-
"The Houston Symphony is an integral part of my Houston life. Each Season opening is like coming to visit a dear friend."- Frank Pugliese, Subscriber
"Each time I hear music, I am reminded of the miracle of creativity and co-operation behind the sounds I hear. The composer, the performers, the conductor and the audience each contribute their part to the whole experience."- Susan Giesecke, subscriber
"I appreciate all of the talent and hard work of your group and look forward to each season."- Pat McCutcheon, subscriber
Read More
Tag Archives: michael krajewski
Thank You Subscribers!
November is Subscriber Appreciation Month!
It is subscriber appreciation month at the Houston Symphony. All
month, we are celebrating the loyalty and contributions of our
many dedicated subscribers by recognizing you with inserts in our
November magazine at each concert. Please know how much we value
the trust you place in us to provide you with quality programming
each season. We strive to continue to exceed your expectations
for musical excellence year after year!
Sincerely,
Your friends at the Houston Symphony
It’s not too late to become a 12-13 Houston Symphony Subscriber!
Posted in 2012-2013 season, Classical, eNews Article, Pops
Tagged classical, classical music, Hans Graf, Houston, houston symphony, houston symphony chorus, houston symphony orchestra, michael krajewski, music, musicians, orchestra, patron services, POPS, Robert Franz, subscribers, subscriptions
Leave a comment
Secrets to Unlocking More Value From Your Symphony Purchase: Dinner Packages
Congratulations- you’ve got tickets to the Houston Symphony! But whether you’re a multi-year subscriber or a first time single ticket buyer, you may still be unaware of all of the things the Houston Symphony has to offer in addition to your tickets, often at little to no additional charge. Check the Symphony Secrets category of our blog often to be sure you’re getting the most value for your Houston Symphony ticket purchase.
Did you know that you can often make an entire evening out of your Houston Symphony ticket purchase? When planning to attend a Houston Symphony concert, be sure to find out if there is a dinner package offered as a part of the evening’s festivities. Dinner packages include a pre-paid discount price for a meal at a near-by restaurant along with your purchase of a concert ticket. We do all the planning for you- you just have to show up!
Secret #1: Dinner Packages
Jones Hall at night
For details on dinner packages, check the production page for the concert of your choice on our website or call our Patron Services Center at (713) 224-7575 to find out if there is a featured dinner package for that evening.
Posted in 2012-2013 season, Symphony Secrets
Tagged brett mitchell, classical, classical music, Dinner Packages, Hans Graf, Houston, houston symphony, houston symphony chorus, houston symphony orchestra, Jones Hall, michael krajewski, music, music education, musicians, orchestra, patron services, Robert Franz, Symphony Secrets
Leave a comment
Catching Up with the Midtown Men
The Midtown Men
The group consists of four stars from the original cast of Broadway’s Jersey Boys.
Tony-Award winner Christian Hoff, Michael Longoria, Daniel Reichard and Tony-Award nominee J. Robert Spencer, come together to create a one-of-a-kind concert experience celebrating the music that defined the 1960s!
During their time in the mega-hit musical Jersey Boys, these four talented artists shared the stage for more than a thousand performances.
Now these four Broadway stars are bringing their own unique sound and chemistry to Jones Hall in collaboration with the Houston Symphony, singing the hits of The Beatles, The Beach Boys, The Jackson Five, The Mamas and The Papas, the Four Seasons and more!
The Midtown Men’s weekend with the Houston Symphony is sure to be a momentous occasion: not only will their concerts kick-off our 2012-2013 POPS season with Michael Krajewski, conductor, but they will also serve as the Midtown Men’s symphonic debut! I had the chance to catch up with these four showstoppers to get their thoughts about their upcoming performances with the Houston Symphony. Their answers to my questions made me all the more excited to hear them perform some of my all-time favorite classic hits live!
Georgia McBride: The Midtown Men formed after working together on Broadway in the Jersey Boys – how is your approach different when performing as the Midtown Men than when performing for a theater audience?
The Midtown Men: As entertainers we are being ourselves. While you get to see first hand why our chemistry rocked on Broadway, we are bringing our own story to life with the music in our concerts. On Broadway we brought somebody else’s story to life.
GM: How did the collaboration with the Houston Symphony develop?
TMM: Steven Reineke, Music Director of The New York Pops, Principal Pops Conductor of the National Symphony Orchestra and newly appointed Principal Pops Conductor of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, saw us blowing up the music of the ’60s at a show in NYC and the light went off. We’ve had great shows in Texas, so it made sense to start our symphonic adventure in the Lone Star State, where we knew we could kick it off right.
GM: How will the show with the Houston Symphony differ from the other shows on this tour?
TMM: It’s our symphonic debut! Our new album, “Sixties Hits” features quite a few dynamic orchestral arrangements that we can’t wait to take to the stage. The music sounds hot with our regular, seven-piece band so It’s gonna be a transcending experience to add a grand orchestra to our show. What a ride it’ll be for us and the fans of our favorite ’60s artists.
GM: In what ways have you modernized the classic elements of your performances?
TMM: We are singing classic 1960s songs but our voices have been influenced by the four following decades of music. We grew up listening to Michael Jackson and Mariah Carey, so the influence of soul and pop give a unique flavor to these classics. By infusing our contemporary perspective and unique sound into the stories and melodies, it creates a musical celebration of both the classic and contemporary.
GM: There are so many great hits from the ’60s. How do you choose which songs to record and perform?
TMM: Each song has a meaning to us. We develop our favorites in rehearsal, and by the time they make it to the live show, we know if they are resonating right away. It’s really all about connecting with the audience.
GM: Do you hope to introduce a new generation to these classic songs?
TMM: Not only do we hope, but we witness it at every concert- a boy under ten mouthing the words to Big Girls Don’t Cry sitting on the lap of his Grandma who is singing louder than he is; a girl in her 30s who dragged her husband, only to have the husband rushing to the stage door to take photos with all of us commemorating the event. The Midtown Men are reviving the music of the ’60s like no other group has, bringing memories back to those who witnessed its glory and making new ones for those of us who wish we had been there when these songs first rocked the nation.
Like The Midtown Men’s launching pad, Jersey Boys, our appeal is not as tribute to the hits of the ’60s but an experience of the heart and soul of the songwriters and the unique story of four real guys as a backdrop.
Catch the Midtown Men live with the Houston Symphony August 31, September 1-2, 2012. Buy tickets HERE.
Check out the Midtown Men in action here:
Music Inspires! Announcing the 2011-2012 Houston Symphony Season
From left, Eric Larson, double bass, Kiju Joh, violin and Kevin Dvorak, cello
On Sunday morning, the Houston Symphony announced its upcoming 2011-12 season of Classical, Pops and Family concerts. In line with the Symphony’s mission, enriching concerts fill each weekend with inspiration and bring innovative, first-class performances to the extensive cultural scene in Houston. Dynamic guest artists, Music Director Hans Graf and Principal Pops Conductor Michael Krajewski will collaborate with the 85 members of the Houston Symphony in performances that span many musical genres and four centuries of composition. Highlights include season-opening performances of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony; a three-week-long tribute to Rachmaninoff; Orbit – An HD Odyssey, the sequel to the internationally renowned Planets project; ACCESS, a new concert format for today’s ever-evolving audience and appearances by many talented conductors, some of whom are vying to be the Houston Symphony’s next music director, following the end of Hans Graf’s successful tenure in 2013.
Inspiring Music
Music Director Hans Graf
Stellar Artists, Beloved Repertoire
As always, the Houston Symphony brings powerful programming to the fourth largest city in the country. Under the direction of Music Director Hans Graf, the 2011-12 season will open with two performances of the inspirational “Ode to Joy” Beethoven Symphony No. 9 on September 9 and 10, 2011, and will close with dramatic performances of Carmina Burana by Carl Orff on May 17-20, 2012. These concerts, along with many others during the season, will also feature the talented Houston Symphony Chorus under the direction of Charles Hausmann. In addition, the Symphony will showcase a feast of classical offerings including Elgar’s Enigma Variations; a special commissioned work by Pierre Jalbert of Rice University that will honor the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 tragedy; Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5; Mozart’s Eine kleine Nachtmusik; and Berg’s Violin Concerto featuring the Symphony’s concertmaster, Frank Huang.
Violinist Hilary Hahn
Many friends of the Houston Symphony will be returning to Jones Hall including violinists James Ehnes and Hilary Hahn, soprano and Houston Grand Opera Studio alum, Albina Shagimuratova, and extraordinary pianists André Watts, Olga Kern and Emanuel Ax.
Debuting artists are in abundance in 2011-12. The Symphony welcomes cellist Daniel Mueller-Schott, percussionist Colin Currie, violinist Chloe Hanslip, and guest conductors David Afkham, Gilbert Varga, Christoph Koenig, Edward Gardner, Jakub Hrůša, John Storgårds, Vasily Petrenko, Alexander Shelley, and Pablo Heras-Casado.
“The upcoming season demonstrates the impressive breadth of the Houston Symphony,” said Graf. “We will welcome back to Houston some of the world’s most accomplished guest artists, some young talent just bursting onto the scene and, as always, we offer a bounty of music that will stimulate, excite, entertain and hopefully inspire you. I am looking forward to it!”
Photo credit: NASA/JPL
Orbit – An HD Odyssey
Orbit – An HD Odyssey is coming! Following the success of The Planets – An HD Odyssey, with glowing reviews, sell-out concerts, a well-received UK tour, and a best-selling DVD/Blu-ray disc, the sequel is being launched. The Houston Symphony has once again commissioned producer/director Duncan Copp to create an out-of-this-world, high-definition film to accompany a live orchestral performance by the Houston Symphony. Orbit – An HD Odyssey will focus on planet Earth. Featuring John Adams’ Short Ride in a Fast Machine and Strauss’ Also sprach Zarathustra, high-definition images from NASA’s shuttle missions, the International Space Station and satellites orbiting Earth will be spun together to tell an awe-inspiring story of our home planet’s land, sea and sky. The world-premiere performance of this Symphony Special concert will occur on February 18, 2012.
Christoph Eschenbach will return in December to conduct Mahler's 5th Symphony.
Christoph Eschenbach
Former Houston Symphony Music Director, Christoph Eschenbach, will return to Jones Hall on December 6 for a one-night-only, Symphony Special performance with the musicians of the Houston Symphony. Eschenbach returns to the podium, for the first time since February 2002, to lead the Houston Symphony in Mahler’s momentous Symphony No. 5.
Rachmaninoff Festival
It will be a month full of Rachmaninoff programming in January 2012 for a three-weekend concert extravaganza called “Rach Fest.” Included in the line-up will be all four Rachmaninoff piano concertos, performed by celebrated young pianist and 2010 Gilmore Artist Award winner, Kirill Gerstein, who will be serving as an artist in residence during the festival. Rachmaninoff, a virtuoso pianist in his own right, wrote hugely demanding music for the keyboard. Gerstein’s performance of all four, knuckle-busting concertos in three weeks will be amazing to behold. Interestingly, Houston has a special relationship with Gerstein. In his early years as a fresh face in the industry, he was embraced by the Houston Symphony as a guest soloist. Then, in the days before his most recent appearance with the Houston Symphony in January 2010, Gerstein received the news that he had been awarded the prestigious piano prize, the Gilmore Artist Award.
A New Concert Experience
ACCESS Series
Houston Symphony patrons’ yearning for a deeper connection to music and musicians inspired the creation of a new interactive concert series for 2011-12. Along with the aid of celebrity guest host, Miles Hoffman of National Public Radio fame, the ACCESS Series is designed to be a highly accessible and informative approach to a symphony concert. The concerts, a collection of three Friday evenings, will begin an hour earlier at 7:00 p.m. and will be shorter in length (approximately 80 minutes) with no intermission. As ACCESS host, Mr. Hoffman will bring an interactive spin to the performances such as interviewing artists, conductors, orchestra members or discussing repertoire throughout the concerts. In addition to the music, a pre-concert cocktail party is planned for each night along with post-concert question-and-answer sessions.
“With the ACCESS series, we are aiming to attract both new and current audiences who are eager to know more about the music being performed and the musicians involved,” said Mark Hanson, Houston Symphony Executive Director and CEO of the Houston Symphony. “Our host, Miles Hoffman, will engage and excite anyone who loves great music! This series is tangible proof of the Houston Symphony’s commitment to innovation, experimentation, and engagement.”
Even More Music!
Idina Menzel, known for her roles as Elphaba in Wicked and Maureen in Rent, as well as from TV's Glee, will perform with the Symphony in October.
Pops
The Pops season continues to provide the “Music You Know, Music You Love” in 2011-12. Kicking off the year on September 2-4 will be “Viva Italia!”, an evening of iconic Italian hits like music from The Godfather and Jersey Boys, La Traviata and “Nessun Dorma!,”– all performed by Poperazzi, a pop-opera vocal trio from Las Vegas. Glee fans and Baby Boomers alike will delight in several shows. Idina Menzel, star of Broadway’s Rent, Wicked and TV’s Glee, debuts with the Houston Symphony on October 14-16. “Live and Let Die: The Music of Paul McCartney” comes to Jones Hall with Michael Krajewski conducting on November 4-6 along with a “Tribute to John Denver” on April 5-7, 2012. Also in April, “Cole Porter’s Great American Songbook” will entertain audiences with song classics from Broadway and Hollywood. Likewise, movie music will be the star of another concert weekend in January 2012. “The Best of Williams and Spielberg” will showcase the Houston Symphony and Krajewski performing epic music from Stephen Spielberg and John Williams’ films. Bowfire! will electrify the stage in March 2012 with their virtuosi fiddle players who play a wide spectrum of musical genres with a show including choreography, dramatic lighting, set design and costumes. The dance-inducing Latin music group, Tiempo Libre, will close the Pops season in May 2012 with their Cuban flair and fusion of classical music and Afro-Cuban rhythms.
“I invite you to experience these incomparable musical evenings featuring tributes to Paul McCartney, John Denver and Cole Porter, journeys to Cuba and Italy, and salutes Hollywood and Broadway. You’ll hear the music you love performed by one of America’s finest orchestras – your very own Houston Symphony! Come and join us for the fun. I’ll see you there,” said Krajewski.
Associate Conductor Robert Franz
Family
Houston Symphony Associate Conductor, Robert Franz, has created another captivating season of family offerings. Fairy tales, The Little Mermaid and Houston Astros’ Milo Hamilton are all part of the 2011-12 Weatherford Family Concert Series. Families can enjoy an engaging, entertaining experience full of wonderful orchestral music on four Saturday mornings during the season. “Once Upon A Dream: Princes & Princesses” will kick-off the Family series on October 15 with music by composers featuring brave princes and beautiful princesses. “The Night Before Christmas” will be the Family holiday concert on December 3, and the “Music of Little Mermaid” will delight audiences on March 10, 2012. Rounding out the four-concert series will be “Perfect Pitch: Music of Baseball” on April 28, 2012, where the Houston Astros’ announcer and Hall of Fame award-winner, Milo Hamilton, will narrate Casey at the Bat.
“I love putting these concerts together for our family audiences,” said Franz. “As a fairly new uncle, these concerts are an extension of the time that my niece and I spend dancing and singing together…on a bit of a larger scale! But don’t be misled; these concerts are as much for parents and grandparents as they are for kids. The fact that all generations in a family can enjoy the Houston Symphony together makes these concerts very special.”
Houston Symphony On The Road
Return to Carnegie Hall
The Houston Symphony has been invited back to Carnegie Hall to participate in the 2012 Spring for Music Festival. With a tag line of “Uncommon Concerts for $25”, the festival is a new and innovative collection of concerts featuring North American symphony and chamber orchestras with a focus on unique programming at affordable prices. The Houston Symphony will kick-off the 2012 festival with the first performance on May 7, 2012. The week-long event is designed to allow chosen orchestras to showcase their artistic philosophies through distinctive and creative programming in one of the world’s most competitive musical environments, Carnegie Hall. The 2012 festival will mark Spring for Music’s second festival; May 2011 will be the inaugural run.
Expanding the Symphony’s Footprint in Houston
Sugar Land Series
In 2011-12, the Symphony is setting-up shop in Sugar Land in bustling Fort Bend County for a series of three concerts on Thursday evenings beginning at 8:00 p.m. The first two concerts in this new Sugar Land series will feature the Houston Symphony and Chorus in performances of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony and Handel’s Messiah. The third series performance will be presented in the new ACCESS format – an informative and interactive approach to a symphony concert hosted by Miles Hoffman of National Public Radio fame. The location will be the high-tech, multi-functional, and easy-access performance facilities at Sugar Land Baptist Church on Highway 59.
Looking Ahead
Music Director Search
The Houston Symphony’s 2011-12 season will mark the second year in its search for a new music director. As previously announced in October 2009, Hans Graf will end his tenure at the end of the 2012-13 season as the longest serving music director in the organization’s history. In January 2010, the Symphony formed a committee of musicians, staff, board members and community leaders to begin the search for a replacement. Among the many guest conductors who visit Jones Hall each season, there are possible music director candidates who are being assessed for their musical leadership, on-stage charisma and communication abilities.
Special Note for Current Houston Symphony Subscribers:
Guess what? You can already renew for the 2011-2012 season! Please click here for more information, and here to view the Classical Season Brochure.
Posted in Classical, Conductors and Musicians, Houston Symphony Chorus, Pops, Specials
Tagged Albina Shagimuratova, Alexander Shelley, André Watts, Andrew Foster-Williams, bowfire, brett mitchell, Carnegie Hall, Chloe Hanslip, Christoph Eschenbach, Christoph Koenig, Cole Porter, Colin Currie, Daniel Mueller-Schott, David Afkham, Edward Gardner, Emanuel Ax, frank huang, Gilbert Varga, Glee, Gordon Gietz, great american songbook, Hans Graf, Hilary Hahn, houston symphony, houston symphony chorus, houston symphony orchestra, HSO, Idina Menzel, Jakub Hrůša, James Ehnes, john denver, John Storgårds, john williams, kirill gerstein, michael krajewski, miles hoffman, milo hamilton, national public radio, NPR, Olga Kern, Pablo Heras-Casado., Paul McCarthy, Poperazzi, rent, Robert Franz, Sasha Cooke, spring for music festival, Steven Spielberg, sugar land baptist church, tiempo libre, Vasily Petrenko, wicked
1 Comment
Broadway really does Rock!
You don't even have to leave Houston to get a taste of Broadway this weekend!
So, when looking around the conference room during a recent marketing meeting, our resident blog expert rested her eyes on me and said “YOU should right a blog for Broadway Rocks!” Broadway Rocks, in case you are wondering, is the first POPS concert of the Houston Symphony’s 2010-2011 Season. It opens this Friday, September 3rd. The concert includes songs from what we are calling “the latest generation” of Broadway musicals. The NEW classics (pardon the oxymoron). Things like Wicked, Rent, Mamma Mia! and The Lion King. Of course, there are some golden oldies. How could you do a Broadway concert without a little Phantom of the Opera and the like?
Why did she suggest I write the blog about Broadway Rocks, you ask? Well, because I am the just the biggest musical theater geek in this entire organization. My conversations regularly are snippets of Broadway songs that are sung at whomever I’m addressing at the moment. My belief is that it is a lot more fun to sing and dance your way through your everyday life. It’s either that, or the fact that I did marketing for an organization that brought touring Broadway shows to local markets, and I worked there for many years.
Julia Murney, who played Elphaba in "Wicked" on Broadway, will be one of the featured vocalists this weekend.
One of the perks of my former job was that once a year, I was “required” to go to New York for a week and see as many shows as I could. I know…such torture! So, I’ve had the privilege to see many of the shows that are going to be featured in the upcoming Broadway Rocks concert. When we first talked about programming this concert, my true colors were seen probably for the first time. I was new at the time, and when this concert was mentioned, I started to grin and wiggle in my seat. I couldn’t wait to hear what shows we were going to feature. And I was NOT disappointed. And imagine my near accident inducing excitement when I learned that Julia Murney who WAS Elphaba in Wicked on Broadway and on tour is going to be here to perform with the orchestra! It is going to be so amazing to have her and the other Broadway stars with us to perform this music.
So yeah, I’m a little geeked out by this upcoming concert, and I’m not afraid to admit it. I have been that girl that stands at the stage door after a show to get my program signed when the cast emerges, and that’s okay. Part of what I love about the Houston Symphony is that we have something for everyone to enjoy, whether it is a Beethoven, the Music of Led Zeppelin or even a little slice of heaven like Broadway Rocks. Of course that is my slice of heaven, but to each his own. If this is not up your alley, then I can guarantee we have something that you will enjoy. And please don’t judge me, “I Am What I Am!”
The first person to comment with the name of the Broadway show I just referenced will win a pair of tickets to Broadway Rocks!
