Houston Symphony Expands for the Strauss Festival
The Houston Symphony will end its season with a splash: a two-weekend festival devoted to Richard Strauss, whose name is practically synonymous with sonic spectacle.
Steven Brown
The Collaborative Spirit: Houston Ballet Offers a Lively Season Ahead
Julie Kent and Stanton Welch haven’t reached the point of finishing one another’s sentences. Nevertheless, just a few months after Kent joined Welch at the helm of Houston Ballet, they show clear signs of being in sync.
Classical Gems: Dallas Opera will stage landmark works for its first time
The Dallas Opera will treat its audiences next season to two of opera’s all-time favorites, but the real news belongs to the season’s other two slots: They’ll hold a pair of landmark works the company has never staged.
Houston Chamber Choir’s Springtime: Stravinsky to Brubeck to Buller
The Houston Chamber Choir’s annual showcase of high school choirs was mere days away, and artistic director Robert Simpson was making the rounds of the featured schools to touch base.
TX Studio: Dallas Composer Quinn Mason’s Clear Vision
Remember the age-old maxim, Know Thyself? Dallas’ Quinn Mason is crystal clear on his identity as a composer.
From Storms to Sunshine: Dallas Symphony Orchestra performs works by Saint-Saëns, Xi Wang and Sophia Jani
Nobody can say whether Camille Saint-Saëns had an extramusical topic in mind when he cast his “Organ” Symphony as a journey from storms to blazing sunshine.
Bach Society Houston Celebrates Profundity and Fun
The Bach Society Houston will offer this season’s audiences some of its namesake’s profoundest music. But even the iconic Bach doesn’t live by devoutness alone.
Bringing Artists’ Visions to Life: Bob Bursey Leads Texas Performing Arts into the Future
As the head of Austin’s Texas Performing Arts, Bob Bursey plays a leading role in the state’s cultural scene. But he makes no bones about one thing.
Giving Voice: Apollo Chamber Players Address Censorship
After 15 years of mixing the sounds and traditions of classical music with those of musical styles from around the world, the Apollo Chamber Players are opting this season for a different focus: as the main concert series’ label puts it, “Silenced Voices.”
CREATIVE TEAM JAKE HEGGIE, GENE SCHEER, AND JAWOLE WILLA JO ZOLLAR TAKE ON CIVIL WAR HISTORY IN HOUSTON GRAND OPERA’s ‘INTELLIGENCE’
Jake Heggie visited the Smithsonian Institution a few years ago for a performance of his Iconic Legacies, a song cycle evoking four U.S. first ladies.
Texas Lens: Ann S. Graham on Arts Advocacy
Hot-button issues may have dominated the headlines out of Austin, but the Texas Legislature this past spring made a quiet move that some of us will appreciate: It expanded the Texas State Artists Award program, which includes the poet laureate and such, to include a slot for a classical musician.
Beyond Diversity: ROCO Redefines the Classical Music Canon
Houston’s ROCO chamber orchestra has introduced so many new works, and featured so many composers and performers from diverse backgrounds, that its founder sees no point in reciting the numbers.