Houston Symphony Society

ORCHESTRAL PERFORMANCES, EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS, AND COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES.

SEE SCHEDULE OARTISTIC ENDEAVORS: THE HOUSTON SYMPHONY CONTINUES ITS SECOND CENTURY AS ONE OF AMERICA'S LEADING ORCHESTRAS WITH A FULL COMPLEMENT OF CONCERT, COMMUNITY, EDUCATION, AND RECORDING ACTIVITIES. TODAY, WITH AN OPERATING BUDGET OF $34.325 MILLION (FY23), THE FULL-TIME ENSEMBLE OF PROFESSIONAL MUSICIANS PRESENTS MORE THAN 130 CONCERTS ANNUALLY, MAKING IT THE LARGEST PERFORMING ARTS ORGANIZATION IN HOUSTON. AFTER SUSPENDING CONCERT ACTIVITIES IN MARCH 2020 AND CANCELLING THE REMAINDER OF 2019-20 EVENTS DUE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, THE SYMPHONY RESUMED ACTIVITIES IN MAY 2020, OPENING THE 2020-21 SEASON ON SCHEDULE IN SEPTEMBER 2020. THE 2021-22 SEASON SAW THE FULL ORCHESTRA BACK ONSTAGE AT JONES HALL IN FRONT OF AUDIENCES RESTRICTED ONLY BY THE AUDITORIUM'S SEATING CAPACITY. HIGHLIGHTS OF THE CLASSICAL SEASON BEGAN WITH CONDUCTOR LAUREATE ANDRES OROZCO-ESTRADA OPENING HIS FINAL SEASON AS MUSIC DIRECTOR CONDUCTING BEETHOVEN'S FIFTH SYMPHONY; AS WELL AS PERFORMANCES OF TCHAIKOVSKY'S FULL BALLET SCORE THE NUTCRACKER; ANDRES FEST: A MINI-FESTIVAL CELEBRATING HIS TENURE THAT INCLUDED SAINT-SAENS' THE CARNIVAL OF THE ANIMALS, BRUCH'S DOUBLE CONCERTO, AND THE WORLD PREMIERES OF KYLE RIVERA'S BRIDGETOWER VARIATIONS, AND BRUCE BROUGHTON'S HORN CONCERTO; AND MAHLER'S SYMPHONY NO. 2 "RESURRECTION" PROVIDING A MONUMENTAL CLOSE TO OROZCO-ESTRADA'S TENURE AS MUSIC DIRECTOR. MEMORABLE GUEST ARTISTS THIS SEASON INCLUDED RENEE FLEMING, ITZHAK PERLMAN, JEAN-YVES THIBAUDET, EMANUEL AX, AUGUSTIN HADELICH, HELENE GRIMAUD, GIL SHAHAM, AND YEFIM BRONFMAN, AS WELL AS BRILLIANT SOLOIST TURNS FROM HOUSTON SYMPHONY MUSICIANS YOONSHIN SONG, BRINTON AVERIL SMITH, JONATHAN FISCHER, WILLIAM VERMEULEN, ROBIN KESSELMAN, MEGAN CONLEY, MATTHEW STRAUSS, AND SCOTT HOLSHAUSER. THE POPS SEASON LAUNCHED WITH PRINCIPAL POPS CONDUCTOR STEVEN REINEKE PRESIDING OVER AN ENGAGING SHOWCASE OF ONE OF BROADWAY AND HOLLYWOOD'S GREATEST COMPOSERS IN ONCE UPON A TIME: ALAN MENKEN'S BROADWAY, AND CONTINUED WITH HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDING BYRON STRIPLING IN WONDERFUL WORLD: THE LOUIS ARMSTRONG SONGBOOK, STAR WARS: RETURN OF THE JEDI IN CONCERT, AND CAPATHIA JENKINS IN ARETHA: QUEEN OF SOUL.

SEE SCHEDULE OEDUCATION AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: THE HOUSTON SYMPHONY IS COMMITTED TO INCREASING THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN HOUSTON BY ADDRESSING PRIORITY COMMUNITY ISSUES INCLUDING EDUCATION, HEALTHCARE, BUILDING COMMUNITY BETWEEN DISPARATE POPULATIONS, AND IMPROVING THE WELFARE OF UNDERSERVED POPULATIONS. THE SYMPHONY ACCOMPLISHES THIS BY PRESENTING AN EXTRAORDINARY RANGE OF MUSIC EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROGRAMS BOTH INSIDE JONES HALL AND IN COMMUNITY VENUES THROUGHOUT THE GREATER HOUSTON AREA. THROUGH NEARLY 1,000 INTERACTIONS WITH HOUSTON SYMPHONY MUSICIANS AND COMMUNITY-EMBEDDED MUSICIANS, PARTNERSHIPS WITH SCHOOLS, COMMUNITY CENTERS, HOSPITALS AND OTHER NON-PROFITS, THE SOCIETY SERVES A WIDE RANGE OF HOUSTONIANS THAT REFLECTS THE DIVERSITY OF THE CITY. WHETHER THEY ARE UNDERSERVED STUDENTS, CANCER PATIENTS, REFUGEES, OR HOMELESS FAMILIES, WE PUT THE PEOPLE WE SERVE FIRST, ASKING HOW MUSIC CAN BEST MEET THEIR NEEDS. OUR GOAL IS TO REMOVE ECONOMIC AND GEOGRAPHICAL BARRIERS TO MUSIC SO THAT HOUSTONIANS FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE CAN BENEFIT FROM THE ART FORM. TRADITIONALLY, HOUSTON SYMPHONY EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROGRAMS SERVE MORE THAN 200,000 HOUSTONIANS OF ALL AGES AND BACKGROUNDS AND THESE ACTIVITIES REPRESENTED AN INVESTMENT OF $2.8 MILLION, OR NEARLY 10% OF THE ANNUAL ORGANIZATION BUDGET, DURING THE 2021-22 SEASON.