InTune | February 2024 by Houston Symphony

InTUNE Jazz, Love & Gershwin: A Century of Rhapsody in Blue

Perlman Conducts Tchaikovsky 5

February 2024

Eschenbach Conducts Bruckner 8

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Your Houston Symphony Welcome to the Houston Symphony Your Symphony Experience Juraj Valčuha, Music Director Orchestra Roster Society Board of Trustees Administrative Staff Lift Every Voice: Celebrating Brodrick Hill’s Contributions to the Houston Symphony What's In My Case with William VerMeulen Programs Jazz, Love & Gershwin: A Century of Rhapsody in Blue Perlman Conducts Tchaikovsky 5 Eschenbach Conducts Bruckner 8

Our Supporters Houston Symphony Donors Music Director Fund Young Associates Council Corporate, Foundation & Gov. Partners Houston Symphony Endowment Legacy Society Musician Sponsorships Jesse H. Jones Hall Renovation Donors

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INTUNE July 2023

welcome to the houston symphony 50,000. This is just one of the ways we provide access to our music for everyone in our community. More than 200,000 people will experience the Houston Symphony through our free and low-cost education and community engagement initiatives this season, something your giving to the Symphony makes possible. Dear Music Lovers, Welcome to February at the Houston Symphony! It’s a great month for us, full of concerts for everyone. We kick things off with a celebration of the 100th anniversary of Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue featuring the Marcus Roberts Trio, vocalist Catherine Russell, and our very own Principal POPS Conductor Steven Reineke (Feb. 2–4). The next week, Artistic Partner Itzhak Perlman plays music by Vivaldi and conducts works by George Walker and Tchaikovsky (Feb. 8, 10, and 11). We close the month with the return of our legendary former Music Director Christoph Eschenbach to conduct Bruckner’s Eighth Symphony, a staggering monument and one of the composer’s greatest works (Feb. 24 and 25). We’re thrilled to welcome Maestro Eschenbach back to Houston for a couple of reasons. First, he is one of the greatest Bruckner conductors before the public today, and 2024 is the 200th anniversary of Bruckner’s birth. Second, his tenure was a pivotal moment of artistic growth for the Houston Symphony, and his visit gives us a chance to celebrate that history at a time when our new Music Director Juraj Valčuha and our wonderful musicians are taking us to new artistic heights every week. When we’re not playing in the evening, we’re performing Student Concerts, serving more than 20,000 students in January and February, bringing our total for the 2023–24 Season to more than Houston Symphony

We’re also on the cusp of announcing our 2024–25 Season, which will be filled with more of the music you love, stellar conductors and guest artists, and special projects guaranteed to raise the roof. Most of all, you’ll get to experience the magnificent musicians of your Houston Symphony in new musical adventures in the new season. We’ve made it easier than ever to mix and match your favorite concerts from everything we do and get the absolute best price by becoming a season subscriber, so keep an eye out for that announcement soon. And of course, we still have four months of wonderful concerts in this season for you as well, with Mahler, Mozart, Beethoven, Emanuel Ax for Triumph and Tragedy, our Etta James Tribute, and our very own Brinton Averil Smith in Dvořák’s Cello Concerto in March alone. Thank you for being with us, and enjoy the concert.

All my best,

John Mangum Executive Director/CEO Margaret Alkek Williams Chair

Valčuha Conducts Rachmaninoff November 10, 11 & 12

Valčuha Conducts Mahler 6 March 15, 16 & 17

March

November

At Last! A Tribute to Etta James March 1, 2 & 3

Valčuha Conducts Ravel’s La valse November 17, 18 & 19

Mozart + Beethoven’s Eroica March 22, 23 & 24 Romeo and Juliet + Dvořák’s Cello Concerto March 29 & 30

Andrés Returns December 1, 2 & 3

21st Century Broadway April 5, 6 & 7

Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas December 9 & 10

Duke Ellington’s Nutcracker December 12

Handel’s Messiah December 15, 16 & 17

I’m a Superhero! April 6

April

December

Very Merry POPS December 20, 21, 22 & 23

May

Takemitsu + Brahms’s Requiem January 19, 20 & 21 S

Disney’s Encanto™ in Concert Live to Film April 20 & 21

Pines of Rome + Grieg’s Piano Concerto May 2, 4 & 5

Swingin’ Sinatra: A New Year’s Celebration January 5, 6 & 7 Mendelssohn’s Scottish Symphony + Yoonshin Song January 12, 13 & 14

Classical Mystery Tour: A Tribute to The Beatles April 18 & 19

Carmina burana April 26, 27 & 28

Holly Jolly Holiday December 23

January

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets™ in Concert May 10 & 11 Itzhak Perlman: In the Fiddler’s House May 12 The Music of Star Wars May 17, 18 & 19

Víkingur Ólafsson Plays Bach January 28

Adams’s El Niño May 25 & 26 Jazz, Love & Gershwin: A Century of Rhapsody in Blue February 2, 3 & 4

An Alpine Symphony June 1 & 2

Get Up and Dance! February 3

Salome in Concert June 7 & 9

Perlman Conducts Tchaikovsky 5 February 8, 10 & 11 Eschenbach Conducts Bruckner 8 February 24 & 25

Classical Series Bank of America POPS Series

Specials PNC Family Series

June

Season

Raiders of the Lost Ark in Concert November 4 & 5

“I Will Survive”—Diva Legends November 24, 25 & 26

February

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The Music of ABBA June 15

Jurassic Park in Concert June 22 & 23

The Music of the Rolling Stones June 28 & 29

your symphony experience JONES HALL

ETIQUETTE

Since the opening of Jones Hall in 1966, millions of arts patrons have enjoyed countless musical and stage performances at the venue. Dominating an entire city block, Jones Hall features a stunning travertine marble facade, 66-foot ceilings, and a brilliantly lit grand entrance. Jones Hall is a monument to the memory of Jesse Holman Jones, a towering figure in Houston during the first half of the 20th century.

For Classical concerts, if a work has several movements it is traditional to hold applause until the end of the last movement. If you are unsure when a piece ends, check the program or wait for the conductor to face the audience. If you feel truly inspired, however, do not be afraid to applaud!

CHILDREN

Children ages six and up are welcome to all Classical, Bank of America POPS, and Symphony Special concerts. Children of all ages are welcome at PNC Family Series performances. Children must have a ticket for all ticketed events.

CONCERT DISRUPTION

We strive to provide the best possible auditory experience of our world-class orchestra. Noise from phones, candy wrappers, and talking is distracting to the performers on stage and those around you. Please help us make everyone’s concert enjoyable by silencing electronic devices now and remaining quiet during the performance.

LATE SEATING

Each performance typically allows for late seating, which is scheduled in intervals and determined by the conductor. Our ushers and Patron Experience Coordinator will instruct you on when late seating is allowed.

FOOD & DRINK POLICY

The Encore Café and in-hall bars are open for Symphony performances, and food and drink will be permitted in bar areas. Food is not permitted inside the auditorium. Patrons may bring drinks into the auditorium for Bank of America POPS Series concerts and Symphony Specials. Drinks are not permitted inside the auditorium for Classical concerts.

TICKETS

LOST & FOUND

If you are unable to make a performance, your ticket may be donated prior to the concert for a tax-donation receipt. Donations and exchanges may be made in person, over the phone, or online.

Subscribers to six or more Classical or Bank of America POPS concerts, as well as PNC Family Subscribers, may exchange their tickets at no cost. Tickets to Symphony Specials or single ticket purchases are ineligible for exchange or refund.

For lost and found inquiries, please contact Patron Experience Coordinator Freddie Piegsa during the performance. He also can be reached at freddie.piegsa@houstonsymphony.org. You also may contact Houston First after the performances at 832.487.7050.

THANK YOU to our sponsors

Principal Corporate Guarantor

Houston Symphony

Official Health Care Provider

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Juraj valČuha Music Director Roy and Lillie Cullen Chair

Houston Symphony Music Director Juraj Valčuha is recognized for his effortless expressiveness and depth of musicianship. With sharp baton technique and natural stage presence, the impressive ease of his interpretations translate even the most complex scores into immersive experiences.

Rome, Milan's Filarmonica della Scala, Montréal Symphony, and the NHK and Yomiuri orchestras in Tokyo.

Before joining the Houston Symphony in June 2022, Juraj was Music Director of the Teatro di San Carlo, Naples, from 2016 to 2022 and first guest conductor of the Konzerthausorchester Berlin. He was Chief Conductor of the Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionale della Rai from 2009 to 2016. The 2005–06 Season marked the start of his international career on the podium of the Orchestre National de France followed by remarkable debuts in the United Kingdom with the Philharmonia London, in Germany with the Munich Philharmonic, in the United States with the Pittsburgh Symphony, and in Italy with Puccini's La Bohème in Bologna. He has since led the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, Dresden Staatskapelle, Munich Philharmonic, Berlin Philharmonic, Swedish Radio Symphony, Amsterdam Royal Concertgebouw, Rotterdam Philharmonic, Orchestre de Paris, Maggio Musicale in Florence, Orchestra dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia

Houston Symphony

He enjoys regular collaborations with the Minnesota Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, Pittsburgh Symphony, and San Francisco Symphony. International touring with the Orchestra Sinfonica della Rai took them to the Musikverein in Vienna and Philharmonie in Berlin, Cologne, Düsseldorf, Zurich, Munich, to the Enesco Festival in Bucharest, and the Abu Dhabi Classics. With the Konzerthausorchester Berlin, he visited Riga, Vilnius, and Tallinn to mark the 100th anniversary of the Baltic nations. In Europe, he is acclaimed on the podium of the Munich Philharmonic, the NDR Hamburg and Frankfurt Radio orchestras, as well as the Vienna Symphony, Czech Philharmonic, Orchestre National de France, Orchestre de Paris, BBC Symphony and Philharmonia London, and the Swedish Radio Orchestra. Juraj champions the compositions of living composers and aims to program contemporary pieces in most of his concerts. He has conducted world premieres, including Christopher Rouse’s Supplica with the Pittsburgh Symphony, Steven Mackey’s violin concerto with Leila Josefowicz and the BBC

Symphony in Manchester, and Nico Muhly’s Bright Idea with the Houston Symphony. In 2005, he conducted, in the presence of the composer, Steve Reich’s Four Seasons at the Melos-Ethos Festival in Bratislava. Other composers he has supported and continues to follow with interest are Bryce Dessner, Steven Stucky, Andrew Norman, James MacMillan, Luca Francesconi, Anna Thorvaldsdottir, Anna Clyne, and Jessie Montgomery, among others. Including his engagements in Houston, the 2023–24 Season takes him to the Pittsburgh, San Francisco, Chicago, and Minnesota Orchestras as well as to the Yomiuri Nippon Orchestra in Tokyo. On the European stage, he performs Fanciulla del West and Tristan and Isolde at the Bavarian State Opera and at the Deutsche Oper Berlin, Jenufa at the Opera di Roma, and Salome at the Semperoper in Dresden. He leads concerts with the RAI Orchestra, the Orchestra dell'Accademia di Santa Cecilia, the Orchestre National de France, the NDR, SWR, and the Bamberg Symphony, among others. Born in Bratislava, Slovakia, Juraj studied composition and conducting in his birth place, then at the conservatory in St. Petersburg (with Ilya Musin), and finally, at the Conservatoire Supérieur de la Musique in Paris.

INTUNE February 2024

ORCHESTRA ROSTER Juraj Valčuha

Music Director Roy and Lillie Cullen Chair

FIRST VIOLIN Yoonshin Song, Concertmaster Max Levine Chair Eric Halen, Co-Concertmaster Ellen E. Kelley Chair Boson Mo, Assistant Concertmaster Qi Ming, Assistant Concertmaster Fondren Foundation Chair Marina Brubaker Tong Yan MiHee Chung Sophia Silivos Rodica Gonzalez Ferenc Illenyi Si-Yang Lao Kurt Johnson Christopher Neal Sergei Galperin SECOND VIOLIN MuChen Hsieh, Principal Teresa Wang+, Associate Principal Amy Semes Annie Kuan-Yu Chen Mihaela Frusina Jing Zheng Tianjie Lu Anastasia Ehrlich Tina Zhang Tianxu Liu+ Samuel Park+ VIOLA Joan DerHovsepian, Principal Wei Jiang, Acting Associate Principal Sheldon Person Fay Shapiro Keoni Bolding Samuel Pedersen Suzanne LeFevre+ Elizabeth Golofeev+ Meredith Harris+ Yvonne Smith+ CELLO Brinton Averil Smith, Principal Janice H. and Thomas D. Barrow Chair Christopher French, Associate Principal Anthony Kitai Louis-Marie Fardet Jeffrey Butler Maki Kubota Xiao Wong Charles Seo Jeremy Kreutz

COMMUNITY-EMBEDDED MUSICIANS Lindsey Baggett, violin David Connor, double bass Rainel Joubert, violin ASSISTANT LIBRARIANS Hae-a Lee Anna Thompson

Houston Symphony

Steven Reineke, Principal POPS Conductor Andrés Orozco-Estrada, Conductor Laureate Allen Hightower, Director Houston Symphony Chorus Gonzalo Farias, Assistant Conductor

DOUBLE BASS Robin Kesselman, Principal Timothy Dilenschneider, Associate Principal Eric Larson Andrew Pedersen Burke Shaw Donald Howey Ryan Avila+ FLUTE Aralee Dorough, Principal General Maurice Hirsch Chair Matthew Roitstein*, Associate Principal Judy Dines, Acting Associate Principal Mark Teplitsky+ Kathryn Ladner PICCOLO Kathryn Ladner OBOE Jonathan Fischer, Principal Lucy Binyon Stude Chair Anne Leek, Associate Principal Colin Gatwood Adam Dinitz

CONTRABASSOON Adam Trussell HORN William VerMeulen, Principal Mr. and Mrs. Alexander K. McLanahan Endowed Chair Robert Johnson, Associate Principal Nathan Cloeter, Assistant Principal/Utility Brian Thomas Brian Mangrum Ian Mayton Barbara J. Burger Chair TRUMPET Mark Hughes, Principal George P. and Cynthia Woods Mitchell Chair John Parker, Associate Principal Robert Walp, Assistant Principal Richard Harris TROMBONE Bradley White, Acting Principal Ryan Rongone+ Phillip Freeman BASS TROMBONE Phillip Freeman

ENGLISH HORN Adam Dinitz

TUBA Dave Kirk, Principal

CLARINET Mark Nuccio, Principal Bobbie Nau Chair Thomas LeGrand, Associate Principal Christian Schubert Alexander Potiomkin

TIMPANI Leonardo Soto, Principal Matthew Strauss, Associate Principal

E-FLAT CLARINET Thomas LeGrand BASS CLARINET Alexander Potiomkin, Tassie and Constantine S. Nicandros Chair BASSOON Rian Craypo, Principal Isaac Schultz, Associate Principal Elise Wagner Adam Trussell

STAGE PERSONNEL Stefan Stout, 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

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PERCUSSION Brian Del Signore, Principal Mark Griffith Matthew Strauss HARP Allegra Lilly, Principal KEYBOARD Scott Holshouser, Principal LIBRARIAN Luke Bryson, Principal

*on leave + contracted substitute

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2023–24 SEASON

SOCIETY BOARD OF TRUSTEES EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Barbara J. Burger President

John Rydman Immediate Past President

Paul Morico General Counsel

Janet F. Clark Chair

Mike S. Stude Chairman Emeritus

Barbara McCelvey Secretary

Jonathan Ayre Chair, Finance

Mary Lynn Marks Chair, Volunteers & Special Events

Bobby Tudor^ At-Large Member

Joan DerHovsepian^ Musician Representative

Mary Fusillo^ President, Houston Symphony League

Mark Hughes^ Musician Representative

Brad W. Corson Chair, Governance & Leadership Manuel Delgado Chair, Marketing & Communications

Robert Orr Chair, Strategic Planning Ed Schneider Chair, Community Partnerships

Evan B. Glick Chair, Popular Programming

John Rydman Chair, Artistic & Orchestra Affairs

Lidiya Gold Chair, Development

Jesse B. Tutor Chair, Audit

Sippi Khurana, M.D. Chair, Education

Steven P. Mach ^ Immediate Past Chairman

James H. Lee^ President, Houston Symphony Endowment Juraj Valčuha^ Music Director, Roy and Lillie Cullen Chair

Houston Symphony

Mark Nuccio^ Musician Representative Sherry Rodriguez^ Assistant Secretary ^Ex-Officio

Rian Craypo Musician Representative

GOVERNING DIRECTORS Jonathan Ayre Gary Beauchamp Eric Brueggeman Bill Bullock Barbara J. Burger John Cassidy, M.D. Janet F. Clark Lidiya Gold Claudio Gutiérrez William D. Hunt Rick Jaramillo Sippi Khurana, M.D. Carey Kirkpatrick Kenny Kurtzman

John Mangum^ Executive Director/CEO Margaret Alkek Williams Chair

EX-OFFICIO Cindy Levit Isabel Stude Lummis Cora Sue Mach ** Rodney Margolis** Jay Marks ** Mary Lynn Marks Elissa Martin Barbara McCelvey Paul R. Morico Robert Orr Chris Powers John Rydman** Ed Schneider Anthony Speier

William J. Toomey II Bobby Tudor ** Betty Tutor ** Jesse B. Tutor ** Gretchen Watkins Robert Weiner Margaret Alkek Williams **

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Brad W. Corson Rian Craypo Manuel Delgado Joan DerHovsepian Mary Fusillo Evan B. Glick Mark Hughes James H. Lee Steven P. Mach John Mangum Mark Nuccio Sherry Rodriguez Juraj Valčuha

TRUSTEES David J. Beck James M. Bell Jr. Carrie Brandsberg-Dahl Nancy Shelton Bratic Terry Ann Brown** Lindsay Buchanan Ralph Burch Dougal Cameron John T. Cater** Robert Chanon Michael H. Clark Virginia Clark Brad W. Corson Andrew Davis, Ph.D. Denise Davis Manuel Delgado Tracy Dieterich Joan Duff Connie Dyer Jeffrey B. Firestone

Eugene A. Fong Aggie L. Foster Julia Anderson Frankel Ronald G. Franklin Carolyn Gaidos Evan B. Glick Jeff Hiller Grace Ho Gary L. Hollingsworth Brian James I. Ray Kirk, M.D. David Krieger Matthew Loden Steven P. Mach Michael Mann, M.D. Jack Matzer Jackie Wolens Mazow Alexander K. McLanahan** Marilyn Miles Aprill Nelson

Tammy Tran Nguyen Leslie Nossaman Edward Osterberg Jr. Zeljko Pavlovic Gloria G. Pryzant Miwa Sakashita Andrew Schwaitzberg Helen Shaffer** Robert B. Sloan, D.D., Theol. Jim R. Smith Miles O. Smith** Quentin Smith Mike S. Stude ** Ishwaria Subbiah, M.D. Shirley W. Toomim Margaret Waisman, M.D. Fredric A. Weber Vicki West Steven J. Williams David J. Wuthrich

Ellen A. Yarrell Robert Yekovich

Robert M. Hermance Gene McDavid Janice H. Barrow Barry C. Burkholder Rodney H. Margolis Jeffrey B. Early Michael E. Shannon Ed Wulfe

Jesse B. Tutor Robert B. Tudor III Robert A. Peiser Steven P. Mach Janet F. Clark John Rydman

Nancy Strohmer Mary Ann McKeithan Ann Cavanaugh Mrs. James A. Shaffer Lucy H. Lewis Catherine McNamara Shirley McGregor Pearson Paula Jarrett Cora Sue Mach Kathi Rovere Norma Jean Brown Barbara McCelvey Lori Sorcic Jansen Nancy B. Willerson Jane Clark Nancy Littlejohn Donna Shen

Dr. Susan Snider Osterberg Dr. Kelli Cohen Fein Vicki West Mrs. Jesse Tutor Darlene Clark Beth Wolff Maureen Higdon Fran Fawcett Peterson Leslie Siller Cheryl Byington

EX-OFFICIO John Steven Cisneros, Ed.D. Juan Zane Crawford, Ph. D. Kirby Lodholz Frank F. Wilson IV

**Lifetime Trustee

PAST PRESIDENTS OF THE HOUSTON SYMPHONY SOCIETY Mrs. Edwin B. Parker Miss Ima Hogg Mrs. H. M. Garwood Joseph A. Mullen, M.D. Joseph S. Smith Walter H. Walne H. R. Cullen Gen. Maurice Hirsch

Charles F. Jones Fayez Sarofim John T. Cater Richard G. Merrill Ellen Elizardi Kelley John D. Platt E.C. Vandagrift Jr. J. Hugh Roff Jr.

PAST PRESIDENTS OF THE HOUSTON SYMPHONY LEAGUE Miss Ima Hogg Mrs. John F. Grant Mrs. J. R. Parten Mrs. Andrew E. Rutter Mrs. Aubrey Leno Carter Mrs. Stuart Sherar Mrs. Julian Barrows Ms. Hazel Ledbetter Mrs. Albert P. Jones Mrs. Ben A. Calhoun Mrs. James Griffith Lawhon Mrs. Olaf LaCour Olsen Mrs. Ralph Ellis Gunn Mrs. Leon Jaworski Mrs. Garrett R. Tucker Jr. Mrs. M. T. Launius Jr. Mrs. Thompson McCleary

Mrs. Theodore W. Cooper Mrs. Allen W. Carruth Mrs. David Hannah Jr. Mary Louis Kister Mrs. Edward W. Kelley Jr. Mrs. John W. Herndon Mrs. Charles Franzen Mrs. Harold R. DeMoss Jr. Mrs. Edward H. Soderstrom Mrs. Lilly Kucera Andress Ms. Marilou Bonner Mrs. W. Harold Sellers Mrs. Harry H. Gendel Mrs. Robert M. Eury Mrs. E. C. Vandagrift Jr. Mrs. J. Stephen Marks Terry Ann Brown

FOUNDATION FOR JONES HALL REPRESENTATIVES Dougal A. Cameron

Janet F. Clark

Barbara McCelvey

INTUNE February 2024

ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF SENIOR MANAGEMENT GROUP John Mangum, Executive Director/CEO, Margaret Alkek Williams Chair Elizabeth S. Condic, Chief Financial Officer Vicky Dominguez, Chief Operating Officer Nancy Giles, Chief Development Officer Gwen Watkins, Chief Marketing and External Relations Officer DEVELOPMENT Lauren Buchanan, Development Communications Manager Alex Canales, Development Ticket Concierge Jessie De Arman, Development Associate, Gifts and Records Timothy Dillow, Senior Director, Development Amanda T. Dinitz, Senior Major Gifts Officer Vivian Gonzalez, Development Officer Karyn Mason, Development Officer Hadia Mawlawi, Senior Associate, Endowment and Planned Giving Ben McAndrew, Institutional Giving Associate Meghan Miller, Special Events Associate Emilie Moellmer, Annual Fund Manager Chelsea Murray, Senior Development Associate, Administration Erika Ngo, Development Intern Tim Richey, Director, Individual Giving Sherry Rodriguez, Corporate Relations Manager & Board Liaison Katie Salvatore, Development Officer Christine Ann Stevens, Senior Director, Development Lena Streetman, Manager, Research and Development Operations Stacey Swift, Director, Special Events Sarah Thompson, Donor Stewardship Manager Christina Trunzo, Director, Foundation Relations Alexa Ustaszewski, Major Gifts Officer FINANCE | ADMINISTRATION | IT | HR José Arriaga, Systems Engineer Henry Cantu, Finance Accountant Kimberly Cegielski, Staff Accountant Richard Jackson, Database Administrator Joel James, Director of Human Resources Tanya Lovetro, Director of Budgeting and Financial Reporting Morgana Rickard, Controller Gabriela Rivera, Senior Accountant Pam Romo, Office Manager/HR Coordinator Lee Whatley, Senior Director, IT and Analytics

Houston Symphony

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MARKETING | EXTERNAL RELATIONS Education and Community Engagement Olivia Allred, Education and Community Engagement Coordinator Jarrett Bastow, Education Manager Allison Conlan, Interim Director, Education and Community Engagement Marketing and Communications Mark Bailes, Marketing Revenue Manager Olivia Cantrell, Content Marketing Coordinator David Early, Marketing and External Relations Assistant Heather Fails, Manager, Ticketing Database Kathryn Judd, Director, Marketing Yoo-Ell Lee, Graphics and Media Designer Fiona Legesse-Sinha, Graphic Design Manager Ciara Macaulay, Creative Director Mariah Martinez, Email Marketing Coordinator Eric Skelly, Senior Director, Communications Alex Soares, Senior Director, Marketing Patron Services Freddie Piegsa, Patron Experience Coordinator Ashlan Walker, Manager, Patron Services Jenny Zuniga, Director, Patron Services OPERATIONS | ARTISTIC Stephanie Alla, Associate Director of Artistic Planning Becky Brown, Associate Director, Orchestra Personnel Suré Eloff, Chorus Manager Michael Gorman, Director, Orchestra Personnel Julia Hall, Assistant Director, Chorus Nick Kemp, Artistic Operations Assistant Hae-a Lee, Assistant Librarian Giancarlo Minotti, Audio Production Manager Lauren Moore, Associate Director, Concert Media and Production José Rios, Assistant Stage Manager Brad Sayles, Senior Recording Engineer Claudia Schmitz, Artist Liaison and Assistant to the Music Director Stefan Stout, Stage Manager Anna Thompson, Assistant Librarian Meredith Williams, Associate Director, Concert Operations and Production Rebecca Zabinski, Senior Director, Artistic Planning

Experience Extraordinary Be part of the magic and join us on the Rice University campus for one of over 400 performances each year, most of which are free.

music.rice.edu

713-348-8000

View Calendar

Family series

April 6, 10 & 11:30 a.m. All ages · Wiggles welcome

Underwriter

Featured Program

Jazz, Love & Gershwin: A Century of Rhapsody in blue Steven Reineke, conductor *Catherine Russell, vocalist *Marcus Roberts, piano *Martin Jaffe, bass *Jason Marsalis, drums 0:04 0:03 0:04 0:05 0:05 0:17

GERSHWIN/ROSE – Overture to Strike Up the Band GERSHWIN/RIDDLE– “Clap Yo' Hands” from Oh, Kay! GERSHWIN/RIDDLE – “’S Wonderful” GERSHWIN/RIDDLE – “Embraceable You” from Girl Crazy GERSHWIN – “They Can't Take That Away From Me” from Shall We Dance? GERSHWIN – An American in Paris

INTERMISSION 0:03 0:05 0:05 0:04 0:19

GERSHWIN/RIDDLE – “Fascinating Rhythm” from Lady, Be Good! GERSHWIN/RIDDLE– “I Got Rhythm” from Girl Crazy GERSHWIN – “I Got Rhythm” from Girl Crazy GERSHWIN/RIDDLE – “The Man I Love” GERSHWIN/GROFÉ – Rhapsody in Blue

*Houston Symphony debut

POPS SERIES

Houston Symphony

About the Music

Friday, February 2 Saturday, February 3 Sunday, February 4

Jones Hall Jones Hall & Livestream Jones Hall

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS

Program Insight •

The opening clarinet glissando that famously kicks off Rhapsody in Blue was inspired by the sound of a train whistle. George Gershwin claimed that the idea came to him during a train journey. The distinctive rising clarinet slide has since become one of the most recognizable and celebrated moments in classical music.

•

The Marcus Roberts Trio draws inspiration from various jazz traditions, including the works of legendary musicians like Duke Ellington, Thelonious Monk, and Jelly Roll Morton. The Trio’s repertoire often includes a mix of original compositions and reinterpretations of classic jazz standards.

•

While Rhapsody in Blue is a scored and orchestrated composition, it contains elements of improvisation. Gershwin himself was the piano soloist at the premiere, and he improvised some sections of the piece. This blend of classical form with jazz elements was groundbreaking at the time and contributed to the work's lasting popularity and influence.

•

Marcus Roberts is known for his ability to seamlessly integrate classical elements into jazz. His repertoire often reflects a deep appreciation for classical music, and he has even recorded works by composers like George Gershwin. This fusion of classical and jazz influences adds a unique dimension to the Marcus Roberts Trio's sound.

Underwriter

Sponsor Thank you to our Houston Symphony Livestream Consortium Donors: Guarantor Barbara J. Burger The Elkins Foundation Underwriter Alana R. Spiwak & Sam L. Stolbun Sponsor John & Dorothy McDonald Video enhancement of Houston Symphony concerts is made possible by the Albert & Ethel Herzstein Foundation through a special gift celebrating the Foundation’s 50th anniversary in 2015

Houston Symphony

8:00 p.m. 8:00 p.m. 2:30 p.m.

Program Bios Performances.

Steven Reineke, conductor Principal POPS Conductor Steven Reineke is one of North America's leading conductors of popular music. He is in his second decade 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 Orchestras. Steven is a frequent guest conductor and can be seen on the podium with the Chicago, Philadelphia, Dallas, San Francisco, and Detroit Symphony Orchestras. On stage, Steven creates and collaborates with a range of leading artists from the worlds of hip-hop, R & B, Broadway, television, and rock, including Maxwell, Common, Kendrick Lamar, Nas, Ne-Yo, Barry Manilow, Cynthia Erivo, Ben Rector, Cody Fry, Sutton Foster, Amos Lee, Dispatch, Jason Mraz, and Ben Folds, among others. In 2017, he was featured on National Public Radio'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 National Symphony Orchestra with hip-hop legend Nas performing his seminal album Illmatic on PBS's Great

As the creator of hundreds of orchestral arrangements, Steven’s work is 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 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, Steven 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. 

Catherine Russell, vocalist

Vocalist Catherine Russell is a native New Yorker, born into musical royalty. Her father, the late Luis Russell, was a legendary pianist/composer/bandleader, and Louis Armstrong's long-time musical director. Her mother, Carline Ray, was a pioneering vocalist/guitarist/bassist who performed with Sweethearts of Rhythm, Mary Lou Williams, and Sy Oliver. Catherine’s professional life began early. After graduating with honors from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, she toured and recorded with stars such as Steely Dan, David Bowie, and Cyndi Lauper, among others, appearing on more than 200 albums. Her 2006 debut album, Cat (World Village/Harmonia Mundi), garnered rave reviews and was followed by Sentimental Streak. Inside This Heart of Mine, reached #1 on JazzWeek, Roots Music Report radio charts, and Billboard. A fourth album, Strictly Romancin’ was awarded Prix du Jazz Vocal (Vocal Album of The Year). In 2012, she won a Grammy Award as a featured artist on the soundtrack album for the HBO-TV series, Boardwalk Empire. Her fifth solo album, Bring It Back, was released worldwide in 2014 on the Jazz Village label, receiving a Five Star Review in Downbeat Magazine. Later albums, Harlem on My Mind and Alone Together earned Grammy nominations. Catherine has guested on Late Night with Conan O'Brien, PBS’s Tavis Smiley Show, and NPR's Fresh Air, among others. She has won a prestigious German Record Critics Award and a Living Blues magazine critics poll. She appeared in the feature film Bolden and contributed vocals to the soundtrack album by Wynton Marsalis. INTUNE February 2024

Program Bios With universal acclaim, Catherine has performed on four continents. She has been a hit at major jazz festivals and at sold-out prestigious venues. Her repertoire features a selection of gems from the 1920s through the present with vital interpretations, bursting with soul and humor. With an off-the-beatenpath song selection, sparkling acoustic swing, and a stunning vocal approach, she has joined the ranks of the greatest interpreters and performers of American popular song. 

Marcus Roberts, piano Marcus Roberts, often called “the genius of the modern piano,” is known throughout the world for his many contributions to jazz music and his commitment to integrating the jazz and classical idioms. His highly rhythmic and melodic group improvisational style is the hallmark sound of all his ensembles. Marcus grew up in Jacksonville, Florida, where his mother's gospel singing and the music of the local church left a lasting impact on his music. After losing his sight at age five, he began teaching himself to play piano and had his first formal lesson at age 12 while attending the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind. By age 18, he had begun his

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studies of classical piano at Florida State University with the great Leonidas Lipovetsky. Marcus has won numerous awards and competitions over the years, including the Helen Keller Award for Personal Achievement. In addition to his renown as a performer, he is also an outstanding composer and arranger. He has been commissioned by Chamber Music America, Jazz at Lincoln Center, ASCAP, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, the Savannah Music Festival, the Doris Duke Foundation, the American Symphony Orchestra, and others. He has written two piano concertos and numerous suites of music for trio, jazz band, and chamber ensembles. His first recording with orchestra (Portraits in Blue, Sony Classical) featured his innovative arrangement of Rhapsody in Blue and was nominated for a Grammy. Since that time, he has performed Rhapsody in Blue dozens of times and each version is completely different. His popular DVD recording with the Berlin Philharmonic showcases his ground-breaking arrangement of Gershwin's Concerto in F for Piano and Orchestra as well as Rhapsody in Blue (A Gershwin Night, EuroArts). Several years ago, Marcus’s life and work was featured on a segment of CBS’s, 60 Minutes (in an episode entitled “The Virtuoso”). Marcus is known for his generosity as a musician, and he provides support and mentoring to a large network of younger musicians, including current and former students, trio members, and the members of his 12-piece ensemble,

The Modern Jazz Generation. He is a professor of music at the Florida State University College of Music and a distinguished professor of music at Bard College. He holds honorary doctoral degrees from The Juilliard School, Brigham Young University, and Bard College. 

Martin Jaffe, bass Martin Jaffe is an exciting new voice on the double bass. He is known for his deep sense of groove, and his rich and lyrical sound. His musical roots are in jazz, but his background includes both classical and Brazilian music. Martin is one of New York City’s most in-demand young bassists, and he has frequently shared the stage with such musical icons as Marcus Roberts, Harold Mabern, Sergio Mendes, and Wynton Marsalis. Originally from Conway, Massachusetts, Martin moved to New York in 2012 to enroll at Columbia and The Juilliard School where he studied with bassists Ron Carter, Ray Drummond, and other musical giants. In 2012, he was named a Presidential Scholar in the Arts and in 2013, won the International Society of Bassists’s annual jazz competition.

Program Bios Martin’s compositions and arrangements have been widely performed, including at the Kennedy Center and Lincoln Center. He has recorded widely with such artists as Jen Allen, Miro Sprague, Ben Rosenblum, and Chris Pattishall, to name a few. Martin Jaffe co-leads an innovative trio with guitarist Jason Ennis and pianist Miro Sprague, which features original compositions by each member drawing on influences from Brazilian music, classical chamber music, and free improvisation. 

family, and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, he has held the drum chair in the Marcus Roberts Trio for a remarkable 29 years.

Jason Marsalis, drums Jason Marsalis is one of the most gifted drummers in jazz today. He is the youngest son of the late pianist, Ellis Marsalis. During his last year of high school at the New Orleans Center for the Creative Arts, Jason joined the new trio founded by the virtuoso pianist, Marcus Roberts. He began touring regularly with Roberts while studying at Loyola University in New Orleans. While Jason has performed with many other musicians over the years, including Dr. Michael White, John Ellis, Shannon Powell, the Marsalis

Featured on all of Roberts’s recordings since joining the trio, Jason has also released five of his own recordings on vibes and on drums. His recording, The 21st Century Trad Band, showcased his remarkably creative approach to soloing, while his later release, Melody Reimagined, Book 1 (Basin Street Records, 2019), highlights his creative imagination by reinventing a series of historic standards for a modern audience. Jason’s style is heavily influenced by the greats of both jazz and classical music. With Marcus Roberts, he has performed with symphony orchestras all over the world. He is a versatile and extraordinary musician who has made enormous contributions to the jazz music genre. When he is not touring, he can be found working on music or helping to train other young musicians. 

Corporate Spotlight

The Kinder Morgan Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Kinder Morgan, Inc., one of the largest energy infrastructure companies in North America. The Kinder Morgan Foundation supports programs that promote the academic and artistic interests of traditionally underserved youth in grades K-12 in select areas of Kinder Morgan’s operations. Since 2008, the Kinder Morgan Foundation has supported the Houston Symphony’s Student Concert Series, which provides educational concerts for upper elementary and middle school students in the Houston area. These concerts are designed to introduce young people to classical music, teach them about the orchestra, and inspire them to play an instrument or continue their involvement in music. The Kinder Morgan Foundation’s support has helped make the Student Concert Series possible and allows the Houston Symphony to reach even more students with our Education and Community Engagement initiatives, including minority, underserved, and economically disadvantaged students. The Houston Symphony thanks the Kinder Morgan Foundation for their continued support! Visit kindermorgan.com/About-Us/Kinder-Morgan-Foundation to learn more about the Kinder Morgan Foundation. 19

INTUNE February 2024

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INTUNE November 2022

Featured Program

Perlman Conducts Tchaikovsky 5 Itzhak Perlman, conductor and violin 0:07

VIVALDI – Violin Concerto in F minor, Opus 8, No. 4, RV 297 (L'inverno) I. Allegro non molto II. Largo III. Allegro

0:07

WALKER – Lyric for Strings

0:08

PROKOFIEV – Overture on Hebrew Themes, Opus 34

INTERMISSION 0:44

TCHAIKOVSKY – Symphony No. 5 in E minor, Opus 64, Th 29 I. Andante—Allegro con anima II. Andante cantabile con alcuna licenza III. Valse: Allegro moderato IV. Finale: Andante maestoso—Allegro vivace

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INTUNE February 2024

About the Music

Thursday, February 8 Saturday, February 10 Sunday, February 11

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS

Underwriter The 2023–24 Classical Season is in thanksgiving for Janice H. and Thomas D. Barrow Margaret Alkek Williams Spotlight Series Barbara and Pat McCelvey Underwriter Anne Morgan Barrett Partner Thank you to our Houston Symphony Livestream Consortium Donors: Guarantor Barbara J. Burger The Elkins Foundation Underwriter Alana R. Spiwak & Sam L. Stolbun Sponsor John & Dorothy McDonald Video enhancement of Houston Symphony concerts is made possible by the Albert & Ethel Herzstein Foundation through a special gift celebrating the Foundation’s 50th anniversary in 2015

Jones Hall Jones Hall & Livestream Jones Hall

Program Insight On this concert, conductor and violinist Itzhak Perlman leads the Houston Symphony in four far-flung works: Antonio Vivaldi’s “Winter” from The Four Seasons, George Walker’s Lyric for Strings, Prokofiev’s Overture on Hebrew Themes, and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5. Playing and leading a concerto at the same time would have been standard practice in the Baroque era, when baton-waving conductors did not exist. Vivaldi was a violinist, and likely premiered “Winter” himself in the early 1700s. It was one of the first instrumental works to vividly paint real-world scenes, from blinding snow to slipping on ice. George Walker, a composer and pianist, had a long career that culminated in a 1996 Pulitzer Prize, becoming the first Black musician to receive that award. But one of his most popular and enduring works dates to his student days in the 1940s: Lyric for Strings elegizes his grandmother, who was born into slavery, but lived long enough to see her grandson solo with the Philadelphia Orchestra. Sergei Prokofiev’s Overture on Hebrew Themes was composed in New York after he met up with a touring group of Russian Jewish musicians he knew from Saint Petersburg. The piece contrasts a joyous klezmer dance with a bittersweet wedding song. Tchaikovsky was ambivalent about programmatic music (that is, music that tells a story or paints a picture like The Four Seasons). Several of his symphonies are mysterious on this front—do they tell a specific story or not? It’s hard to say with his Symphony No. 5, but it might have something to do with fate, a recurring preoccupation in Tchaikovsky’s work and life. We do know he was feeling deeply insecure when he composed it, having not written a symphony in ten years, and when the premiere divided opinions, he sided with his own critics. Eventually, Tchaikovsky came around to the piece, and today it is one of the most beloved and often played of all his works. —Benjamin Pesetsky

The Classical Season is endowed by The Wortham Foundation, Inc., in memory of Gus S. and Lyndall F. Wortham

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8:00 p.m. 8:00 p.m. 2:30 p.m.

Program Notes VIVALDI Violin Concerto in F minor, Opus 8, No. 4, RV 297 ((L'inverno) (Winter)) (1718–1720)

Antonio Vivaldi wrote the four violin concertos comprising The Four Seasons (Le quattro stagioni) sometime before 1725, when they were published in Amsterdam as part of a larger set of 12 concertos called The Contest Between Harmony and Invention (Il cimento dell’armonia e dell’inventione). Amsterdam was known for its high quality and wellconnected music publishers, and Vivaldi had released editions there since his L’estro armonico collection in 1711. Born in Venice in 1678, Vivaldi rarely traveled outside Italy, but thanks to his Dutch publishers’ newspaper ads and mail-order services (plus an illicit trade in pirated manuscripts), his music was widely available across Europe and gained special popularity in German-speaking regions. The Four Seasons was dedicated to Count Wenzel von Morzin, a Bohemian aristocrat whom Vivaldi served as “master of music in Italy” (an early example of remote work). Vivaldi was concurrently the director of secular music for the Governor of Mantua while also keeping his regular employment at the Ospedale della Pietà, a music school for orphans and the illegitimate daughters of noblemen in Venice. The concertos themselves were not brand new when published—they were probably first performed by Vivaldi himself in Mantua or Venice. So, to create fresh and more elaborate versions for Count Morzin, Vivaldi added descriptive sonnets, which he probably wrote himself. They appear both as a preface to the solo violin part and in excerpts scattered throughout the orchestral parts, showing the exact correspondence between the poetry and music. This was cutting edge at the time—rarely if ever before had instrumental music so vividly depicted real-life scenes. In “Winter,” you can hear the icy snow coming down in the orchestral introduction, and with the entry of the solo violin, the “harsh breath of a horrid wind.” The iconic tutti refrain is foot-stamping in the snow (those left-right-left octaves), while the soloist’s quick double-stop passage in the upper register represents chattering teeth. The lyrical second movement evokes coziness before a warm fire. The finale ventures back outside after the storm has passed, but the roads are covered with ice, prompting a slip and fall. But “this is winter, which nonetheless brings its own delights.” Vivaldi’s music fell out of fashion by the end of the 18th century, but began to be rediscovered in the mid-19th century following the revival of J.S. Bach. (Bach admired and sometimes arranged Vivaldi pieces, so research on one led to the other.) The Four Seasons only regained popularity in the late 1940s before becoming almost ubiquitous in concerts and recordings—its vivid colors and concise scene-setting seem almost modern. —Benjamin Pesetsky

WALKER Lyric for Strings (1946)

George Walker was born in 1922 to a prosperous Black family in Washington, D.C. His father had emigrated from Jamaica and became a physician, and his mother was a Washington local who had worked for the Government Printing Office. They were part of an elite circle focused around Howard University, and Walker studied piano at the school’s Junior Preparatory Department. After skipping several grades,

INTUNE February 2024

Program Notes WALKER Lyric for Strings (1946)

he enrolled at Oberlin College at 14 and graduated at 18. He was then accepted to the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, where he studied piano with Rudolph Serkin and composition with Rosario Scalero. In November 1945, Walker made a recital debut at the Town Hall in New York (a rite of passage at the time) and a concerto debut with the Philadelphia Orchestra and Eugene Ormandy. Despite these high-profile concerts and good reviews, he found that not enough concert presenters would regularly book a Black classical pianist. After earning a doctorate from the Eastman School of Music, he turned to composition and academia, spending a long career on the faculty of Rutgers University. In 1996, he became the first Black composer to receive a Pulitzer Prize for Music, awarded for Lilacs for voice and orchestra, commissioned by the Boston Symphony. All this was possible for someone only two generations removed from slavery, someone who in fact grew up in a multigenerational home with a beloved grandmother, Malvina King, who had been enslaved. In his autobiography, Walker recalls once asking about her experience, which was otherwise not discussed, and her reply: “they did everything except eat us.” When King died in 1946, her grandson was still a student at Curtis, and his Lyric for Strings is dedicated to her memory. It was originally the slow movement to a string quartet, and the string orchestra version was premiered on the radio, conducted by Seymour Lipkin, under the title Lament for Strings. When it was published, Walker changed Lament to Lyric, but informally he simply called it “my grandmother’s piece.” As an artist and scholar, Walker had no patience for lazy assumptions and easy comparisons—dismissing, for instance, any presumption that he was skilled at jazz or influenced by the Harlem Renaissance (he wasn’t), and also disdaining those who too-readily associated his Lyric for Strings with Samuel Barber’s Adagio for Strings (1936). Both composers studied at Curtis with the same teacher a decade apart, and both pieces began as string quartet movements with an elegiac feel. But to Walker, these were superficialities that overlooked important differences in musical form and content. “The linear texture of the Lyric, the clearly defined structural components and the pizzicato, separates its conception from that of the earlier string work,” he wrote. Describing his piece more fully, Walker said: “After a brief introduction, the principal theme that permeates the entire work is introduced by the first violins. A static interlude is followed by successive imitations of the theme that lead to an intense climax. The final section of the work presents a somewhat more ornamented statement … The coda recalls the quiet interlude.” —Benjamin Pesetsky

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Program Notes PROKOFIEV Overture on Hebrew Themes, Opus 34 (1919)

In the spring of 1918, following the October Revolution, Sergei Prokofiev took the Pacific route from Russia to the United States. He rode the Trans-Siberian Railway to Vladivostok in Russia’s Far East, then traveled to Tokyo where he played a few concerts to pad his wallet, and finally sailed for San Francisco by way of Honolulu. In San Francisco, he was detained by immigration authorities who closely questioned whether he was a Bolshevik. “No,” he said, “because they took my money.” “Have you ever been in jail?” the officer asked. “Yeah, in yours,” he supposedly retorted. That same year, a group of Russian Jewish musicians undertook a similar itinerary. Led by the clarinetist Simeon Bellison, the Zimro Ensemble had grown out of the Society for Jewish Folk Music in Saint Petersburg, part of a broader Jewish art music movement. While the majority of Jews in the (newly former) Russian Empire were required to live within the Pale of Settlement, often subject to extreme poverty and violence, Bellison and his collaborators were part of a small, assimilated elite. Their interest in preserving ethnic folk music and using it as inspiration for new compositions followed the example of Czech, Hungarian, and Russian nationalist composers. Antonín Dvořák, writing in Harper’s Magazine in 1895, summarized the thinking of the time: “All races have their distinctively national songs, which they at once recognize as their own, even if they have never heard them before.” It was the job of a composer to discover these songs and refine them into a national classical music. Members of the Zimro Ensemble took their Jewish repertoire on tour, hosted by Zionist organizations emerging among Jewish diaspora communities throughout Russia and East Asia. They performed in Siberia, China, Java, and Japan, raising money to continue to the United States. The ultimate destination was Palestine, where they aspired to build a “Temple of Jewish Art” (more modestly, a conservatory). Their journey intersected with Prokofiev’s in New York, where Zimro debuted at Carnegie Hall. They were all acquainted from the Saint Petersburg Conservatory, and though Prokofiev was not Jewish, he agreed to write a piece for them based on two melodies in Bellison’s notebook. They premiered Prokofiev’s Overture on Hebrew Themes in February 1920 at the Bohemian Club in New York and repeated it on return programs at Carnegie. The original version was scored for clarinet, string quartet, and piano, and Prokofiev arranged it for chamber orchestra in 1934. The Zimro Ensemble never made it to Palestine, with most of its members settling in New York; Bellison was named principal clarinet of the New York Philharmonic, where he played until 1948. The first Hebrew theme is unidentified, possibly an original creation of Bellison in the klezmer style. The second, more lyrical, theme is a Yiddish wedding song, Zayt gezunterheyt, performed at the end of the ceremony when the bride parts with her family. “Oh, farewell, my beloved parents! I’m leaving you. May God grant you health and long life, and me a happy journey.” —Benjamin Pesetsky

INTUNE February 2024

Program Notes TCHAIKOVSKY Symphony No. 5 in E minor, Opus 64, Th 29 (1888)

On April 9, 1888, Tchaikovsky wrote to his brother Modest, “in the summer I intend to write a symphony…” Indeed, the composer did complete the symphony, his Fifth, in the following months, albeit with great struggle; he rejected many of his initial sketches as the work developed. Amid these early ideas for the symphony is a tantalizing program for the work: “Program: 1st movement of symph[ony]. Intr[oduction]. Total submission before fate, or, what is the same thing, the inscrutable designs of Providence. Allegro. 1) Murmurs, doubts, laments, reproaches against... XXX II) Shall I cast myself into the embrace of faith??? A wonderful program, if only it can be fulfilled.” These words have inspired much speculation, but what Tchaikovsky meant and how this program might relate to the finished symphony (if at all) are impossible to know. In any case, the music speaks clearly for itself; its allusions to other musical works are particularly revealing. Like Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, Tchaikovsky’s Fifth follows a per aspera ad astra plan, charting a course from the darkness of E minor to the light of E major. Another similarity between the two symphonies is their martial rhetoric, suggesting a kind of musical war epic. Beethoven was inspired by Homer’s Iliad and the contemporary events of the Napoleonic Wars; if Tchaikovsky’s Fifth has a literary analogue, it might be Tolstoy’s War and Peace (one of the composer’s favorite novels). Despite these similarities, Tchaikovsky nevertheless put his own stamp on the symphony. In a private letter, Tchaikovsky explained that his Fourth Symphony begins with a musical idea representing fate, an oppressive motif which returns dramatically in the symphony’s otherwise festive finale. In a parallel that fits Tchaikovsky’s aforementioned program, his Fifth Symphony also begins with a fateful musical “motto” that recurs poetically throughout the work. This time, however, the motto theme plays a different role. An entry on this symphony from John Herbert Clifford’s 1910 Standard Musical Encyclopedia encapsulates Tchaikovsky’s innovation: “The idea is that of a great sorrow turned by some mysterious power to glory and splendor. Throughout the work runs the sad motto theme, breathing shame and sorrow, deepening the gloom of the tragic passages, darkening the sunlight of the brief glimpses of gaiety, yet in the end this very theme, fostered by the secret power of art, becomes transfigured and shines forth in splendor born from itself alone.” After the motto appears in an introduction, a dark, march-like theme is juxtaposed with a more hopeful, lyrical melody in the stormy first movement. The second movement then begins with a hushed chorus of strings before introducing a second pair of themes: a soulful horn solo leads to a more romantic melody, which in its full form recalls the

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Program Notes TCHAIKOVSKY Symphony No. 5 in E minor, Opus 64, Th 29 (1888)

love theme from Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet Overture. Just as this passionate theme culminates at the movement’s climax, the motto theme violently interrupts it, perhaps suggesting a love denied by fate. The motto theme assumes a less menacing guise at the end of the third movement, a waltz recalling Tchaikovsky’s ballet music. But the motto is only truly redeemed at the opening of the finale, when it appears in a resplendent E major. After intense struggle, the transformed motto ultimately leads the symphony to a resoundingly triumphant conclusion. —Calvin Dotsey

Program Bio has been honored with 16 Grammy Awards, four Emmy Awards, a Kennedy Center Honor, a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, and a Genesis Prize.

Itzhak Perlman, conductor and violin Undeniably the reigning virtuoso of the violin, Itzhak Perlman enjoys superstar status rarely afforded a classical musician. Beloved for his charm and humanity as well as his talent, he is treasured by audiences throughout the world who respond not only to his remarkable artistry, but also to his irrepressible joy for making music. Having performed with every major orchestra and at concert halls around the globe, he was granted a Presidential Medal of Freedom—the Nation’s highest civilian honor—by President Obama in 2015, a National Medal of Arts by President Clinton in 2000, and a Medal of Liberty by President Reagan in 1986. Itzhak

Itzhak currently serves as Artistic Partner of the Houston Symphony in a partnership that commenced in the 2020–21 Season and culminates at the end of 2023–24. In this collaboration, he performs nine programs across three seasons that feature him in versatile appearances as conductor, soloist, recitalist, and presenter. In the 2023–24 Season, he brings his iconic PBS special program, In the Fiddler’s House, to Houston, San Francisco, Bethesda, and Palm Beach, joined by today’s klezmer stars, including Hankus Netsky, Andy Statman, and members of the Klezmer Conservatory Band. His orchestral engagements include play/conduct programs with the Houston Symphony on Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5 and Charleston Symphony on Beethoven’s Eroica Symphony as well as a series of concerto and conducting appearances with the Israel Philharmonic. He continues

touring An Evening with Itzhak Perlman, which captures highlights of his career through narrative and multi-media elements intertwined with performance, with dates in Newark, Dallas, Costa Mesa, and Stony Brook. He plays recitals across North America, including Toronto, Los Angeles, and Portland with longtime collaborator Rohan De Silva. Itzhak has an exclusive series of classes with Masterclass.com, the premier online education company that enables access to the world’s most brilliant minds, including Gordon Ramsay, Wolfgang Puck, Martin Scorsese, Ron Howard, Helen Mirren, Jodie Foster, and Serena Williams, as the company’s first classical-music presenter. Mr. Perlman’s recordings can be found on the Deutsche Grammophon, Warner/EMI, Sony Classical, London/Decca, Erato/ Elektra International Classics and Telarc labels. For more information on Itzhak Perlman, visit www.itzhakperlman.com Management for Itzhak Perlman: Primo Artists, New York, NY www.primoartists.com. 

INTUNE February 2024

Featured Program

Eschenbach conducts bruckner 8 Christoph Eschenbach, conductor 1:14

BRUCKNER – Symphony No. 8 in C minor I. Allegro moderato II. Scherzo and Trio: Allegro moderato—Langsam III. Adagio: Feierlich langsam, doch nicht schleppend IV. Finale: Feierlich nicht schnell

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About the Music

Saturday, February 24 Sunday, February 25

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THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS

Program Note

The 2023–24 Classical Season is in thanksgiving for Janice H. and Thomas D. Barrow Dr. Gudrun H. Becker Sponsor Thank you to our Houston Symphony Livestream Consortium Donors: Guarantor Barbara J. Burger The Elkins Foundation Underwriter Alana R. Spiwak & Sam L. Stolbun Sponsor John & Dorothy McDonald Video enhancement of Houston Symphony concerts is made possible by the Albert & Ethel Herzstein Foundation through a special gift celebrating the Foundation’s 50th anniversary in 2015 The Classical Season is endowed by The Wortham Foundation, Inc., in memory of Gus S. and Lyndall F. Wortham

8:00 p.m. 2:30 p.m.

BRUCKNER Symphony No. 8 in C minor (1887) The Austrian composer Anton Bruckner (1824-1896) began work on his eighth symphony, as the scholar Bryan Gilliam notes, during a period of “unprecedented optimism” brought on by burgeoning international success. Upon finishing the symphony in 1887, Bruckner sent the score to conductor Hermann Levi, who had conducted his seventh symphony (in addition to supporting Bruckner in other ways, such as helping him secure funding and patronage), hoping that Levi could work wonders with his music again. But Bruckner’s hopes were for naught. Levi—in what, as Gilliam writes, constituted the greatest disappointment of Bruckner’s career— refused, communicating via an intermediary that the score was opaque, grandiose, impossible to perform. Devastated, Bruckner put his plans for his ninth symphony on hold, spurred to revise not only the eighth symphony, but also his third and first. Completed in 1890 in consultation with Levi and Bruckner’s own composition student Josef Schalk, the revision of the Eighth took two additional years to reach the public in its premiere by the Vienna Philharmonic, conducted by Hans Richter. Bruckner’s characteristically long orchestral works had been derided by the likes of Johannes Brahms as “symphonic boa constrictors,” but the new Eighth was met with success, prompting even the composer’s usual naysayers, including the prominent music critic Eduard Hanslick, to manage complimentary words. Yet the revision, though more economical and streamlined than the first go, remained controversial. The Australian musicologist Robert Haas, believing the new score evidenced a bruised Bruckner doubting his own abilities and being manipulated, to some degree, by Levi and Schalk’s musical judgment, thus created his own edition (known as the Haas edition) in 1939, interspersing aspects of the original into the revision that, Haas asserted, better reflected Bruckner’s artistic intentions. Another edition by Leopold Nowak followed in 1955, and yet more; the critic Alex Ross estimates that there are “about three dozen versions”

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Program Note BRUCKNER Symphony No. 8 in C minor (1887)

in total, with the Haas in highest circulation, though the Nowak is considered more tenable from a musicological standpoint. The Eighth stands as Bruckner’s last symphonic work, as the composer—like various others, per the so-called “curse of the ninth”—died while at work on its successor. For the conductor Felix Weingartner, Bruckner sketched his own interpretation of three of the movements. The first considers the approach of death, played out in the trumpet and horn. The second, a vigorous scherzo draws upon the figure of Deutscher Michael, a folk representation of the German people who is often portrayed in a nightcap and nightgown, whom Bruckner imagines dreaming in the more languorous trio section. Bruckner left no note about the third movement, though the imagination does not have to work particularly hard to map tender associations onto its ardent themes. The fourth, which, once finished, Bruckner hailed “the most significant movement of my life,” opens with a headlong galloping motif, the first of many militaristic moments inspired by the Austrian emperor’s recent reception of the Cossacks, and ponders once again the death specter established in the first, though the conclusion projects unambiguous triumph. —Jennifer Gersten

Program Bio performances revered by concertgoers worldwide. Renowned for the breadth of his repertoire and the depth of his interpretations, he has held directorships with many leading orchestras—including the Houston Symphony from 1988 to 1999—and gained the highest musical honors.

Christoph Eschenbach, conductor Christoph Eschenbach is a phenomenon among the top league of international conductors. Universally acclaimed as a conductor and pianist, he firmly belongs to the European intellectual line of musical tradition, combined with a rare emotional intensity, producing

Born at the heart of war-torn Europe in 1940, Christoph's early childhood was scarred by a succession of personal tragedies. Music was his saviour, and his life began to change when he learned the piano. Now over 80, his keen artistic curiosity is undiminished, and he still thoroughly enjoys working with the finest international orchestras. He is also well-known as a tireless supporter of young talent—this is his greatest passion, and he values 33

his contribution to mentoring up-and-coming talent. Moved by the energy and the drive of young people ("Those one hundred percent artists," as he calls them), he has a personal mission to pass the torch to the next generation. Some of his notable discoveries include pianist Lang Lang, violinist Julia Fischer, and cellists Leonard Elschenbroich and Daniel MüllerSchott. Alongside prestigious appointments from Washington, D.C. to Zurich, Christoph has always attached great importance to his extensive activities as a guest conductor, working with the world’s leading orchestras. Over the course of six decades, Christoph has built an impressive discography as a conductor and a pianist, with a repertoire ranging INTUNE February 2024

Program Bio from J.S. Bach to contemporary music. Many of his recordings have gained benchmark status and have received numerous awards, including the German Record Critics' Prize, the MIDEM Classical Award, and a Grammy Award. He has been awarded the Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur and Commandeur des Arts et des Lettres; he holds the German Federal Cross of Merit and the Leonard Bernstein Award. In 2015, he received the Ernst von Siemens Music Prize, known as “The Nobel Prize of music," for his achievements as conductor and pianist. 

Corporate Spotlight

Established in 2014, CKP is an independent, woman-owned, Texas-based integrated communications firm headquartered in Houston, Texas, with offices in Austin, Dallas, Charlotte, NC, and Charleston, SC. CKP develops smart strategies, creates award-winning ideas and delivers results. CKP’s creative storytellers, detail-oriented data crunchers, and dogged researchers use a research-driven approach that provides the laser-focus to develop strategic action plans that elevate brands. CKP has been recognized by the American Marketing Association, Public Relations Society of America, and the Association of Marketing and Communications Professionals for client work across all communications verticals. The people-first approach has landed the firm on several Best Places to Work lists, including #6 on the Houston Business Journal Best Places to Work annual survey and listed as an Inc Magazine Best Workplace in the US. The team’s culture of discipline and leadership has earned it the honor of PRSA Houston Agency of the Year three consecutive times, plus best-in-show awards with both the Houston and Dallas PRSA chapters. CKP is consistently ranked on the Inc. 5000 Series list of fastest-growing private companies in Texas, a direct result of the team’s ongoing focus on providing a high level of value and building long-term, meaningful client relationships. Visit theckpgroup.com to learn more. Houston Symphony

Become a Houston Symphony Donor and Enjoy Exclusive Events! This season, the Houston Symphony has curated an exceptional series of events exclusively for Classical and POPS donors. These gatherings—which include elegant receptions, intimate meet-and-greets, and rehearsals—provide an opportunity for donors to engage closely with the musicians and deepen their connection to the Symphony's community. So far this season, POPS donors have met guest artists from GO NOW! A Tribute to the Moody Blues, former Principal POPS Conductor Michael Krajewski, and pianist and vocalist Tony DeSare at private meet and greets and receptions. POPS and Classical donors alike have also enjoyed several private rehearsals with pre-rehearsal champagne receptions. As Symphony musicians prepare for upcoming concerts, private rehearsals offer donors a rare opportunity to experience the Symphony like they never have before. Donors also had a “Meet the Orchestra” event where they got a chance to meet the talented musicians the Symphony’s clarinet section, ask them questions, and learn more about their artistic process. Scan here to learn more about donor benefits:

If you’re interested in becoming a donor and gaining access to these exclusive events, contact Emilie Moellmer, Annual Fund Manager, at 713.337.8526 or Emilie.Moellmer@HoustonSymphony.org

Lift Every Voice:

Celebrating Brodrick Hill’s Contributions to the Houston Symphony

As the largest performing arts organization in Houston's vibrant cultural arts scene, the Houston Symphony is committed to representing the diverse voices of the wonderful city we serve. Among one of the many driving forces behind the Symphony's commitment to diversity is Brodrick Hill, the former Chairman and founding member of the Houston Symphony's African American Leadership Council.

fascinated, and I wanted to be a part of it. That’s when music became a passion.” His early exposure to classical music sparked a lifelong love affair with the symphony and inspired him to start playing a variety of instruments, including the percussion snare drum, French horn, E-flat horn, and the trumpet—an instrument that he still enjoys playing to this day.

Born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio, Brodrick’s journey into the world of music began at a young age. At eight years old, he regularly attended Cincinnati Symphony performances with his father. He has fond memories of attending these concerts, including becoming accidentally separated from his father before a concert. A kind stranger, who introduced himself as “Harvey” noticed Brodrick wandering the music hall and helped him back to the auditorium where he reunited with his father. Minutes later, the stranger walked on stage—the man in question turned out to be world-renowned pianist, Van Cliburn. “I told my dad, ‘That’s the guy who helped me!’ My dad just put his head in his hands,” recalls Brodrick with a chuckle. The next time Van Cliburn came to Cincinnati for a concert, he invited Brodrick and his dad so they could meet each other properly before the show. While this unique experience shaped his fondness for orchestras, his true appreciation for music came from hearing live music for the first time. “I had heard [classical music] all my life—my dad played it on vinyl records. But to actually see the musicians, see the variety of instruments, and then the sound was just incredible,” recalls Brodrick. “I was just

Houston Symphony

Brodrick Hill addresses the audience at a recent Houston Symphony concert.

By 1999, Brodrick’s career brought him to Houston, where he became involved with the Houston Symphony, serving on the Board of Trustees and regularly attending concerts. In 2013, he was approached by the then-Houston Symphony Board President, Robert A. Peiser, who asked Brodrick for advice on how to best connect with the African American community and increase the Symphony’s relevance in the many diverse communities that make up Houston. “For me, [seeing an orchestra perform] for the first time was highly enlightening and it was an experience that I really wanted other people to have— particularly people who were close to me, which were people who looked like me,” says Brodrick. Understanding the need to connect meaningfully with the diverse communities of Houston, the Symphony established the African American Leadership Council, with Broderick serving as chairman serving alongside Kirk Smith, a local African American conductor, and fellow music enthusiast, Burnell Faye Hines. Comprised of influential figures from Houston's African American community, the council met with members of the Houston Symphony Board of Directors and staff members to explore possible educational and programming opportunities that

would better reflect the needs of the African American community. Brodrick and the Council actively collaborated with the Symphony to curate performances and POPS programming that featured the works of African American recording artists and composers such as Gloria Gaynor, Smokey Robinson, and others. The Council’s early initiatives also focused on community engagement, bringing the Symphony out of Jones Hall for performances, and music literacy. The African American Leadership Council created the Music Literacy Workshop, an eight-week workshop where workshop participants learned the basics of music theory, music appreciation, and concert etiquette. “We needed to create a way for people to actually get to know music itself,” says Brodrick. “Understanding things like, ‘when a piece is being played, when do I clap?’ Not knowing simple things like that can make a person uncomfortable and not want to attend a concert.” Another community project that Brodrick formed was the CityWide Grassroots Chorus, led by conductor Adavion Wayne. It was a local chorus that performed works by African American composers at various Houston venues such as Jones Hall, the Houston Baptist University campus, the Cullen Theater at the Wortham Theater Center, Miller Outdoor Theatre, and numerous community churches. “Exposure [to music] opens the mind—sometimes, you don’t even know something exists and then once you see it, you have so many opportunities and possibilities available to you.” Brodrick recalls an instance at a Symphony community concert that changed the trajectory of one young man’s life. The

Houston Symphony Community-Embedded Musician Rainel Joubert speaks at an Afican American Leadership Council Music Literacy Workshop.

conductor invited the young man to come up on stage to learn some basic conducting gestures and lead the orchestra in a few bars of music. “That young man went on to go to Harvard University and pursued music and conducting,” reminisces Brodrick. “That was the motivation for him. He could not have created that [possibility] in his mind if not for that experience.” The Houston Symphony is proud to have Brodrick and other leaders like him within our community. Looking ahead, the Houston Symphony's African American Leadership Council will continue to promote diversity and inclusion and reflect the ever-changing cultural landscape of Houston. —Lauren Buchanan

Scan here to learn more about the Houston Symphony's Leadership Councils:

Audiences applaud at a Neighborhood Concert at Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church. 37

INTUNE February 2024

Our Donors Annual Support

$150,000+

The Houston Symphony gratefully acknowledges those who support our artistic, educational, and community engagement programs through their generosity to our Annual Fund and Special Events. For more information, please contact Tim Richey, Director, Individual Giving, at tim.richey@houstonsymphony.org or 713.337.8531.

Barbara J. Burger Janet F. Clark Dr. Sippi and Mr. Ajay Khurana** Beth Madison Bobbie Nau John & Lindy Rydman / Spec's Wines, Spirits & Finer Foods

Mike Stude Bobby and Phoebe Tudor Margaret Alkek Williams

As of January 31, 2024

$100,000+ Gary and Marian Beauchamp/ The Beauchamp Foundation Dr. Dennis & Susan Carlyle Jane and Robert* Cizik Michael H. Clark & Sallie Morian Virginia A. Clark** Joan and Bob Duff Drs. M.S. and Marie-Luise Kalsi

$50,000+ Max Levit Cora Sue and Harry* Mach** Barbara and Pat McCelvey Mr. & Mrs. Jesse B. Tutor Edith & Robert Zinn

Edward and Janette Blackburne** Mr. Robert Boblitt Jr. Anne & Albert Chao Aggie L. Foster & Steve Simon Stephen & Mariglyn Glenn Gary L. Hollingsworth & Kenneth J. Hyde Mr. and Mrs. Bashar Kalai Mr. and Mrs. J. Stephen Marks John L. Nau III Ms. Leslie Nossaman

Robin Angly & Miles Smith Alana R. Spiwak & Sam L. Stolbun Tina Raham Stewart in memory of Jonathan Stewart Terry Thomas Shirley W. Toomim Hallie A. Vanderhider Stephen and Kristine Wallace** Robert G. Weiner & Toni Blankmann

Joan & Marvin Kaplan Foundation/The Kaplan, Brooks, and Bruch Families Mr. and Mrs. Parker Johnson Cheryl Boblitt and Bill King Mr. and Mrs. David B. Krieger Mr. & Mrs. U. J. LeGrange Cindy E. Levit Joella & Steven P. Mach Mrs. Carolyn and Dr. Michael Mann Barry and Rosalyn Margolis Family Mr. & Mrs. Rodney H. Margolis**

John & Dorothy McDonald Muffy and Mike McLanahan Dr. Miguel & Mrs. Valerie Miro-Quesada Katie and Bob Orr / Oliver Wyman Mr. David Peavy and Dr. Stephen McCauley Revati Puranik Laurie A. Rachford Mr. Glen A. Rosenbaum Kathy & Ed Segner Donna Scott and Mitch Glassman Margaret & Joel Shannon

Mr. Jay Steinfeld and Mrs. Barbara Winthrop Dr. John R. Stroehlein and Miwa Sakashita Mr. and Mrs. Frank Tsuru Cecilia and Luciano Vasconcellos Mr. & Mrs. Fredric A. Weber Steven & Nancy Williams Jeanie Kilroy Wilson & Wallace S. Wilson Ellen A. Yarrell** Anonymous

Eugene Fong Steve and Mary Gangelhoff Clare Attwell Glassell Suzan & Julius Glickman Mr. & Mrs. Fred L. Gorman Claudio J. Gutiérrez Mr. and Mrs.* Jerry L. Hamaker Claudia & David Hatcher Mark & Ragna Henrichs Mrs. James E. Hooks Catherine and Brian James Rebecca & Bobby Jee Gwen & Dan Kellogg Dr. & Mrs. I. Ray Kirk** Ms. Nancey G. Lobb

Cindy Mao and Michael Ma John & Regina Mangum Jay & Shirley* Marks Mr. and Mrs. Jarrod Martin Michelle & Jack Matzer Dr. Eric McLaughlin and Mr. Eliodoro Castillo Marvin and Martha McMurrey Tammy and Wayne Nguyen Scott and Judy Nyquist Dr. Susan Osterberg and Mr. Edward C. Osterberg, Jr. Mr. & Mrs. Jonathan E. Parker Mr. and Mrs. Charles Partin Gloria & Joe Pryzant Jean and Allan Quiat

Ron and Demi Rand Ed & Janet Rinehart Mr. Floyd W. Robinson Ann Roff Mrs. Sybil F. Roos* Toni A. Oplt and Ed Schneider Mr. & Mrs. James A. Shaffer Tad & Suzanne Smith Drs. Carol & Michael Stelling Margaret Waisman, M.D. & Steven S. Callahan, Ph.D. Jay & Gretchen Watkins Dede Weil Vicki West

$25,000+ Farida Abjani Dr. Angela R. Apollo Ann & Jonathan Ayre Dr. Saúl and Ursula Balagura Dr. Gudrun H. Becker Eric D. Brueggeman Mr. and Mrs. Thomas L. Elsenbrook Ms. Carolyn Faulk The Marvy Finger Family Foundation** Mr. & Mrs. Jeffrey B. Firestone Mr. & Mrs. Russell M. Frankel Evan B. Glick

$15,000+ Nina K. Andrews** Anne Morgan Barrett Nancy and Walter Bratic Mr. Gordon J. Brodfuehrer Terry Ann Brown Mr. Bill Bullock Mr. Robert Bunch and Ms. Lilia Khakimova Mary Kathryn Campion & Stephen Liston Roger and Debby Cutler Valerie Palmquist Dieterich and Tracy Dieterich Mike and Debra Dishberger Connie Dyer Sidney Faust

** Education and Community Engagement Donor * Deceased Houston Symphony

Our Donors $10,000+ Marcie & Nick Alexos Edward H. Andrews III Mr. and Mrs. David J. Beck James and Dale Brannon Lindsay Buchanan Ralph Burch Dr. Robert N. Chanon Coneway Family Foundation Brad and Joan Corson Andrew Davis & Corey Tu Dr. Alex Dell Vicky Dominguez Drs. Rosalind and Gary Dworkin

Mrs. Mary Foster & Mr. Don DeSimone Ron Franklin & Janet Gurwitch Mr. and Mrs. Patrick Gaidos Nancy D. Giles Grace Ho and Joe Goetz Jo A. & Billie Jo Graves Ms. Katherine Hill Ms. Dawn James Marzena and Jacek Jaminski Dr. Rita Justice Mr. and Mrs. Calvin Leeke Marilyn G. Lummis

Mr. and Mrs. Michael L. Mason Dr. and Mrs. Malcolm L. Mazow Terry & Kandee McGill The Carl M. Padgett Family Mr. and Mrs. Robert Pastorek Mr. Zeljko Pavlovic Robert K. Rogerson Lori Harrington and Parashar Saikia Dr. & Mrs. Robert B. Sloan Houston Christian University Mr. and Mrs. Jim R. Smith

Anthony and Lori Speier Mr. and Mrs. Karl Strobl Drs. Ishwaria & Vivek Subbiah Mrs. Marguerite M. Swartz Mr. & Mrs. Tony Williford Doug and Kay Wilson Ms. Beth Wolff Robert and Michele Yekovich Nina and Michael Zilkha Anonymous

Kelli Cohen Fein & Martin Fein Ms. Ursula H. Felmet Dr. Richard Fish and Marie Hoke Fish Mr. & Mrs. Robert J. Franco Bill & Diana Freeman Edwin Friedrichs & Darlene Clark Dr. Eugenia C. George Amy Goodpasture Mr. Mark Grace and Mrs. Alex Blair The Greentree Fund Mr. David Grzebinski Mary N. Hankey Deborah Happ & Richard Rost Mr. & Mrs. Frank Herzog Maureen Y. Higdon Mrs. Ann G. Hightower Katherine and Archibald Hill Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey Hiller Steve and Kerry Incavo Mr. Michael Jang Dr. and Mrs. Joseph Jankovic Stephen Jeu and Susanna Calvo Phil and Josephine John Beverly Johnson Dr. Charles Johnson & Tammie Johnson Mr. and Mrs. John F. Joity Debbie & Frank Jones Ms. Linda R. Katz Carey Kirkpatrick Mr. Mark Klitzke and Dr. Angela Chen Dr. William and Alice Kopp Mr. Kenneth E. Kurtzman Mr. Steve Lee Golda Anne Leonard

Matthew and Kristen Loden Richard Loewenstern Ms. Tama Lundquist Alison and Ara Malkhassian Mr. and Mrs. Alexander Matiuk Ms. Kathy McCraigh Carol and Paul McDermott Mrs. Cathy McNamara Mr. Stephen Mendoza Mrs. Anna Mergele Dr. and Mrs. Jack Moore Rita and Paul Morico Jo Ann and Marvin Mueller Aprill Nelson Bobbie Newman Katherine & Jonathan Palmer Kusum and K. Cody Patel Michael P. and Shirley Pearson Mr. Robert J. Pilegge Mrs. Jenny Popatia in memory of Dr. Tajdin R. Popatia Heather & Chris Powers Tim and Katherine Pownell Darla and Chip Purchase Edlyn & David Pursell Cris & Elisa Pye Kathryn and Richard Rabinow Radoff Family Dr. and Mrs. George H. Ransford Vicky & Michael Richker Jill and Allyn Risley Dr. Douglas and Alicia Rodenberger Linda & Jerry Rubenstein Susan D. Sarofim Garry and Margaret Schoonover Susan and Ed Septimus

Laura & Mike Shannon Donna and Tim Shen Mr. & Mrs. Steven Sherman Mr. and Mrs. Lance Smith Mr. and Mrs. Quentin Smith Sam & Linda Snyder Richard & Mary Spies Elizabeth and Alan Stein Susan L. Thompson Carol and Eric Timmreck Nanako & Dale Tingleaf Pamalah* and Stephen Tipps Dr. Brad and Mrs. Frances Urquhart Mr. and Mrs. David Vannauker David and Robin Walstad Dr. Robert Wilkins and Dr. Mary Ann ReynoldsWilkins Nancy B. Willerson** Ms. Barbara E. Williams Doug Williams and Janice Robertson Loretta & Lawrence Williams Ms. Tara Wilson Woodell Family Foundation Mr. & Mrs. C. Clifford Wright, Jr. Mrs. Lorraine Wulfe Erla & Harry Zuber Anonymous (8)

$5,000+ Dr. & Mrs. George J. Abdo John and Pat* Anderson Mr. Tom Anderson Lilly and Thurmon Andress Dr. & Mrs. Jeffrey B. Aron Mr. Jeff Autor Mr. Theodore H. Barrow Mrs. Bonnie Bauer* Kimberly and James Bell Joan H. Bitar, MD Mr. & Mrs. Michael E. Bowman Mrs. Vada Boyle James and Judy Bozeman Mr. and Mrs. Sverre Brandsberg-Dahl Mr. Chester Brooke and Dr. Nancy Poindexter Barbara A. Brooks Ms. Deborah Butler Kori and Chris Caddell Marilyn Caplovitz Tatiana and Daniel Chavanelle Dr. Ye-Mon Chen and Mrs. Chaing-Lin Chen Darleen & Jack Christiansen Barbara A. Clark & Edgar A. Bering Donna M. Collins Evan and Carin Collins Mr. & Mrs. Byron Cooley Ms. Miquel A. Correll Mr. and Mrs. Allen Deutsch Ms. Elisabeth DeWitts Jeanette and John DiFilippo Kathy and Frank Dilenschneider Ms. Cynthia Diller*/** The Ensell Family Mr. Parrish N. Erwin Jr. Paula & Louis Faillace

** Education and Community Engagement Donor * Deceased

INTUNE February 2024

Our Donors $2,500+ Dr. Julia Andrieni and Dr. Rob Phillips** Rick Ankrom Ms. Jacqueline Baly Mr. and Mrs. Stephen J. Banks Consurgo Sunshine Tatyana and Edward Baumgartner Drs. Henry & Louise Bethea Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Bickel Mr. and Mrs. Gerald W. Bodzy George Boerger Mr. Russell Boone Joe Brazzatti Jane and Ron Brownlee Mr. and Mrs. Laurence Burns Justice Brett and Erin Busby David Bush Cheryl & Sam* Byington Ms. Greta Carlson Mr. Steve Carroll & Ms. Rachel Dolbier Margot & John Cater Drs. David A. Cech and Mary R. Schwartz Dr. and Dr. Stephen Chen Mr. Per Staunstrup Christiansen Lynn Coe Ms. Sandra Cooper Mr. and Mrs. John Dabbar Mrs. Myriam Degreve Joseph and Rebecca Demeter Mrs. Edward N. Earle Mr. John Egbert and Ms. Kathy Beck Mr. William P. Elbel and Ms. Mary J. Schroeder Mrs. Christina Fontenot Mr. and Mrs. David French Dr. and Mrs. Robert H. Fusillo Mr. Alejandro E. Gallardo Ms. Leslie Gassner

Wm. David George, Ph.D. Dr. Michael Gillin and Ms. Pamela Newberry Kathy & Albrecht Goethe Ms. Lidiya Gold Julianne & David Gorte Rebecca and Andrew Gould Cortney Guebara Mr. and Mrs. Charles R. Hall Dr. & Mrs. Carlos R. Hamilton Jr. Barbara and Christopher Hekel Richard and Arianda Hicks Mr. Stanley Hoffberger Mr. and Mrs. John Homier Mr. and Mrs. R. O. Hunton C. Birk Hutchens Mr. and Mrs. Rick C. Jaramillo Mady & Ken Kades Ms. Mandy Kao Anna Kaplan Kathryn L. Ketelsen Jane & Kevin Kremer Kirk Kveton Stephanie and Richard Langenstein Ms. Deborah Laws Dr. Hilary Beaver & Dr. Andrew Lee Evelyn Leightman Mr. William W. Lindley Kirby and David Lodholz Mr. and Mrs. Stephen A. Lubanko Mr. & Mrs. Peter MacGregor Ms. Mary Marquardsen Mr. and Mrs. Wallis Marsh David and Heidi Massin William D. & Karinne McCullough Mary Ann & David McKeithan Stephen & Marilyn Miles Larry and Lyn Miller

David and Jamie Ming Ginni and Richard Mithoff David R. Moore Richard & Juliet Moynihan Stephanie Weber and Paul Muri Mr. & Mrs. Richard Murphy Musicians of the Houston Symphony Inc. Mr. & Mrs. Robert E. Nelson Mr. and Mrs. Geoffrey B. Newton Ms. Barbara Nussmann Macky Osorio Dr. Michael A. Ozer and Ms. Patricia A. Kalmans Nancy Parra George & Elizabeth Passela Linda Tarpley Peterson Dr. and Mr. Vanitha Pothuri Roland and Linda Pringle Mrs. Dana Puddy Mr. & Mrs. Florante Quiocho Clinton and Leigh Rappole Dr. Michael and Janet Rasmussen Dr. and Mrs. William H. Reading, MD Mr. and Mrs. David Reeves Mr. & Mrs. J.B. Reimer Mrs. Diane Roederer Dr. and Mrs. Franklin Rose Mr. and Mrs. Bryan Ruez Mr. & Mrs. John Ryder Mr. Robert T. Sakowitz Harold H. Sandstead, M.D. Lawrence P. Schanzmeyer Mr. Tony W. Schlicht Dr. Mark A. Schusterman Mr. and Mrs. Steven Schwarzbach Ms. Becky V. Shaw Mr. Carlos Sierra Leslie Siller

Hinda Simon Ms. Diana Skerl Mr. and Mrs. David Smith Georgiana Stanley Jeaneen and Tim Stastny Christine Ann Stevens and Richard Crishock Mr. & Mrs. Hans Strohmer Mr. William W. Stubbs Dr. and Mrs. Van W. Teeters Emily H. & David K. Terry Juliana and Stephen Tew Jean and Doug Thomas Courtney & Bill Toomey Sal and Denise Torrisi Patricia Van Allan H. Richard Walton Nancy Ames and Danny Ward Alton and Carolyn Warren Dr. and Mrs. Richard T. Weiss Scott and Lori Wulfe Mr. and Mrs. Steve Yatauro Mrs. Linda Yelin Mr. and Mrs. Charles Zabriskie Anonymous (4)

Music Director Fund The Houston Symphony has entered a new era with the introduction of internationally acclaimed conductor, Juraj Valčuha, as our Music Director. The purpose of the Music Director Fund is to provide leadership support to allow Maestro Valčuha to realize his artistic vision. To join the Music Director Fund, supporters make a leadership gift of $100,000 above and beyond their annual giving. To participate, please contact Christine Ann Stevens, Senior Director, Development at, christine.stevens@houstonsymphony.org or 713.337.8521. Margaret Alkek Williams Robin Angly & Miles Smith Janice Barrow* Barbara J. Burger Albert & Anne Chao Jane and Robert* Cizik ** Education and Community Engagement Donor * Deceased Houston Symphony

Janet F. Clark Cullen Trust for the Performing Arts Gardenia Foundation Barbara and Pat McCelvey Dr. Eric McLaughlin and Mr. Eliodoro Castillo

John & Lindy Rydman / Spec’s Wines, Spirits & Finer Foods Mike Stude

Young Associates Council The Houston Symphony’s Young Associates Council (YAC) is a philanthropic membership group for young professionals, music aficionados, and performing arts supporters interested in exploring symphonic music within Houston’s flourishing artistic landscape. YAC members are afforded exclusive opportunities to participate in musically focused events that take place not only in Jones Hall, but also in the city’s most sought-after venues, private homes, and friendly neighborhood hangouts. From behind-the-scenes interactions with the musicians of the Houston Symphony to jaw-dropping private performances by world-class virtuosos, the Houston Symphony’s Young Associates Council offers incomparable insight and accessibility to the music and musicians that are shaping the next era of orchestral music.

YOUNG ASSOCIATE LEADERSHIP Kirby Lodholz, Chair

Laurel Flores, Communications Chair

Carrie Brandsberg-Dahl, Vice Chair

Jeff Hiller, Membership Chair

YAC - CONDUCTOR'S CIRCLE ($5,000+) Carrie and Sverre Brandsberg- Dahl#

Claudio Gutiérrez

Joshua McDonald

Eric Brueggeman

Lori Harrington and Parashar Saikia

Aprill Nelson#

Lindsay Buchanan#

Elaine and Jeff Hiller#

Vicky Dominguez

Carey Kirkpatrick

Carolyn and Patrick Gaidos

Elissa and Jarrod Martin

Liana and Andrew Schwaitzberg# Aerin and Quentin Smith# Justin Stenberg# Ishwaria and Vivek Subbiah

YAC - VIRTUOSO CIRCLE ($2,500-$4,999) Christopher P. Armstrong and Laura Schaffer Lauren and Mark Bahorich Tim Ong and Michael Baugh Emily Bivona and Ryan Manser Haydée del Calvo and Esteban Montero

Ryan Cantrell

Gwen and Jay McMurrey

Kusum and K. Cody Patel#

Denise and Brandon Davis

David R. Moore

Carlos Sierra

Andria Elkins

Sergio Morales

Laurel Flores#

Emily and Joseph MorrelPorter Hedges LLP

Allegra Lilly and Robin Kesselman#

Kristin and Leonard Wood

Stephanie Weber and Paul Muri

Kirby and David Lodholz# Kelser McMiller#

Maxine Olefsky and Justin Kenney

Kendrick Alridge

Adam Ewald

Lina Liu

Amber Ali

Florence Francis

Marisa and Tandy Lofland

Fiona Anklesaria

Kallie Gallagher

Joel Luks

Luisa Banos and Vladi Gorelik

Patrick B. Garvey

Miriam Meriwani

Mandy Beatriz

Amy Goodpasture

Shane A. Miller

Adair and Kevin Brueggeman

Rebecca and Andrew Gould

Zoe Miller

David Chaluh

Nicholas Gruy

David Moyer

Lincoln Chen

Kendall and Chris Hanno

Trevor Myers

Megan and John Degenstein

Ashley and John Horstman

Lee Bar-Eli and Cliff Nash

Jeffrey Detwiler

C. Birk Hutchens

Lauren Paine

Chante Westmoreland Dillard and Joseph Dillard

Mariya Idenova

Blake Plaster

Jonathan T. Jan

Anna Robshaw

Xandro Canales

Owen Zhang

YAC ($1,500-$2,499)

Evin Ashley Erdoğdu

Clarice Jacobson and Brian Rosenzweig Chicovia Scott Tim Sesby Leonardo Soto Bryce Swinford Elise Wagner# Alexander Webb Kathy Zhang-Rutledge and Mack Wilson Marquis Wincher

Anna Kaplan

For more information, please contact Katie Salvatore, Development Officer, at katie.salvatore@houstonsymphony.org or 713.337.8544. 41

# Steering Committee

INTUNE February 2024

Corporate, Foundation & Government Partners The Houston Symphony is proud to recognize the leadership support of our corporate, foundation, and government partners that allows the orchestra to reach new heights in musical performance, education, and community engagement, for Greater Houston and the Gulf Coast Region. CORPORATE PARTNERS (as of January 31, 2024) Principal Corporate Guarantor ($250,000 and above) Spec’s Wines, Spirits & Finer Foods / Spec’s Charitable Foundation**

Grand Guarantor ($150,000 and above) ConocoPhillips**

Houston Methodist*

KTRK ABC-13*

Kalsi Engineering Oliver Wyman* PaperCity*

Shell USA, Inc.**

Kinder Morgan Foundation** Kirkland & Ellis The Lancaster Hotel* Nexus Health Systems Oxy** PNC** Rémy Martin Sewell

Silver Eagle Beverages Truist

Neiman Marcus* One Market Square Garage* Rand Group, LLC* Silver Eagle Distributors Houston, LLC

Univision Houston & Amor 106.5FM Vinson & Elkins LLP

Gorman’s Uniform Service Jackson & Company*

Lockton Companies of Houston USI Southwest

Guarantor ($100,000 and above) Bank of America Boston Consulting Group* Frost Bank

Underwriter ($50,000 and above) Amerapex Baker Botts L.L.P.* Cameron Management* Chevron** CKP* Houston Christian University Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo**

Sponsor ($25,000 and above) EOG Resources The Events Company* ExxonMobil H-E-B/H-E-B Tournament of Champions**

Partner ($15,000 and above) Beam Suntory City Kitchen* Faberge

Supporter ($10,000 and above) American Tank and Vessel, Inc. Accordant Advisors* Houston First Corporation* Marine Foods Express, Ltd.** Mark Kamin & Associates

New Timmy Chan Corporation Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe, L.L.P.

Quantum Energy Partners Sire Spirits Beth Wolff Realtors Vivaldi Music Academy Zenfilm*

University of St. Thomas* Volume Social Club*

Wortham Insurance & Risk Management

Mercantil ONEOK, Inc. Nippon Steel North America, Inc. Quantum Bass Center* SEI, Global Institutional Group

SERCA Wines* Smith, Graham & Company Stewart Title Company TAM International, Inc.

Benefactor ($5,000 and above) Beck Redden LLP Russell Reynolds Associates, Inc.

Patron (Gifts below $5,000) Amazon Avatar Innovations Baker Hughes Christian Dior KPMG US Foundation, Inc.

For information on becoming a corporate partner, please contact Timothy Dillow, Senior Director, Development, at timothy.dillow@houstonsymphony.org or 713.337.8538.

Houston Symphony

* Includes in-kind support **Education and Community Engagement Support

Corporate, Foundation & Government Partners FOUNDATIONS & GOVERNMENT AGENCIES (as of January 31, 2024) Diamond Guarantor ($1,000,000 and above) The Brown Foundation, Inc. Houston Symphony Endowment**

Houston Symphony League The Wortham Foundation, Inc.

Premier Guarantor ($500,000 and above) The Alkek and Williams Foundation

City of Houston through Houston Arts Alliance

The C. Howard Pieper Foundation

The Cullen Trust for the Performing Arts The Hearst Foundation** The Humphreys Foundation MD Anderson Foundation

National Endowment for the Arts Texas Commission on the Arts**

Grand Guarantor ($150,000 and above) City of Houston through the Miller Theatre Advisory Board** The Cullen Foundation

Guarantor ($100,000 and above) The Jerry C. Dearing Family Foundation

The Houston Arts Combined Endowment Fund

Underwriter ($50,000 and above) Albert and Ethel Herzstein Charitable Foundation Beauchamp Foundation The Elkins Foundation

The Fondren Foundation Houston Symphony Chorus Endowment LTR Lewis Cloverdale Foundation

John P. McGovern Foundation** The Powell Foundation**

William S. & Lora Jean Kilroy Foundation The Vivian L. Smith Foundation**

The William Stamps Farish Fund

The Hood-Barrow Foundation The Schissler Foundation

Sterling-Turner Foundation The Vaughn Foundation

Sponsor ($25,000 and above) The Melbern G. & Susanne M. Glasscock Foundation**

Partner ($15,000 and above) Ruth & Ted Bauer Family Foundation**

Supporter ($10,000 and above) Edward H. Andrews The Carleen & Alde Fridge Foundation George & Mary Josephine Hamman Foundation

Petrello Family Foundation The Pierce Runnells Foundation Strake Foundation**

Benefactor ($5,000 and above) Leon Jaworski Foundation

William E. & Natoma Pyle Harvey Charitable Foundation**

The Radoff Family Foundation

Patron (Gifts below $5,000) The Lubrizol Foundation The Scurlock Foundation

Keith & Mattie Stevenson Foundation

For information about becoming a foundation or government partner, please contact Christina Trunzo, Director, Foundation Relations, at christina.trunzo@houstonsymphony.org or 713.337.8530.

**Education and Community Engagement Support

INTUNE February 2024

Houston Symphony Endowment The Houston Symphony Endowment is organized and operated exclusively for the benefit of the Houston Symphony Society. Your contributions to the Endowment ensure the financial sustainability of your orchestra now and for generations to come. A named endowed fund is a wonderful way to honor a loved one or to celebrate you and your family’s passion for the Houston Symphony. Named funds may be permanently established within the Houston Symphony Endowment with a minimum contribution of $250,000. Your fund can be designated for general purposes or specific interests. One of the most impactful funds you can create is an Endowed Orchestra Chair. Opportunities to endow an Orchestral Chair begin at $1,000,000. Endowing a chair provides the Houston Symphony with funds to attract, retain, and support musicians of the highest caliber. For more information about how you may support the Houston Symphony Endowment through a bequest or with a gift during your lifetime, please contact Hadia Mawlawi, Senior Associate, Endowment and Planned Giving, at hadia.mawlawi@houstonsymphony.org or 713.337.8532. TRUSTEES James H. Lee, President David Krieger

William Dee Hunt Ajay Khurana

Lynn Mathre Scott Wise

ENDOWMENT FUNDS $250,000+ Janice H. and Thomas D. Barrow Chair Brinton Averil Smith, Principal Cello Barbara J. Burger Chair Ian Mayton, Horn The Brown Foundation Guest Pianist Fund The Brown Foundation Miller Outdoor Theatre Fund in memory of Hanni and Stewart Orton, Legacy Society Co-Founders Margarett and Alice Brown Fund for Education Janet F. Clark Fund Roy and Lillie Cullen Chair Juraj Valčuha, Music Director The Cullen Foundation Maestro’s Fund The Cullen Trust for the Performing Arts Fund for Creative Initiatives The Margaret and James Elkins Foundation Fund The Virginia Lee Elverson Trust Fund Fondren Foundation Chair Qi Ming, Assistant Concertmaster

The General and Mrs. Maurice Hirsch George P. and Cynthia Woods Mitchell Memorial Concert Fund in memory of Summer Concerts Fund Theresa Meyer and Jules Hirsch, beloved Bobbie Nau Chair parents of General Maurice Hirsch, and Mark Nuccio, Principal Clarinet Rosetta Hirsch Weil and Josie Hirsch Bloch, beloved sisters of General C. Howard Pieper Foundation Fund Maurice Hirsch Walter W. Sapp Fund, Legacy Society General Maurice Hirsch Chair Co-Founder Aralee Dorough, Principal Flute Fayez Sarofim Guest Violinist Fund through Houston Symphony Chorus Fund the Cullen Trust for the Performing Arts Joan and Marvin Kaplan Fund

The Schissler Foundation Fund

Ellen E. Kelley Chair Eric Halen, Co-Concertmaster

Spec’s Charitable Foundation Salute to Educators Concert Fund

Max Levine Chair Yoonshin Song, Concertmaster

The Micijah S. Stude Special Production Fund

Mary R. Lewis Fund for Piano Performance

Bobby and Phoebe Tudor Fund

M.D. Anderson Foundation Fund Mary Lynn and Steve Marks Fund Barbara and Pat McCelvey Fund Mr. and Mrs. Alexander K. McLanahan Endowed Chair William VerMeulen, Principal Horn

William Randolph Hearst Endowed Fund for Monroe L. Mendelsohn Jr. Fund Education Programs

Houston Symphony

Mr. and Mrs. Jesse B. Tutor Endowed Fund Margaret Alkek Williams Chair John Mangum, Executive Director/CEO The Wortham Foundation Classical Series Fund in memory of Gus S. and Lyndall F. Wortham

Legacy Society The Legacy Society honors those who have included the Houston Symphony Endowment in their long-term estate plans through a bequest in a will, life-income gifts, or other deferred-giving arrangements. For more information, please contact Hadia Mawlawi, Senior Associate, Endowment and Planned Giving, at hadia.mawlawi@houstonsymphony.org or 713.337.8532. CRESCENDO CIRCLE $100,000+ (as of January 31, 2024) Dr. and Mrs. George J. Abdo Priscilla R. Angly Jonathan and Ann Ayre Myra W. Barber Janice Barrow* Jim Barton James Bell Joe Anne Berwick* Joan H. Bitar, MD James and S. Dale Brannon Walter and Nancy Bratic Joe Brazzatti Terry Ann Brown Mary Kathryn Campion and Stephen Liston Drs. Dennis and Susan Carlyle Janet F. Clark Virginia A. Clark Mr. William E. Colburn Elizabeth DeWitts Andria N. Elkins

Jean and Jack* Ellis The Aubrey* and Sylvia Farb Family Helen Hudspeth Flores* Eugene Fong Mrs. Aggie L. Foster Stephen and Mariglyn Glenn Evan B. Glick Jo A. and Billie Jo Graves Mario Gudmundsson Claudio J. Gutiérrez Deborah Happ and Richard Rost Marilyn and Bob Hermance Dr. Charles and Tammie Johnson Dr. Rita Justice Dr. James E. and Betty W. Key Mr.* and Mrs. U. J. LeGrange Joella and Steven P. Mach Martha and. Alexander Matiuk

Michelle and Jack Matzer Dr. and Mrs. Malcolm L. Mazow Bill and Karinne McCullough Muffy and Mike McLanahan Dr. Georgette M. Michko Dr. Robert M. Mihalo* Alfred Cameron Mitchell* Mr. and Mrs. Marvin H. Mueller Drs. John and Dorothy Oehler Gloria G. Pryzant Constance E. Roy Donna Scott Charles and Andrea Seay Mr. and Mrs. James A. Shaffer Michael J. Shawiak Jule* and Albert* Smith Louis* and Mary Kay Snyder Ronald Mikita* & Rex Spikes

David and Helen Stacy Frank Shroeder Stanford in memory of Dr. Walter O. Stanford Mike and Anita* Stude Mr. and Mrs. Jesse B. Tutor Elba L. Villarreal Margaret Waisman, M.D. and Steven S. Callahan, Ph.D. Mr. and Mrs. Fredric A. Weber Robert G. Weiner & Toni Blankmann Vicki West in honor of Hans Graf Susan Gail Wood Jo Dee Wright Ellen A. Yarrell Anonymous (3)

Farida Abjani Dr. Antonio Arana* Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey B. Aron George* and Betty Bashen Ann Baker Beaudette* Dorothy B. Black* Kerry Levine Bollmann Ermy Borlenghi Bonfield Zu Broadwater Dr. Joan K. Bruchas* and Mr. H. Philip Cowdin* Mr. Christopher and Mrs. Erin Brunner Eugene R. Bruns David Neal Bush Cheryl and Sam* Byington Sylvia J. Carroll Dr. Robert N. Chanon William J. Clayton and Margaret A. Hughes Mr. and Mrs. Byron Cooley The Honorable* and Mrs. William Crassas Karl A. Dahm Dr. Lida S. Dahm Leslie Barry Davidson Susan Feickert Ginny Garrett Mr. and Mrs. Harry H. Gendel Christine E.* and Michael B. George

Mauro H. Gimenez and Connie A. Coulomb Bill Grieves* Mr. Robert M. Griswold Randolph Lee Groninger Mr. and Mrs. Jerry L. Hamaker Gloria L. Herman* Timothy Hogan and Elaine Anthony Dr. Gary L. Hollingsworth Dr. Edward J. and Mrs. Patti* Hurwitz Dr. Kenneth Hyde Brian and Catherine James Barbara and Raymond Kalmans Dr. and Mrs. I. Ray Kirk Mrs. Frances E. Leland Samuel J. Levine Mrs. Lucy Lewis Sandra Magers David Ray Malone and David J. Sloat Mr. and Mrs. Rodney H. Margolis Jay and Shirley* Marks James G. Matthews Mary Ann and David McKeithan Dr. Tracey Samuels and Mr. Robert McNamara

Mr. and Mrs. D. Bradley McWilliams Catherine Jane Merchant* Marilyn Ross Miles and Stephen Warren Miles Foundation Sidney and Ione Moran Janet Moynihan* Richard and Juliet Moynihan Gretchen Ann Myers Patience Myers John N. Neighbors* in memory of Jean Marie Neighbors Mr.* and Mrs. Richard C. Nelson Bobbie Newman John and Leslie Niemand Leslie Nossaman Dave G. Nussmann* John Onstott Macky Osorio Susan and Edward Osterberg Mr. and Mrs. Edmund and Megan Pantuliano Christine and Red Pastorek Peter* and Nina Peropoulos Linda Tarpley Peterson Sara M. Peterson Mrs. Jenny Popatia in memory of Dr. Tajdin R. Popatia

Geraldine Smith Priest Dana Puddy Patrick T. Quinn Lila Rauch* Ed and Janet Rinehart Mr. Floyd W. Robinson Walter Ross* Dr. and Mrs. Kazuo Shimada Lisa and Jerry Simon Jean Stinson* Tad and Suzanne Smith Sherry Snyder Marie Speziale Emily H. and David K. Terry Douglas Thomas Stephen G. Tipps Ann K. Tornyos Steve Tostengard*, in memory of Ardyce Tostengard Jana Vander Lee Bill and Agnete Vaughan Dean B. Walker Stephen and Kristine Wallace Geoffrey Westergaard Nancy B. Willerson Jennifer R. Wittman Lorraine and Ed* Wulfe David and Tara Wuthrich Katherine and Mark Yzaguirre Anonymous (8) *Deceased

INTUNE February 2024

Musician Sponsorships Donors at the Sponsorship Circle level and above are provided the opportunity to be recognized as sponsoring a Houston Symphony Musician. For more information, please contact Alexa Ustaszewski, Major Gifts Officer, at alexa.ustaszewski@houstonsymphony.org or 713.337.8534. (As of January 31, 2024) Dr. Angela Apollo

Scott Holshouser, Principal Keyboard

Dr. Saúl and Ursula Balagura Charles Seo, Cello

Gary and Marian Beauchamp/ The Beauchamp Foundation Martha Chapman, Second Violin

Evan B. Glick

Michelle and Jack Matzer

Suzan and Julius Glickman

Barbara and Pat McCelvey

Fay Shapiro, Viola Thomas LeGrand, Associate Principal Clarinet and E-flat Clarinet

Christopher French, Associate Principal Cello

Mark and Ragna Henrichs

Mr. Gordon J. Brodfuehrer

Gary L. Hollingsworth and Kenneth J. Hyde

Maki Kubota, Cello

Robert Walp, Assistant Principal Trumpet

Mrs. James E. Hooks

Ralph Burch

Drs. M.S. and Marie-Luise Kalsi

Robin Kesselman, Principal Double Bass

Barbara J. Burger

Andrew Pedersen, Double Bass

Mary Kathryn Campion, PhD Rodica Gonzalez, First Violin

Drs. Dennis and Susan Carlyle

Louis-Marie Fardet, Cello

Jane Cizik

Qi Ming, Assistant Concertmaster

Janet F. Clark

MuChen Hsieh, Principal Second Violin

Michael H. Clark and Sallie Morian

Assistant Principal Viola

Virginia A. Clark

Lindsey Baggett, Violin - Community-Embedded Musician

Roger and Debby Cutler Tong Yan, First Violin

Mike and Debra Dishberger

Phillip Freeman, Bass Trombone

Joan and Bob Duff

Robert Johnson, Associate Principal Horn

Aggie L. Foster & Steve Simon Mihaela Frusina, Second Violin

Steve and Mary Gangelhoff Judy Dines, Flute

Stephen and Mariglyn Glenn Christian Schubert, Clarinet

Houston Symphony

Muffy and Mike McLanahan

William VerMeulen, Principal Horn

Dr. Eric McLaughlin and Mr. Eliodoro Castillo

Jonathan Fischer, Principal Oboe

Donald Howey, Double Bass

Mr. Robert Bunch and Ms. Lilia Khakimova

Alexander Potiomkin, Bass Clarinet and Clarinet

Adam Dinitz, English Horn

Mr. and Mrs. Fred L. Gorman

Nancy and Walter Bratic Christopher Neal, First Violin

Kurt Johnson, First Violin

Martha and Marvin McMurrey Rodica Gonzalez, First Violin

Dr. Miguel & Mrs. Valerie MiroQuesada Leonardo Soto, Principal Timpani

Burke Shaw, Double Bass

Eric Halen, Co-Concertmaster

Joan & Marvin Kaplan Foundation/The Kaplan, Brooks, and Bruch Families

Mark Nuccio, Principal Clarinet

Dr. Sippi and Mr. Ajay Khurana

David Connor, Double Bass – Community-Embedded Musician

Dr. and Mrs. I. Ray Kirk

John C. Parker, Associate Principal Trumpet

Cindy E. Levit

Adam Trussell, Bassoon and Contrabassoon

Max Levit

Sergei Galperin, First Violin

Rita and Paul Morico

Elise Wagner, Bassoon

Scott and Judy Nyquist Sheldon Person, Viola

Joella and Steven P. Mach Eric Larson, Double Bass

Mrs. Carolyn and Dr. Michael Mann

Ian Mayton, Horn

Alana R. Spiwak and Sam L. Stolbun

Wei Jiang, Acting Associate Principal Viola

Mike Stude

Brinton Averil Smith, Principal Cello

Bobby and Phoebe Tudor Bradley White, Acting Principal Trombone

Mr. & Mrs. Jesse B. Tutor Joan DerHovsepian, Principal Viola

Mr. & Mrs. Fredric A. Weber

Jeremy Kreutz, Cello

Gloria and Joe Pryzant

Matthew Strauss, Percussion

Allan and Jean Quiat

Richard Harris, Trumpet

Laurie A. Rachford

Timothy Dilenschneider, Associate Principal Double Bass

Mark Griffith, Percussion

Rian Craypo, Principal Bassoon Allegra Lilly, Harp

Robert G. Weiner and Toni Blankman

Anastasia Ehrlich, Second Violin

Vicki West

Rodica Gonzalez, First Violin

Steven and Nancy Williams MiHee Chung, First Violin

Ron and Demi Rand

Jeanie Kilroy Wilson and Wallace S. Wilson

Ed & Janet Rinehart

Nina and Michael Zilkha

Annie Chen, Second Violin Amy Semes, Associate Principal Violin

Xiao Wong, Cello

Kurt Johnson, First Violin

Mrs. Sybil F. Roos*

Mark Hughes, Principal Trumpet

John and Lindy Rydman / Spec’s Wines, Spirits & Finer Foods

Sergei Galperin, First Violin

Marina Brubaker, First Violin

Mr. David Peavy and Dr. Stephen McCauley

Jeffrey Butler, Cello

Mr. and Mrs. J. Stephen Marks Mr. Jay Marks

Tad and Suzanne Smith

Mr. and Mrs. Jonathan E. Parker

Mr. Glen A. Rosenbaum

Brian Del Signore, Principal Percussion

Rainel Joubert, Violin– Community-Embedded Musician

Stephen and Kristine Wallace

MiHee Chung, First Violin

Mr. and Mrs. Rodney H. Margolis

Eric Halen, Co-Concertmaster

Margaret and Joel Shannon

Margaret Waisman, M.D. and Steven S. Callahan, Ph.D.

Cindy Mao and Michael Ma Si-Yang Lao, First Violin

Eric Halen, Co-Concertmaster

Dr. Susan Osterberg and Mr. Edward C. Osterberg Jr.

Cora Sue and Harry* Mach Joan DerHovsepian, Principal Viola

Mr. and Mrs. James A. Shaffer

Aralee Dorough, Principal Flute

Anthony Kitai, Cello

Kathy and Ed Segner

Kathryn Ladner, Flute & Piccolo

*Deceased

Jesse H. Jones Hall Renovation Donors Thank you to our Donors. We are grateful to the generous donors who have contributed $43,650,000 to date toward our $60 million goal.

(As of January 31, 2024)

$10 MILLION+ Nancy and Charles Davidson

$5 MILLION+ The Brown Foundation, Inc. The City of Houston / Houston First Corporation

$1 MILLION+ Janice H. Barrow The Robert and Jane Cizik Family Janet F. Clark ConocoPhillips The Cullen Foundation The Cullen Trust for the Performing Arts The Elkins Foundation Houston Endowment Barbara and Pat McCelvey The Shirley and David Toomim Family The Wortham Foundation, Inc.

FRIENDS OF JONES HALL Anne and Albert Chao Mr. & Mrs. J. Stephen Marks Beverly and James Postl Vivian L. Smith Foundation Mr. and Mrs. Jesse B. Tutor

For more information, please contact Nancy Giles, Chief Development Officer, at nancy.giles@houstonsymphony.org or 713.337.8525.

INTUNE February 2024

ANNUAL GIVING: BY THE NUMBERS When you donate to the Annual Fund, you help the Houston Symphony bring world-class orchestral performances to Greater Houston and serve thousands of Houstonians through free and low-cost concerts, and our Education and Community Engagement initiatives. Take a look at some of the accomplishments we were able to achieve in the 2022–23 Season thanks to your contributions:

ARTISTIC HIGHLIGHTS

153

102

28,690

CONCERTS

WORLD PREMIERES

GUEST ARTISTS/CONDUCTORS

TOTAL LIVE FROM JONES HALL LIVESTREAM CONCERTS

EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT INITIATIVES 122,340 Houstonians served through Education and Community Engagement Initiatives 46 Orchestra musicians participated in nearly 428 community engagement events at hospitals, schools, senior centers, and community venues 20 Student Concerts 5 Free Neighborhood Concerts 5 Free/low-cost concerts at Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion 4 Free concerts at Miller Outdoor Theatre

HOUSTON SYMPHONY DEBUTS

LIVE FROM JONES HALL LIVESTREAM VIEWS

Scan here to donate to the Annual Fund online:

WHAT’S IN MY CASE with William VerMeulen Principal Horn Mr. & Mrs. Alexander K. McLanahan Endowed Chair

1. CUSTOM-MADE BAM CASE AND PROTECTIVE COVER Specifically tailored to this custom-made horn. 2. STEVE LEWIS DOUBLE HORN AND PRISM BELL Custom made for me and named “Excalibur,” which is engraved into the bell on inside of a shield along with my initials. 3. STEVE LEWIS MUTE 4. EYEGLASSES Calibrated perfectly to help me see exactly 32 inches to my music stand. 5. EMBOUCHURE VISUALIZER An aid for buzzing my lips that I use to warm up before playing my horn. 6. SCREWDRIVER For quick horn adjustments. 7. BUZZ PIPE I can add a mouthpiece to this and also use it for warming up and to help get my air flow going. 8. REPLACEMENT STRINGS The horn has strings on the backside that allow valves to move, and sometimes these break. 9. SLIDE GREASE Keeps the slides of my horn moving smoothly. 10. VALVE OIL Two different weights, interior and exterior, made by Josef Meinlschmidt in Germany. 11. MOUTHPIECES 12. BUMPERS These go in between the valves and sometimes fall out. 13. ALLEN WRENCHES Used to adjust my hand grip. 14. RAG Like a security blanket for horn players. I place it on my leg during performances and use it to dry and clean my horn. 15. MUSIC I’m practicing for numerous solo and chamber pieces that I’m performing over the next six months. 16. VALVE COINS Solid gold Vienna Philharmonic coins that have horns on them.

Houston Symphony

4 10

5 6

INTUNE February 2024

Juraj Valčuha, Music Director

Jones Hall – 615 Louisiana Street houstonsymphony.org