Overture to Idomeneo, K.366

ca. 5

Mozart

Ballet Music from Idomeneo, K.367 IV Gavotte— V Passacaille

ca. 8

Britten

Violin Concerto in D minor, Opus 15 I Moderato con moto II Vivace III Passacaglia: Andante lento (un poco meno mosso)

ca. 33

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

Tchaikovsky

Symphony No. 4 in F minor, Opus 36 I Andante sostenuto—Moderato con anima II Andantino in modo di canzona III Scherzo, pizzicato ostinato: Allegro IV Finale: Allegro con fuoco

28 | Houston Symphony

ca. 43

Did you know?

• Benjamin Britten was inspired to go to America in 1939 by his friend, the poet W. H. Auden. While in America, Auden would write The Age of Anxiety: A Baroque Eclogue. This book-length poem would in turn inspire Leonard Bernstein’s Symphony No. 2, which the Houston Symphony will perform Easter weekend.

Tchaikovsky 4 | Program Biographies

Program BIOGRAPHIES FROST BANK GOLD CLASSICS

These performances are generously supported in part by:

Omer Meir Wellber | conductor

Underwriter Jay & Shirley Marks

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.

This concert is being recorded for future broadcasts on Houston Public Media News 88.7 airing on Sundays at 8pm and streaming online at houstonpublicmedia.org.

TATO BAEZA

Supporter Dr. John R. Stroehlein & Miwa Sakashita

Omer Meir Wellber is one of today’s leading conductors of operatic and orchestral repertoire. He has directed some of the world’s most prestigious ensembles, including the London Philharmonic Orchestra, Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and Tonhalle Orchestra Zürich, among others. His energy, clarity and ability to evoke nuanced detail from an orchestra have made him a regular guest conductor at the Semperoper Dresden, Munich’s Bavarian State Opera, Le Fenice in Venice and the Israeli Opera.

This season, his orchestral engagements include debuts here and with the SWR Sinfonieorchester and Mahler Chamber Orchestra. Return engagements include the Orchestre National de Lyon, Tonhalle Orchestra Zürich, Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and others. Opera highlights for the season include returns to the Semperoper Dresden, the Bavarian State Opera and the Glyndebourne Festival.

Omer served as the music director at the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia in Valencia (2010-2014), leading both orchestral and operatic performances. Along with Inge Kloepfer, he is the coauthor of Fear, Risk and Love –Moments with Mozart, a book about the three Mozart/Da Ponte operas. His multimedia publications include DVDs of Mefistofele (Unitel, 2016), Aida (BelAir classiques, 2014) and Eugene Onegin (C Major, 2013).

A proponent of music as a powerful tool for social change, Omer serves as the music director of the Raanana Symphonette Orchestra, which assists Jewish immigrants with their integration in Israel. He is also the founder and musical leader of Sarab–Strings of Change, which helps Bedouin youths build life-long skills through music and fosters better relations between Bedouin and Jewish communities. He is also a Good Will Ambassador for Save a Child’s Heart, an Israeli-based nonprofit that provides critical cardiac medical support.

Born in Be’er Sheva in 1981, Omer Meir Wellber began studying accordion and piano at age 5. He took composition lessons with Tania Taler starting at 9, continuing under Michael Wolpe until 2004. He graduated from the Be’er Sheva Music Conservatory in 1999 and studied conducting and composition at the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance (2000-2008) with Eugene Zirlin and Mendi Rodan. His compositions have been performed and broadcast internationally.

InTUNE — January 2018 | 29

Program BIOGRAPHIES , continued

MERLIJN DOOMERNIK

Simone Lamsma | violin Hailed for her “absolutely stunning” playing (Chicago Tribune), Dutch violinist Simone Lamsma is respected by critics, peers and audiences as one of classical music’s most captivating personalities. Recent highlights include her debut with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra; performances with the Cleveland and Royal Concertgebouw Orchestras, the Rotterdam and Seoul Philharmonic Orchestras, the BBC Philharmonic, the San Francisco Symphony and the Orchestre philharmonique de Radio France; a tour of China with the Hong Kong Philharmonic under Jaap van Zweden; and the French première of Michel van der Aa’s Violin Concerto with Orchestre National de Lyon.

In the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons, Simone debuts here and with the New York and Oslo Philharmonics; the Detroit and Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestras; the San Diego Symphony and MDR Leipzig.

Simone has worked with many eminent conductors, including Andrès Orozco-Estrada, Jaap van Zweden, Vladimir Jurowski, Sir Neville Marriner, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Jukka-Pekka Saraste, James Gaffigan, Sir Andrew Davis, Jiří Bělohlávek, Carlos Kalmar, Kirill Karabits, Stéphane Denève, Hannu Lintu, Yan Pascal Tortelier, Lawrence Foster, Robert Trevino, Fabien Gabel, François-Xavier Roth and James Feddeck.

Recent recital appearances include Simone’s highly anticipated debuts in London’s Wigmore Hall and New York’s Carnegie Hall with pianist Robert Kulek. Her most recent recording (Challenge Classics) features Shostakovich’s First Violin Concerto and Sofia Gubaidulina’s In tempus praesens with the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic under Gaffigan and Reinbert de Leeuw. It received high accolades, as did her previous Mendelssohn, Janáček and Schumann recording with Kulek. Simone has received many prizes and distinctions, including the national Dutch VSCD Classical Music Prize in the New Generation Musicians category (2010).

Simone began studying violin at age 5 and studied at The Yehudi Menuhin School with Hu Kun from age 11. At 14, she made her highly praised professional solo debut with the North Netherlands Orchestra. She continued her studies at the Royal Academy of Music in London with Hu Kun and Maurice Hasson, graduating at 19 with first class honors and several awards. In 2011, she became an Associate of the RAM. Simone currently lives in the Netherlands.

Simone plays the 1718 “Mlynarski” Stradivarius on generous loan from an anonymous benefactor.

Program NOTES Overture and Ballet Music from Idomeneo, K.366 and K.367

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)

In 1780, the young Mozart won a prestigious commission to write an opera for the court at Munich. The plot centered on Idomeneo, a mythical King of Crete who was obliged to sacrifice his son to appease the god Poseidon. The overture thus combines the grand and the foreboding, veering between brilliant major-key fanfares and minor-key shadows. The opera also included several ballet numbers, including a spritely gavotte that leads directly into a passecaille "for Mr. Antoine," one of the court dancers. During rehearsals, “all the performers maintained that this was the most beautiful music they had ever heard, that it was new and strange…”

The premiere took place two days after Mozart’s 25th birthday and likely increased his confidence; later that year he would quit his post in Salzburg and embark on a freelance career in Vienna.

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

Violin Concerto in D minor, Opus 15 Benjamin Britten (1913-1976)

By the spring of 1939, war between Britain and Nazi Germany seemed increasingly inevitable. As a conscientious objector, Benjamin Britten decided to emigrate to the new world, where he hoped to avoid the coming war and find creative stimulus.

Travelling with him was his friend and roommate, the tenor Peter Pears. During their first months in Canada and America, their relationship deepened from friendship to love; the two would remain together for the rest of their lives. Against this backdrop, Britten composed his Violin Concerto, one of his most beautiful and emotionally complex works.

The piece begins with a distinctive rhythmic figure in the timpani; the soloist enters soon after with a fresh, vernal melody marked “dolcissimo ed espressivo”—very sweet and expressive—as the rhythmic figure continues in the accompaniment. The music then transitions to an edgier, more energetic theme. After a moody and mysterious development, the opening melody returns in the orchestral violins, with the soloist now playing the timpani figure.

A haunting coda ends with magical false harmonics—airy, flute-like notes produced by barely touching the violin’s strings.

Without pause, the orchestra launches into the second movement, a fantastical, ironic scherzo. A contrasting middle section is tinged with an expressive exoticism. The movement ends with the sudden return of the exotic central melody in the full orchestra, which builds to an intense, searching cadenza, an extended passage for the soloist alone. continued 

30 | Houston Symphony

FEBRUARY

UPCOMING CLASSICAL CONCERTS

RAVEL’S

DAPHNIS and CHLOÉ FEBRUARY 2, 3 & 4 Fabien Gabel, conductor Colin Currie, percussion BERNSTEIN Overture to Candide J. CORIGLIANO Conjurer for Percussionist, Strings and Brass IBERT Ports of Call AUBERT Habanera RAVEL Suite No. 2 from Daphnis and Chloé It starts with the most dazzling “musical sunrise” ever written, and ends with an ecstatic finale guaranteed to bring down the house. Experience Ravel’s Daphnis and Chloé with acclaimed Parisian conductor Fabien Gabel. A program of musical magic also features rock star percussionist Colin Currie.

EUROPEAN TOUR SEND-OFF CONCERTS Before your Houston Symphony embarks on an 8-city European tour in March, wish them bon voyage and hear the incredible masterworks they’ll perform abroad!

ANDRÉS Conducts

DVOŘÁK 7

FEBRUARY 15, 17 & 18 Andrés Orozco-Estrada, conductor Sami Junnonen, flute BERNSTEIN Three Dance Episodes from On the Town J. LÓPEZ Lago de Lágrimas (Lake of Tears), Concerto for Flute DVOŘÁK Symphony No. 7 Following our recent critically-acclaimed recording of Dvořák’s Symphony No. 7, experience Andrés and the orchestra’s gripping account, live.

Hilary Hahn, violin

HILARY HAHN

CELEBRATES

BERNSTEIN FEBRUARY 23, 24 & 25 Andrés Orozco-Estrada, conductor Hilary Hahn, violin DVOŘÁK The Noon Witch BERNSTEIN Serenade for Violin and Orchestra SHOSTAKOVICH Symphony No. 5

Don’t miss this chance to hear one of the world’s truly great violinists as Hilary Hahn celebrates the incredible legacy of Leonard Bernstein. Plus, hear Shostakovich’s monumental Fifth Symphony.

“Dvořák’s music has found a good match in the Houston Symphony … when it comes to sheer vitality and warmth, this Texan ensemble doesn’t hold back.”

-Gramophone

Houston Symphony Endowment, Diamond Guarantor Rochelle and Max Levit, Grand Guarantor

Tickets: from $23 houstonsymphony.org | (713) 224-7575 BANKING INVESTMENTS INSURANCE Principal Corporate Guarantor Principal Corporate Guarantor

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Shell Favorite Masters

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Rand Group Great Performers

Program NOTES , continued

The soloist brings back the opening timpani figure, first as ghostly harmonics, then as an obsessive crescendo that leads to a quiet lament. This seamlessly transitions to the last movement passacaglia, a type of theme and variations based on a repeated bassline; in this case, the bassline is first intoned by mournful trombones. It becomes the foundation for a range of emotionally charged episodes: an intense dialogue between soloist and orchestra, a passage of Mahlerian yearning, memories of a waltz, grand fanfares and orchestral flourishes. In the twilight world of the piece’s extended coda, the soloist plays high on the violin’s lowest string, creating an intense sound choked with emotion. The concerto ends with a trill suspended between major and minor— light and darkness.

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

Symphony No. 4 in F minor, Opus 36

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893)

After the 1878 premiere of his Fourth Symphony, Tchaikovsky received a letter from Nadezhda von Meck, an immensely wealthy widow and an ardent admirer of his music. Over the previous year, she had begun sending him a generous stipend that allowed him to abandon teaching and compose full-time. She also provided Tchaikovsky with a lively epistolary friendship—on the condition that they never meet. In appreciation, Tchaikovsky had dedicated his new symphony to her, “my best friend.”

In her letter, she asked Tchaikovsky whether this work told some hidden story. Tchaikovsky responded that “In our symphony…it is possible to express in words what it is trying to say, and to you, and only to you...” The letter provides a fascinating insight into the composer’s conception of the piece.

The symphony opens with a powerful motif in the horns representing fate, “which jealously ensures that peace and happiness shall not be complete and unclouded…an invincible force that can never be overcome—merely endured, hopelessly.” This leads to a melody in the violins which begins softly, but soon grows into an anguished expression of suffering. Suddenly, a shuffling, emotionally exhausted melody in the clarinet takes its place. “Is it not better to escape from reality and to immerse oneself in dreams?”

Tchaikovsky asks. The violins softly play a lilting, bleary-eyed melody: “Out of nowhere a sweet and gentle day-dream appears.”

The music develops into a passage as triumphant as the opening was despairing: “Everything gloomy and joyless is forgotten. Here it is, here it is—happiness!”

32 | Houston Symphony

This cosmic joy is shattered when the opening fate motif reappears in the trumpets, as if from a battlefield: “No! These were daydreams, and Fate wakes us from them.” Variations on the suffering melody lead to a long crescendo of intense yearning, which is cut off by the fate motif. The ensuing orchestral chaos builds to a climactic return of the suffering melody, followed by the daydreams and visions of happiness. Near the end, a sweetly nostalgic melody appears in the woodwinds, but darkens and becomes fitful, like a puppet on a string, as the fate motif arises in the brass. “And thus all life is an unbroken alternation of harsh reality with fleeting dreams and visions of happiness…That, roughly, is the program of the first movement.”

The second movement begins with an oboe solo that evokes “that melancholy feeling which comes in the evening…There comes a whole host of memories.” The melody is passed to the cellos, and ends with a glowing refrain. A variation leads to a warmer, more confident melody that grows increasingly frenzied, suggesting “Happy moments when the young blood boiled, and life was satisfying.” Tchaikovsky’s former student Sergei Taneyev remarked on the balletic nature of this section, and here it is easy to imagine a pair of dancers in a pas de deux, complete with a climactic lift. Later, the music sinks lower and lower, reaching a bleak nadir: “There are also painful memories, irreconcilable losses.” The bassoon gives a final reprise of the opening melody: “It is both sad, yet somehow sweet to be immersed in the past...”

The third movement gives “free rein to the imagination, which somehow begins to paint strange pictures” with pizzicato strings.

Tchaikovsky compares the state of mind evoked to “the first phases of intoxication” or the “images which sweep through the head as one falls asleep.” A contrasting section presents “a picture of drunken peasants and a street song” with the woodwinds, and the brass show “somewhere in the distance, a military procession...”

The finale begins with musical fireworks that conjure images of a public festival: “If within yourself you find no reasons for joy, then look at others…Picture the festive merriment of ordinary people.” This celebratory music alternates with a lively, minorkey Russian folk song, “In the Field a Birch Tree Stood.” The wild revelry continues until the fate motif of the first movement makes a dramatic reappearance: “Hardly have you managed to forget yourself…than irrepressible fate appears again and reminds you of yourself.” Gradually, the festive music returns: “But others do not care about you, and they have not noticed that you are solitary and sad. O, how they are enjoying themselves!…Rejoice in the rejoicing of others. To live is still possible.”

Tchaikovsky 4 | Program Notes

In a postscript, Tchaikovsky wrote: “Just as I was about to put the letter in an envelope, I re-read it and was horrified…I was severely depressed last winter when writing the symphony, and it serves as a faithful echo of what I was experiencing. But it is only as an echo.

How can it be translated into a clear and coherent succession of words? I do not know how to do that. I have already forgotten so much...

Tchaikovsky’s biographers have endlessly debated the relationship between “fate” and the composer’s homosexuality. Some believe it expresses Tchaikovsky’s guilt and shame over taboo desires he could not suppress, while others argue that Tchaikovsky was simply a gay man who struggled with bouts of depression unrelated to his sexuality. Whatever the case, he transformed his battle with fate into one of humanity’s most powerful works of art.

The Instruments: 2 flutes, piccolo, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion and strings —Calvin Dotsey

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InTUNE — January 2018 | 33

Sérgio and Odair Assad, guitars and Avi Avital, mandolin Saturday, February 17, 7:30 pm Zilkha Hall, Hobby Center for the Performing Arts From Bach, Haydn and Debussy to Piazzolla and Brazilian choro

“A musician who recognizes no boundaries except those of good taste and who has the artistry to persuade listeners to follow him anywhere.”

Garrick Ohlsson Plays Beethoven Friday, March 2, 8:00 pm Stude Concert Hall, Shepherd School of Music Featuring four of Beethoven’s most beloved masterpieces Sonata in C Minor, Op. 13 “Pathetique” Sonata in F Minor, Op. 57 “Appassionata” Sonata in C Major, Op. 53 “Waldstein” Sonata in C-sharp Minor, Op. 27, No. 2 “Moonlight”

“Garrick Ohlsson is a big pianist with a calmly commanding presence.”

The Independent

Gramophone on Avi Avital Sarah Rothenberg

34 | Houston Symphony

For tickets call 713-524-5050 or go to dacamera.com

yo

THANK

Our DONORS ANNUAL SUPPORT

The Houston Symphony gratefully acknowledges those who support our artistic, educational and community engagement programs through their generosity to our Annual Fund and our Special Events.

For more information, please contact: Mary Beth Mosley, Interim Co-Chief Development Officer /Director, Institutional Giving and Stewardship, 713.337.8521 Molly Simpson, Interim Co-Chief Development Officer /Director, Individual Giving and Major Gifts, 713.337.8526

Ima Hogg Society $150,000 or more 

Janice Barrow Ms. Marie Taylor Bosarge Barbara J. Burger Jane & Robert Cizik Janet F. Clark Rochelle & Max Levit Cora Sue & Harry Mach

Joella & Steven P. Mach Barbara & Pat McCelvey Mr. John N. Neighbors John & Lindy Rydman / Spec's Wines, Spirits & Finer Foods / Spec's Charitable Foundation

Centennial Society



$100,000-$149,999

Mr. Monzer Hourani

Founder’s Society

w

Maestro’s Society



Mike Stude Bobby & Phoebe Tudor Margaret Alkek Williams

Clive Runnells in memory of Nancy Morgan Runnells

Mr. & Mrs. Jesse B. Tutor

Stephen & Mariglyn Glenn

Billy & Christie McCartney

$75,000-$99,999

Robin Angly & Miles Smith

$50,000-$74,999

Mr. & Mrs. Philip A. Bahr Gary & Marian Beauchamp Drs. Dennis & Susan Carlyle Ron Franklin & Janet Gurwitch Clare Attwell Glassell The Estate of Miss Ima Hogg The Joan & Marvin Kaplan Foundation Dr. Sippi & Mr. Ajay Khurana Carol & Michael Linn & The Michael C. Linn Family Foundation

Concertmaster’s Society Mr. John Barlow Ralph Burch Justice Brett & Erin Busby Donna & Max Chapman Mr. Michael H. Clark & Ms. Sallie Morian Viviana & David Denechaud Linda & Gene Dewhurst Evan B. Glick Christina & Mark Hanson Dr. Gary L. Hollingsworth & Dr. Ken Hyde Dr. Rita Justice Drs. M.S. & Marie-Luise Kalsi

Beth Madison Mr. & Mrs. J. Stephen Marks Jay & Shirley Marks Mr. & Mrs. Alexander K. McLanahan Janice & Robert McNair Nancy & Robert Peiser Dave & Alie Pruner Mr. & Mrs. William K. Robbins Jr. / The Robbins Foundation Sybil F. Roos 

Mr. & Mrs. Jim R. Smith Mr. Jay Steinfeld & Mrs. Barbara Winthrop Alice & Terry Thomas Ms. Judith Vincent Steven & Nancy Williams Ms. Ellen A. Yarrell

$25,000-$49,999

Mr. & Mrs. U. J. LeGrange Rita & Paul Morico Dr. Stewart Morris Catherine & Bob Orr Mr. & Mrs. Anthony G. Petrello Mr. Jason Poon / Marine Foods Express, Ltd. Laura & Mike Shannon Michael J. Shawiak Donna & Tim Shen Lisa & Jerry Simon

Dr. & Mrs. Robert B. Sloan Jr. / Houston Baptist University Mr. & Mrs. Robert R. Springob, Laredo Construction, Inc. Shirley Wolff Toomim Mr. & Mrs. Fredric A. Weber Robert G. Weiner & Toni Blankmann Vicki West Mr. & Mrs. C. Clifford Wright Jr.

InTUNE — January 2018 | 35

Conductor’s Circle



Platinum Baton



Gold Baton

Frances & Ira Anderson Edward H. Andrews III Dr. Angela R. Apollo Sr. Judge Mary Bacon Mr. & Dr. Karl-Heinz Becker Mr. & Mrs. Astley Blair Anne & George Boss Dr. & Mrs. Meherwan P. Boyce Nancy & Walter Bratic Terry Ann Brown Cheryl & Sam Byington Mr. & Mrs. Andrew Calder Mr. & Mrs. Bernard F. Clark Jr. Dr. Evan D. Collins Dr. Scott Cutler Leslie Barry Davidson & W. Robins Brice

Conductor’s Circle



Silver Baton



Mrs. Nancy C. Allen Nina Andrews & David Karohl Ann & Jonathan Ayre Dr. Saul & Ursula Balagura Anne Morgan Barrett Mr. Paul M. Basinski Consurgo Sunshine Mrs. Bonnie Bauer Dr. & Mrs. Devinder Bhatia Drs. Laura & William Black Mr. Anthony W. Bohnert Mr. & Mrs. John F. Bookout III Mr. & Mrs. Michael E. Bowman Ruth Brodsky Mr. Ken D. Brownlee & Ms. Caroline Deetjen Dougal & Cathy Cameron Marilyn Caplovitz Ann M. Cavanaugh Mr. & Mrs. Gerald F. Clark Mr. William E. Colburn Mr. & Mrs. Byron Cooley Mr. & Mrs. Larry Corbin Ms. Miquel A. Correll Lois & David Coyle Mr. & Mrs. Gregory S. Curran Mr. Darrin Davis & Mr. Mario Gudmundsson Vicky Dominguez 36 | Houston Symphony

Margaret Waisman, M.D. & Steven S. Callahan, Ph.D. Stephen & Kristine Wallace Dede & Connie Weil Jeanie Kilroy Wilson & Wallace S. Wilson Ms. Vivian Wise Ms. Beth Wolff Daisy S. Wong / JCorp Scott & Lori Wulfe

Mr.* & Mrs. Gordon Leighton Marilyn G. Lummis Dr. & Mrs. Malcolm L. Mazow Martha & Marvin McMurrey Mr. Gary Mercer Sami & Jud Morrison Bobbie Newman Scott & Judy Nyquist Toni Oplt & Ed Schneider Maestro & Mrs. Andrés Orozco-Estrada John & Kathy Orton Susan & Edward Osterberg Radoff Family Lila Rauch Brooke & Nathaniel Richards Carol & Kamal Sandarusi

Mr. & Mrs. Walter Scherr Mr. & Mrs. James A. Shaffer Tad & Suzanne Smith Carol & Michael Stamatedes Dr. John R. Stroehlein & Miwa Sakashita Courtney & Bill Toomey Ms. Hallie A. Vanderhider Shirley & Joel Wahlberg Cyvia & Melvyn* Wolff Lorraine & Ed Wulfe Mr. & Mrs. Frank Yonish Mr. & Mrs. Edward R. Ziegler Nina & Michael Zilkha Anonymous (2)

Mr. & Mrs. William B. McNamara Dr. Robert M. Mihalo Mr. & Mrs. Robert E. Nelson Tim Ong & Michael Baugh Michael P. & Shirley Pearson Jean & Allan Quiat Kathryn & Richard Rabinow Douglas & Alicia Rodenberger Mr. Glen A. Rosenbaum Linda & Jerry Rubenstein

Mr. & Mrs. Rufus S. Scott Drs. Ishwaria & Vivek Subbiah Mrs. Jennifer Chang & Mr. Aaron J. Thomas Candace & Brian Thomas Dr. Robert Wilkins & Dr. Mary Ann Reynolds Wilkins Nancy B. Willerson Anonymous (1)

Willy Kuehn* Jim & Amy Lee Sue Ann Lurcott Barbara J. Manering Mr. William McDugald Alice R. McPherson, M.D. Mr. Ronald A. Mikita & Mr. Rex Spikes Dr. Cameron Mitchell Mr. & Mrs. Harvin Moore IV Ione & Sidney Moran Mr. & Mrs. Gerald Moynier Richard & Juliet Moynihan Ms. Leslie Nossaman Rochelle & Sheldon Oster Mr. & Mrs. C. Robert Palmer Christine & Robert Pastorek Mr. David Peavy & Mr. Stephen McCauley Mr. Robert J. Pilegge Mr. & Mrs. King Pouw Mr. & Mrs. C. N. Powell Tim & Katherine Pownell Ms. Emily Reaser Mr. & Mrs. T.R. Reckling III Vicky & Michael Richker Mr. & Mrs. Claud D. Riddles Ed & Janet Rinehart Allyn & Jill Risley Mr. & Mrs. George A. Rizzo Jr.

Mr. Robert T. Sakowitz Carole & Barry Samuels Susan D. & Fayez Sarofim Mrs. Richard P. Schissler Jr. Mr. Wolfgang Schmidt & Ms. Angelika Schmidt-Lange Mr. & Ms. Steven Sherman Mr. & Mrs. William T. Slick Jr. Mr. David Stanard & Ms. Beth Freeman Kimberly & David Sterling Pamalah & Stephen Tipps Saula & Paolo Valente Dr. & Mrs. Carl V. Vartian Mr. & Ms. Luciano Vasconcellos Mrs. Ibolya E. Weyler & Mr. Philip Limon Mrs. Nelda Wilkomirski Ms. Barbara Williams Woodell Family Foundation Sally & Denney Wright Robert & Michele Yekovich Edith & Robert Zinn Erla & Harry Zuber Anonymous (3)

$7,500-$9,999



Hon. & Mrs. John D. Ellis Scott Ensell & Family Angel & Craig Fox Ms. Darlene Clark & Mr. Edwin C. Friedrichs Ms. Emily Keeton Ms. Nancey G. Lobb David & Heidi Massin Gene & Betty McDavid Terry & Kandee McGill

Bronze Baton

The Estate of Terence Murphree Mr. & Mrs. Jonathan E. Parker Gloria & Joe Pryzant Ron & Demi Rand Ken* & Carol Lee Robertson Hugh & Ann Roff Mr. & Mrs. Manolo Sánchez Alana R. Spiwak & Sam L. Stolbun Mr. & Mrs. Alan Stein Drs. Carol & Michael Stelling Mr. & Mrs. Paul S. Thomas Susan & Andrew Truscott

$10,000-$14,999



J.R. & Aline Deming Archie & Linda Dunham Terry Everett & Eric Cheyney Mr. & Mrs. Marvy A. Finger Mr. & Mrs. Jeffrey B. Firestone Betsy Garlinger Dr. Nan Garrett Michael B. George Mr. & Mrs. Eric J. Gongre Jo A. & Billie Jo Graves Mr. Robert M. Griswold Mr. & Mrs. Jerry L. Hamaker Susan & Dick Hansen Maureen Y. Higdon Mrs. James E. Hooks Catherine & Brian James Jacek & Marzena Jaminski

Lilly & Thurmon Andress Dr. & Mrs. Jeffrey B. Aron Beth & Jim Barton Mr. & Mrs. Charles G. Black Lilia Khakimova & C. Robert Bunch David Chambers & Alex Steffler Brad & Joan Corson Roger & Debby Cutler Andrew Davis & Corey Tu Mr. Stephen Elison

Conductor’s Circle

$15,000-$24,999

Allen & Almira Gelwick Lockton Companies Lila-Gene George Mr. & Mrs. Fred L. Gorman Rebecca & Bobby Jee Debbie & Frank Jones Mrs. Gloria Pepper & Dr. Bernard Katz Dr. & Mrs. I. Ray Kirk Mr. & Mrs. Rodney H. Margolis Michelle & Jack Matzer Stephen & Marilyn Miles/Steven Warren Miles & Marilyn Ross Miles Foundation

Ms. Farida Abjani Danielle & Josh Batchelor James M. Bell Mr. & Mrs. Walter V. Boyle Mary Kathryn Campion, M.D. Coneway Family Foundation Mr. Richard Danforth Valerie Palmquist Dieterich & Tracy Dieterich Kelli Cohen Fein & Martin Fein Mr. Richard W. Flowers Eugene Fong

Conductor’s Circle





$5,000-$7,499

Bob & Mary Doyle Connie & Byron Dyer Mr. William P. Elbel & Ms. Mary J. Schroeder Mr. Parrish N. Erwin Jr. Mrs. William Estrada Aubrey & Sylvia Farb Ms. Carolyn Faulk Jerry E.* & Nanette B. Finger Mr. & Mrs. Peter Fluor Erika & S. David Frankfort Mrs. Elizabeth B. Frost Mr. & Mrs. James E. Furr Wm. David George, Ph.D. Mr. & Mrs. Melbern G. Glasscock Bill Grieves Mr. & Mrs. Stanley Haas Dr. & Mrs. Carlos R. Hamilton Jr. Marilyn & Bob Hermance Mr. & Mrs. Frank Herzog Mr. Jackson Hicks Stephen Jeu & Susanna Calvo Beverly Johnson Mr. & Mrs. John F. Joity Gwen & Dan Kellogg Mary Louis Kister William & Cynthia Koch Mr. William L. Kopp Mr. & Mrs. John P. Kotts

*Deceased

The Houston Symphony thanks the 4,643 donors who gave up to $5,000 over the past year. To note any errors or omissions, please contact Tiffany Bourgeois, Development Associate, Annual Fund at 713.337.8559.

Young Associates COUNCIL The Houston Symphony’s Young Associates Council 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 James M. Bell Ganesh Betanabhatla Eric Brueggeman David Chambers & Alex Steffler Darrin Davis & Mario Gudmundsson

Young Associate





$2,500 or more

Valerie Palmquist Dieterich & Tracy Dieterich Amanda & Adam Dinitz Vicky Dominguez Terry Everett & Eric Cheyney Jennifer & Joshua Gravenor Stacy & Jason Johnson Mandi Hunsicker-Sallee

Kiri & Jeffrey Katterhenry Brian McCulloch & Jeremy Garcia Sami & Jud Morrison Tim Ong & Michael Baugh Toni Oplt & Ed Schneider Kusum & K. Cody Patel Dr. Paulina Sergot & Dr. Theo Shybut

Tony Shih – Norton Rose Fulbright Molly Simpson Rebeca & Chad Spencer Drs. Ishwaria & Vivek Subbiah Georgeta Teodorescu & Bob Simpson Candace & Brian Thomas

$1,500 - $2,499

Dr. Genevera Allen & Michael Weylandt Ahmed Al-Saffar – Oliver Wyman Michael Arlen Drs. Laura & William Black Drs. Tiffany & Desmond Bourgeois Sverre & Carrie Brandsberg-Dahl Divya & Chris Brown Sara Cain Helen Chen Crystal & Mike Cox Nina Delano & Wirt Blaffer Jennifer & Steve Dolman Emily Duncan

Christine Falgout-Gutknecht – Island Operating Co., Inc. Kimberly Falgout & Evan Scheele Mark Folkes & Christopher Johnston Alexandra & Daniel Gottschalk Rebecca & Andrew Gould Jeff Graham Nicholas Gruy Claudio Gutierrez Jarod Hogan Monica & Burdette Huffman Kurt Johnson & Colleen Matheu

Shamika Johnson – Van Cleef & Arpels Sara Kelly Connie Kwan-Wong Dr. Nashat Latib & Dr. Vinodh Kumar Joshua Lee & Julie Van Gerrit Leeftink Catherine & Matt Matthews Charyn McGinnis Ashley McPhail Shane Miller Cliff Nash & Dr. Lee Bar-Eli April Nelson

Courtney & Jose Obregon Girija & Anant Patel Rosemin Premji Brooke & Nathaniel Richards Alan Rios Ahmed Saleh Liana & Andrew Schwaitzberg Becky Shaw Justin & Caroline Simons Michelle Stair Joel Towner Dr. Shilpa Trivedi Jovon Tyler Elise Wagner

The Young Associates Council is supported in part by BB&T. For more information, please contact: Liam Bonner, Manager, Annual Giving Groups, 713.337.8536.

Vintage VIRTUOSO This holiday season, for the 21st consecutive year, Lindy and John Rydman, the owners of Spec’s Wines, Spirits & Finer Foods and founders of Spec’s Charitable Foundation, worked closely with its suppliers and distributors to host Vintage Virtuoso, a collaborative and superlative evening of great wine and great food to support the Houston Symphony’s Education and Community programs. Over the past two decades, the event has raised more than $2.5 million. This event is part of the reason Spec’s is the Houston Symphony’s largest corporate donor. For its dedication to music education for Houston-area students, Spec’s was recognized with the 2015 BCA 10 award from Americans for the Arts. This year’s Vintage Virtuoso was held on Wednesday, December 6, 2017. The Houston Symphony and Spec’s Charitable Foundation thank all the donors to this event.

Platinum

Republic National Distributing Company Southern Glazers

Gold

Bacardi USA Beam Suntory Brown Forman Campari USA Diageo Gallo Proximo

Silver

Dietz & Watson Freixenet USA William Grant & Sons

Bronze

Anchor Distilling Anheuser-Busch/Silver Eagle Balcones Distilling Banfi Bank of America/Merrill-Lynch Ben E Keith Classified Wines Constellation Brands International Deutsch Family Wines & Spirits Favorite Brands Harco Insurance Services Luxco Moet Hennessy USA Pacini & Co. Patron Serendipiti/Vina Robles/ Bacco Wine

Serralles Southwest Spirits/V2 Wine Group Tito’s Truno Zonin USA

Sponsors Alma Rosa Winery DNSCI Solutions Harco Insurance Services Lee Tilford Agency Moet Hennessy USA Mule 2.0 Pernod Ricard Trinity River Distilling/Silver Star

Ralph Burch Amanda & Adam Dinitz Dr. & Mrs. I. Ray Kirk Judy & Russ Labrasca Mr. & Mrs. J. Stephen Marks Rebeca & Chad Spencer Mr. Brooks Tutor Mr. & Mrs. Jesse B. Tutor Jana Vander Lee Robert G. Weiner & Toni Blankmann Mr. & Mrs. C. Clifford Wright Jr. David Wuthrich Ellen A. Yarrell

Symphony Guests James M. Bell

InTUNE — January 2018 | 37

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 foundation or government partner, please contact Mary Beth Mosley, Interim Co-Chief Development Officer/Director, Institutional Giving and Stewardship, at 713.337.8521 or marybeth.mosley@houstonsymphony.org.

For more information on becoming a Houston Symphony corporate donor, please contact Leticia Konigsberg, Director, Corporate Relations, at 713.337.8522 or leticia.konigsberg@houstonsymphony.org.

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 Compass 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 Chevron *Houston Methodist Medistar Corporation PaperCity *Rand Group, LLC *Telemundo *United Airlines Underwriter  $50,000 and above *Baker Botts L.L.P. *BB&T *Cameron Management ENGIE *The Events Company Exxon Mobil Corporation Frost Bank Houston Baptist University Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo *Jackson and Company Kirkland & Ellis LLP

(as of December 1, 2017)

*The Lancaster Hotel Mann Eye Institute Occidental Petroleum Corporation Palmetto Partners Ltd./The Robert and Janice McNair Foundation Shell Oil Company Vinson & Elkins LLP Sponsor  $25,000 and above Bank of Texas *Bright Star *Bulgari EOG Resources *Gittings Goldman, Sachs & Co. *Houston Chronicle *Houston First Corporation Kalsi Engineering KPMG LLP Marine Foods Express, Ltd. McGuireWoods, LLP *Neiman Marcus Northern Trust Norton Rose Fulbright Sidley Austin LLP *Silver Circle Audio SPIR STAR, Ltd. The University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center Wells Fargo WoodRock & Co.

CORPORATE MATCHING GIFTS Aetna Aon Apache Corporation Bank of America BBVA Compass BHP Billiton The Boeing Company BP Foundation Caterpillar 38 | Houston Symphony

Partner  $15,000 and above Accenture Anadarko Petroleum Corporation *City Kitchen *Glazier’s Distributors Gorman’s Uniform Service Halliburton H-E-B Tournament of Champions Heart of Fashion Independent Bank Laredo Construction, Inc. Locke Lord LLP Lockton Companies of Houston The Newfield Foundation Republic National Distributing Company, LLP USI Southwest Supporter  $10,000 and above *Abraham’s Oriental Rugs *Agua Hispanic Marketing CenterPoint Energy Emerson *Silver Eagle Distributors Star Furniture *Zenfilm

Russell Reynolds Associates, Inc. *University of St. Thomas Wortham Insurance and Risk Management Patron  Gifts below $5,000 Adolph Locklar, Intellectual Property Law Firm Amazon Baker Hughes Bering's Beth Wolff Realtors Burberry Dolce & Gabbana USA, Inc. Intertek Kinder Morgan Foundation Quantum Bass Center* SEI, Global Institutional Group Smith, Graham & Company Stewart Title Company TAM International, Inc. The Webster * Includes in-kind support

Benefactor  $5,000 and above Barclay’s Wealth and Investment Management Beck Redden LLP Louis Vuitton Macy's Nordstrom Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe, L.L.P. Plains All American *Randalls Food Markets

(as of December 1, 2017)

Chevron Chubb Group Coca-Cola ConocoPhillips Eli Lilly and Company EOG Resources Exxon Mobil Corporation Freeport – McMoRan Oil & Gas General Electric

General Mills Goldman, Sachs & Company Halliburton Hewlett-Packard Houston Endowment IBM ING Financial Services Corporation KBR Merrill Lynch

NAACO Industries, Inc. Neiman Marcus Northern Trust Occidental Petroleum Corporation Phillips 66 Shell Oil Company Union Pacific Williams Companies, Inc.

FOUNDATIONS & GOVERNMENT AGENCIES Diamond Guarantor  $1,000,000 and above Houston Symphony Endowment Houston Symphony League The Wortham Foundation, Inc. Premier Guarantor  $500,000 and above The Brown Foundation, Inc. City of Houston and Theater District Improvement, Inc. 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 Cullen Trust for the Performing Arts Guarantor  $100,000 and above Houston Endowment MD Anderson Foundation

Underwriter  $50,000 and above The Elkins Foundation The William Stamps Farish Fund The Fondren Foundation The Hearst Foundations Houston Symphony Chorus Endowment The Humphreys Foundation League of American Orchestras' Futures Fund LTR Lewis Cloverdale Foundation John P. McGovern Foundation The Robert and Janice McNair Foundation / Palmetto Partners Ltd. The Robbins Foundation Sponsor  $25,000 and above Beauchamp Foundation Ann & Gordon Getty Foundation The Powell Foundation Sterling-Turner Foundation Texas Commission on the Arts

Capital INVESTMENTS Beauchamp Foundation Miller Outdoor Theatre

Sound Shell ceiling and Portativ organ Berlioz bells Orchestra synthesizer Adam's vibraphone Small percussion and other instruments The Fondren Foundation Miller Outdoor Theatre Sound Shell Ceiling Albert & Ethel Herzstein Charitable Foundation Enhancements to Jones Hall Video System

(as of December 1, 2017) Partner  $15,000 and above Ruth & Ted Bauer Family Foundation The Melbern G. & Susanne M. Glasscock Foundation The Hood-Barrow Foundation Houston Symphony League Bay Area National Endowment for the Arts The Vaughn Foundation Supporter  $10,000 and above The Carleen & Alde Fridge Foundation Petrello Family Foundation Radoff Family Foundation The Schissler Foundation The Vivian L. Smith Foundation Anonymous

Benefactor  $5,000 and above William E. & Natoma Pyle Harvey Charitable Foundation The Scurlock Foundation Keith & Mattie Stevenson Foundation Strake Foundation Patron  Gifts below $5,000 The Cockrell Foundation Diamond Family Foundation First Junior Woman’s Club of Houston The Helmle-Shaw Foundation Huffington Foundation Leon Jaworski Foundation Lillian Kaiser Lewis Foundation Robert W. & Pearl Wallis Knox Foundation The Lubrizol Foundation State Employee Charitable Campaign

The Houston Symphony thanks the generous donors who, since 2012, have made possible infrastructure additions to further enhance the sound and quality of our orchestral performances.

Houston Symphony League Steinway Concert Grand Piano and Instrument Petting Zoo Ms. Nancey G. Lobb Piccolo Timpano LTR Lewis Cloverdale Foundation Lyons & Healy Harp Vicky & Michael Richker Family Adolfo Sayago, Orquestas

Sybil F. Roos Rotary Trumpets Silver Circle Audio Enhancements to Jones Hall Recording Suite Beverly Johnson, Ralph Wyman and Jim Foti, and Thane & Nicole Wyman in memory of Winthrop Wyman Basset Horns and Rotary Trumpets Mr. & Mrs. Charles Zabriskie Conductor’s Podium

Sustainability FUND The Houston Symphony pays special tribute to the 137 donors who made transformational gifts to complete the Sustainability Fund.

On December 31, 2015, the Houston Symphony celebrated an extraordinary achievement: the completion of a five-year, $15 million Sustainability Fund, which has transformed the orchestra’s financial position. The Symphony was able to close out the campaign thanks to challenge grant funds totaling $1,050,000 provided by Bobby & Phoebe Tudor, Cora Sue & Harry Mach, Janice Barrow, Steve & Joella Mach and Robert & Jane Cizik.

The Ciziks provided the final $500,000 to allow the Symphony to reach its $15 million Sustainability Fund goal.

Houston Endowment Estate of Jean R. Sides Bobby & Phoebe Tudor Ms. Marie Taylor Bosarge Janice Barrow Margaret Alkek Williams Jane & Robert Cizik

Clare Attwell Glassell Mrs. Kitty King Powell* The Cullen Foundation The Cullen Trust for the Performing Arts The Brown Foundation, Inc. Cora Sue & Harry Mach The Wortham Foundation, Inc.

John & Lindy Rydman / Spec’s Wines, Spirits & Finer Foods / Spec’s Charitable Foundation MD Anderson Foundation Joella & Steven P. Mach Mr. & Mrs. Jesse B. Tutor

Barbara J. Burger Ron Franklin & Janet Gurwitch The Joan & Marvin Kaplan Foundation Carol & Michael Linn & The Michael C. Linn Family Foundation Barbara & Pat McCelvey Estate of Mary Ann Holloway Phillips Sybil F. Roos Steven & Nancy Williams

Robin Angly & Miles Smith Gary & Marian Beauchamp Laura & Michael Shannon Mr. & Mrs. Philip A. Bahr Nancy & Walter Bratic Janet F. Clark Linda & Gene Dewhurst Bert & Joan Golding Mr. & Mrs.* Robert M. Griswold

Marilyn & Robert Hermance C. Howard Pieper Foundation Tad & Suzanne Smith Alice & Terry Thomas Shirley W. Toomim Janet & Tom Walker *Deceased

InTUNE — January 2018 | 39

Society Board of TRUSTEES

(2017-18 SEASON)

Executive Committee Janet F. Clark President Steven P. Mach Immediate Past President

Bobby Tudor Chairman Paul R. Morico General Counsel

Mike S. Stude Chairman Emeritus Barbara McCelvey Secretary

Danielle Batchelor Chair, Popular Programming Barbara J. Burger Chair, Finance Justice Brett Busby Chair, Artistic & Orchestra Affairs Mary Kathryn Campion, Ph.D. Chair, Pension Brad W. Corson Chair, Governance & Leadership Viviana Denechaud Chair, Development Tracy Dieterich Chair, Community Partnerships Mary Lynn Marks Chair, Volunteers & Special Events

Billy McCartney Chair, Education Alexandra Pruner^ President, Houston Symphony Endowment David Pruner Chair, Strategic Planning Manolo Sánchez Chair, Marketing & Communications Jesse B. Tutor Immediate Past Chair, Chair, Audit Beth Wolff^ President, Houston Symphony League

Andrés Orozco-Estrada^ Music Director Amanda T. Dinitz^ Interim Executive Director Sergei Galperin^ Musician Representative Mark Hughes^ Musician Representative Mark Nuccio^ Musician Representative Christine Kelly-Weaver^ Assistant Secretary ^Ex-Officio

GOVERNING DIRECTORS Farida Abjani Michael W. Adler Marcia Backus Janice Barrow** Danielle Batchelor Gary Beauchamp Marie Taylor Bosarge Ralph Burch Barbara J. Burger Justice Brett Busby Andrew Calder Michael H. Clark Janet F. Clark Brad W. Corson Viviana Denechaud Michael Doherty David Frankfort

Ronald G. Franklin Stephen Glenn Joan Kaplan Sippi Khurana, M.D. Rochelle Levit, Ph.D. Cora Sue Mach ** Steven P. Mach Paul M. Mann, M.D. Jay Marks ** Mary Lynn Marks David Massin Rodney Margolis** Billy McCartney Barbara McCelvey Alexander K. McLanahan ** Paul R. Morico Kevin O’Gorman

Robert Orr Cully Platt David Pruner Ron Rand John Rydman** Manolo Sánchez Helen Shaffer ** Jerry Simon Jim R. Smith Miles O. Smith Mike S. Stude ** William J. Toomey II Bobby Tudor ** Betty Tutor ** Jesse B. Tutor ** Judith Vincent Margaret Alkek Williams **

Scott Wulfe David Wuthrich

Julia Anderson Frankel Betsy Garlinger Evan B. Glick Susan Hansen Eric Haufrect, M.D. Gary L. Hollingsworth, M.D. Brian James Rita Justice I. Ray Kirk, M.D. Ulyesse LeGrange ** Carlos J. Lopez Michael Mann, M.D. Jack Matzer Jackie Wolens Mazow Gene McDavid ** Gary Mercer Marilyn Miles Janet Moore Jud Morrison Bobbie Newman

Scott Nyquist Edward Osterberg Jr. Robert A. Peiser** Gloria G. Pryzant Richard A. Rabinow Roman Reed Gabriel Rio Richard Robbins, M.D. J. Hugh Roff Jr. ** Miwa Sakashita Ed Schneider Michael E. Shannon ** Donna Shen Robert Sloan, Ph.D. Tad Smith David Stanard Ishwaria Subbiah, M.D. L. Proctor (Terry) Thomas Shirley W. Toomim Andrew Truscott

Margaret Waisman, M.D. Fredric Weber Mrs. S. Conrad Weil Robert Weiner Vicki West Steven J. Williams Beth Wolff Ed Wulfe ** Ellen A. Yarrell Robert Yekovich Frank Yonish

Ex-Officio Mary Kathryn Campion, Ph.D. Tracy Dieterich Sergei Galperin Mark Hughes Martha McWilliams Mark Nuccio Robert A. Peiser** Gloria Pryzant Donna Shen **Lifetime Trustee

TRUSTEES Philip Bahr Devinder Bhatia, M.D. James M. Bell Anthony Bohnert Nancy Shelton Bratic Terry Ann Brown** Cheryl Byington Dougal Cameron Mary Kathryn Campion, Ph.D. John T. Cater ** Evan Collins, M.D., MBA Andrew Davis, Ph.D. Gene Dewhurst Tracy Dieterich Terry Elizabeth Everett Kelli Cohen Fein, M.D. Jeffrey B. Firestone Eugene Fong Craig Fox

Ex-Officio Alexandra Gottschalk Alexandra Pruner Art Vivar Jessie Woods **Lifetime Trustee

FRIENDS OF JONES HALL REPRESENTATIVES Justice Brett Busby

Ronald G. Franklin

40 | Houston Symphony

Steven P. Mach

Barbara McCelvey

PAST PRESIDENTS OF HOUSTON SYMPHONY 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

THE SOCIETY 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 Mrs. W. Harold Sellers Miss Ima Hogg Mrs. John F. Grant Mrs. Harry H. Gendel Mrs. J. R. Parten Mrs. Robert M. Eury Mrs. Andrew E. Rutter Mrs. E. C. Vandagrift Jr. Mrs. Aubrey Leno Carter Mrs. J. Stephen Marks Mrs. Stuart Sherar Terry Ann Brown Nancy Strohmer Mrs. Julian Barrows Mary Ann McKeithan Ms. Hazel Ledbetter Ann Cavanaugh Mrs. Albert P. Jones Mrs. Ben A. Calhoun Mrs. James A. Shaffer Mrs. James Griffith Lawhon Lucy H. Lewis Mrs. Olaf LaCour Olsen Catherine McNamara Shirley McGregor Pearson Mrs. Ralph Ellis Gunn Paula Jarrett Mrs. Leon Jaworski Cora Sue Mach Mrs. Garrett R. Tucker Jr. Kathi Rovere Mrs. M. T. Launius Jr. Mrs. Thompson McCleary Norma Jean Brown Barbara McCelvey Mrs. Theodore W. Cooper Lori Sorcic Jansen Mrs. Allen W. Carruth Mrs. David Hannah Jr. Nancy B. Willerson Mary Louis Kister Jane Clark Nancy Littlejohn Mrs. Edward W. Kelley Jr. Donna Shen Mrs. John W. Herndon Mrs. Charles Franzen Dr. Susan Snider Osterberg Mrs. Harold R. DeMoss Jr. Dr. Kelli Cohen Fein Mrs. Edward H. Soderstrom Vicki West Mrs. Lilly Kucera Andress Mrs. Jesse Tutor Ms. Marilou Bonner Darlene Clark PAST PRESIDENTS OF THE HOUSTON SYMPHONY LEAGUE BAY AREA Sue Smith Fran Strong Shirley Wettling Selma Neumann Jo Anne Mills Julia Wells Phyllis Molnar Dagmar Meeh Pat Bertelli Priscilla Heidbreder Harriett Small Emyre B. Robinson Nina Spencer Dana Puddy Elizabeth Glenn Angela Buell Ebby Creden Pat Brackett Charlotte Gaunt Joan Wade Norma Brady Yvonne Herring Cindy Kuenneke Deanna Lamoreux Helen Powell Glenda Toole Sharon Dillard Carole Murphy Diane McLaughlin Patience Myers Roberta Liston James Moore Suzanne Hicks Mary Voigt

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

TRUSTEES Alexandra Pruner, President Gene Dewhurst

James Lee Jerry Simon

William J. Toomey II Fredric A. Weber

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: Patrick T. Quinn, Director, Planned Giving, 713.337.8532, patrick.quinn@houstonsymphony.org GENERAL ENDOWMENT FUNDS



to support operational and annual activities

Accenture (Andersen Consulting) Fund AIG American General Fund M.D. Anderson Foundation Fund Mr. & Mrs. Philip Bahr Fund Janice H. & Thomas D. Barrow Fund Mrs. Ermy Borlenghi Bonfield Fund Jane & Robert Cizik Fund Mr. Lee A. Clark Fund Cooper Industries, Inc. Fund Gene & Linda Dewhurst Fund DuPont Corporation Fund Elkins Charitable Trust Agency Fund The Margaret & James A. Elkins Foundation Fund Virginia Lee Elverson Trust Fund Charles Engelhard Foundation Fund William Stamps Farish Fund Dr. Kelli Cohen Fein & Martin J. Fein Fund Stephen & Mariglyn Glenn Fund Jo A. & Billie Jo Graves Fund

DESIGNATED FUNDS



George & Mary Josephine Hamman Foundation Fund Dr. Gary L. Hollingsworth & Dr. Ken Hyde Fund Houston Arts Combined Endowment Fund Drs. M.S. & Marie-Luise Kalsi Fund Mr. & Mrs. Marvin Kaplan Fund Ann Kennedy & Geoffrey Walker Fund Martha Kleymeyer Fund Rochelle & Max Levit Fund Mr. E. W. Long Jr. Fund Mr. & Mrs. Rodney H. Margolis Fund Jay & Shirley Marks Fund Mr. & Mrs. J. Stephen Marks Fund/ The Marks Charitable Foundation Marian & Speros Martel Foundation Fund Barbara & Pat McCelvey Fund The Menil Foundation Fund Monroe Mendelsohn Jr. Estate Sue A. Morrison & Children Fund National Endowment for the Arts Fund

to support annual performance activity

The Brown Foundation Guest Pianist Fund The Cullen Foundation Maestro’s Fund 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 The Houston Symphony Chorus Endowment Fund

ENDOWED CHAIRS

to attract, retain and support world-class conductors, musicians, guest artists and executive leadership 

Janice & Thomas Barrow Chair Brinton Averil Smith, principal cello Roy & Lillie Cullen Chair Andrés Orozco-Estrada, music director Fondren Foundation Chair Qi Ming, assistant concertmaster General Maurice Hirsch Chair Aralee Dorough, principal flute Ellen E. Kelley Chair Eric Halen, co-concertmaster Max Levine Chair George P. & Cynthia Woods Mitchell Chair Mark Hughes, principal trumpet Tassie & Constantine S. Nicandros Chair Alexander Potiomkin, bass clarinet Lucy Binyon Stude Chair Jonathan Fischer, principal oboe Winnie Safford Wallace Chair

ENDOWED FUNDS

Stewart Orton Fund Papadopoulos Fund Nancy & Robert Peiser Fund Rockwell Fund, Inc. Fund Mr. & Mrs. Clive Runnells Fund Estate of Mr. Walter W. Sapp Fund Mr. & Mrs. Matt K. Schatzman Fund The Schissler Foundation Fund Mr. & Mrs. James A. Shaffer Fund Mr. & Mrs. William T. Slick Jr. Fund Texas Eastern Fund Dorothy Barton Thomas Fund Bobby & Phoebe Tudor Fund Mr. & Mrs. Jesse B. Tutor Fund Dede & Connie Weil Fund The Wortham Foundation Fund Anonymous (5)

 to attract, retain and support world-class conductors and guest artists American General Fund Speros P. Martel Fund Stewart Orton Fund Dan Feigal Prosser Fund

Fayez Sarofim Guest Violinist Fund through The Cullen Trust for the Performing Arts The Wortham Foundation Classical Series Fund endowed in memory of Gus S. & Lyndall F. Wortham

 to support annual education and community engagement activities Margarett & Alice Brown Endowment Fund for Education Ronald C. Borschow Fund Lawrence E. Carlton, M.D. Endowment Fund for Youth Programs Richard P. Garmany Fund for the Houston Symphony League Concerto Competition The William Randolph Hearst Endowed Fund for Education Programs Selma S. Neumann Fund Spec’s Charitable Foundation Salute to Educators Concert Fund  to support new commissions and innovative artistic projects The Micajah S. Stude Special Production Fund

to support access and expand geographic reach The Alice & David C. Bintliff Messiah Concert fund for performances at First Methodist Church The Brown Foundation’s Miller Outdoor Theatre Fund in memory of Hanni and Stewart Orton Mach Family Audience Development Fund George P. & Cynthia Woods Mitchell Summer Concerts Fund 

 to support electronic media initiatives The Cullen Trust for the Performing Arts Fund for Creative Initiatives

to support the Ima Hogg Competition Nancy B. Willerson Mr. & Mrs. C. Clifford Wright Jr. 

to support piano performance Mary R. Lewis Fund for Piano Performance C. Howard Pieper Foundation 

LEGACY COMMITMENTS

 through The Brown Foundation Challenge to support artistic excellence Janet F. Clark Gloria Goldblatt Pryzant Mr. & Mrs. Jesse B. Tutor Legacy Society Chair Wayne Brooks, principal viola Ms. Vicki West in honor of Hans Graf Anonymous (1)

LEADERSHIP GIFTS OF WORKING CAPITAL

provided as part of the Campaign for the 20th Century, Campaign for Houston Symphony and My Houston, My Symphony—Campaign for a Sound Future Hewlett Packard Company Fund The Robert and Janice McNair Foundation Neva Watkins West Fund Gift in memory of Winifred Safford Wallace for the commission of new works



Symphony ENDOWMENT continued  InTUNE — January 2018 | 41

Symphony ENDOWMENT continued

Chorus ENDOWMENT A. Ann Alexander Janice Barrow Eldo Bergman, Family Literacy Network, Inc. Nancy & Walter Bratic Mr. & Mrs. Daniel Chavanelle Roger & Debby Cutler Steve Dukes

DONORS



$500 or more

Stephen & Mariglyn Glenn Robert Lee Gomez Terry L. & Karen G. Henderson Beth Weidler & Stephen James Nobuhide Kobori David G. Nussman Natalia Rawle Gabriel & Mona Rio

Douglas & Alicia Rodenberger Ms. Carolyn Rogan Michael J. Shawiak Susan L. Thompson Mr. & Mrs. Frederic A. Weber Beth Weidler & Stephen James Anonymous (1)

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 Compass Ms. Marie Taylor Bosarge City of Houston through the Miller Theatre Advisory Board Houston Endowment Houston Symphony Endowment Mr. John N. Neighbors

Underwriter $50,000+



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

Sponsor



$25,000+

The Boeing Company Mr. & Mrs. John P. Dennis III/ WoodRock & Co. The Powell Foundation Sterling-Turner Foundation Wells Fargo

42 | Houston Symphony

Partner



$15,000+

Anadarko Petroleum Corporation Ruth and Ted Bauer Family Foundation The Melbern G. and Susanne M. Glasscock Foundation H-E-B Tournament of Champions The Newfield Foundation Mr. Jay Steinfeld & Mrs. Barbara Winthrop 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 Houston Symphony League Nancy & Robert Peiser Vivian L. Smith Foundation TPG Capital

Benefactor



$5,000+

William E. & Natoma Pyle Harvey Charitable Trust Houston Symphony League Bay Area LTR Lewis Cloverdale Foundation Macy’s Marathon Oil Corporation Nordstrom Randalls Food Markets Strake Foundation

Donor



$1,000+

Lilly & Thurmon Andress Diane & Harry Gendel Kinder Morgan Foundation Robert W. & Pearl Wallis Knox Foundation Lillian Kaiser Lewis Foundation Cora Sue & Harry Mach Karinne & Bill McCullough Tricia & Mark Rauch Hazel French Robertson Education & Community Residency

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

The Houston Symphony residency at Crespo Elementary is presented

by BBVA Compass and the BBVA Compass Foundation. We are also thankful to HISD and these lead supporters of the CommunityEmbedded Musician program: Robert and Janice McNair Foundation Medistar National Endowment for the Arts Spec’s Wines, Spirits and Finer Foods / Spec’s Charitable Foundation Nancy & Robert Peiser Mr. Jay Steinfeld & Mrs. Barbara Winthrop H-E-B Tournament of Champions LTR Lewis Cloverdale Foundation

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 Liam Bonner, Manager, Annual Giving Groups, at 713.337.8536 or liam.bonner@houstonsymphony.org.

Janice Barrow Sophia Silivos, First Violin

Mr. & Mrs. Russell M. Frankel Aralee Dorough, Principal Flute

Martha & Marvin McMurrey Rodica Gonzalez, First Violin

Mrs. Bonnie Bauer Fay Shapiro, Viola

Stephen & Mariglyn Glenn Christian Schubert, Clarinet

Dr. Robert M. Mihalo Brian Thomas, Horn

Gary & Marian Beauchamp Martha Chapman, Second Violin

Evan B. Glick Tong Yan, First Violin

Rita & Paul Morico Elise Wagner, Bassoon

Mr. & Mrs. Edward F. Blackburne Jr. Sergei Galperin, First Violin

Mr. & Mrs. Fred L. Gorman Christopher French, Associate Principal Cello

Nancy Morrison Wayne Brooks, Principal Viola

Dr. & Mrs. Meherwan P. Boyce Brinton Averil Smith, Principal Cello Nancy & Walter Bratic Christopher Neal, First Violin Terry Ann Brown James R. Denton, Cello Ralph Burch Robin Kesselman, Principal Double Bass Barbara J. Burger Andrew Pedersen, Double Bass Dougal & Cathy Cameron Brian Thomas, Horn Dr. M.K. Campion Rodica Gonzalez, First Violin Drs. Dennis & Susan Carlyle Louis-Marie Fardet, Cello Jane & Robert Cizik Qi Ming, Assistant Concertmaster Janet F. Clark Kevin Dvorak, Cello Mr. Michael H. Clark & Ms. Sallie Morian George Pascal, Assistant Principal Viola Roger & Debby Cutler Tong Yan, First Violin Dr. Scott Cutler Scott Holshouser, Principal Keyboard Mr. Richard Danforth Jeffrey Butler, Cello Leslie Barry Davidson & W. Robins Brice Colin Gatwood, Oboe Linda & Gene Dewhurst Phillip Freeman, Trombone Scott Ensell & Family Donald Howey, Double Bass Kelli Cohen Fein & Martin Fein Ferenc Illenyi, First Violin Angel & Craig Fox David Malone, Associate Principal Double Bass

Dr. Gary L. Hollingsworth & Dr. Kenneth J. Hyde Robert Walp, Assistant Principal Trumpet Drs. M.S. & Marie-Luise Kalsi Eric Halen, Co-Concertmaster The Joan & Marvin Kaplan Foundation Mark Nuccio, Principal Clarinet Dr. & Mrs. I. Ray Kirk Linda Goldstein, Viola Mr. & Mrs. U. J. LeGrange Thomas LeGrand, Associate Principal Clarinet Rochelle & Max Levit Sergei Galperin, First Violin Cornelia & Meredith Long Brinton Averil Smith, Principal Cello

Mr. & Mrs. Robert E. Nelson Mihaela Frusina, Second Violin Bobbie Newman Rodica Gonzalez, First Violin Scott & Judy Nyquist Sheldon Person, Viola Susan & Edward Osterberg MiHee Chung, First Violin Mr. & Mrs. Jonathan E. Parker Nancy Goodearl, Horn

Ron & Demi Rand Myung Soon Lee, Cello

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

Linda & Jerry Rubenstein Brian Del Signore, Principal Percussion

Mr. & Mrs. Alexander K. McLanahan William VerMeulen, Principal Horn

Susan L. Thompson George Pascal, Assistant Principal Viola

Ms. Judith Vincent Matthew Roitstein, Associate Principal Flute

Mr. Glen A. Rosenbaum Aralee Dorough, Principal Flute

Betty & Gene McDavid Linda A. Goldstein, Viola

Linda & Paul Thomas Robert Johnson, Associate Principal Horn

Gloria & Joe Pryzant Matthew Strauss, Percussion

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

Barbara & Pat McCelvey Adam Dinitz, English Horn

Carol & Michael Stamatedes Eric Larson, Double Bass

Mr. & Mrs. Jesse B. Tutor Daniel Strba, Viola

Sybil F. Roos Mark Hughes, Principal Trumpet

Dr. & Mrs. Malcolm L. Mazow Rodica Gonzalez, First Violin

Mr. & Mrs. Robert R. Springob, Laredo Construction, Inc. Mihaela Frusina, Second Violin

Dave & Alie Pruner Matthew Strauss, Percussion

Joella & Steven P. Mach Eric Larson, Double Bass

Michelle & Jack Matzer Kurt Johnson, First Violin

Alana R. Spiwak & Sam L. Stolbun Wei Jiang, Viola

Bobby & Phoebe Tudor Bradley White, Associate Principal Trombone

Lila Rauch Christopher French, Associate Principal Cello

Jay & Shirley Marks Sergei Galperin, First Violin

Tad & Suzanne Smith Marina Brubaker, First Violin

Nancy & Robert Peiser Jonathan Fischer, Principal Oboe

Cora Sue & Harry Mach Joan DerHovsepian, Associate Principal Viola

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

The Julia and Albert Smith Foundation Eric Arbiter, Associate Principal Bassoon

John & Lindy Rydman / Spec's Wines, Spirits & Finer Foods Anthony Kitai, Cello Mr. & Mrs. Walter Scherr Phyllis Herdliska, Viola Mr. & Mrs. James A. Shaffer Eric Halen, Co-Concertmaster Laura & Michael Shannon Rian Craypo, Principal Bassoon Donna & Tim Shen Tina Zhang, Second Violin

Shirley & Joel Wahlberg Matthew Strauss, Percussion Margaret Waisman, M.D. & Steven S. Callahan, Ph.D. Mark Griffith, Percussion Stephen & Kristine Wallace Ronald Holdman, Principal Timpani Mr. & Mrs. Fredric A. Weber Megan Conley, Principal Harp Vicki West Rodica Gonzalez, First Violin Dr. Jim T. Willerson Anne Leek, Associate Principal Oboe Steven & Nancy Williams MiHee Chung, First Violin Jeanie Kilroy Wilson & Wallace S. Wilson Xiao Wong, Cello Lorraine & Ed Wulfe Dave Kirk, Principal Tuba Nina & Michael Zilkha Kurt Johnson, First Violin

InTUNE — January 2018 | 43

Meet Nancy Goodearl, horn Nancy Goodearl, a member of the Houston Symphony since 1981, received a Bachelor of Music degree in performance from the Eastman School of Music and a Master of Music degree in performance from Northwestern University. Since 1987, she has been a member of the Grand Teton Music Festival Orchestra in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. She has performed with many orchestras, including the Houston Ballet, Houston Grand Opera and Dallas Symphony Orchestras, and the Sun Valley Summer Symphony in Idaho.

Nancy has performed extensively in recitals and chamber music throughout the Houston area, including brass and woodwind quintets from the Houston Symphony and faculty brass and woodwind quintets from the University of Houston. She also performs with the Monarch Brass Ensemble, a large brass ensemble of women from around the country affiliated with the International Women’s Brass Conference.

In addition to performing, she enjoys coaching high school horn sections and teaching privately. She is a former faculty member of the University of Houston’s Moores School of Music, the Texas Music Festival and the American Festival of the Arts.

Is there a concert you are particularly excited about this season? If so, which one and why?

One of my favorite composers is Johannes Brahms. I am looking forward to playing his Piano Concerto No. 1 this month and his Requiem and Third Symphony in May. His music speaks to my soul and is very rewarding to play.

He wrote wonderful horn parts in all of his orchestral works.

I am also looking forward to our European Tour with Maestro Orozco-Estrada in March 2018. I believe it is very important for an orchestra to tour. While travelling is always a challenge with such a large group, playing in different settings with different acoustics can be a rewarding and educational experience. We learn to hear each other in different ways, bringing new insights to the music and flexibility to our playing, which makes us better musicians. We return to Houston a more refined ensemble, presenting better concerts for our home audiences.

Will you share a notable performance or event in your career?

Over the years I have played with the Houston Symphony, I have been very lucky to have many. One amazing experience was playing Mahler’s Symphony No. 5 in Vienna with Christoph Eschenbach. Everything about that concert, from the historic nature of the hall to the chemistry of the orchestra to the inspired conducting came together to create a joyful and breathtaking musical experience.

I also have many special memories from performing each summer with the Grand Teton Music Festival Orchestra. It is amazing to play in Jackson Hole with so many wonderful musicians from around the country. The mountains and scenery are awe-inspiring, and playing there renews my spirit.

What are you up to when not performing?

My favorite hobby is pottery. I take classes at the Glassell School of Art and throw pots on the wheel in my garage studio. I find that working with clay is very therapeutic and a wonderful complement to music. It also helps me find my inner peace amidst the chaos of family life involving my spouse, two teenagers, three dogs, and a parrot.

Nancy Goodearl is sponsored by Mr. & Mrs. Jonathan E. Parker.

44 | Houston Symphony

Top: My Houston Symphony portrait Middle: Some of my pottery, photographed

by HS bassoonist, Eric Arbiter.

Bottom: My kids. Ready to go on the Cowboy Coaster in Jackson Hole.

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