InTUNE
July 3 & 4, 2026
Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion & Miller Outdoor Theatre: Star-Spangled Salute
The Houston Symphony Magazine
ORCHESTRA ROSTER
Juraj Valčuha
Music Director
Roy and Lillie Cullen Chair
FIRST VIOLIN
Yoonshin Song, Concertmaster
Max Levine Chair
Vacant, Associate Concertmaster
Ellen E. Kelley Chair
Boson Mo, Assistant Concertmaster
Qi Ming, Assistant Concertmaster Fondren Foundation Chair
Tong Yan
Ferenc Illenyi
Si-Yang Lao
Christopher Neal
Sergei Galperin
SECOND VIOLIN
Vacant, Principal
Vacant, Associate Principal
Amy Semes
Annie Kuan-Yu Chen
Mihaela Frusina
Jing Zheng
Anastasia Iglesias
Tina Zhang*
Yankı Karataş
Hannah Duncan
Alexandros Sakarellos
VIOLA
Joan DerHovsepian, Principal
Wei Jiang, Acting Associate Principal
Samuel Pedersen, Assistant Principal
Paul Aguilar
Sheldon Person
Fay Shapiro
Keoni Bolding
Jimmy Cunningham
CELLO
Brinton Averil Smith, Principal
Janice H. and Thomas D. Barrow Chair
Christopher French, Associate Principal
Jane and Robert Cizik Chair
Anthony Kitai
Louis-Marie Fardet
Je rey Butler
Maki Kubota
Xiao Wong
Charles Seo
Jeremy Kreutz
DOUBLE BASS
Robin Kesselman, Principal
Timothy Dilenschneider, Associate Principal
Andrew Pedersen, Assistant Principal
Eric Larson
Logan May
Burke Shaw
Donald Howey
Avery Weeks
COMMUNITY EMBEDDED MUSICIAN
Lindsey Baggett, Violin
LIBRARIANS
Ali Verderber, Associate Librarian
Megan Fisher, Assistant Librarian
Steven Reineke, Principal POPS Conductor
Andrés Orozco-Estrada, Conductor Laureate
Anthony J. Maglione, Director, Houston Symphony Chorus
Gonzalo Farias, Associate Conductor
FLUTE
Vacant, Principal
General Maurice Hirsch Chair
Matthew Roitstein, Acting Principal
Judy Dines
Kathryn Ladner
Douglas DeVries+
PICCOLO
Kathryn Ladner
OBOE
Jonathan Fischer, Principal
Lucy Binyon Stude Chair
Anne Leek, Associate Principal
Vacant
Adam Dinitz
Pablo Moreno+
ENGLISH HORN
Adam Dinitz
Barbara and Pat McCelvey Chair
CLARINET
Mark Nuccio, Principal
Bobbie Nau Chair
Vacant, Associate Principal
Christian Schubert
Alexander Potiomkin
Ben Freimuth+
E FLAT CLARINET
Vacant
Ben Freimuth+
BASS CLARINET
Alexander Potiomkin
BASSOON
Rian Craypo, Principal
Isaac Schultz, Associate Principal
Elise Wagner
Adam Trussell
CONTRABASSOON
Adam Trussell
HORN
William VerMeulen, Principal
Mr. and Mrs. Alexander K. McLanahan
Endowed Chair
Robert Johnson, Associate Principal
Nathan Cloeter, Assistant Principal/Utility
Ian Mayton
Barbara J. Burger Chair
Brian Mangrum
Spencer Bay+
STAGE PERSONNEL
Vacant, Stage Manager
José Rios, Assistant Stage Manager
Nicholas DiFonzo, Head Video Engineer
Justin Herriford, Head Audio Engineer
Connor Morrow, Head Stage Technician
Giancarlo Minotti, Audio Production Manager
TRUMPET
Mark Hughes, Principal
George P. and Cynthia Woods
Mitchell Chair
John Parker, Associate Principal
Robert Walp, Assistant Principal
Richard Harris
TROMBONE
Nick Plato , Principal
Bradley White, Associate Principal
Phillip Freeman
BASS TROMBONE
Phillip Freeman
TUBA
Dave Kirk, Principal
TIMPANI
Leonardo Soto, Principal
Matthew Strauss, Associate Principal
PERCUSSION
Brian Del Signore, Principal
Mark Gri th
Matthew Strauss
HARP
Allegra Lilly, Principal
KEYBOARD
Vacant, Principal
LIBRARIAN
Luke Bryson, Principal
*on leave + contracted substitute
ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF
LEADERSHIP GROUP
Gary Ginstling, Executive Director/CEO
Margaret Alkek Williams Chair
Elizabeth S. Condic, Chief Financial O cer
Vicky Dominguez, Chief Operating O cer
Rolanda Gregory, Chief Marketing O cer
Jennifer Renner, Chief Development O cer
Mayenne Minuit, Executive Assistant
DEVELOPMENT
Leanna Aldis, Manager, Foundation Relations
Sarah Bhalla, Board Relations Associate
Lauren Buchanan, Development Communications Manager
Alex Canales, Manager, Donor Services
Jessie De Arman, Development Associate, Gifts, Records, & Research
Timothy Dillow, Senior Director, Individual Giving
Amanda T. Dinitz, Director, Principal Gifts & Endowment
Kamra Kilmer, Manager, Corporate Relations
Karyn Mason, Institutional Giving O cer
Hadia Mawlawi, Endowment & Planned Giving O cer
Emilie Moellmer, Membership Manager
Gavin Reed, Major Gifts O cer
Tim Richey, Major Gifts O cer
Katie Salvatore, Director, Annual Giving & Membership
Phillip Smith, Special Events and League Liaison O cer
Lena Streetman, Director, Development Operations
Sarah Thompson, Donor Events Manager
Christina Trunzo, Director, Institutional Giving
EDUCATION | COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Olivia Allred, Education Manager
Allison Conlan, Senior Director, Education & Community Engagement
Austin Hinkle, Education & Community Engagement Coordinator
Jazmine Olwalia, Community Engagement Manager
Community-Embedded Musicians (CEM):
Lindsey Baggett, Lead CEM
Lucinda Chiu, CEM Teaching Artist
David Connor, Senior CEM Teaching Artist
Bensen Kwan, CEM Education Specialist
Brittany Leavitt, CEM Teaching Artist
Bianca Lozano, CEM Teaching Artist
Adrian Ponce, CEM Teaching Artist
Lauren Ross, CEM Teaching Artist
Jaya Varma, CEM Teaching Artist
FINANCE | ADMINISTRATION | IT | HR
José Arriaga, Systems Engineer
Henry Cantu, Finance Accountant
Kimberly Cegielski, Sta Accountant
Heather Fails, Database Administrator
Ronin Jackson, IT Intern
Joel James, Director of Human Resources
Tanya Lovetro, Director of Budgeting & Financial Reporting
Freddie Piegsa, Help Desk Technician
Morgana Rickard, Controller
Gabriela Rivera, Senior Accountant
Pam Romo, O ce Manager/HR Coordinator
Lee Whatley, Senior Director, IT & Analytics
MARKETING | COMMUNICATIONS
Bryan Ayllon, UX & Conversion Specialist
Rachel Cheng, Marketing & External Relations Assistant
Bella Cutaia, Manager, Patron Services
Kathryn Judd, Director, Marketing
Priya Kurup, Senior Associate, Group Sales
Caroline Lawson, Patron Services Representative
Yoo-Ell Lee, Graphics & Media Designer
Milow Lozano, Ticketing Systems & Marketing Operations Specialist
Ciara Macaulay, Creative Director
Ashley Martinez, Patron Services Coordinator
Mariah Martinez, Email Marketing Coordinator
Casey Pearce, Graphic Design Manager
Aracely Quevedo, Patron Services Representative
Nadjalie Santos, Front of House Coordinator
Eric Skelly, Senior Director, Communications
Christian Sosa, Web Experience Director
Alexa Ustaszewski, Manager, Revenue and Audience Insights
Sophie Volpe, Digital Content Specialist
Leecia Whatley, Patron Services Representative
Jenny Zuniga, Director, Patron Services
OPERATIONS | ARTISTIC
Stephanie Alla, Associate Director of Artistic Planning
Becky Brown, Associate Director of Orchestra Personnel
Juan Pablo Brand, Artistic Assistant
Ryan Diefenderfer, Concert Operations Assistant
Megan Fisher, Assistant Librarian
Michael Gorman, Director of Orchestra Personnel
Julia Hall, Assistant Director, Houston Symphony Chorus
Parker Hart, Concert Operations Manager
Adrian Hernandez, Concert Media Production Manager
Giancarlo Minotti, Audio Production Manager
José Rios, Assistant Stage Manager
Brad Sayles, Senior Recording Engineer
Nathan Trinkl, Artistic Assistant & Assistant to the Music Director
Ali Verderber, Associate Librarian
Meredith Williams, Director of Concert Operations
Rebecca Zabinski, Senior Director of Artistic Planning
SOCIETY BOARD OF TRUSTEES
OFFICERS
Barbara McCelvey President
John Rydman** Board Chair Chair, Artistic & Orchestra
A airs
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Brad W. Corson Chair, Governance & Leadership
Carey Kirkpatrick Chair, Marketing & Communications
Evan B. Glick Chair, Popular Programming
Sippi Khurana, M.D. Chair, Education & Community Engagement
Mary Lynn Marks Chair, Volunteers & Special Events
GOVERNING DIRECTORS
Gary Beauchamp
Eric Brueggeman
MK Campion
John Cassidy, M.D.
Khoa Dao
Lidiya Gold
TRUSTEES
Christopher Armstrong
David Balderston
David J. Beck
Carrie Brandsberg-Dahl
Nancy Shelton Bratic
Terry Ann Brown**
Ralph Burch
John T. Cater**
Robert Chanon
Heaven Chee
Michael H. Clark
Virginia Clark
Andrew Davis, Ph.D.
Denise Davis
Tracy Dieterich
Kelli Cohen Fein
Je rey B. Firestone
Eugene A. Fong
Aggie L. Foster
Barbara J. Burger Immediate Past President
Mike S. Stude** Chair Emeritus
Paul Morico General Counsel
Jonathan Ayre Secretary Chair, Finance
Janet F. Clark^ Immediate Past Chair
Ed Schneider Chair, Development
Robert Orr Chair, Strategic Planning
Jesse B. Tutor** Chair, Audit
Jerre Williams President, Houston Symphony League
James H. Lee^ President, Houston Symphony Endowment
Juraj Valčuha^ Music Director Roy and Lillie Cullen Chair
Joan DerHovsepian^ Musician Representative
Mark Hughes^ Musician Representative
Jeremy Kreutz^ Musician Representative
Mark Nuccio^ Musician Representative
Gary Ginstling^ Executive Director/CEO
Margaret Alkek Williams Chair
David J. M. Key
David Krieger
Cindy Levit
Isabel Stude Lummis
Cora Sue Mach**
Rodney Margolis**
Kate Dearing Fowler
Aoife French
Carolyn Gaidos
Andrew Gould
Lori Harrington
Pablo Hernandez Schmidt-
Topho
Je Hiller
Grace Ho
Gary L. Hollingsworth
John W. Hutchinson
Brian James
Matthew Kades
I. Ray Kirk, M.D.
Matthew Loden
Kirby Lodholz
Michael Mann, M.D.
Nancy Martin
Jack Matzer
FOUNDATION FOR JONES HALL REPRESENTATIVES
Janet F. Clark
Brad W. Corson
Meredith Marshall
Leslie Nossaman
Chris Powers
Brittany Sakowitz
Ed Schneider
Justin Stenberg
Jackie Wolens Mazow
Diane K. Morales
Tim Ong
Edward Osterberg Jr.
Gloria G. Pryzant
Miwa Sakashita
Andrew Schwaitzberg
Helen Sha er**
Becky Shaw
Robert B. Sloan, D.D., Theol.
Jim R. Smith
Miles O. Smith**
Quentin Smith
Tad Smith
Anthony Speier
Tina Raham Stewart
Nanako Tingleaf
Terry Thomas
Margaret Waisman, M.D.
Barbara McCelvey
Steven P. Mach^ At-Large Member
Bobby Tudor^** At-Large Member
Gretchen Watkins^ At-Large Member
William J. Toomey II
Betty Tutor**
Robert Weiner
Margaret Alkek Williams**
Fredric A. Weber
Vicki West
Steven J. Williams
David J. Wuthrich
Ellen A. Yarrell
Robert Yekovich
EX OFFICIO
Alejandro Gallardo
Reverend Ray Mackey, III
Frank F. Wilson IV
Fredric Weber
S
PERFORMANCE CALENDAR
2026-27 se a son
A. R. Rahman with the Houston Symphony
July 24 & 25
S Idina Menzel
August 30
S How to Train Your Dragon in Concert
September 5 & 6
S Opening Night: Celebrating America at 250
September 19
Simply the Best:
A Tribute to Tina Turner
September 25 & 26*
Rachmanino f Festival:
Rachmanino f ’s Second Symphony
October 2, 3 * & 4
Rachmanino f Festival:
Rachmanino f ’s Piano
Concerto No. 3
October 9, 10 * & 11
S
Mozart’s Jupiter & JIJI
October 16 , 17 * & 18
Dolly Parton’s Threads: My Songs in Symphony
October 30, November 1
Haunted Halloween
October 31
Disney Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas in Concert Live-to-Film
October 31
Shostakovich’s Ninth Symphony & Yoonshin Song
November 6, 7 * & 8
La Vida Loca
November 21 & 22*
See our full year calendar for even more concerts!
Featured Program
Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion & MILLER OUTDOOR THEATRE:
Star-spangled salute
Steven Reineke, conductor
*Ben Chavez, vocalist & piano
0:02 J.S. SMITH/J. KESSLER – “ The Star-Spangled Banner ”
0:04 J. WILLIAMS – Liberty Fanfare
0:03 SCHUMAN – Chester from New England Triptych
0:04 BRICUSSE-NEWLEY/D. McKENZIE – “Feeling Good”
0:03
E. JOHN-TAUPIN/T. DeSARE – “Philadelphia Freedom”
0:05 J. WILLIAMS – The Cowboys Overture
0:02 SOUSA/C. McALISTER – The Liberty Bell March
Matthew Kades, guest conductor (July 4 only)
0:02 A. MENKEN/D. TROOB – “Proud of Your Boy ” from Aladdin
0:04 B. CHAVEZ/M. AMY-D. URSETTI – “Golden Era”
0:07 HORNER/MOSS – Music from Apollo 13
1. Main Title--
2. End Credits--
3. Re-Entry and Splashdown
0:09
K. LeFRAK – American Promise
Christopher Fahey, guest narrator
0:05 Arr. J. KESSLER – Armed Forces Medley
1. Semper Paratus (Coast Guard)
2. Space Force
3. The U.S. Air Force
4. Anchors Aweigh (Navy)
5. Marines’ Hymn
6. The Caisson Song (Army)
0:03 WARD/DRAGON – “America the Beautiful”
0:12 TCHAIKOVSKY – 1812 Overture, Opus 49
*Houston Symphony debut
Thursday, July 3
Friday, July 4
About the Music Program Bios
Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion 8 p.m.
Miller Outdoor Theatre 8:30 p.m.
Steven Reineke, conductor
Meredith & Ben Marshall, sponsor
Steven Reineke is one of North America’s leading conductors of popular music and is in his second decade as Music Director of The New York Pops at Carnegie Hall. He is the Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor of the National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and Principal Pops Conductor of the Houston Symphony and Toronto Symphony Orchestra.
Reineke is a frequent guest conductor and can be seen on the podium with the Chicago, Philadelphia, and Detroit Symphony Orchestras.
On stage, Reineke creates and collaborates with a range of leading artists in hip-hop, R & B, Broadway, television, and rock including Killer Mike, Maxwell, Common, Kendrick Lamar, Nas, Ne-Yo, Bob Weir, Trey Anastasio, Barry Manilow, Cynthia Erivo, Ben Rector, Cody Fry, Sutton Foster, Amos Lee, Dispatch, Jason Mraz, and Ben Folds, amongst others. In 2024, he led the NSO on PBS’s Next at the Kennedy Center featuring Ben Folds DeClassified with Jacob Collier, Laufey, and dodie. He was previously seen with the NSO on PBS’s Great Performances with hip-hop legend Nas performing his seminal album Illmatic. Reineke is the conductor on Ben Folds Live with The National Symphony Orchestra and William Shatner’s So Fragile, So Blue with The National Symphony Orchestra. In November 2025, Reineke was joined on the podium by NFL legend
Sponsors
Presenting Sponsor
The Houston Symphony’s Miller Outdoor Theatre concerts are endowed by The Brown Foundation, Inc. in memory of Stewart and Hanni Orton
City of Houston through the Miller Theatre Advisory Board Guarantor
The Houston Symphony’s sound shell ceiling is made possible through the generosity of the Beauchamp Foundation and the Fondren Foundation
Program Bios
Marshawn Lynch, who visited the Houston Symphony ahead of Thursday Night Football, for a conducting tutorial featured in his Amazon Prime show, N Yo City
Reineke is the creator of hundreds of orchestral arrangements and his works are performed worldwide and can be heard on numerous Cincinnati Pops Orchestra recordings. His symphonic works Celebration Fanfare, Legend of Sleepy Hollow, and Casey at the Bat are performed frequently in North America, including performances by the New York Philharmonic and Los Angeles Philharmonic. His Sun Valley Festival Fanfare was used to commemorate the Sun Valley Summer Symphony’s pavilion, and his pieces Festival Te Deum and Swan’s Island Sojourn were debuted by the Cincinnati Symphony and Cincinnati Pops Orchestras. His numerous wind ensemble compositions are published by the C.L. Barnhouse Company and are performed by concert bands perennially.
A native of Ohio, Reineke is a graduate of Miami University of Ohio (2020 Alumnus Distinguished Achievement Medal) where he earned Bachelor of Music degrees with honors in both trumpet performance and music composition. He currently resides in New York City with his husband Eric Gabbard.
Ben Chavez, vocalist and piano
Ben Chavez is an award-winning songwriter, actor, and musician. Best known for his breakout role in the Broadway National Tour of Disney’s Aladdin, he has performed on stages throughout the United States and Canada, including Radio City Music Hall, Madison Square Garden, and The Kennedy Center. A regular performer at Theatre Under the Stars, Ben has credits in Newsies, Frozen, In the Heights, and Beautiful: The Carole King Musical. He was also recently seen in the Houston Grand Opera production of West Side Story.
Ben is the recipient of the 2024–25 Performing Arts Houston NEW/NOW Award for his original concept album, Last Day, County Fair. The album will receive its two-night premiere this September at the Wortham Theater Center. His latest EP, Benjamin, is available on vinyl and can be streamed on all major platforms. In Houston, Ben has performed at numerous prestigious events, including The San Luis Salute, the Houston Symphony Gala, the Knights of Momus Coronation, the Houston
Ballet Ball, and The Diana Awards. He is also a recurring guest on KPRC’s Houston Life.
Passionate about developing the next generation of performers, Ben serves as Head Vocal Coach at The Broadway Studio. He is a proud graduate of the NYU Tisch School of the Arts.
For more information, visit benchavezmusic.com.
Program Bios
Christopher Fahey, guest narrator
Christopher L. Fahey serves as the Military and Veteran Outreach Coordinator at Stone River Recovery Center, where he is focused on helping veterans, service members, and families find hope, healing, and long-term recovery. Before entering behavioral health advocacy, Fahey served nearly 20 years in the U.S. Navy, building a career defined by leadership, operational excellence, and service under pressure.
During his military career, Fahey deployed five times, visited more than 30 countries, and served for a year with NATO’s training mission in Afghanistan. There, he led a 20-person joint-service team and directed more than 100 tactical ground missions that helped protect more than 300 personnel. He also supported U.S. and international Explosive Ordnance Disposal teams on 30 missions and contributed to intelligence-led operations that included armed patrols, key leader engagements, and counterinsurgency support.
Fahey also deployed twice with the USS Carl Vinson Strike Group in maritime security operations and twice with Navy Seabee units
supporting expeditionary construction, disaster relief, and international partnership missions. He concluded his naval career in Houston as Public Affairs Officer for Navy Recruiting District Houston.
His military honors include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, five Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the NATO Medal, and three Sea Service Medals. He was also named the Navy’s Print Journalist of the Year and Mass Communication Specialist of the Year, and earned three warfare qualifications: Enlisted Surface Warfare Specialist, Enlisted Aviation Warfare Specialist, and Seabee Combat Warfare Specialist.
Fahey’s professional mission is also deeply personal. After facing PTSD during and after military service, he found recovery through the support of fellow veterans and has dedicated his life to helping others do the same. He later served the PTSD Foundation of America and Camp Hope, advocating for thousands of veterans, and worked with The Abundant Harvest, helping provide food support to more than 106,000 veterans and other families in need. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Sam Houston State University and is pursuing a Master of Science in Clinical Psychology.
September 19
Steven Reineke, conductor
Isabel Leonard, mezzo-soprano
Matthew McConaughey, narrator
SUMMER SYMPHONY NIGHTS
July 10
July 11
July 17
July 18
Elgar’s Cello Concerto & Dvo& ák’s
New World Symphony
Mendelssohn & Márquez
Mendelssohn’s
Scottish Symphony
Beethoven’s Symphony No. 4
Presenting Sponsor
