Cirque de la Symphonie

Featured Program

Steven Reineke, conductor

0:06 SHOSTAKOVICH - Festive Overture, Opus 96 0:03 ABREU/DRAGON BARKER - Tico-Tico no Fubá 0:06 RACHMANINOFF - Vocalise, Opus 34, No. 14 0:02 BIZET/GUIRAUD - Les toréadors from Suite No. 1 from Carmen 0:02 BIZET/GUIRAUD - Danse bohême from Suite No. 2 from Carmen 0:05 SMETANA/RIESENFELD - Dance of the Comedians from The Bartered Bride 0:05 WAGNER/HUTSCHENRUYTER - The Ride of the Valkyries from Die Walküre

INTERMISSION

0:04 TCHAIKOVSKY - Danse des cygnes from Swan Lake, Opus 20a 0:05 GLINKA- Overture to Ruslan and Ludmila 0:03 RIMSKY-KORSAKOV - Dance of the Buffoons from The Snow Maiden 0:02 ROSSINI-RESPIGHI/SARGENT - Tarentella from La boutique fantasque 0:07 TCHAIKOVSKY - Valse from Swan Lake, Opus 20a 0:01 OFFENBACH/BINDER - Can-Can from Orpheus in the Underworld 0:12 RAVEL - Boléro

Friday, September 9 Saturday, September 10 Sunday, September 11

Part of the

POPS Series

Livestream of Houston Symphony concerts is made possible by Barbara J. Burger Jones Hall Jones Hall Jones Hall 8:00 p.m. 8:00 p.m. 2:30 p.m.

Cirque de la Symphonie is an exciting production that brings the magic of cirque to the music hall. For more than 10 years, it has thrilled and dazzled veteran concertgoers and new patrons as they experience accomplished aerial flyers, acrobats, contortionists, dancers, jugglers, balancers, and strongmen perform to live symphony music. Performers include world record holders, international competition gold-medal winners, Olympians, and some of the most experienced cirque talent ever seen. Their routines are uniquely adapted to stage accommodations shared with the orchestra, and each artist’s performance is choreographed to the music arranged in collaboration with the conductor. When the artists of Cirque de la Symphonie perform in front of the full orchestra, an incredible fusion of these two great art forms takes place. The aerialists and acrobats turn the concert into a three-dimensional entertainment extravaganza, and the musicians’ enthusiasm is palpable.

• The idea for Cirque de la Symphonie dates back to the 1990s when founder William H. Allen was traveling with Russian circus performers. • Cirque de la Symphonie was developed in conjunction with former

Principal POPS Conductor Michael Krajewski, and the first performance occurred at Jones Hall with the Houston Symphony in 2006. • Cirque de la Symphonie performances rarely feature more than two acrobats on stage at once to ensure perfect complementary balance between the physical stunts and musical virtuosity. • The performing troupe has collaborated with more than 100 orchestras worldwide, including performances in Hong Kong, Malaysia, and throughout the United States. • The music of Cirque de la Symphonie features some of classical music’s most recognizable pieces, including “Can-Can,” Boléro, music from

Carmen and Swan Lake, and many more fan favorites.

Steven Reineke has established himself as one of North America’s leading conductors of popular music. In addition to his role as Principal POPS Conductor of the Houston Symphony, this season, he celebrates his 10th anniversary as music director of The New York Pops at Carnegie Hall. Additionally, he is principal pops conductor of the National Symphony Orchestra at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. Steven is a frequent guest conductor with The Philadelphia Orchestra, and his extensive North American conducting appearances include Atlanta, Cincinnati, Edmonton, San Francisco, and Sarasota. On stage, he has created programs and collaborated with a range of leading artists from the worlds of hip hop, Broadway, television, and rock, including Common, Kendrick Lamar, Nas, Sutton Foster, Megan Hilty, Cheyenne Jackson, Wayne Brady, Peter Frampton, and Ben Folds, among others. In 2017, he was featured on NPR’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. In 2018, Steven led the same orchestra and hip hop legend Nas performing his seminal album, Illmatic, on PBS’s Great Performances. As the creator of more than 100 orchestral arrangements for the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra, Steven’s work has been performed worldwide, and can be heard on numerous Cincinnati Pops Orchestra recordings on the Telarc label. His symphonic works Celebration Fanfare, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Casey at the Bat are performed frequently in North America, including performances by the New York Philharmonic and Los Angeles Philharmonic. His Sun Valley Festival Fanfare commemorated the Sun Valley Summer Symphony’s pavilion, and his Festival Te Deum and Swan’s Island Sojourn were debuted by the Cincinnati Symphony and Cincinnati Pops Orchestras. His numerous wind ensemble compositions are published by the C.L. Barnhouse Company and are performed by concert bands worldwide. A native of Ohio, Steven is a graduate of Miami University of Ohio, where he earned Bachelor of Music degrees with honors in both trumpet performance and music composition. He lives in New York City with his husband, Eric Gabbard. 

Christine Van Loo is a seven-time consecutive National Champion, Female Olympic Athlete of the Year, and Athlete of the Decade in acrobatic gymnastics. She was inducted into the USSA (acrogymnastics) Hall of Fame and the World Acrobatics Society Gallery of Honor. As a professional aerialist and acrobat, she has performed in the 2002 Winter Olympics, at the Grammy Awards (with No Doubt and with Ricky Martin), at the American Music Awards (with Aerosmith), the Miss Universe pageant, and Paul McCartney’s European tour. She was a trainer and performer with NBC’s Celebrity Circus, and she choreographed the aerials for Britney Spears’ World Tour and the Stars on Ice U.S. tour. Christine provides spell-binding performances of aerial silks, rope, lira, and trapeze with Cirque de la Symphonie. 

Elena Tsarkova, the “Lady in White,” is a graduate of the famed Moscow Circus School and first-place winner of the prestigious National Russian Circus Festival. From “Master of Sports” in gymnastics, Elena developed into a unique and graceful performer with the Big Apple Circus, Switzerland’s Circus Knie, and Germany’s Circus Roncalli. Her combination of contortion, balance, and graceful dance moves made her a major star with Cirque de la Mur in Florida and Circus Circus in Las Vegas. Elena’s experience with major stage and theater productions offers a professional background that allows for a truly elegant performance with the orchestra. 

Vladimir Tsarkov provides a spell-binding performance with combinations of mime and juggling feats. A favorite of audience members of all ages, his Red Harlequin act features rings, balls, and electric batons, and he’s been known to teach the maestro a trick or two! He is a veteran of Circus Circus, Cirque Ingenieux, and various global entertainment productions. Vladimir graduated from Russia’s prestigious State College of Circus and Theater Arts and won the gold medal at the Cirque de Demain International Festival in France. His performance with the orchestra is pure entertainment. 

Vitalii Buza began his gymnastic training in the Republic of Moldova and soon competed as an elite gymnast with the Russian national team. At age 16, Vitalii joined the Moscow State Circus as a professional acrobat and toured throughout Europe. After a move to the United States, he starred in productions at Sea World, Universal Studios, and Walt Disney World. He has been featured in numerous TV ads and won a role in the Walt Disney movie Enchanted. Vitalii also performed at the 2006 Latin Grammy Awards, the 2007 NFL Pro Bowl, 2010 Academy Awards, and the 2011 Latin Billboard Awards. He has performed for celebrities and at major corporate events. Vitalii excels in multiple cirque acts, such as duo hand-balancing, straps, Cyr wheel, spinning cube, Chinese pole, and the Russian bar. 

Vitaliy Prikhodko and Pavel Korshunov, who make up AcroDuo, display amazing strength and balance. Vitaliy is a native of Ukraine, where he graduated from Kiev State Circus College. He began his career with the National Circus of Ukraine, winning first place at the New Ukrainian Circus Festival. His acrobatic experience includes worldwide tours with Nikulin’s Moscow Circus. Pavel, a native of Voronezh, Russia, is a three-time national champion of Russia, two-time World Champion and two-time Champion of the World Cup in acrobatic sport. A former veteran with Cirque du Soleil’s Varekai, Pavel is a multitalented performer on straps, Russian swing, trampoline, and acrobatics. AcroDuo’s performances with Cirque de la Symphonie create spontaneous eruptions of applause and emotion. 

Aleksandr Deev began training at the circus school in Moscow, Russia, at age 12 and went on to study at the Moscow University of Circus and Variety Art. His skills quickly landed him roles in major movie productions and television commercials, along with performances in the Kremlin. His circus work extended to Ukraine and beyond while still a teenager, working with the Moscow Circus and other special projects. He toured the United States with the Moscow State Circus and found many new opportunities, including Cirque Dreams’ shows at Busch Gardens and Six Flags. Aleks has starred in productions at Beau Rivage Casino, the South Seas Resort Captiva Island and Circus Fantasia, and Hawaii Circus. His multiple talents include the spinning cube and electrifying performances on the German Wheel. 