Contents
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Official Program Magazine of the Houston Symphony 615 Louisiana, Suite 102, Houston, Texas 77002 (713) 224-4240 • www.houstonsymphony.org
January • 2012
Programs 12 January 5, 7, 8 14 January 13-15 18 January 19, 21-22 20 January 26 22 January 27-29
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Later this month, Michael Krajewski celebrates the unbeatable partnership of Composer John Williams and Film Director Steven Spielberg when he performs the music from their iconic movies.
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The Symphony Ball is right around the corner and this is one night of decadence you won’t want to miss! Page 4 has all the details.
On Stage and Off 4 Credits 24-31 Donors 9 From the Orchestra 6 Hans Graf 9 Letter to Patrons 8 Orchestra and Staff 6 RachFest! Biographies 10 Symphony Society
Features 32 Backstage Pass 4 Save the Date 16 Upcoming Performances 4 Vintage Virtuoso
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This month, award-winning pianist, Kirill Gerstein, joins the Houston Symphony for RachFest!, where the biggest, baddest showdown of the century will happen at the piano! Read all about him on page 7.
Cover photo by Marco Borggreve. Musician on the cover: Kirill Gerstein
For advertising contact New Leaf Publishing at (713) 523-5323 info@newleafinc.com • www.newleafinc.com • 2006 Huldy, Houston, Texas 77019
Acknowledgements
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The Official Health Care Provider of the Houston Symphony
Save the Date Ball............................................................................................ One night of decadence you won’t want to miss...
ROCK ME, AMADEUS! The 2012 Houston Symphony Ball Friday, March 23rd The Corinthian
CHAIRS Tara & David Wuthrich CO-CHAIRS Audrey & Brandon Cochran, Alexandra & David Pruner For more information: specialevents@houstonsymphony.org 713-238-1485 The Houston Symphony Ball provides essential support for Music Matters! - Houston Symphony’s Education and Outreach Programs
Vintage Virtuoso................................................................................................ all photos © Pete Baatz
www.houstonsymphony.org
On Thursday, December 1, Lindy and John Rydman, together with their daughter and son-in-law, Lisa and Hermen Key of Spec’s Wines, Spirits & Finer Foods (pictured left), hosted their 15th Annual Vintage Virtuoso event at the InterContinental Hotel Houston. The event benefitted the Houston Symphony’s Music Matters! program, which supports music education. The evening began with a tasting of fine wine, beer, and spirits accompanied by hors d’oeuvres representing the tempting tastes of Texas cuisine. Dinner was accented by the Rydman family’s selection of wine pairings with each course of Executive Chef Peter Laufer’s harvest themed cuisine. Guests enjoyed Butternut Squash Ravioli on Chanterelle Ragout with Austrian Pumpkin Seed Oil, Morel Mushroom Bisque, Herb Crusted Rack of Lamb, Chervil Risotto, and a Baked Apple Tart for dessert. Beginning in 1997 with a few people gathering to enjoy bottles of wine collectively purchased, Vintage Virtuoso has grown every year, bringing together over 500 people for an evening of drinks and dinner which supports the life-enriching work of the Houston Symphony. Since 1997, Spec’s Vintage Virtuoso has generated over $2 million dollars to support the Symphony’s Music Matters! community engagement programs. Spec’s Charitable Foundation has underwritten the Symphony’s Salute to Educators Concert for the next quarter century and continues to strengthen the Symphony Endowment.
Credits...........................
Mark C. Hanson Executive Director/CEO Holly Cassard Editor Carl Cunningham Program Annotator Elaine Reeder Mayo Editorial Consultant
www.newleafinc.com (713) 523-5323 Janet Meyer Publisher janetmeyer@newleafinc.com Keith Gumney Art Director kgumney@newleafinc.com Jennifer Greenberg Projects Director jenniferg@newleafinc.com Frances Powell Account Executive divascenes@aol.com Carey Clark CC Catalyst Communications Marlene Walker Walker Media LLC The activities and projects of the Houston Symphony are funded in part by grants from the Texas Commission on the Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts and the City of Houston. The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion at The Woodlands is the Summer Home of the Houston Symphony. Digital pre-media services by Vertis APS Houston Contents copyright Š 2012 by the Houston Symphony
LATE SEATING In consideration of audience members, the Houston Symphony makes every effort to begin concerts on time. Ushers will assist with late seating at pre-designated intervals. You may be asked to sit in a location other than your ticketed seat until the end of that portion of the concert. You will be able to move to your ticketed seat at the concert break. CHILDREN AT CONCERTS In consideration of our patrons, we ask that children be 6 years and older to attend Houston Symphony concerts. Children of all ages, including infants, are admitted to Weatherford Family Concerts. Any child over age 1 must have a ticket for those performances. CAMERAS, RECORDERS, CELL PHONES & PAGERS Cameras and recorders are not permitted in the hall. Patrons may not use any device to record or photograph performances. Please silence cell phones, pagers and alarm watches and refrain from texting during performances. January 2012
Hans Graf Biography.............................................................................. Known for his wide range of repertoire and creative programming, distinguished Austrian conductor Hans Graf— the Houston Symphony’s 15th Music Director—is one of today’s most highly respected musicians. He began his tenure here on Opening Night of the 2001–02 season. Prior to his appointment in Houston, he was music director of the Calgary Philharmonic, the Orchestre National Bordeaux Aquitaine, the Salzburg Mozarteum Orchestra and the Iraqi National Symphony Orchestra. A frequent guest with all of the major North American orchestras, Graf has developed a close relationship with the Boston Symphony and appears regularly with the orchestra during the subscription season and at the Tanglewood Music Festival. He made his Carnegie Hall debut with the Houston Symphony in January 2006 and returned leading the Orchestra of St. Luke’s in March 2007. He and the Houston Symphony were invited to appear at Carnegie Hall in January 2010 to present the New York premiere of The Planets—An HD Odyssey and will return in May 2012 to participate in Carnegie’s Spring for Music Festival. Internationally, Graf conducts in the foremost concert halls of Europe, Japan and Australia. In October 2010, he led the Houston Symphony on a tour of the UK to present the international premiere of The Planets—An HD Odyssey. He has participated in the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Bregenz, Aix en Provence and Salzburg Festivals. His recent U.S. festival appearances include Tanglewood, Blossom Music Festival, Aspen Music Festival and the Grant Park Music Festival in downtown Chicago. An experienced opera conductor, Graf first conducted the Vienna State Opera in 1981 and has since led productions in the opera houses of Berlin, Munich, Paris and Rome, including several world premieres. Recent engagements include Parsifal at the Zurich Opera and Boris Godunov at the Opera National du Rhin in Strasbourg. Born in 1949 near Linz, Graf studied violin and piano as a child. He earned diplomas in piano and conducting from the Musikhochschule in Graz and continued his studies with Franco Ferrara, Sergiu Celibidache and Arvid Jansons. His career was launched in 1979 when he was awarded first prize at the Karl Böhm Competition. His extensive discography includes recordings with the Houston Symphony, available through houstonsymphony.org: works by Bartók and Stravinsky, Zemlinsky’s Lyric Symphony, Berg’s Three Pieces from the Lyric Suite and a DVD of The Planets—An HD Odyssey. Graf has been awarded the Chevalier de l’ordre de la Legion d’Honneur by the French government for championing French music around the world and the Grand Decoration of Honour in Gold for Services to the Republic of Austria. Hans and Margarita Graf have homes in Salzburg and Houston. They have one daughter, Anna, who lives in Vienna.
RachFest! Guest Artist Biographies................................................................. Edward Gardner, conductor
Recognized as one of the most talented conductors of his generation, Edward Gardner began his tenure as music director of the English National Opera in May 2007 with a critically acclaimed new production of Britten’s Death in Venice. Under his direction, the company has presented a series of stellar productions, including The Damnation of Faust, Boris Godunov and a double bill of The Rite of Spring and Bluebeard’s Castle, among others. He received the Royal Philharmonic Society Music Award for Best Conductor (2008) and the Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in Opera (2009). Last season, Gardner made debut appearances with New York’s Metropolitan Opera (Carmen) and La Scala (Death in Venice) resulting in invitations for 2012–13. A regular at the Paris Opera since 2004-05, Gardner’s most recent production there was Stravinsky’s The Rake’s Progress. In 2008, he returned to the Glyndebourne Festival Opera with a production of Britten’s The Turn of the Screw. In 2010, Gardner was appointed principal guest conductor of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. Since making his successful debut (2005) with the BBC Symphony Orchestra at the Aldeburgh Festival, he has returned each year; he conducted the UK premiere of Saariaho’s Adriana Mater in concert at the Barbican Centre in London. Frequent Proms appearances culminated in The Last Night of the Proms in September 2011. Gardner works regularly with young musicians, including the CBSO Youth Orchestra, Barbican Young Orchestra, Trinity College of Music, Royal Academy and Royal College of Music. In 2002, he founded the Hallé Youth Orchestra. An exclusive recording artist for Chandos, Gardner recently released four critically acclaimed discs of Lutoslawski and Britten vocal and orchestral works. He has made a number of recordings for EMI Records. Born in Gloucester in 1974, Edward Gardner was educated at Cambridge and the Royal Academy of Music. After graduating in 2000, he assisted Mark Elder at The Hallé Orchestra for three years before being named musical director of Glyndebourne Touring Opera in 2004, a position he held for three years.
www.houstonsymphony.org
............................................................................................................................. Kirill Gerstein, pianist
Russian pianist Kirill Gerstein has quickly proven to be one of today’s most intriguing young musicians. His masterful technique, musical curiosity and probing interpretations have led to explorations of classical music and jazz, advanced degrees by the age of 20, a professorship in piano at 27 and a full performance schedule at the world’s major music centers and festivals. In January 2010, Gerstein received the 2010 Gilmore Artist Award, only the sixth pianist to have been so honored. The Gilmore Award is given to an exceptional artist who, regardless of age or nationality, possesses broad and profound musicianship and charisma and who desires and can sustain a career as a major international concert artist. He was also honored with the Avery Fisher Career Grant in 2010. In addition to these RachFest! appearances, highlights of Gerstein’s 2011–12 season include debuts with the New York Philharmonic and Seattle Symphony Orchestra and at the Aspen Music Festival and London’s Proms; re-engagements with the San Francisco Symphony, Detroit and Atlanta symphony orchestras, as well as with the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra; and recitals at New York’s 92nd St. Y, Cal Performances at UC Berkeley, London’s Wigmore Hall and in Vancouver, Miami and Sarasota. Gerstein’s recent North American engagements include performances with several prominent orchestras, including the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Cleveland Orchestra, and the Chicago, Atlanta, Saint Louis, Dallas, Indianapolis, Baltimore, Milwaukee and Vancouver symphony orchestras, among others. He will appear at Chicago’s Grant Park, the Mann Music Center, Saratoga, Tanglewood and Blossom music festivals; and recitals in Boston, New York’s Town Hall, Cincinnati, Detroit and Washington’s Kennedy Center. His first recording for Myrios Classics of recital works by Schumann, Liszt and Oliver Knussen was released in 2010, followed by a duo recital disc with Tabea Zimmermann. Born in 1979 in Voronezh, Russia, Gerstein attended one of the country’s special music schools for gifted children and taught himself to play jazz by listening to his parents’ extensive record collection. He came to the U.S. at 14 to continue his studies in jazz piano as the youngest student ever to attend Boston’s Berklee College of Music. He also continued working on the classical piano repertoire, but after his second summer at the Boston University Tanglewood Institute, he decided to focus mainly on classical music. He moved to New York City to attend the Manhattan School of Music, where he studied with Solomon Mikowsky and earned Bachelor and Master of Music degrees. He continued his studies with Dmitri Bashkirov in Madrid and Ferenc Rados in Budapest. Kirill Gerstein was awarded First Prize at the 2001 Arthur Rubinstein International Piano Competition in Tel Aviv, received a 2002 Gilmore Young Artist Award and was chosen as Carnegie Hall’s Rising Star for the 2005–06 season. He became an American citizen in 2003 and is currently a professor of piano at the Musikhochschule Stuttgart.
January 2012
Orchestra and Staff. .......................................................................................... Mark C. Hanson, Executive Director/CEO
Hans Graf, Music Director Roy and Lillie Cullen Chair Michael Krajewski,
Associate Conductor
Sponsor, Cameron Management
Sponsor, Beth Madison
double Bass: David Malone, Acting Principal Mark Shapiro, Acting Associate Principal Eric Larson Robert Pastorek Burke Shaw Donald Howey Michael McMurray
First Violin: Frank Huang, Concertmaster Max Levine Chair Eric Halen, Associate Concertmaster Ellen E. Kelley Chair Assia Dulgerska, Assistant Concertmaster Cornelia and Meredith Long Chair Qi Ming, Assistant Concertmaster Fondren Foundation Chair Marina Brubaker, Hewlett-Packard Company Chair Alexandra Adkins MiHee Chung Sophia Silivos Rodica Gonzalez Ferenc Illenyi Si-Yang Lao Kurt Johnson Christopher Neal Sergei Galperin
Flute: Aralee Dorough, Principal General Maurice Hirsch Chair John Thorne, Associate Principal Judy Dines Allison Jewett** Rebecca Powell-Garfield*** Piccolo: Allison Jewett** Rebecca Powell-Garfield*** Oboe: Anne Leek, Acting Principal Lucy Binyon Stude Chair Xiaodi Liu, Acting Associate Principal Colin Gatwood Adam Dinitz
Second Violin: Jennifer Owen, Principal Tina Zhang, Associate Principal Hitai Lee Kiju Joh Mihaela Oancea-Frusina Ruth Zeger Margaret Bragg Martha Chapman Kevin Kelly Yan Tong Christine Pastorek Amy Teare Viola: Wayne Brooks, Principal Joan DerHovsepian, Associate Principal George Pascal, Assistant Principal Wei Jiang Linda Goldstein Sheldon Person Fay Shapiro Daniel Strba Mr. and Mrs. Jesse B. Tutor Chair Thomas Molloy Phyllis Herdliska
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Horn: William VerMeulen, Principal Jacek Muzyk, Associate Principal Brian Thomas Robert and Janice McNair Foundation Chair Nancy Goodearl Philip Stanton Julie Thayer
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Tuba: Dave Kirk, Principal Timpani: Ronald Holdman, Principal Brian Del Signore, Associate Principal Percussion: Brian Del Signore, Principal Mark Griffith Matthew Strauss
Keyboard: Scott Holshouser, Principal Neva Watkins West Chair
Bassoon: Rian Craypo, Principal Stewart Orton Chair Eric Arbiter, Associate Principal American General Chair J. Jeff Robinson** Elise Wagner
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Bass Trombone: Phillip Freeman
Clarinet: David Peck, Principal Thomas LeGrand, Associate Principal Christian Schubert Alexander Potiomkin***
Bass Clarinet: Alexander Potiomkin*** Tassie and Constantine S. Nicandros Chair
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Trombone: Allen Barnhill, Principal Bradley White, Associate Principal Phillip Freeman
Harp: Paula Page, Principal
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Trumpet: Mark Hughes, Principal George P. and Cynthia Woods Mitchell Chair John DeWitt, Associate Principal Robert Walp, Assistant Principal Anthony Prisk Speros P. Martel Chair
English Horn: Adam Dinitz
E-Flat Clarinet: Thomas LeGrand
Cello: Brinton Averil Smith, Principal Janice and Thomas Barrow Chair Christopher French, Associate Principal Haeri Ju Jeffrey Butler Kevin Dvorak Xiao Wong Myung Soon Lee James Denton Anthony Kitai
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Principal Pops Conductor
Steinway is the official piano of the Houston Symphony. James B. Kozak, Piano Technician. Local assistance is provided by Forshey Piano Co. The Houston Symphony’s concert piano is a gift of Mrs. Helen B. Rosenbaum.
Orchestra Personnel Manager: Steve Wenig Assistant Orchestra Personnel Manager: Michael Gorman Librarian: Thomas Takaro Assistant LibrarianS: Erik Gronfor Michael McMurray Stage Manager: Donald Ray Jackson Assistant Stage Manager: Kelly Morgan Stage Technician: Toby Blunt Zoltan Fabry Cory Grant *Contracted Substitute **Leave of Absence ***Regular Substitute
Martha GarcĂa, Assistant to the Executive Director Meg Philpot, Director of Human Resources Amanda Tozzi, Director, Executive Operations
Steven Brosvik, General Manager Roger Daily, Director, Music Matters! Kristin L. Johnson, Director, Operations and Production Steve Wenig, Orchestra Personnel Manager Michael Gorman, Assistant Orchestra Personnel Manager Donald Ray Jackson, Stage Manager Kelly Morgan, Assistant Stage Manager Meredith Williams, Operations Assistant
Michael D. Pawson, Chief Financial Officer Sally Brassow, Controller Philip Gulla, Director, Technology Amed Hamila, Director, Database Support Heather Fails, Manager, Ticketing Database Janis Pease LaRocque, Manager, Patron Database Kay Middleton, Receptionist Maria Ross, Payroll Manager Armin (A.J.) Salge, Network Systems Engineer Chris Westerfelt, Manager, Accounts Payable and Special Projects
Aurelie Desmarais, Senior Director, Artistic Planning Merle N. Bratlie, Director, Artist Services Lesley Sabol, Manager, Popular Programming Thomas Takaro, Librarian Sarah Berggren, Chorus Manager Erik Gronfor, Assistant Librarian Michael McMurray, Assistant Librarian Rebecca Zabinski, Artistic Associate
Glenn Taylor, Senior Director, Marketing Allison Gilbert, Director of Marketing, Subscription & Group Sales Melissa H. Lopez, Director of Marketing, Special Projects Carlos Vicente, Director of Marketing, Single Tickets Jenny Zuniga, Director, Patron Services Natalie Ferguson, Graphic Designer Jeff Gilmer, Group Representative, Inside Sales Jason Landry, Senior Manager, Patron Services Erin Mushalla, Marketing Associate Melissa Pate, Assistant Manager, Patron Services Representatives Derrick Rose, Group Representative, Outside Sales Melissa Seuffert, Marketing Manager, Digital Media/ Young Audience Engagement
Jennifer R. Mire, Senior Director, Communications Holly Cassard, Manager, Communications Clair Studdard, Assistant, Communications
David Chambers, Chief Development Officer Stephanie Jones, Senior Director, Events and League Relations Vickie Hamley, Director, Volunteer Services Brandon VanWaeyenberghe, Director, Corporate Relations Peter Yenne, Director, Foundation Relations and Development Communications Jessica Ford, Gifts Officer Samantha Gonzalez, Manager, Events Robin Lewis, Development Assistant, Gifts and Records Jennifer Martin, Institutional Giving Manager Sarah Beth Seifert, Development Operations Manager Sarah Slemmons, Patron Donor Relations Manager Lena Streetman, Manager, Prospect Research
From the Orchestra........................................................................................... Photo by sandy lankford
On behalf of all my fellow musicians, welcome to Jones Hall and what we hope will be a very memorable concert of the Houston Symphony. This month, we are excited to spend three weeks in an intensive focus on the works of Sergei Rachmaninoff, a composer who is a perennial favorite of musicians and audiences alike. From his birth in Imperialist Russia in 1873 to his death in Los Angeles in 1943, Rachmaninoff’s life spanned a time of incredible cultural and technological change. He was in many ways a natural successor to Tchaikovsky, who had encouraged Rachmaninoff’s first compositions, but Tchaikovsky’s death and negative critical reaction to Rachmaninoff’s first symphony sent him into a three-year-long depression that nearly ended his career. It was only after a long personal struggle that he regained the courage to compose and experienced the great triumph on his second piano concerto (still one of the most popular of all piano concertos today). While most modern audiences know Rachmaninoff only as a composer, he also was one of the greatest pianists of all time and left a substantial catalog of recordings, including all of his own piano concertos. Performing was a financial necessity brought on by his exile from Russia following the revolution, but his incredibly large hands combined an amazingly facile, quicksilver touch with power and depth. Although the sound quality of the old recordings doesn’t match modern standards, I highly recommend Brinton Averil Smith seeking out Rachmaninoff’s recordings—many feel they set a musical standard without equal. Principal Cello In the rapidly modernizing western world, Rachmaninoff—tall, dour (Stravinsky once described him as “six feet of Russian gloom,”but in fact he was 6’6”!), perfectly dressed and impeccably mannered—was seen by many in his time as a holdout from a bygone era. Atonal and dissonant trends in art music were ascendant by the middle of the 20th century, and this man with a genius for writing instantly lovable melody, seemed to many to be a musical dinosaur. A decade after his death, scholarly articles insisted that the taste for his music would soon fade. But instead, Rachmaninoff has become perhaps the most beloved composer of the 20th century, with his music appearing not only in concert halls, but often in movie soundtracks and popular songs. What is it about Rachmaninoff that moves audience and musicians alike? For me, his music evokes emotions that no other composer can reach. The combination of brooding intensity and ravishing beauty brings forth feelings I couldn’t have imagined, but that instantly connect me to his inner world. I never tire of playing his music—there is always something new to find. Or, as Rachmaninoff himself once said, “Music is enough for a lifetime, but a lifetime is not enough for music.” Enjoy the concert!
January 2012
Symphony Society Board. ................................................................................. Executive Committee............................................................................................... President Chairman of the Board Robert B. Tudor III Jesse B. Tutor President-elect and Vice President, Finance Robert A. Peiser
Executive Director/CEO Mark C. Hanson Chairman Emeritus Mike Stude
Vice President, Artistic and Orchestra Affairs Brett Busby
Vice President, Board Governance and Secretary Steven P. Mach
Vice President, Volunteers Barbara McCelvey
Vice President, Popular Programming Allen Gelwick
Vice President, Education Cora Sue Mach
Vice President, Development David Wuthrich
Vice President, Audience Development and Marketing Gloria G. Pryzant
General Counsel Paul R. Morico
EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS
Martha GarcĂa, Assistant Secretary Mark Hughes, Orchestra Representative Rodney Margolis Burke Shaw, Orchestra Representative Donna Shen, President, Houston Symphony League Brinton Averil Smith, Orchestra Representative Ed Wulfe, Immediate Past Chair
At-Large Members Ulyesse LeGrange Jay Marks Helen Shaffer
President, Endowment Gene Dewhurst
Governing Directors..................................................................................................... * Janice Barrow Darlene Bisso Marie Bosarge Terry Ann Brown Ralph Burch Prentiss Burt Brett Busby * John T. Cater Janet Clark Michael H. Clark Scott Cutler Lorraine Dell Viviana Denechaud Gene Dewhurst Michael Doherty Susanna Dokupil Kelli Cohen Fein
Julia Frankel David Frankfort Allen Gelwick Stephen Glenn Susan Hansen Gary L. Hollingsworth Ryan Krogmeier Ulyesse LeGrange Rochelle Levit Nancy Littlejohn Cora Sue Mach Steven P. Mach Beth Madison Rodney Margolis Jay Marks Mary Lynn Marks Jackie Wolens Mazow
Billy McCartney Barbara McCelvey Gene McDavid * Alexander K. McLanahan Kevin Meyers Paul Morico Arthur Newman Robert A. Peiser Fran Fawcett Peterson Geoffroy Petit David Pruner Stephen Pryor Gloria G. Pryzant Kathi Rovere John Rydman Manolo Sanchez Helen Shaffer
Jerome Simon Jim R. Smith David Steakley Mike Stude Robert B. Tudor III * Betty Tutor * Jesse B. Tutor Margaret Waisman Fredric A. Weber Vicki West Margaret Alkek Williams * Ed Wulfe David Wuthrich Cary P. Yates Robert A. Yekovich
Samuel Abraham Philip Bahr Anthony Bohnert Meherwan Boyce Walter Bratic Lynn Caruso Audrey Cochran Louis Delone Tom Fitzpatrick Craig A. Fox Stanley Haas Kathleen Hayes
Brian James Joan Kaplan I. Ray Kirk Roslyn Larkey Carolyn Mann Paul M. Mann Judy Margolis Brian McCabe Marilyn Miles Tassie Nicandros Scott Nyquist Edward Osterberg Jr.
J. Hugh Roff Jr. Michael E. Shannon Jule Smith Michael Tenzer L. Proctor (Terry) Thomas Stephen G. Tipps Mrs. S. Conrad Weil Robert Weiner David Ashley White James T. Willerson Steven J. Williams
Ex-Officio Martha GarcĂa Mark C. Hanson Mark Hughes Susan Osterberg Burke Shaw Donna Shen Brinton Averil Smith Glenda Toole
Trustees. .................................................................................................................
* Life Trustee
............................................................................................................................ ENDOWMENT TRUSTEES Gene Dewhurst, President Prentiss Burt Janet Clark Marilyn Miles Michael Mithoff Jesse B. Tutor 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
10 www.houstonsymphony.org
Fayez Sarofim John T. Cater Richard G. Merrill Ellen Elizardi Kelley John D. Platt E. C. Vandagrift Jr. J. Hugh Roff Jr. 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
Past Presidents of the Houston Symphony League Miss Ima Hogg Mrs. John F. Grant Mrs. J. R. Parten Mrs. Andrew E. Rutter Mrs. Aubrey Leon Carter Mrs. Stuart Sherar Mrs. Julian Burrows Ms. Hazel Ledbetter Mrs. Albert P. Jones Mrs. Ben A. Calhoun Mrs. James Griffith Lawhon Mrs. Olaf La Cour 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 H. Carruth Mrs. David Hannah Jr. Mary Louis Kister Ellen Elizardi Kelley 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 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 Nancy Willerson Jane Clark Nancy Littlejohn
Letter to Patrons................................................................................................. Photo by Alexander Portraits
Bobby Tudor President Photo by bruce bennett
Happy New Year! This month, you are joining us for an in-depth look at Sergei Rachmaninoff during our three-week classical event called RachFest! With programming comprised of Rachmaninoff’s greatest works, it is a unique way for new and experienced classical music fans to explore one of the most popular and gifted musicians in history. A remarkable highlight will be the appearance of Russian-born pianist, Kirill Gerstein, who will perform all four, very demanding Rachmaninoff piano concertos over the course of the festival. Truly, it will be a special feat to experience. Next, we are eager to perform the world premiere of our latest commission, Orbit—An HD Odyssey, a multimedia concert tribute to NASA and the Space Shuttle program on February 17 and 18. Thanks to generous funding from Margaret Alkek Williams, The Ray C. Fish Foundation and The Humphreys Foundation, we are able to deliver the sequel to our hugely successful and widely acclaimed project, The Planets—An HD Odyssey. Orbit turns its gaze on Earth with producer/director Duncan Copp once again assembling a film of dazzling, high-definition images from Shuttle missions and the International Space Station. We want to especially recognize the continued cooperation from NASA as it is an honor to work on these projects that reinforce the historic role our city and this nation have played in mankind’s epic exploration of space. The accompanying score of spine-tingling music of John Adams and Richard Strauss will be performed live by the Houston Symphony. Don’t miss it! Looking into March, the annual Houston Symphony Ball is one of the highlights of the social season. This year, Chairs Tara and David Wuthrich are joined by Alexandra and David Pruner and Audrey and Brandon Cochran to host a blow out event called “Rock Me Amadeus” on March 23 at The Corinthian. It will be a fantastic way to celebrate and support the Symphony’s Music Matters! educational programs. Secure your ticket today by contacting 713-238-1485 or specialevents@houstonsymphony.org. This month represents new beginnings, and as is common practice in the orchestra industry, January is the time when we announce the next season of concerts. In 2012–13, we will celebrate the farewell season of our Music Director Hans Graf. We look forward to sharing all of the exciting plans for the new season later in the month. Subscribers, be sure to look for your renewal packets in the mail.
Mark C. Hanson Executive Director/CEO
January 2012 11
Program
Notes.................................. by Carl Cunningham
PRELUDE TO DIE MEISTERSINGER VON NÜRNBERG Richard Wagner (1813-1883)
Fidelity Investments Classical Series Thursday, January 5, 2012 8 pm Saturday, January 7, 2012 8 pm Sunday, January 8, 2012 2:30 pm Jones Hall
RachFest 1 – Rach 3 Edward Gardner, conductor Kirill Gerstein, piano
Wagner
Recording: Sir George Solti conducting the Chicago Symphony Orchestra (Decca) Instrumentation: piccolo, two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, three trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion, harp and strings There is probably no piece of music more joyous and warmly fulfilling than the Prelude to Wagner’s opera, Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg. Just as a great chef can turn a refrigerator full of leftovers into an incomparable soup, this collection of tunes from Wagner’s romantic comedy elevates the tradition of the musical potpourri to high art. Scholar Ernest Newman counts nine themes in the overture Wagner assembled from his opera, about the historical 16th-century shoemaker, Hans Sachs, who helps the young knight, Walther von Stolzing, win the hand of Eva
Prelude to Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg
Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 3 in D minor, Opus 30 I Allegro ma non tanto II Intermezzo: Adagio III Finale: Alla breve INTERMISSION Rachmaninoff Symphonic Dances, Opus 45 I Non allegro II Andante con moto (Tempo di valse) III Lento assai—Allegro vivace Biographies appear on page 6. TOTAL Gold Classics Series
RachFest!, Houston Symphony’s festival celebrating the genius of Rachmaninoff, is made possible, in part, through the generosity of Mrs. Marie T. Bosarge. Thursday evening’s appearance of guest artist Kirill Gerstein is sponsored in part by Alice & Terry Thomas. The SoundPlusVision series is sponsored by Margaret Alkek Williams and supported in part by an endowed fund from The Cullen Trust for the Performing Arts Fund for Creative Initiatives. The Classical Season is endowed by The Wortham Foundation, Inc. in memory of Gus S. and Lyndall F. Wortham. The printed music for the Prelude to Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg was donated by The Edith F. Bondi Foundation in memory of Edith F. Bondi and Great Uncle Conductor Simon Parmet. The printed music for Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3 was donated by Mrs. Paula Jarrett, honoring the 2002-2003 League Board members. The conductor’s scores for Rachmaninoff’s Symphonic Dances was donated by Jerry and Pat Sullivan. The Houston Symphony currently records under its own label, Houston Symphony Media Productions, and for Naxos. Houston Symphony recordings also are available on the Telarc, RCA Red Seal, Virgin Classics and Koch International Classics labels. These concerts are being recorded for future broadcast on Classical 91.7 FM, the Radio Voice of the Houston Symphony and Classical Season Media Sponsor. 12 www.houstonsymphony.org
Bank of America believes that community vitality and the success of our business are inextricably linked. Recognizing that the health of the company is dependent on the health of the communities we serve, we leverage our resources to connect associates, customers, shareholders and communities to create opportunities for success. In 2009, Bank of America embarked on a 10year $2 billion philanthropic giving goal to strengthen the communities where we live and work. The Bank of America Charitable Foundation’s key program areas include health and human services, education, environment, arts and culture, and community development. Bank of America is a major supporter of arts and heritage in the United States. Our approach combines responsible business practices with good corporate citizenship. As a financial institution, we are accountable to our shareholders, customers, associates and the communities we serve. Our support of the arts and arts-related nonprofit organizations is an effective way to benefit stakeholders, in the short term, by driving positive business results and support of local economies. Over the long term, our commitment helps fuel innovation that characterizes our heritage, drives the nation’s progress and shapes its future. To learn more about our support of the arts, visit the Arts & Culture Website.
.................................................................................................................... Pogner in a song contest among the Nüremberg trade guilds. The generous-hearted Mastersingers’ theme bursts forth from almost the entire orchestra, unfolding in a swelling contrapuntal episode. It is followed by Walther’s love theme in the woodwinds and the Mastersingers’ martial fanfare in the brass. The first section concludes with the soaring third-act string theme of Nüremberg townspeople singing the praises of German art. In the second section, a reduced orchestra presents three amorous themes associated with Walther, including snatches of his Prize Song. But the woodwinds suddenly interrupt with the quarrelsome, busybody music of the Apprentices, which is an accelerated version of the opening Mastersingers’ theme. Trumpets and trombones bring that theme back in its proper splendor, combining it with the Prize Song and the Mastersingers’ Fanfare in a glorious conclusion to the piece.
of the first movement is given over to a flowing, evolutionary development, mainly of excerpts from the first theme. All the while, the pianist is kept active with a constant display of virtuoso playing. The movement comes to a climax in an extraordinarily long, brilliant and varied cadenza. The movement ends quietly, just as it had begun, with a brief restatement of its two main themes. The second movement, labeled “Inter mezzo,” offers the most broadly passionate melody in the concerto. It is presented at some length by the orchestra before the soloist enters with another glittering pianistic display.
Eventually, the pace quickens and the music evolves into a capricious scherzo, imitating a facet of Tchaikovsky’s First Piano Concerto. The second movement flows directly into the martial third movement, where the rhythms and stamping themes become ever more insistent and excited, as the pianist competes with the orchestra in cascades of difficult, full-chord passages, runs and showy figuration. This climactic contest is interrupted by a broad romantic theme; then the pianist and orchestra engage in a headlong race to the closing bar. Continued on page 23
PIANO CONCERTO NO. 3 IN D MINOR, OPUS 30 Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873-1943) Recording: Vladimir Ashkenazy, with André Previn conducting the London Symphony (Decca) Instrumentation: pairs of flutes, oboes, clarinets and bassoons, four horns, two trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion and strings Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Third Piano Concerto holds its place as one of the most challenging concertos written in the 20th century. He composed it for his first American tour in the fall of 1909, and the premiere was given in New York under Walter Damrosch on November 28 of that year. Rachmaninoff was apparently dissatisfied with the result, but was much happier with a second performance Gustav Mahler conducted with the New York Philharmonic in January 1910. In later years, he left a vivid recollection of Mahler’s exacting rehearsal for that performance. The new concerto was not as readily received as the popular Second Concerto, and Rachmaninoff later remarked that it took a long time for the work to gain acceptance. Vladimir Horowitz became one of the most important champions of the work, helping to build its present reputation through numerous performances and four separate recordings spanning a 50year period. The concerto also received a boost in popularity when Van Cliburn played it at the 1958 International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow. Though the concerto begins quietly with an unobtrusive theme, the pianist is soon faced with huge clusters of notes, often distributed in thick, four-note chords in one or both hands. The first short cadenza comes up even before the second theme, which opens with a lightly bouncing interplay between the strings and solo piano. Much January 2012 13
Program
Notes.................................. by Carl Cunningham
PIANO CONCERTO NO. 1 IN F-SHARP MINOR, OPUS 1 (1890-91, revised 1917) Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873-1943)
Fidelity Investments Classical Series Friday, January 13, 2012 8 pm Saturday, January 14, 2012 8 pm Sunday, January 15, 2012 2:30 pm Jones Hall
RachFest 2 – Rach 1 & 4 Hans Graf, conductor Kirill Gerstein, piano
Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 1 in F-sharp minor, Opus 1 I Vivace II Andante III Allegro vivace Rachmaninoff
The Isle of the Dead, Opus 29
INTERMISSION Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 4 in G minor, Opus 40 I Allegro vivace II Largo III Allegro vivace Biographies appear on page 6.
Shell Favorite Masters Series
RachFest!, Houston Symphony’s festival celebrating the genius of Rachmaninoff, is made possible, in part, through the generosity of Mrs. Marie T. Bosarge. Saturday evening’s performance is generously sponsored by Janet F. Clark. Saturday evening’s appearance of guest artist Kirill Gerstein is sponsored in part by Vicki West. The Classical Season is endowed by The Wortham Foundation, Inc. in memory of Gus S. and Lyndall F. Wortham. The printed music for Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 1 was donated by Mr. and Mrs. John H. Tomfohrde Jr. The Houston Symphony currently records under its own label, Houston Symphony Media Productions, and for Naxos. Houston Symphony recordings also are available on the Telarc, RCA Red Seal, Virgin Classics and Koch International Classics labels. These concerts are being recorded for future broadcast on Classical 91.7 FM, the Radio Voice of the Houston Symphony and Classical Season Media Sponsor. 14 www.houstonsymphony.org
Recording: Vladimir Ashkenazy, with André Previn conducting the London Symphony Orchestra (Decca) Instrumentation: pairs of flutes, oboes, clarinets and bassoons, four horns, two trumpets, three trombones, timpani, percussion and strings Sergei Rachmaninoff was still an 18-year-old student at the Moscow Conservatory when he composed his First Piano Concerto. It was his first major work, and he was the soloist at a partial premiere presented by the Moscow Conservatory Orchestra on March 17, 1892. Only the first movement was performed at that concert and though he was initially pleased with the concerto, he grew more dissatisfied with it as the years passed. It was not until 1917 that he fulfilled a long-held desire to revise the
Fulbright & Jaworski L.L.P. is a Houston institution, much like the Houston Symphony, that has grown into a significant player on the world stage. It was founded in Houston in 1919 and has since grown to be recognized as a trusted adviser and advocate throughout the world. Today the firm has more than 900 dedicated attorneys working across the United States, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. International locations include Beijing, Dubai, Hong Kong, London, Munich and Riyadh. Since its founding, Fulbright has made a practice of giving back to the communities where our attorneys live and work. Here in Houston, for example, the firm has been a major participant in advancing and contributing to fields ranging from healthcare to education, to research and to the arts. Fulbright supports cultural institutions that include opera, ballet, the visual arts, including student art programs, and public television. On a professional level, Fulbright & Jaworski offers clients support from more than 60 integrated practice areas, including cutting-edge legal areas such as alternative energy, biotechnology, global infrastructure, international trade and public-private partnerships. The firm provides litigation, transactional and regulatory legal services to major corporations, emerging businesses, non-profit organizations, governmental entities, individuals and estates. When clients around the world think of the highest quality legal, they Think Fulbright.™
.......................................... First Piano Concerto extensively. Thus, the work combines the composer’s youthful and mature perspectives on music. Crediting the value of his initial ideas, Rachmaninoff kept much of the fresh, youthful thematic material he had created, mostly shortening certain sections or leading the music to different tonal areas. However, he reworked the orchestration considerably, lightening the texture and spotlighting solo colors within the orchestra. The pianistic style of the concerto is also lighter than either the Second or the Third concertos. The huge blocked chords and thick left-hand figuration, so prominent in the Third Concerto especially, are less evident in the First Concerto. That is not to deny formidable technical demands in the brilliant Chopinesque filigree that dominates the piano part. It is a concerto that demands swift, strong, sure fingers and plenty of stamina from the soloist. The concerto was dedicated to Rachmaninoff’s cousin, pianist Alexander Siloti, who was visiting at the family’s country estate, Ivanovka, and practicing the Grieg A minor Concerto at the time Rachmaninoff was there composing his First Concerto. Several commentators have noted a similarity in certain features common to both concertos—a loud orchestral chord immediately followed by a descending flourish in the solo part at the very beginning, a nocturne-like slow movement and a vibrant folkdance character in the finale. However, there are also echoes of such famous Russian works as Tchaikovsky’s Fourth Symphony in the brassy fanfare opening the concerto. As in the Tchaikovsky symphony, the fanfare returns to announce the recapitulation restating all the themes previously heard in the first movement. Other traits, like the yearning themes of the first movement and the moody, minor-mode harmonies that prevail throughout much of the concerto, are very personal to Rachmaninoff’s style. THE ISLE OF THE DEAD, OPUS 29 Recording: Mariss Jansons conducting the St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra (EMI Classics) Instrumentation: three flutes (one doubling piccolo), two oboes, English horn, two clarinets, bass clarinet, two bassoons, contrabassoon, six horns, three trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion, harp and strings The most famous work by the 19th-century Swiss symbolist painter, Arnold Böcklin, inspired one of Rachmaninoff’s most foreboding orchestral works. Between 1880 and 1886, Böcklin made five separate versions of this stark, funereal scene of an oarsman steering his rowboat toward a lonely island topped by towering cliffs that shelter a cluster of tall cypress trees. A ghostly figure stands behind a white coffin in the bow of the boat. January 2012 15
Upcoming Performances.................................................................................. classical concert
Dvorˇák & Polovtsian Dances
Fidelity Investments
Classical Series February 10, 11, 12, 2012 Jakub Hruša, conductor Houston Symphony Chorus Charles Hausmann, director Shell Favorite Dvorˇák: Te Deum Masters Series Borodin: Polovtsian Dances Dvorˇák: Slavonic Dances Janácˇek: Taras Bulba Czech conductor Jakub Hruša has put together a compelling mix of sublimely tuneful music, lively folk dances and a riveting musical story of a bloodthirsty warlord.
Tickets from: $20 © nasa
symphony special (sound plus vision)
Orbit—An HD Odyssey
Margaret Alkek Williams
Sequel to The Planets—An HD Odyssey
Ray C. Fish Foundation February 17, 2012, 7:30 pm February 18, 2012, 7:30 pm The Humphrey’s Foundation Duncan Copp, producer/director Theofanidis: Rainbow Body Copland: Appalachian Spring Adams: Short Ride in a Fast Machine R. Strauss: Also sprach Zarathustra Join us for the world premiere of the second film in our HD Odyssey series—this time focused on our planet. With striking images taken from NASA missions to Earth’s orbit and accompanied by Strauss’ epic tone poem “Also sprach Zarathustra,” this event is not to be missed. Tickets from: $29 © marco borggreve
classical concert
Beethoven’s Fifth
Fidelity Investments Classical Series
February 23, 25, 26, 2012 John Storgårds, conductor Colin Currie, percussion Brahms: Tragic Overture Rautavaara: Incantations for Percussion and Orchestra Beethoven: Symphony No. 5 TOTAL Gold Classics Series Experience the drama of Beethoven’s most famous work. You’ll hear the contrast between breathless tenderness and the powerful, triumphal finale. Plus, meet Colin Currie, a star in the world of solo percussion, for whom Rautavaara composed the provocative concerto, Incantations. Tickets from: $35
pops special
Earth, Wind & Fire
March 8, 2012, 7:30 pm You’ve heard the legendary Earth, Wind & Fire, but you’ve never heard them like this! The power of your Houston Symphony will add a new twist to “Let’s Groove,” “Boogie Wonderland” and “After Love has Gone.” Tickets from: $29
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Notes continued........................................................................................... Rachmaninoff happened upon a black-andwhite reproduction of Böcklin’s painting during a visit to Paris in 1907. He eventually composed this greatly admired orchestral piece in 1909. In translating the stillness of Böcklin’s visual image into a 20-minute musical expression, Rachmaninoff set the work in three large sections. They progress from an approaching burial in the opening A minor section to a happier, more lyrical stream of recollections of the dead person’s life in the sharply contrasting, mutually remote tonality of E-flat major at the center of the work. A climactic return to A minor suggests the final reality of death, bringing the piece to a hushed coda based upon the “Dies Irae” plainchant from the Latin Mass for the Dead. The “Dies Irae” melody is identified with numerous Rachmaninoff compositions and little fragments of the melody are inserted into the opening thematic phrases of The Isle of the Dead. An incessant accompaniment, based upon an irregular five-pulse meter, rises up imperceptibly from the lowest orchestral instruments, suggesting the rhythm of the oars as the waves lap against the rowboat gradually nearing the awesome cliffs of this island cemetery.
Philadelphians for the first performance of the revised version on October 17, 1941, followed by a recording and publication of the new version. The concerto opens with a robust fanfare from the orchestra, and then settles into a relaxed theme that runs smoothly up and down the scale of the keyboard. After a lengthy exploration of this theme and a quiet interlude by the English horn, the piano soloist introduces a pensive secondary theme, garnished with numerous chromatic tones. As is typical of Rachmaninoff, an exhaustive development leads to a climax followed by brief restatements of the main thematic ideas, concluding with the opening fanfare. In the placid slow movement, an intro-
ductory phrase from the piano gives way to the main theme in the strings, which is immediately taken up in more elaborate form by the soloist. This short theme permeates much of the movement, though other melodic ideas are brought into its slightly agitated middle section. The final movement is brilliant in its technical demands but lighter in character than the first movement, resembling a rondo in its alternation of various dance-like themes. Taken together, the three movements exhibit the imposing, heroic keyboard style Rachmaninoff developed, as well as the delicate, decorative filigree and the capricious facets of his piano technique. ©2012, Carl R. Cunningham
PIANO CONCERTO NO. 4 IN G MINOR, OPUS 40 (1914-1926, revised 1928, 1941) Recording: Vladimir Ashkenazy with André Previn conducting the London Symphony Orchestra (Decca) Instrumentation: piccolo, two flutes, two oboes, English horn, two clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, two trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion and strings Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Fourth Piano Concerto is the least familiar of his five works for piano and orchestra, and it has become the forgotten sibling between the heroic Third Piano Concerto and the ever-popular Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini. There are indications that Rachmaninoff planned the Fourth Concerto as early as 1914. But with the outbreak of World War I, the Russian revolution in 1918 and the Rachmaninoff family’s subsequent flight to the West, he soon realized his need to earn a living as a touring pianist. Work on the concerto was not resumed for more than a decade. Rachmaninoff completed it in August 1926 in Dresden, dedicating it to his friend and colleague, Russian-born pianist/composer Nicolai Medtner. He was the soloist for the premiere by Leopold Stokowski and the Philadelphia Orchestra on March 18, 1927. Alas, the concerto did not please critics. Rachmaninoff made further revisions and published the concerto in 1928, but after a few additional performances, he put it aside until 1941, when he again revised it, greatly shortening the final movement, clarifying the orchestration and re-ordering some of its themes. Then, he joined Stokowski’s successor, Eugene Ormandy, and the January 2012 17
Program
Notes.................................. by Carl Cunningham
VOCALISE, OPUS 34, NO. 14 Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873-1943)
Fidelity Investments Classical Series Thursday, January 19, 2012 8 pm Saturday, January 21, 2012 8 pm Sunday, January 22, 2012 2:30 pm Jones Hall
RachFest 3 – Rach 2 Hans Graf, conductor Kirill Gerstein, piano
Rachmaninoff
Instrumentation: two flutes, two oboes, English horn, two clarinets, two bassoons, two horns and strings Rachmaninoff’s Vocalise is the most celebrated composition stemming from the time-honored tradition of the textless vocal exercise. In the early 19th century, there was a tradition of publishing such vocal exercises with piano accompaniment. Even earlier, in the mid-18th century, certain technically challenging arias by leading composers of that era were stripped of their texts and turned into vocal exercises, or “songs without words.” Numerous 19th- and 20th-century com-
Vocalise, Opus 34, No. 14
Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Opus 18 I Moderato II Adagio sostenuto III Allegro scherzando INTERMISSION Rachmaninoff Symphony No. 3 in A minor, Opus 44 I Lento—Allegro moderato II Adagio ma non troppo—Allegro vivace III Allegro—Meno mosso—Allegro vivace Biographies appear on page 6.
RachFest!, Houston Symphony’s festival celebrating the genius of Rachmaninoff, is made possible, in part, through the generosity of Mrs. Marie T. Bosarge. This weekend’s concerts are generously sponsored by Mr. and Mrs. Marvin Kaplan. Thursday’s performance is sponsored in part by Mr. and Mrs. Rodney H. Margolis. Saturday’s concert is supported in part by Barbara and Patrick McCelvey. Appearances of guest artist Kirill Gerstein on Saturday evening is sponsored by Julia and Russell Frankel. The Classical Season is endowed by The Wortham Foundation, Inc. in memory of Gus S. and Lyndall F. Wortham. The printed music for Rachmaninoff’s Vocalise was donated by Jerry and Pat Sullivan. The printed music for Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2 was donated by Mr. and Mrs. Marvin Kaplan. The Houston Symphony currently records under its own label, Houston Symphony Media Productions, and for Naxos. Houston Symphony recordings also are available on the Telarc, RCA Red Seal, Virgin Classics and Koch International Classics labels. These concerts are being recorded for future broadcast on Classical 91.7 FM, the Radio Voice of the Houston Symphony and Classical Season Media Sponsor.
18 www.houstonsymphony.org
Recording: Mariss Jansons conducting the St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra (EMI Classics)
In Houston, one of the most vibrant arts communities in the nation and home to the world’s largest medical center, The Methodist Hospital has made world-class medical care for performing artists a priority. More than 100 physicians in 30 specialties have come together through the Center for Performing Arts Medicine (CPAM) to provide medical care to meet the specific needs of professional dancers, vocalists, actors, instrumentalists and other artists. In addition to round-the-clock care, CPAM offers many services benefiting Houston’s community of artists, including health seminars, free flu shots to professional artists as well as the downtown artist community, and research around the most prevalent injuries and illnesses affecting the careers of artists. The program draws from the expertise of physicians with The Methodist Hospital, one of the country’s “Best Hospitals” according to U.S. News & World Report. CPAM is the official healthcare provider of the Houston Symphony, Houston Ballet and Houston Grand Opera. Through these partnerships, Methodist has treated thousands of performing artists living in Houston, the third largest home to working artists in the nation. Methodist is a values-based organization committed to providing quality care coupled with compassion and respect for human dignity. It is also listed as one of FORTUNE magazine’s “100 Best Companies to Work For.” For more information, visit MethodistPerformingArts.com.
.................................................................................................................... posers—Spohr, Fauré, Ravel, Casella, Cilea, Giordano, Respighi, Vaughan Williams, Medtner, Glière and Stravinsky—contributed vocalises to the modern musical repertoire. Rachmaninoff’s haunting vocal melody was composed in 1915, as an appendage to 13 songs he had written for voice and piano three years earlier. It was dedicated to soprano Antonina Nezhdanova, who was accompanied by the composer in the premiere the following year. Rachmaninoff later orchestrated the work, and numerous arrangements featuring violin, cello, saxophone—and even a ballet version—have cropped up over the years. In this purely orchestral arrangement, the first violins perform the solo soprano melody. PIANO CONCERTO NO. 2 IN C MINOR, OPUS 18 Recording: Vladimir Ashkenazy, with André Previn conducting the London Symphony Orchestra (Decca) Instrumentation: pairs of flutes, oboes, clarinets and bassoons, four horns, two trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion and strings Dark, moody sentiments often lurk just below the surface of Sergei Rachmaninoff’s music, and the gloomy chords that open his Second Piano Concerto represent one of the composer’s blackest inspirations. In the case of this work, his state of mind may have inspired that particular music. The concerto followed a three-year period of depression, when Rachmaninoff suffered a complete mental block and could not complete any new composition. This condition was brought about by the disastrous premiere of his D minor Symphony in 1897. During those three years, he made his living as a touring pianist and began a career as a conductor, restoring confidence in his creative ability only after hypnotic treatment from a psychiatrist. This concerto was the first result of that successful treatment. While the Second Piano Concerto does not equal the daunting technical challenges of Rachmaninoff’s Third Concerto, it is a worthy example of his mature keyboard style. Typically, the piano is almost constantly involved in the proceedings, often playing thick, heavy four-note chords in complex running-note passages and elaborate broken-chord figuration when accompanying orchestral themes. The dark, tolling piano chords at the opening of the concerto recall the opening of Rachmaninoff’s most famous solo piano piece, the C-sharp minor Prelude. The clarinet and strings then take up the passionate main theme, followed by a more appealing subsidiary theme, first stated by the cellos against a rippling piano accompaniment. The piano itself enjoys the glory of presenting the lyrical second theme, one of several memorable melodies in the concerto. While a fragment of the main theme in the
woodwinds signals the beginning of the development, this whole section is increasingly dominated by livelier tempos and a brisk, pointed new thematic idea that totally occupies the soloist, growing and expanding as it marches along with other thematic fragments. Finally, it becomes a full-fledged theme, challenging the return of the frowning principal theme with its thick chords as the themes are restated in a dramatic conclusion to the movement. A short introduction sets the tone of a nocturne in the Adagio, whose main theme is presented first by the flute and clarinet, then by the piano. As the three-part movement moves into its central section, the music—especially the pianistic figuration—becomes increasingly animated, culminating in a cadenza. This leads back to the main theme, this time played by the violins. The finale, which offers the soloist a feast of brilliant, showy pianism, simulates a large rondo best remembered for its passionate secondary theme, which also gained fame in the world of popular music as the song, “Full Moon and Empty Arms.” SYMPHONY NO. 3 IN A MINOR, OPUS 44 Recording: Mariss Jansons conducting the St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra (EMI Classics) Instrumentation: piccolo, two flutes, two oboes, English horn, two clarinets, bass clarinet, two bassoons, contrabassoon, four horns, three trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion, harp, celesta and strings Post-romanticism died hard amid the onslaught of new, sharply pungent musical styles in the early 20th century, and certain composers held steadfastly to their artistic beliefs until they ended their days well into the century. One who did so was Richard Strauss; Sergei Rachmaninoff was another. Rachmaninoff’s Third Symphony in A minor was completed as far into the era of musical modernism as 1936, and while it is considered one of Rachmaninoff’s most advanced musical scores, it still celebrates basic tonal principles that had been observed generations earlier. Notwithstanding Rachmaninoff’s attachment to the past, his Third Symphony is a more modern work than either of his preceding symphonies. Its themes and harmonies are more subtle and sophisticated, and the symphony’s advanced style suggests that it was a harbinger of Rachmaninoff’s final orchestral masterpiece, the eerie, darkly veined Symphonic Dances of 1940. The opening movement is quite classical in its large form: a brief introduction, followed by a sonata-allegro with two main themes, a development and recapitulation. The lonely unison motto theme opening the work barely moves the disContinued on page 23 January 2012 19
Program
Notes.................................. by Carl Cunningham
VIOLIN CONCERTO IN D MAJOR, OPUS 35 Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893)
Thursday, January 26, 2012 7:30 pm Jones Hall
Spec’s Charitable Foundation Salute to Educators Concert Robert Franz, conductor *Reshena Liao, violin The High School for the Performing and Visual Arts Orchestra Hector Aguero Jr., director
Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto in D major, Opus 35 I Allegro moderato II Canzonetta: Andante III Finale: Allegro vivacissimo Houston Symphony INTERMISSION Brahms Symphony No. 1 in C minor, Opus 68 I Un poco sostenuto—Allegro II Andante sostenuto III Un poco allegretto e grazioso IV Adagio—Più andante—Allegro non troppo, ma con brio Combined Orchestras *Houston Symphony Debut
Tonight we honor the dedicated men and women who work in the schools of the greater Houston area for their devotion and the crucial difference they make in the lives of young people. To honor the work of an administrator active in encouraging music education in schools, the Spec’s Charitable Foundation Award for Excellence in Music Education will be presented this evening. The evening’s presentation of The Jacob L. and Sophia Meyer Farb School Bell Award is sponsored by the Farb Family Endowment Fund. The printed music for Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto was donated by Dr. Gary L. Hollingsworth and Dr. Ken Hyde. The printed music for Brahm’s Symphony No. 1 was donated by Frances and Ira Anderson. The Houston Symphony currently records under its own label, Houston Symphony Media Productions, and for Naxos. Houston Symphony recordings also are available on the Telarc, RCA Red Seal, Virgin Classics and Koch International Classics labels. This concert is being recorded for future broadcast on Classical 91.7 FM, the Radio Voice of the Houston Symphony and Classical Season Media Sponsor.
20 www.houstonsymphony.org
Recording: Leila Josefowicz, with Sir Neville Marriner conducting the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields (Philips) Instrumentation: pairs of flutes, oboes, clarinets and bassoons, four horns, two trumpets, timpani and strings In the wake of his momentary denial of homosexuality and his disastrous attempt at marriage, a highly distraught Pyotr Tchaikovsky followed his doctor’s advice, leaving Russia during the winter of 1877 to calm his nerves in some far-removed place. Visits to Paris, Italy and Vienna were interspersed with a stay at Clarens, Switzerland. It was winter in which he completed three of his most enduring masterpieces: the opera Eugene Onegin, the Fourth Symphony and the Violin Concerto. The concerto was prompted by the visit to Clarens of Tchaikovsky’s former student at the Moscow Conservatory, the talented young violinist Yosif Kotek. During the visit, the two musicians played over Edouard Lalo’s recently completed violin concerto, the Symphonie espagnole, and the experience caused Tchaikovsky to postpone work on a new piano sonata and take up a violin concerto himself. It was spontaneously composed and orchestrated in less than a month (March 17-April 11, 1878). Despite Tchaikovsky’s speed in getting the concerto on paper, another three years were required to get it heard in the concert hall. Tchaikovsky dedicated the work to the famed Russian violinist and pedagogue, Leopold Auer, expecting him to give the premiere, which has been scheduled and announced for March 22, 1879, in St. Petersburg. Auer vacillated, claiming many years later that he wanted to make some revisions in the technical layout of the solo part, but had been prevented from doing so by the press of other engagements. Tchaikovsky suspected that Auer was either afraid of its technical challenges or too lazy to learn it. He transferred the dedication to the Austrian violinist Adolf Brodsky, after Brodsky finally performed the world premiere on December 4, 1881, under Hans Richter in Vienna. Amazingly, the Violin Concerto received a sharply divided, mostly negative critical reception, including a notorious review from Eduard Hanslick implying that Tchaikovsky’s brilliant, sparkling music exuded a bad odor. Brodsky, however, became a champion of the concerto, playing its London premiere the following May and its Russian premiere in Moscow during August 1882. After allegedly engaging in intrigues against the piece,
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SYMPHONY NO. 1 IN C MINOR, OPUS 68 Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) Recording: Christoph Eschenbach conducting the Houston Symphony (Virgin Classics) Instrumentation: pairs of flutes, oboes, clarinets and bassoons, contrabassoon, four horns, two trumpets, three trombones, timpani and strings Brahms’ First Symphony is not only remembered for its awesome muscular power, but also for the extraordinary length of time it took the composer to marshal that energy. While Brahms spent 21 years (1855-76) pondering symphonic problems, the progress of music seemed to pass him by. Camille SaintSaëns, two years younger than Brahms, had completed four of his five symphonies during that time period. Antonín Dvorˇák, eight years younger, had completed five of his nine symphonies. Though nine years older, Anton Bruckner completed his monumental Fifth Symphony the same year Brahms put the finishing touches on his C minor Symphony. And during those 21 years, Richard Wagner completed Tristan und Isolde, Die Meistersinger and the music of the last two operas in his Ring Cycle—and per-
formed the entire four-opera cycle in his newly built Bayreuth Festival Theater! Brahms’ deep concern about creating a symphony under the looming shadow of Beethoven’s nine symphonies is often cited as the cause for his long vacillation. On the other hand, the final illness and impending death of his mentor, Robert Schumann, evidently prompted him to heed Schumann’s urging that it was time to produce a symphony. Work began in 1855, and in 1862, Brahms sent a sizeable sketch of the first movement to Schumann’s widow, Clara. Nothing is known of progress on the work over the next 12 years, since Brahms had a habit of outwitting historians by burning sketches of his music. But the composer did work on it from 1874 to 1876, and the premiere finally took place on November 4, 1876, in Karlsruhe under the baton of Brahms’ good friend, conductor Felix Otto Dessoff. Though similarities are often cited between the broad hymnic theme in the final movement of Brahms First Symphony and the main theme in the “Ode to Joy” finale of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, there are more important parallels to Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony. The choice of C minor as its tonality is one; others include the stormy, agonized character of its opening movement and key relationships between movements. The dramatic change from a moody minor key to a triumphant major key in the fourth movement is particularly significant. But some characteristics show Brahms following his own lead. The two central movements in a typical Beethoven symphony are on a fairly even scale with the outer movements, where they are reduced to relatively short, pastoral interludes in the Brahms First Symphony. In prefacing the opening movement with a lengthy introduction, Brahms acknowledged a tradition going as far back as the late symphonies of Haydn and Mozart at the end of the 18th century. But the brooding introduction to the fourth movement is another matter. It unexpectedly interrupts the normal progress from a dance-like third movement to a fast finale, suggesting that the composer is bringing the musical conversation back to the gloomy subject matter of the first movement. Brahms, however, was a master of musical architecture, using the introduction to build suspense, and then releasing it in one of the most glorious, climactic finales in symphonic literature. ©2012, Carl R. Cunningham
Biographies. ............... Robert Franz, conductor
Since joining the Houston Symphony as Associate Conductor, Robert Franz has led the
orchestra with vibrant, athletic and entertaining direction in a broad range of creative education and family concerts. Maestro Franz has worked with some of today’s finest performers including James Galway, Joshua Bell and Rachel Barton, Chris Botti, Chaka Khan and Judy Collins. He has guest conducted orchestras throughout the United States. In addition to conducting the Virginia Symphony Orchestra, San Antonio Symphony and Musiqa (Houston) this season, he returns to the Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival (Alaska) and the South Bend Symphony Orchestra.
Franz
Auer ironically was to become one of its major exponents in later years, performing it as his favorite piece and teaching it to such celebrated students as Mischa Elman, Efrem Zimbalist and Jascha Heifetz. The solo part is laden with virtuoso effects, many of which decorate or accompany the song-like melodies that flesh out the concerto’s clear and simple design. Following an orchestral introduction, the violin expounds upon the main theme, including two dashing tunes that are added onto it, and then takes up the lyrical second theme. After a series of violinistic flourishes from the soloist, the orchestra dramatically returns the main theme to the spotlight, and then concludes the exposition with a powerful new theme. The soloist is spotlighted in a lengthy exhibition of virtuoso playing as the various themes are developed, and a showy solo cadenza is added. The flute takes up the main theme as the recapitulation begins, eventually joined in a duet with the solo violin. As all the themes return, the music rises to a long, exciting climax, highlighted by a brilliant display of virtuosity from the soloist. The short, beautiful Canzonetta replaced an earlier slow movement that Tchaikovsky deemed unsatisfactory. Plaintive woodwinds and a haunting minor-mode melody frame the outer sections of this gemlike song form. The character of Russian dance music dominates the three themes of the finale, all of which are repeated as the concerto winds its way to an exuberant conclusion.
A champion of new music, Franz has conducted numerous world premieres and works by living composers. As associate conductor of the Louisville Orchestra, he re-vitalized an ASCAP award-winning new music concert series and served as co-host of In a Different Key, a weekly contemporary classical music radio program. A nationally recognized leader of arts education, Franz has forged partnerships with leading arts organizations and educational institutions. He received the ASCAP Leonard Bernstein Award for Educational Programming (2001, 2008) and the BPO/ECMEA Award for Excellence in Music Education (2008), created Kentucky Educational Television’s Creating Music and Stories program and participated in Children’s Center and Enrichment Center chamber music residencies that provide arts enrichment experiences for disabled persons. In addition to his post here, Franz serves as music director of the Boise Philharmonic. He has been music director of the Mansfield Symphony (2003-2010), resident conductor of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra (20052009) and associate conductor of the Louisville Orchestra (1997-2006). He is music director emeritus of the Carolina Chamber Symphony, which he founded, and provides summer educational workshops at the National Repertory Orchestra. Franz received his master’s degree in conducting in 1992 and his bachelor’s degree in oboe performance in 1990 from the North Continued on page 23
January 2012 21
Program
The Best of Spielberg and Williams Michael Krajewski, conductor Williams The Flight to Neverland from Hook Williams Suite from Jaws 1 The Shark Theme Williams Excerpts from Close Encounters of the Third Kind Williams Viktor’s Tale from The Terminal Williams Flying Theme from E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial Williams Three Pieces from Schindler’s List 1 Theme: Lente Williams March from 1941 INTERMISSION Williams Theme from Jurassic Park Williams Escapades from Catch Me If You Can for Alto Saxophone and Orchestra 3 Joy Ride: Joyfully, with quiet expectation Donald Fabien, alto saxophone Mark Griffith, vibraphone Eric Larson, bass Williams Hymn to the Fallen from Saving Private Ryan Williams The Adventures of Indiana Jones from Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull 1 Swashbuckler (The Adventures of Mutt): Allegro 2 Marion’s Theme: Simply and Nostalgically 4 A Whirl Through Academe: Presto Williams March from Raiders of the Lost Ark Presenting Sponsor Friday night’s performance is supported in part by Crown Castle International Corporation. Appearances of Principal Pops Conductor Michael Krajewski are generously sponsored by Cameron Management. The printed music for Williams’ The Flight to Neverland from Hook and Close Encounters of the Third Kind was donated by Wade and Mert Adams. The printed music for Williams’ Schindler’s List was donated by Ellen Ochoa & Coe F. Miles. The printed music for Williams’ Theme from Jurassic Park was donated by Mr. and Mrs. John Baker. The printed music for Williams’ March from Raiders of the Lost Ark was donated by Carolyn and Ray Ayers, Mr. and Mrs. Kemp Maer Jr. and Mr. Victor Manning. The Houston Symphony currently records under its own label, Houston Symphony Media Productions, and for Naxos. Houston Symphony recordings also are available on the Telarc, RCA Red Seal, Virgin Classics and Koch International Classics labels. 22 www.houstonsymphony.org
Michael Krajewski, conductor
Much in demand across the United States and Canada, Michael Krajewski delights concertgoers with his imaginative and entertaining programs and his wry sense of humor. Audiences leave his concerts smiling, remembering the evening’s music and surprises. Maestro Krajewski joined the Houston Symphony as Principal Pops Conductor in 2000. His fans especially enjoy his Star Spangled Salute at Miller Outdoor Theatre and The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, and the Houston holiday tradition, Very Merry Pops. Krajewski also serves as principal pops conductor of the Jacksonville and Atlanta symphony orchestras. He previously held that position with the Long Beach, New Hampshire and New Mexico symphony orchestras. As guest conductor, he has performed with the Boston Pops and the Hollywood Bowl orchestras, and with symphonies across the U.S., including those of Baltimore, Dallas, Detroit, Minnesota, Phoenix, St. Louis, San Antonio, San Francisco and more. In Canada, he has led Ottawa’s National Arts Centre Orchestra and the Edmonton and Winnipeg symphonies. Krajewski has performed with an eclectic group of artists including Sir James Galway, Marilyn Horne, Roberta Flack, Judy Collins, Art Garfunkel, Al Hirt, Cab Calloway, The Kingston Trio, Ben E. King, Mary Wilson, Patti Austin, Preservation Hall Jazz Band and Pink Martini. He conducts the upcoming video Silver Screen Serenade with violinist Jenny Oaks Baker that airs worldwide on BYU Broadcasting. He has led the Houston Symphony on two holiday albums: Glad Tidings and Christmas Festival. With degrees from Wayne State University and the University of Cincinnati CollegeConservatory of Music, Krajewski furthered his training at the Pierre Monteux School for Conductors and Orchestra Musicians. He was a Dorati Fellowship Conductor with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and later served as that orchestra’s assistant conductor. Michael Krajewski lives in Orlando, Florida, with his wife, Darcy.
Photo by michael tammaro
Friday, January 27, 2012 8 pm Saturday, January 28, 2012 8 pm Sunday, January 29, 2012 7:30 pm Jones Hall
Krajewski
POPS
Cynthia Woods Mitchell at Jones Hall
Biography...................
Notes continued from page 13..... Notes continued from page 19.......................................... SYMPHONIC DANCES, OPUS 45 Recording: Mariss Jansons conducting the Saint Petersburg Symphony Orchestra (EMI Classics) Instrumentation: piccolo, two flutes, two oboes, English horn, two clarinets, bass clarinet, alto saxophone, two bassoons, contrabassoon, four horns, three trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion, harp, piano and strings
ing a plan not only adopted in Rachmaninoff’s Third Piano Concerto but also in Tchaikovsky’s famed B-flat minor Concerto. Eventually, the slow movement resumes, ending with the aforementioned motto, again quietly plucked by the strings. The finale, the longest of the three movements, is essentially another large sonataform movement, with a fugal development of is dance-like principal theme. However, other themes work their way into the fabric of the movement, notably the main theme of the slow movement and the motto from the opening movement in the brilliant extended coda. Whether by design or unconscious stylistic habit, Rachmaninoff also had a penchant for including snippets of the “Dies Irae” plainchant melody in his thematic materials. It is found at various places in the symphony and competes with the motto theme for a dominant place in the symphony’s climactic closing pages. ©2012, Carl R. Cunningham
Notes continued from page 21.......................................... Carolina School of the Arts. He has participated in conducting workshops in the Czech Republic, St. Petersburg (Russia), Nashville and the Festival at Sandpoint, and was a participant in the 1997 National Conductor Preview.
Liao
Sergei Rachmaninoff’s very last composition, completed in 1940, offers a chilling, fatalistic look into the eyes of death. Musically, it is the work in which he largely threw off the mantle of sentimental Romanticism that had covered much of his compositional legacy and boldly followed the lead of Sergei Prokofiev, into a harsher expressionistic tonal world. Novel modernistic touches in the orchestration also contribute to the harder tonal edge of the Symphonic Dances. Rachmaninoff followed the lead of several 20th-century composers, incorporating the percussive tone of a piano into the orchestral texture of the music. He also sought the advice of famed Broadway arranger Robert Russell Bennett on the proper symphonic use of the alto saxophone, which is prominently featured in the subsidiary theme of the first movement. The martial opening movement is cast as a large three-part form with a coda. Its introduction is dominated by a violent, implacable series of chords that return in muted guises during transitional sections of the movement. The main theme is built out of a broken-chord figure that undergoes all manner of ingenious permutations, even becoming the accompaniment to the saxophone theme in the haunting central interlude featuring the orchestra’s woodwind colors. After the main theme reasserts itself, a lyrical string theme, reminiscent of Rachmaninoff’s earliest sentimental style, introduces the quiet coda. This theme, a transformation of the violent introductory phrase, reveals itself as a fragment of the “Dies Irae,” the Latin liturgical chant of the dead and a melody that haunts numerous Rachmaninoff works, including the final movement of this one. The central movement is a dark, veiled, hesitant waltz, whose several strains are preceded and interspersed with an ominous brass fanfare. Darting woodwind flourishes and a muted violin solo lend their shadowy effects. Curiously, the end of the movement evolves into something akin to a scherzo. The long finale has the rhythm of a Spanish fandango blended into the fatalistic character of an Italian tarantella. It is disguised by a beguiling lyrical section at the center of the movement. Tubular bells chime a warning early on and the “Dies Irae” loudly sounds its alarm. But another quotation, the “Alleluia” from a liturgical chant, forestalls the approach of death. Significantly, Rachmaninoff wrote the words, “I thank thee, Lord,” at the end of the score. ©2012, Carl R. Cunningham
tance of three adjacent notes, then bursts into a huge orchestral flourish that flings itself into the body of the movement. The main theme is immediately interesting for its pale modal colors, and its members are extensively examined before the cellos state the lyrical second theme. This evolves into a vibrant closing episode, which in turn leads to a lengthy, colorful and absorbing development of the main theme. Fateful announcements of the opening motto signal the return of all the themes in the recapitulation, and the movement ends with the motto, plucked quietly by the strings. The slow movement similarly begins and ends with a variant of the motto, seemingly turned into a mirror image of its first-movement profile. Following its initial statement by the horn over an accompaniment of harp chords, a solo violin takes up a sweet, sentimental theme which is then elaborated by the orchestra. The center of the movement becomes a brisk, keen-edged scherzo, follow-
Reshena Liao, violin
Violinist Reshena Liao appears with the Houston Symphony this evening as gold medal winner of the 2011 Concerto Competition. Liao, 19, began playing the violin at age 5 under the tutelage of Judy Offman and Eileen Chen. Since then, she has been accepted into the Houston Young Artist organization, received
concertmaster positions for All-Region orchestras and was the 2011 concertmaster of the Texas All-State Symphony Orchestra. At age 13, she began studying with Fredell Lack, renowned concert soloist and professor of violin at the University of Houston. She also spent summers studying with Linda Cerone, ENCORE School for Strings, and Kevork Mardirossian, now at Indiana University. Her accomplishments include a second place prize in the Juanita Miller Concerto Competition and a performance with the Clear Lake Symphony as the winner of its 2008 concerto competition. She recently participated in the New York String Orchestra Seminar, one of the country’s most prestigious training programs, where she worked with highlyacclaimed musicians such as Jamie Laredo, Joel Smirnoff and Stephen Shipps. In summer 2009, she attended the Music Academy of the West, where she studied with Rice professor Kathleen Winkler. Until this fall, Liao studied with Houston Symphony Concertmaster Frank Huang. She is currently in her first year at Columbia University in New York City.
January 2012 23
Annual Campaign Donors. ......................................................................................... The Houston Symphony gratefully acknowledges those who support our artistic, educational and community engagement programs through their generosity to our Annual Fund and our Special Events. Donors receive a wide array of benefits for the current season and recognition for one year following the date of their gifts. Below is a listing of those who have so generously given within the past 12 months. We are honored to count these donors among our closest Houston Symphony friends, and we invite you to consider becoming a member of one of our giving societies. For more information, please contact our Development Department at: (713) 337-8500.
Leadership Gifts
Ima Hogg Society $150,000 or More Anonymous (1) Dr. & Mrs. W. E. Bosarge Lieutenant Governor David H. Dewhurst Mrs. Alfred C. Glassell Jr. Beth Madison Mr. George P. Mitchell Mr. M. S. Stude Mr. & Mrs. Robert B. Tudor III Mr. & Mrs. Jesse B. Tutor Margaret Alkek Williams Maestro’s Society $50,000 - $74,999 Gene & Linda Dewhurst Maestro Hans Graf & Mrs. Graf Rochelle & Max Levit
Concertmaster’s Society $25,000 - $49,999 Anonymous (2) Janice Barrow Mr. & Mrs. Edward F. Blackburne Jr. Mr. Michael H. Clark & Ms. Sallie Morian Mr. & Mrs. Russell M. Frankel Ms. Sharin Shafer Gaille Mr. & Mrs. Robert M. Griswold Dr. Gary L. Hollingsworth & Dr. Ken Hyde Drs. M.S. & Marie-Luise Kalsi Mr. & Mrs. Marvin Kaplan Mr. & Mrs. Ulyesse J. LeGrange
Joella & Steven P. Mach Jay & Shirley Marks Barbara & Pat McCelvey Mr. & Mrs. Alexander K. McLanahan Nancy & Robert Peiser Mr. & Mrs. David R. Pruner Mrs. Sybil F. Roos Mr. & Mrs. James A. Shaffer Mr. & Mrs. Jim R. Smith Alice & Terry Thomas
Principal Musician’s Society $15,000 - $24,999 Marian & Gary Beauchamp Captain & Mrs. W. A. “Cappy” Bisso III Mr. & Mrs. J. Brett Busby Janet F. Clark Angel & Craig Fox Stephen & Mariglyn Glenn Cora Sue & Harry Mach Mr. & Mrs. Rodney H. Margolis 24 www.houstonsymphony.org
Mr. & Mrs. Billy McCartney Ann & Hugh Roff Mr. & Mrs. Clive Runnells Laura & Michael Shannon Mr. & Mrs. Robert R. Springob, Laredo Construction, Inc. Mr. & Mrs. Fredric A. Weber Dede & Connie Weil Mr. & Mrs. Steven Jay Williams
..................................................................................................................................... Artist/Conductor’s Society $10,000 - $14,999 Anonymous (2) Mr. & Mrs. Philip A. Bahr Mr. & Mrs. Charles G. Black III Dr. & Mrs. Meherwan P. Boyce Mr. & Mrs. W. T. Carter IV Mr. & Mrs. Gerald F. Clark Mr. & Mrs. Brandon Cochran Ms. Jan Cohen Dr. Scott Cutler Mr. Richard Danforth Leslie Barry Davidson & W. Robins Brice Dr. & Mrs. Alexander Dell Mr. & Mrs. Michael Dokupil Mrs. William Estrada Aubrey & Sylvia Farb
Dr. Kelli Cohen Fein & Martin J. Fein Mr. S. David Frankfort Dr. & Mrs. William D. George Mr. & Mrs. Melbern G. Glasscock Mr. & Mrs. Richard D. Hansen Mr. Brian James Dr. & Mrs. I. Ray Kirk Meredith & Cornelia Long Mr. & Mrs. Thomas J. Lykos Jr. Dr. & Mrs. Michael Mann Dr. & Mrs. Paul M. Mann Mr. & Mrs. J. Stephen Marks Dr. & Mrs. Malcolm L. Mazow Betty & Gene McDavid Stephen & Marilyn Miles Mr. & Mrs. Alvin Owsley
Mr. & Mrs. Steven Owsley Gloria & Joe Pryzant Mr. & Mrs. William J. Rovere, Jr. Mrs. Maryjane Scherr Mr. & Mrs. Haag Sherman Mr. Louis H. Skidmore, Jr. Julia & Albert Smith Foundation Mr. & Mrs. Tad Smith David & Paula Steakley Paul Strand Thomas Stephen & Pamalah Tipps Margaret Waisman, M.D. & Steven S. Callahan, Ph.D. Vicki West Cyvia & Melvyn Wolff Mr. & Mrs. Ed Wulfe
Miss Catherine Jane Merchant Mr. & Mrs. Kevin O. Meyers Dr. & Mrs. Robert M. Mihalo Cameron Mitchell Sue A. Morrison Mr. & Mrs. Richard P. Moynihan Bobbie & Arthur Newman Mr. & Mrs. Jonathan E. Parker Kathryn & Richard Rabinow Mr. & Mrs. William K. Robbins Jr. Mr. & Mrs. Ken N. Robertson Mr. Glen A. Rosenbaum
Ms. Amanda Savo Donna & Tim Shen Dr. Alana R. Spiwak & Sam Stolbun Mr. Stephen C. Tarry Ann & Joel Wahlberg Dr. Jim T. Willerson Nancy Willerson Isabel B. & Wallace S. Wilson Mr. & Mrs. C. Clifford Wright Nina & Michael Zilkha
Mr. & Mrs. W. R. Hayes Mr. & Mrs. Frank Herzog Mr. & Mrs. David V. Hudson, Jr. Debbie & Frank Jones Drs. Blair & Rita Justice Mr. & Mrs. Richard D. Kinder Mary Louis Kister Mr. & Mrs. Alfred Lasher III Mrs. Marilyn Lummis Mr. & Mrs. Stevens Mafrige Mr. & Mrs. George McCullough Mrs. Beverly T. McDonald Mr. & Mrs. J. Douglas McMurrey Jr. Sidney & Ione Moran Paul & Rita Morico Mr. & Mrs. Lucian L. Morrison Jr. Mary & Terry Murphree Mr. & Mrs. Robert E. Nelson Mr. & Mrs. Edward C. Osterberg, Jr. Ms. Peggy Overly & Mr. John Barlow Mr. Howard Pieper Mr. Robert J. Pilegge Mr. & Mrs. Allan Quiat Mrs. Lila Rauch Mr. Carlos Rossi Mr. & Mrs. Manolo Sanchez Mr. & Mrs. Richard P. Schissler Jr. Mr. & Mrs. Mark R. Smith
Mr. Yale Smith Mr. & Mrs. Antonio M. Szabo Mr. & Mrs. Leland Tate Mr. Jonathan Tinkle Ann Trammell Stephen & Kristine Wallace Mr. & Mrs. Benjamin Warren Robert G. Weiner Ms. Jennifer R. Wittman Woodell Family Foundation Mr. & Mrs. David J. Wuthrich Winthrop A. Wyman & Beverly Johnson Dr. & Mrs. Robert Yekovich Erla & Harry Zuber
Musician’s Society $7,500 - $9,999 Anonymous (1) Mr. & Mrs. Walter V. Boyle Mr. & Mrs. Walter Bratic Ms. Terry A. Brown The Robert & Jane Cizik Foundation Roger & Debby Cutler Allen & Almira Gelwick Lockton Companies Mr. & Mrs. Fred L. Gorman Jo A. & Billie Jo Graves Christina & Mark Hanson Dr. & Mrs. Bernard Katz Conductor’s Circle $5,000 - $7,499 Anonymous (1) Robin Augly and Miles Smith Mr. & Mrs. Karl H. Becker Dr. Alan Bentz & Ms. Sallymoon S. Benz Ms. Dianne Bowman Ruth White Brodsky Mrs. George L. Brundrett, Jr. Mr. Ralph Burch Barry & Janet Burkholder Marilyn Caplovitz David & Nona Carmichael Mrs. Lily Carrigan Margot & John Cater William J. Clayton & Margaret A. Hughes Mr. & Mrs. Rodney Cutsinger Mr. & Mrs. James D. Dannenbaum Judge & Mrs. Harold DeMoss, Jr. Mr. & Mrs. David Denechaud Ms. Sara J. Devine Mr. & Mrs. Paul F. Egner, Jr. Mr. Roger Eichhorn Diane Lokey Farb Mary Ann & Larry Faulkner Ms. Bernice Feld Mr. George B. Geary Mrs. Aileen Gordon William A. Grieves & Dorothy McDonnell Grieves
Grand Patron’s Circle $2,500 - $4,999
Anonymous (1) Eric S. Anderson & R. Dennis Anderson Dr. & Mrs. Jeffrey B. Aron Mr. Richard C. Bailey Mrs. Bonnie Bauer Dr. & Mrs. Devinder Bhatia Mr. & Mrs. James D. Bozeman Mrs. Catherine Campbell Brock & Dr. Gary Brock The Honorable & Mrs. Peter Brown Mr. & Mrs. Sean Bumgarner January 2012 25
Annual Campaign Donors. ......................................................................................... Dr. & Mrs. William T. Butler Toba Buxbaum Mr. & Mrs. Thierry Caruso Mr. William E. Colburn Lois & David Coyle Mr. & Mrs. Louis F. DeLone J.R. & Aline Deming Mr. James Denton Mr. & Mrs. Carr P. Dishroon Mr. & Mrs. Michael Doherty Mr. William Elbel & Ms. Mary J. Schroeder Mr. Parrish N. Erwin Jr. Mr. & Mrs. J. Thomas Eubank Mr. & Mrs. Donald Faust Sr. Mr. & Mrs. Bruce Ference Mrs. Arvia Few Ron & Tricia Fredman Mr. Edwin C. Friedrichs & Ms. Darlene Clark Dr. & Mrs. Robert H. Fusillo Thomas & Patricia Geddy Mrs. Lila-Gene George Mr. & Mrs. Thomas W. Glanville Mr. & Mrs. Morris Glesby Mr. & Mrs. Stanley Haas Mr. & Mrs. Michael J. Hayes Mr. & Mrs. Eric Heggeseth Mr. & Mrs. James E. Hooks Mr. & Mrs. R. O. Hunton Mr. & Mrs. John F. Joity Mrs. Donna P. Josey-Chapman Mr. & Mrs. Francis S. Kalman Mr. & Mrs. Richard P. Keeton Mr. & Mrs. Gary Kenney William & Cynthia Koch Mr. & Mrs. Ryan Krogmeier Mr. Willy Kuehn Mrs. Barry Lewis Mrs. Margaret H. Ley Mr. James Lokay Mr. & Mrs. William L. Maynard Mr. & Mrs. William B. McNamara Mr. & Mrs. Pershant Mehta Mr. & Mrs. Robert Mitchell Mr. & Mrs. Richard Mithoff Mr. & Mrs. Jerry Moore Julia & Chris Morton Mr. & Mrs. Patrick Olfers Edward Oppenheimer Mr. & Mrs. Gary Petersen Mr. Michael H. Price Mr. & Mrs. Stephen Pryor Mr. & Mrs. Thomas R. Reckling III Michael & Vicky Richker Drs. Alejandro & Lynn Rosas Dr. Philip D. Scott & Dr. Susan E. Gardner Mr. & Mrs. Jerry Simon Mr. & Mrs. Louis J. Snyder Joel V. & Mary M. Staff Dr. & Mrs. C. Richard Stasney Mr. & Mrs. James R. Stevens Mr. & Mrs. Keith Stevenson Mr. & Mrs. Gene Van Dyke Mr. & Mrs. Wil VanLoh C. Harold & Lorine Wallace Ms. Elizabeth Wolff Mr. & Mrs. Jeff Wray 26 www.houstonsymphony.org
Mr. and Judge Cary P. Yates Edith & Robert Zinn Sustaining Patron’s Circle $1,000 - $2,499
Anonymous (9) Dr. & Mrs. George J. Abdo Mr. & Mrs. Samuel Abraham Mr. & Mrs. Elliot Abramson Mr. & Mrs. Edgar D. Ackerman Mrs. Harold J. Adam Joan & Stanford Alexander Mrs. Nancy C. Allen, President Greentree Fund Frances & Ira Anderson John & Pat Anderson Mr. & Mrs. William J. Anderson Mr. & Mrs. Anthony P. Apollo Mr. Maurice J. Aresty Mr. & Mrs. John M. Arnsparger Mr. Alan Aronstein Paul H. & Maida M. Asofsky Mr. Jeff Autor Mr. Jamil Azzam Mrs. Nancy Bailey Julie Ann & Matthew Baker Dr. & Mrs. Christie Ballantyne Mr. & Mrs. Carlos Barbieri Mr. & Mrs. John A. Barrett Mr. & Mrs. Joshua L. Batchelor Ms. Deborah S. Bautch Dr. & Mrs. Arthur L. Beaudet Betty Bellamy Drs. Henry & Louise Bethea Dr. Joan H. Bitar Mrs. Thomas W. Blake Mr. & Mrs. Thomas Bolam Dr. & Mrs. Milton Boniuk Mr. Teodoro Bosquez Mr. & Mrs. Robert Bray Joe Brazzatti Mr. & Mrs. John B. Brent Mr. & Mrs. Maurice Bresenhan Mr. Malcolm Brewer & Mrs. Irina S. Dudley Katherine M. Briggs Mr. & Mrs. Kevin Brophy Steve & Diana Brown Lilia Khakinova & C. Robert Bunch Mrs. Anne H. Bushman Ms. Cheryl Byington Mr. & Mrs. Raul Caffesse Ms. Marjorie Carter Cain Mr. William Caudill Dr. Robert N. Chanon Mr. & Mrs. Paul D. Chapman Mr. & Mrs. Allen Clamen Mr. & Mrs. Robert L. Clarke Mr. & Mrs. James G. Coatsworth Mr. & Mrs. Todd Colter Mr. & Mrs. Robert D. Colvin Mr. Mark C. Conrad Mr. H. Talbot Cooley Mr. & Mrs. Sam Cooper Dr. & Mrs. James D. Cox The Honorable & Mrs. William C. Crassas Mr. & Mrs. Robert Creager Sylvia & Andre Crispin Mr. & Mrs. T. N. Crook Mr. & Mrs. James W. Crownover Mr. & Mrs. Harry H. Cullen Jr. Mr. Carl Cunningham Mr. & Mrs. Jeremy Davis Mr. Denis A. DeBakey & Ms. Lavonne Cox
John & Tracy Dennis Mr. & Mrs. Mark Diehl Mike & Debra Dishberger Mr. & Mrs. Jack N. Doherty Mr. & Mrs. James P. Dorn Drs. Gary & Roz Dworkin John & Joyce Eagle Mr. & Mrs. Edward N. Earle Carolyn & David Edgar Mrs. Carolyn Grant Fay Jerry E. & Nanette B. Finger Dr. & Mrs. Ronald Fischer John C. Fitch Mr. & Mrs. Tom Fitzpatrick Mr. Jeff Fort Mr. & Mrs. Vince D. Foster Ms. Beth Freeman & Mr. Dave Stanard Paula & Alfred Friedlander Mr. Douglas Garrison Mr. John Gee Mr. Jerry George Mr. Michael B. George Mrs. Joan M. Giese Dr. & Mrs. Jack Gill Walter Gilmore Mr. Mauro Gimenez & Ms. Connie Coulomb Gary & Marion Glober Mr. & Mrs. Bert H. Golding Helen B. Wils & Leonard Goldstein Robert & Michelle Goodmark Dr. & Mrs. Brad Goodwin Mr. Carlos Gorrichategui Ms. Joyce Z. Greenberg Mr. Charles H. Gregory Mary & Paul Gregory Mr. & Mrs. Joseph A. Hafner Jr. Mr. Michael Haigh Mrs. Thalia Halen Dr. & Mrs. Carlos R. Hamilton Mr. & Mrs. Bob Hammann Mr. & Mrs. Robert C. Hanna Mr. & Mrs. Paul Hanson Marion S. Hargrove Mr. & Judge Frank Harmon III Ms. Claudia Hatcher Dr. & Mrs. Eric J. Haufrect Mr. & Mrs. David L. Haug Mr. & Mrs. Houston Haymon Mr. & Mrs. David Hemenway Mark & Ragna Henrichs Mr. Azteca Henry Marilyn & Robert M. Hermance Mr. & Mrs. Robert P. Herrmann Ann & Joe Hightower Mr. & Mrs. Doug R. Hinzie Mr. Tim Hogan Mrs. Holly Holmes Mr. & Mrs. Norman C. Hoyer Eileen & George Hricik Mr. Mark Hughes Mr. Bradford Irelan Mr. & Mrs. Kenneth Isham Dr. & Mrs. Robert Ivany Mr. & Mrs. Edward F. Jackson Mr. Jacek Jaminski Dr. & Mrs. Joseph Jankovic Mr. Eric S. Johnson & Dr. Ronada Davis Dr. & Mrs. Robert E. Jordon Mr. & Mrs. Walter Kase Mr. & Mrs. Harvey Katz Sam & Cele Keeper Linda & Frank S. Kelley Mr. & Mrs. Mavis Kelsey Jr.
..................................................................................................................................... Lucy & Victor Kormeier Ms. Deborah Kosich Mr. & Mrs. Kevin Lane Ms. Joni Latimer Dr. & Mrs. Kenneth Eugene Lehrer Mr. & Mrs. Gordon Leighton H. Fred & Velva G. Levine Mrs. Ann Lewis Mr. William W. Lindley Mr. & Mrs. Michael Linn Ms. Barbara Lister Mr. & Mrs. H. Arthur Littell Ms. Nancey Lobb Mr. & Mrs. John Lollar Robert & Gayle Longmire Mr. & Mrs. Paul F. Longstreth Ms. Alissa Maples Mr. & Mrs. Michael L. Mason Mr. & Mrs. J.A. Mawhinney, Jr. Mr. & Mrs. James W. McCartney Mr. & Mrs. Andrew McFarland Mr. & Mrs. John M. McGill Mr. & Mrs. Michael McGuire Mr. & Mrs. Martin McIntyre Mr. & Mrs. David R. McKeithan Jr. Mr. & Mrs. Lance McKnight Barnett & Diane McLaughlin Alice R. McPherson, M.D. Melba Hoekstra Miers Estate Mr. & Mrs. David A. Mire Mr. & Mrs. John C. Molloy Mr. David Monk Dr. Eleanor D. Montague Ms. Marsha L. Montemayor Mr. & Mrs. Gerarld Moynier Mr. & Mrs. Marvin Mueller Daniel & Karol Musher Mr. & Mrs. Stephen Newman Mr. & Mrs. Charles G. Nickson Steve & Sue Olson Mr. & Mrs. John S. Orton Mr. Austin M. O’Toole & Ms. Valerie Sherlock Jane & Kenneth Owen Mr. & Mrs. Robert Pacini Mr. & Mrs. Robert Page Mr. & Mrs. Robert Pastorek Mr. & Mrs. Raul Pavon Michael & Shirley Pearson Pamela & James Penny Dr. & Mrs. Bruce Perry Mr. Carlton Perry JoAnn & John Petzold Dr. & Mrs. Jorge Pinera Mr. James D. Pitcock Dr. & Dr. Eduardo Plantilla Mr. & Mrs. James Postl Mr. John Potts Mrs. Dana Puddy Darla & Chip Purchase Mr. Dale Qualls & Mrs. Melissa McWilliams Dr. & Mrs. Henry H. Rachford, Jr. Mr. Thomas P. Randt Clinton & Leigh Rappole Mr. & Mrs. Mark S. Rauch Anne D. Reed Mr. & Mrs. Michael A. Reeves Mr. Charles M. Reimer Dr. Alexander P. Remenchik & Ms. Frances Burford Mr. & Mrs. Allyn Risley
Ms. Janice Robertson & Mr. Douglas Williams Mr. & Mrs. James T. Robinson Ms. Franelle Rogers Ms. Regina J. Rogers Dr. & Mrs. Franklin Rose Mr. Edward Ross Mr. Kent Rutter Mr. Barry Samuels Mary Louise & David Sanderson Harold H. Sandstead, M.D. Mr. & Mrs. David Saperstein Mr. & Mrs. Raymond E. Sawaya Mr. & Mrs. Lawrence Schanzmeyer Beth & Lee Schlanger Mr. Ed Schneider & Ms. Toni A. Oplt Drs. Helene & Robert Schwartz Mr. Ralph D. Sikes Mr. & Mrs. Steve Sims Barbara & Louis Sklar Mr. & Mrs. William T. Slick Jr. Ms. Marcia Smart Mr. Brinton A. Smith & Ms. Evelyn Chen Mr. & Mrs. Wesley Smith Mr. & Mrs. William A. Smith Dean & Kay L. Snider Ms. Aimee Snoots Mr. & Mrs. John Speer Carol & Michael Stamatedes Richard P. Steele & Mary J. McKerall Cassie B. Stinson & Dr. R. Barry Holtz Mrs. Christie Sullivan Emily C. Sundt Mrs. Mary Swafford Ms. Jeanine Swift Mr. & Mrs. Nicholas L. Swyka Mr. & Mrs. Albert S. Tabor Jr. Mr. Mark Taylor Mr. Jim Teague & Ms. Jane DiPaolo Mr. & Mrs. Patrick Thielke Jean & Doug Thomas Mr. & Mrs. Ralph B. Thomas Mr. & Mrs. Trevor Turbidy Mr. & Mrs. Timothy J. Unger Mr. & Mrs. Thomas Vallee Mr. Donn K. Van Arsdall Ms. Barbara Van Postman Mr. & Mrs. William A. Van Wie Ms. Jana Vanderlee Mr. Danny Ward & Ms. Nancy Ames Mr. & Mrs. Peter S. Wareing Mr. & Mrs. Eden N. Wenig Mr. John Wetsel & Mrs. Joanne Breihan-Wetsel Mr. & Mrs. Patrick J. Whelan Mr. David Ashley White Carlton & Marty Wilde Dr. & Mrs. Rudy C. Wildenstein Mr. & Mrs. Thomas H. Wilson Dr. & Mrs. Jerry S. Wolinsky Mr. & Mrs. Kevin Yankowsky Mr. & Mrs. William A. Young Mr. & Mrs. Charles Zabriskie Mrs. Betsy I. Zimmer
Composer’s Circle $500 - $999
Anonymous (16) Wade & Mert Adams Ms. Henrietta K. Alexander Ms. Joan Ambrogi Mr. & Mrs. Thurmon Andress
Corbin & Char Aslakson Mr. & Mrs. John C. Averett Mr. & Mrs. David M. Balderston Dr. David Barry Mr. Allen J. Becker Ms. Bernice Beckerman Carolyn & Arthur Berner Mr. & Mrs. Stephen Bickel Mr. Edward P. Bornet Ms. Joan Boss Bob F. Boydston Ms. Sally Brassow Mr. Chester Brooke & Mrs. Nancy Poindexter Mr. & Mrs. Jos C. Brown Fred & Judy Brunk Ms. Courtney Brynes Mr. & Mrs. Fred Buckwold Mr. Christopher Buehler & Ms. Jill Hutchison John T. & Elizabeth Burdine Mr. & Mrs. Charles Callery Mr. & Mrs. Joseph L. Campbell Mr. Len Cannon Mr. & Mrs. Bruce Cantrell, Jr. Mr. John Carmichael Mr. Petros Carvounis Mr. & Mrs. John M. Cavanaugh Mr. & Mrs. E. Thomas Chaney K.D. Charalampous, M.D. Mr. William H. Choice III Virginia A. Clark Mrs. Cielle Clemenceau Mrs. Barbora Cole Mr. & Mrs. Robert A. Colton Mr. & Mrs. Dave Coolidge Ms. Miguel A. Correll Mr. William S. & Dr. Mary Alice Cowan Mr. & Mrs. Timothy J. Crull Dr. & Mrs. Clotaire D. Delery Ms. Aurelie Desmarais Paul & Debbie Dougharty Mr. Paul Dougharty Elizabeth H. Duerr Mr. & Mrs. A. C. Dumestre Dr. Burdett S. & Mrs. Kathleen C.E. Dunbar Ms. Consuelo Duroc-Danner Mr. Ramsay M. Elder Mr. & Mrs. Peter Erickson Dr. Kenneth L Euler Mr. & Mrs. William Evans Dr. & Mrs. Louis A. Faillace Robert H. Fain, Jr., M.D. Mr. Robert Fisher Rachel Frazier Mrs. Martha Garcia Martha & Gibson Gayle, Jr. Ms. Lucy Gebhart Mr. & Mrs. Duane V. Geis Mr. & Mrs. Harry Gendel Ms. Carolyn Gibbs & Mr. Rick Nelson William E. Gipson Mr. & Mrs. Herbert I. Goodman Ms. Melissa Goodman Mr. Bert Gordon Dr. & Mrs. Harvey L. Gordon Mr. Garrett Graham Mr. & Mrs. Nicholas Greenaw Mr. Dane Grenoble Dennis Griffith & Louise Richman Mr. Doug Groves
Gaye Davis & Dennis B. Halpin Rita & John Hannah Mr. & Mrs. Stephen Harbachick Michael D. Hardin Bruce Harkness & Alice Brown W. Russel Harp & Maarit K. Savola-Harp Mr. & Mrs. Robert S. Harrell Dr. & Mrs. William S. Harwell Mr. & Mrs. Brian Haufrect Ms. Ann Lents & Mr. J. David Heaney Mr. & Mrs. Frank L. Heard Jr. Ms. Lynn Herbert Mr. & Mrs. Fred D. Herring Mr. & Mrs. John R. Heumann Mr. & Mrs. W. Grady Hicks Mr. & Mrs. Ross K. Hill Mr. John Hodgin Mr. & Mrs. John Homier Dr. Matthew Horsfield & Dr. Michael Kauth Mr. Steve Hulsey Mr. & Mrs. Kenneth C. Isham Mr. Mark Johansson Mr. & Mrs. Okey B. Johnson Mr. & Mrs. Wesley A. Johnson Ms. Karen Juul-Nielsen & Mr. Rick Garnett Mr. Guido Kanschat Mr. & Mrs. Yoshi Kawashima Mr. & Mrs. Edward Kelley Ms. Karen Kelley Mr. John Kelsey & Ms. Gaye Davis Mr. & Mrs. Tom Kelsey Dr. & Mrs. Sherwin Kershman Nora J. Klein M. D. Mr. & Mrs. William H. Knull III Mr. & Mrs. Wilfred M. Krenek Mr. Vijay Kusnoor Ms. Diane Laborde Mr. James Leatherby Mr. & Mrs. William Leighton Ms. Golda K. Leonard Mr. James C. Lindsey Lisle Violin Shop Mr. Kelly Bruce Lobley Mrs. Sylvia Lohkamp Mr. & Mrs. Barry H. Margolis Mr. & Mrs. Robert Martin Ms. B. Lynn Mathre & Mr. Stewart O’Dell Mr. & Mrs. Rod McAdams Mr. & Mrs. James McBride Lawrence McCullough & Linda Jean Quintanilla Dr. A. McDermott & Dr. A. Glasser William E. Joor, III & Rose Ann Medlin Mrs. Diane Merrill Mr. Ronald A. Mikita Mr. & Mrs. Arnold M. Miller Ms. Kristen Miller Mr. & Mrs. Herbert G. Mills Mr. Willis B. Mitchell John & Ann Montgomery Ms. Deborah Moran Mr. William R. Mowlam Mr. & Mrs. Richard Murphy Alan & Elaine Mut Ms. Jennifer Naae Mr. & Mrs. Geoffrey B. Newton Mr. Robert Nichols Ms. Dorothy Nicholson January 2012 27
Annual Campaign Donors. ......................................................................................... John & Leslie Niemand Nils & Stephanie Normann Mr. & Mrs. Rufus W. Oliver III Katy Optiks Mr. & Mrs. Morris Orocofsky Mr. & Mrs. Enrique Ospina Mrs. Caroline Osteen Mr. Patrick C. Oxford Mr. & Mrs. Marc C. Paige Mr. Jonathan Palmer Rachel & Michael Pawson Mr. & Mrs. James L. Payne Mrs. Preston A. Peak Dr. & Mrs. Joseph Penn Ms. Glena Pfenning Grace & Carroll Phillips Mr. & Mrs. W. Hugh Phillips III Ms. Meg Philpot Mr. Carmelo Pieri Mr. Warren B. Pond, Jr. Mr. Robert W. Powell Doris F. Pryzant Elias & Carole Qumsieh Dr. Mike Ratliff Mr. & Mrs. William B. Rawl Mr. & Mrs. Hugh M. Ray Mr. & Mrs. Dwain Reeves Ms. Rachaelle Reynolds Mrs. Constance Rhebergen Hilda & Hershel Rich Mrs. Barbara Riddell Mr. & Mrs. Charles E. Rinehart Mr. & Mrs. Fabrice Roche Drs. Herbert & Manuela Roeller Mr. & Mrs. Keith A. Rogers Milton & Jill Rose Mr. Autry W. Ross R. R. Family Foundation Mrs. Holly Rubbo Brittany Sakowitz Ms. Donna Scott Mr. & Mrs. Rufus Scott Charles & Andrea Seay Mr. & Mrs. Vic Shainock Mr. Hilary Smith Mr. Marcus B. Smith Mr. & Mrs. Stephen N. Smith Mr. & Mrs. William Smith John L. Snyder Mrs. Lynn Snyder Mr. Nicholas Sollenne Mrs. Donna Sprudzs Mr. Myron F. Steves Dr. & Mrs. David Sufian Mrs. Louise Sutton Mr. & Mrs. George Tallichet Mrs. Nina P. Tate Mr. & Mrs. Glenn Taylor Mr. Kerry Taylor Mr. Brian Teichman Ms. Betsy Mims & Mr. Howard D. Thames Jacob & Elizabeth Thomas Mr. & Mrs. Tom Thweatt Dr. & Mrs. Karl Tornyos Mr. Daniel S. Trachtenberg Ms. Cathleen J. Trechter Mr. & Mrs. Robert A. Tremant Mr. Gerard Trione Mr. & Mrs. D.E. Utecht Dr. & Mrs. Gage VanHorn Mr. Earl Vanzant Dean B. Walker 28 www.houstonsymphony.org
Betty & Bill Walker Mr. & Mrs. Dave Ward Mr. & Mrs. William B. Wareing Mr. Kenneth W. Warren Mr. & Mrs. James A. Watt J. M. Weltzien Drs. A. & J. Werch Mr. Burt Wilson Mr. Randall Wright Mr. & Mrs. Emil Wulfe
Patron’s Circle $250 - $499
Anonymous (16) William & Nancy Akers Mr. & Mrs. Edward Allen Mr. & Mrs. Steve Ameen Mr. & Mrs. Les Antalffy Dr. & Mrs. Roy Aruffo Mr. John B. Ashmun Mr. & Mrs. Gabriel Baizan The Honorable & Mrs. James A. Baker III Mr. & Mrs. John Baker Mr. & Mrs. Saul Balagura Ms. Virginia C. Ballard Mr. & Mrs. Don Barnhill Mr. & Mrs. Seth Barrett Mr. Daniel Barretto Mr. A. Greer Barriault & Ms. Clarruth A. Seaton Dr. & Mrs. Robert C. Bast, Jr. Barbara & Jim Becker Ms. Roberta Benson Mrs. Robert L. Berge Mr. & Mrs. Matthew Beshears Mr. & Mrs. Randall Beste Mr. & Mrs. Ed Billings Bonnie L. Siff & Ira J. Black Ms. Fannette Blum Mr. & Mrs. George Boerger Mr. Arno S. Bommer Mr. Philip Booth Ms. Suzie Boyd Dr. Arthur W. Bracey Mr. & Mrs. Steven Brosvik Mr. J. W. Brougher Sally & Laurence Brown Mrs. Norma Jean Brown Joan K. Bruchas & H. Philip Cowdin Mr. Frank Bryan Mr. & Mrs. William Bumpus Mrs. Shirley Burgher Mr. & Mrs. Gerald J. Bush Mr. Robert Cabes Mr. Gary Cacciatore Virginia & William Camfield Mr. & Mrs. J. Scott Campbell Mr. Carlos Campo Mrs. Marjorie H. Capshaw Mr. & Mrs. Fowler T. Carter Mr. & Mrs. Kevin J. Casey Mr. & Mrs. Christopher L. Chandler Ms. Anna Charlton Mr. & Mrs. Kent Chenevert Dr. Diana S. Chow Jim R. & Lynn Coe Shirley & Alan Cohn Mr. & Mrs. Tulio Colmenares Michael T. Coppinger Mr. & Mrs. David Corder Ms. Jeanne A. Cox Mr. & Mrs. John F. Crawford Nigel Curtlet Dr. & Mrs. Joel Cyprus Mrs. Christina Daniels Mr. Michael Deavers Ms. Caroline Deetjen Mr. & Mrs. Rene Degreve Ms. Kay S. Derry Mr. & Mrs. Joseph B. Derzapf Ms. Dora Dillistone Ms. Judy Dines Mr. & Mrs. Ira Dinitz Mr. & Mrs. Malcolm Ditto
Col. & Mrs. John Jay Douglass Patrick & Risha Dozark Mrs. Lesa Ducharme Mr. & Mrs. Clifford C. Dukes Mr. Kevin F. Dvorak Mr. & Mrs. Alfred H. Ebert Jr. Mrs. Karen A. Edgmon Mr. & Mrs. William J. Eggleston Mr. & Mrs. Dean Eicher Mr. Howard Eisner Ms. Leslie Elkins Mildred & Richard Ellis Dr. Lillian R. Eriksen & Dr. James Turley Mr. Lee Eubanks Mr. Mike Ezzell Mr. Gregg Fajkus Mr. & Mrs. John R. Farina Ms. Ann S. Farrell Ms. Ursula H. Felmet Cathy Fishburn Mr. & Mrs. Joe F. Flack III Ms. Lori Flees Mr. & Mrs. Theodore C. Flick Mr. James B. Flodine & Ms. Lynne Liberato Mrs. Lisa Forgan Dewitts Mr. & Mrs. John M. Forney Mr. & Mrs. Michael S. Francisco Mr. Ralph F. Frankowski Ms. Diane L. Freeman Robert A. Furse, M.D. Dr. Abdel K. Fustok Mr. & Mrs. Mike Gallagher Mrs. Holly Garner Mr. & Mrs. Neil Gaynor Mr. & Mrs. John Gerdes Ms. Margaret Wendy Germani Mr. Glen Gettemy Debbie & Kyle Gibson Mr. & Mrs. Peter Gillette Mr. Charles J. Gillman Mr. & Mrs. Paul Good Dr. & Mrs. David Gorenstein Mr. Jon Kevin Gossett Mr. Ned Graber Mrs. Howard Grekel Mr. & Mrs. Laurent Gressot Mr. Steve K. Grimsley Ms. Jo Ann C. Guillory Dr. & Mrs. Howard Gutstein Zahava Haenosh Mr. Teruhiko Hagiwara Mr. & Mrs. Curtis D. Haines Mr. & Mrs. Uzi Halevy Ms. Vickie Hamley Mr. Jeff Hansen & Mrs. Kelly Marts Ms. Karen Harding Mr. Paul Harmon Ms. Anna K. Hathaway-McKee Mr. & Mrs. Michael Hawes William & Lana Hazlett Mr. & Mrs. Walter A. Hecht Mr. David T. Hedges Jr. Mr. John Heiny Mr. & Mrs. Dean Hennings Ms. Hilda R. Herzfeld Mr. David Hoffman Ms. Constance Holderer Jacque Holland S.y. & Y.j. Kim Hong Mr. & Mrs. Aaron Howes Mrs. Patricia P. Hubbard Ms. Vicki Huff Ms. Cynthia Humphries Mr. & Mrs. James R. Hutton Ms. Jennifer Isadore Mr. Joseph Ivey Ms. Ariel James Mr. & Mrs. Edwin R. Janes Mr. & Mrs. Paul M. Janicke Mrs. Paula Jarrett Dr. Margaret S. Jelinek Lewis & Dr. David S. Lewis Mr. & Mrs. George C. John Mr. & Mrs. John W. Johnson Mr. & Mrs. Mark Johnson Mr. Robert E. Johnson
Mrs. & Mr. Laura Jones Mr. Raymond Jones Dr. & Mrs. Andrew P. Kant Mr. & Mrs. Kenneth Kantor Mr. & Mrs. Curtis R. Kayem Ms. Arlette Keene Mr. & Mrs. James A. Keller Mr. & Mrs. David Kendall Ms. Malgorzata Kloc-Stepkowska Mr. & Mrs. John Klug Dr. & Mrs. Michael Koehl Mr. & Mrs. Thomas Koski Mr. & Mrs. Sam Koster Mr. & Mrs. William J. Kretlow Mr. & Mrs. Melvin Krezer Jr. Mr. Quin Kroll Suzanne A. & Dan D. Kubin Mr. Tom Kvinta Mr. Kent Lacy Mr. & Mrs. Joel C. Lambert Mr. & Mrs. James C. Lamoreux Mr. Doug Lawing Dr. & Mrs. William R. Leighton Jr. Mr. & Mrs. Robert Leonard Mr. & Mrs. Earl L. Lester Jr. Paula & Steve Letbetter Charles H. (Eric) & Lucy Lewis Mr. & Mrs. Philip Lewis Mr. & Mrs. Robert Lineberry Sharon Lipsky, M.D. Ms. Priscilla L. List J. M. Little & Asso. Mr. William Looser Mr. Carlos J. Lopez Louise & Oscar Lui Mr. & Mrs. Peter MacGregor Mr. & Mrs. Harry E. Mach III Tom & Kathleen Mach Mr. John Maguire Ms. Renee Margolin Dr. & Dr. A. J. Marian Carole Nadelman Marmell Mr. & Mrs. Laban Marsh Mr. David Martin Mr. Mark Matovich Dr. Toshimatsu Matsumoto Mr. Chad Mavity Ms. Suzanne McCarthy Mr. & Mrs. Edward McCullough Mr. George McKee Mr. & Mrs. James L. Mc Nett Mr. & Mrs. D. Bradley McWilliams Mr. & Mrs. Thomas Mehlhoff Mr. & Mrs. Joseph R. Melanson Jr. Mrs. Dorri Melvin Dr. Robert A. Mendelson Mr. Russell J. Miller & Mrs. Charlotte M. Meyer Mr. & Mrs. Thomas J. Mireles Mr. & Mrs. Michael Mithoff Ms. Jenny Mohr & Mr. Matt Parker Mr. & Mrs. John H. Monroe Jr. Mr. & Mrs. Jess R. Moore Ms. Lauren Morgan Mr. & Mrs. Ryan Moss Ms. Joan B. Murphy Mr. & Mrs. Robert N. Murray Mr. Arturo Narro Mr. & Mrs. R. Michael Nash Mr. & Mrs. Albert Ong Mrs. Louisa Ordway Mr. & Mrs. Ken O’Rear Mr. Edgar J. Ortiz Mr. & Mrs. Sheldon I. Oster Ms. Jennifer Owen Linda & Jerry Paine Ms. Linda Peterson Mark H. & Lynn K. Pickett Mr. Timothy N. Pitts & Mrs. Kathleen Winkler Mr. & Mrs. Arthur H. Pratt Mr. & Mrs. Richard Prinstein Mr. & Mrs. Larry & Nita Pyle Mr. & Mrs. Paul Ramirez Mr. & Mrs. William M. Ramos Mr. & Mrs. Venu Rao
..................................................................................................................................... Ms. Joanna Raynes Loreta & Ronald Rea Mr. & Mrs. John Q. Reans Vicki & J.B. Reber Ralph & Becky Reed Robert & Anne Reed Mr. & Mrs. Ron Restrepo Mr. & Mrs. Norman T. Reynolds Mr. & Mrs. Walter Rhodes Mr. & Mrs. Phil Rice Mr. & Mrs. Claud D. Riddles Mr. & Mrs. William F. Rike Mr. James L. Robertson Ms. Shari Rochen John & Peggy Romeo Mr. Daniel J. Romero Ms. Charlotte A. Rothwell Mr. & Mrs. Gregory M. Ruffing Mr. & Mrs. John E. Ryall Mr. & Mrs. Bruce Saltzberg Dr. & Mrs. David Sapire Mr. & Mrs. Kent Savage Mr. Donald Schmuck Mrs. Jill Schroeder Jean & Robert Schwarz Mr. & Mrs. Paul Shack
Jonathan & Marcia Shear Art & Ellen Shelton Pamela & Richard Sherry Mr. & Mrs. Charles C. Shumaker Mr. Barrett Sides Mrs. Ray Simpson Mrs. Josephine Smith Mr. & Mrs. Richard Smith Mr. & Mrs. Tom Smith Hans C. Sonneborn Ms. Blanche Stastny Mr. & Mrs. Donald K. Steinman Mr. & Ms. Gary Stenerson William F. Stern Mr. & Mrs. James W. Stovall Mr. & Mrs. William G. Straight Dr. John R. Stroehlein & Ms. Miwa Sakashita Mr. & Mrs. Hans Strohmer Mr. & Mrs. John L. Sutterby Ms. Barbara Swartz Ms. Rhonda J. Sweeney Mr. & Mrs. Robert B. Symon Ms. Jessica Taylor Mrs. Marjorie Therrell Mr. & Mrs. P. H. G. Thompson
Ms. Susan L. Thompson Drs. Eric M. Timmreck & Carol W. Timmreck Mr. & Mrs. M. Dale Tingleaf David & Ann Tomatz Mr. Tom Tomlinson Mr. & Mrs. Louis E. Toole Mr. Jon D. Totz Mr. Herbert Towning Mr. & Mrs. Edmunds Travis Jr. Mr. James Trippett Dr. Robert Ulrich & Ms. June R. Russell Dr. & Mrs. Brad Urquhart Mr. & Mrs. Paolo Valente Mr. & Mrs. Dixon Van Hofwegen Dr. Allen R. Vogt Jan & Don Wagner Mr. William Walker Mr. & Mrs. Bill Warburton Ms. Sandria Ward Leone Buyse & Michael Webster Mr. Paul Wehner Mr. & Mrs. Kane C. Weiner Ms. Bryony Jane Welsh Mrs. Corinne H. Wheeler Mr. Richard White
Mr. Russell White Mrs. Amber Wilbanks Mr. Patrick Wilson Miriam & Marcos Witt Mr. Tony Wong Mr. & Mrs. Stephen R. Wood Miss Susan Wood Ms. Laura Woods Mrs. Michael Woolcock Ms. Kristi Wright Mrs. Peggy J. Wylie Mr. Le Roy Yeager Mr. Elan Yogeswaren Mr. Ray Young Mr. & Mrs. Mark Yzaguirre Ms. Carmen Zatorski
As of December 1, 2011
Houston Symphony Pops Patrons............................................................................................................ Principal Pops Conductor’s Circle $5,000 or More
Mr. & Mrs. Edward F. Blackburne Jr. Ms. Sara J. Devine Mr. & Mrs. Fred L. Gorman Allen & Almira Gelwick - Lockton Companies Dr. & Mrs. Bernard Katz Dr. & Mrs. Paul M. Mann Paul & Rita Morico Mary & Terry Murphree Mr. & Mrs. Robert E. Nelson Mr. Robert J. Pilegge Mr. & Mrs. Allan Quiat Mr. & Mrs. William K. Robbins Jr. Mr. & Mrs. Ken N. Robertson Mrs. Sybil F. Roos Mrs. Maryjane Scherr David & Paula Steakley Mr. & Mrs. Leland Tate
Grand Patron Pops $2,500-$4,999
Rita & Geoffrey Bayliss Mr. & Mrs. Byron F. Dyer Roman & Sally Reed Mr. & Mrs. George A. Rizzo Jr. Linda & Jerry Rubenstein Mr. & Mrs. Lawrence D. Wallace Sally & Denney Wright
Pops Patron $1,500-$2,499
Ellen Box Mr. & Mrs. James E. Dorsett Carol & Larry Fradkin Mr. Robert Grant Mr. & Mrs. Jerry L. Hamaker Michael & Darcy Krajewski Mr. Anthony G. Ogden Mr. & Mrs. Ben A. Reid Shirley & Marvin Rich Dr. & Mr. Adrian D. Shelley Mr. Roger Trandell Ms. Jody Verwers Mr. & Mrs. William B. Welte III
Headliner $1,000-$1,499
Producer $500-$999
Mr. & Mrs. Don S. Aron Mr. Donald Bates Mr. & Mrs. Gerald Beard Dr. & Mrs. R. L. Brenner Mr. Jay T. Brown Ms. Carol Brownstein Mr. & Mrs. Rick A. Burris W. M. Calvert Mr. & Mrs. Michael F. Cook Ms. Debbie Culp Mr. & Mrs. Joseph Demeter Mr. & Mrs. George Dobbin Mr. & Mrs. Charles Grant Jim & Johanna Gunther Mr. & Mrs. Dale Hardy Jess Hines, Jr. Mr. Larry January Mr. & Mrs. Bill Johnston Ms. Mary Keathley Charles C. & Patricia Kubin Mr. & Mrs. Roger Lindgren Ms. Doris M. Magee Mr. & Mrs. Carrol R. McGinnis Mr. & Mrs. Roger Medors Mr. Gerard & Mrs. Helga Meneilly Mr. James Miner Mary Murrill North Mr. & Mrs. Roland W. Pringle Judy & Bill Pursell Mr. Robert Schick Mr. & Mrs. David K. Smith James C. Stanka Mr. Charles Stewart Ms. Jane B. Thompson Mr. & Mrs. Carl N. Tongberg Mr. Lam Tran Mr. & Mrs. Eugene N. Tulich Dr. Holly & Mr. Michael Varner Dr. & Mrs. William C. Watkins Mr. & Mrs. Don Wilton
Director $250-$499
As of December 1, 2011
Stanley & Martha Bair Mr. & Mrs. Stephen J. Banks Mr. & Ms. Bruce Buhler Ms. Ann Currens Mrs. Alan Gaylor Mr. & Ms. Eric J. Gongre Mr. & Mrs. George A. Helland Mr. & Mrs. Alex Howard Mr. & Mrs. Robin Lease Mr. & Mrs. Alan May Dr. & Mrs. Raghu Narayan Mr. & Mrs. John T. Riordan Mrs. Annetta Rose Mr. Morris Rubin Ms. Virginia Torres Ms. Amanda Tozzi
Rev. & Mrs. H. Eldon Akerman Mr. John S. Beury Ms. Tara Black Ms. Barbara A. Brooks Mr. & Mrs. Warren J. Carroll Barbara Dokell Mr. Evan B. Glick Mr. & Mrs. Robert L. Hansen Mr. Don E. Kingsley Dr. George S. Knapp Bill & Karinne Mc Cullough Mr. & Mrs. Joe T. McMillan W. R. Purifoy Ms. Phyllis Schaffer Mr. & Mrs. Tim Shaunty Norbert F. Stang Mr. & Mrs. Robert C. Thompson Dr. & Mrs. James A. Twining
Anonymous (2) Mr. & Mrs. Kingsley Agbor Mr. & Mrs. David Archibald January 2012 29
Annual Campaign Donors. ............................................................................... Foundations...................................................................................................... $25,000-$49,999
As of December 1, 2011
$1,000,000 & above * Houston Endowment, Inc.
* Houston Symphony League The Wortham Foundation, Inc.
Ann & Gordon Getty Foundation The Humphreys Foundation * Sterling-Turner Foundation
$10,000-$24,999
The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation * The Brown Foundation, Inc. The Cullen Foundation The Cullen Trust for the Performing Arts The Cynthia & George Mitchell Foundation * M. D. Anderson Foundation * Spec’s Charitable Foundation
* Bauer Family Foundation Carleen & Alde Fridge Foundation * The Melbern G. & Susanne M. Glasscock Foundation * George & Mary Josephine Hamman Foundation * Houston Symphony League Bay Area * The Powell Foundation * Vivian L. Smith Foundation The Schissler Foundation * Vaughn Foundation Warren Family Foundation
$50,000-$99,999
$2,500-$9,999
$100,000-$499,999
Albert & Ethel Herzstein Charitable Foundation The Alkek and Williams Foundation * John P. McGovern Foundation Ray C. Fish Foundation
William S. & Lora Jean Kilroy Foundation * Robert W. & Pearl Wallis Knox Foundation Lubrizol Foundation Mithoff Family Foundation * Kinder Morgan Foundation * Lynne Murray, Sr. Educational Foundation The Helmle Shaw Foundation Strake Foundation Susman Family Foundation
Government Donors
* City of Houston National Endowment for the Arts State Employee Charitable Campaign * Texas Commission on the Arts * Sponsors of Houston Symphony Education & Outreach Programs
Stanford & Joan Alexander Foundation * The Becker Family Foundation William E. & Natoma Pyle Harvey Charitable Trust The Hood-Barrow Foundation Huffington Foundation Leon Jaworski Foundation
Corporations...................................................................................................... As of December 1, 2011
$100,000-$499,999 BBVA Compass Fidelity Investments United Airlines
$50,000-$99,999
Baker Botts LLP * Cameron International Corporation Chevron ConocoPhillips * ExxonMobil Frost Bank * GDF SUEZ Energy North America * Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo * Marathon Oil Corporation The Methodist Hospital * Shell Oil Company TOTAL * Weatherford International Ltd.
* Wells Fargo $25,000-$49,999 American Express Philanthropic Program * Wood Group Andrews Kurth, LLP $5,000-$9,999 Beck, Redden & Secrest, LLP * The Boeing Company Chubb Group of Insurance Companies Bloomberg, L.L.P. * Devon Energy Corporation Fulbright & Jaworski L.L.P. Google, Inc. JPMorgan Chase Merrill Lynch & Co. Inc. Oceaneering International Inc. KPMG LLP
$10,000-$24,999
* Bank of America Bracewell & Giuliani LLP * CenterPoint Energy Cooper Industries, Inc. Crown Castle International Corp. * Enbridge Energy Company, Inc. Ernst & Young * Macy’s Northern Trust Palmetto Partners The Rand Group, LLC Regions Bank SPIR STAR, Ltd. Star Furniture USI Insurance Services LLC Vinson & Elkins LLP
* Randalls Food Markets, Inc. Russell Reynolds Associates, Inc. Stewart Title Company * Swift Energy Company
Gifts below $4,999
Allen Edmonds Shoe Corp. The Blue Jeans Bar Corp GEM Insurance Agencies Geste LLC Intercontinental Exchange Marvin Consulting SEI Global Institutional Group Smith, Graham & Company * Sponsors of Houston Symphony Education & Outreach Programs
Corporate Matching Gifts........................................................................................ Aetna Akzo Nobel AT&T Baker Hughes Bank of America Boeing Cardinal Healthcare 30 www.houstonsymphony.org
Caterpillar Chevron Coca-Cola El Paso Corporation Eli Lilly and Company ExxonMobil Fannie Mae
General Electric General Mills Goldman, Sachs & Co. Halliburton Hewlett-Packard IBM ING Financial Services Corporation
JPMorgan Chase KBR Kirby Corporation Occidental Petroleum SMART Modular Technologies, Inc. Spectra Energy
Legacy Society. ................................................................................................. The Legacy Society honors those who have included the Houston Symphony in their long-term estate plans through bequests, life-income gifts or other deferred-giving arrangements. Members of the Legacy Society enjoy a variety of benefits, including an annual musical event, featuring a renowned guest artist. The Houston Symphony would like to extend its deepest thanks to the members of the Legacy Society – and with their permission, we are pleased to acknowledge them below. If you would like to learn more about ways to provide for the Houston Symphony in your estate plans, please contact our Development Department at: (713) 337-8500 or plannedgiving@houstonsymphony.org. Anonymous (9) Mrs. Jan Barrow George & Betty Bashen Dorothy B. Black Ermy Borlenghi Bonfield Ronald C. Borschow Anneliese Bosseler Joe Brazzatti Zu Broadwater Terry Ann Brown Dr. Joan K. Bruchas & H. Philip Cowdin Eugene R. Bruns Sylvia J. Carroll William J. Clayton & Margaret A. Hughes Leslie Barry Davidson Harrison R. T. Davis Judge & Mrs. Harold DeMoss Jr. Jean & sJack Ellis The Aubrey and Sylvia Farb Family Ginny Garrett Michael B. George Stephen & Mariglyn Glenn Mr. & Mrs. Keith E. Gott
Randolph Lee Groninger Mrs. Gloria Herman Marilyn & Robert M. Hermance Dr. Gary L. Hollingsworth Dr. Edward J. & Mrs. Patti Hurwitz Kenneth Hyde Mr. Brian James Drs. Rita & Blair Justice Dr. & Mrs. Ira Kaufman, M.D. John S. W. Kellett Ann Kennedy & Geoffrey Walker Dr. & Mrs. I. Ray Kirk Mr. & Mrs. Ulyesse LeGrange Mrs. Frances E. Leland Dr. Mary R. Lewis E. W. Long Jr. Sandra Magers Rodney H. Margolis Mr. & Mrs. Jay Marks James Matthews Dr. and Mrs. Malcolm Mazow Mr. & Mrs. Gene McDavid Charles E. McKerley
Mr. & Mrs. Alexander K. McLanahan Miss Catherine Jane Merchant Dr. & Mrs. Robert M. Mihalo Ron Mikita Katherine Taylor Mize Ione Moran Sidney Moran Sue A. Morrison and Children Mr. & Mrs. Richard P. Moynihan Gretchen Anne Myers Bobbie & Arthur Newman Dave B. Nussmann Edward C. Osterberg Jr. Joan D. Osterweil Imogen “Immy” Papadopoulos Sara M. Peterson Mr. Howard Pieper Geraldine S. Priest Daniel F. Prosser Gloria & Joe Pryzant Mrs. Dana Puddy Walter M. Ross Mr. & Mrs. Michael B. Sandeen
Charles K. Sanders Charles King Sanders Mr. & Mrs. Charles T. Seay II Mr. & Mrs. James A. Shaffer Dr. & Mrs. Kazuo Shimada Jule & Albert Smith Mr. & Mrs. Louis J. Snyder Mike & sAnita Stude Emily H. & David K. Terry Stephen G. Tipps Mr. & Mrs. Jesse B. Tutor Dr. Carlos Vallbona & Children Margaret Waisman, M.D. & Steven S. Callahan, Ph.D. David M. Wax & Elaine Arden Cali Robert G. Weiner Geoffrey Westergaard Jennifer R. Wittman Mr. & Mrs. Bruce E. Woods Mr. & Mrs. David Wuthrich As of December 1, 2011 sDeceased
In Memoriam..................................................................................................... We honor the memory of those who in life included the Houston Symphony in their estate plans. Their thoughtfulness and generosity will continue to inspire and enrich lives for generations to come! Mr. Thomas D. Barrow W. P. Beard Mrs. H. Raymond Brannon Anthony Brigandi Lawrence E. Carlton, M.D. Mrs. Albert V. Caselli Lee Allen Clark Jack Ellis Mrs. Robin A. Elverson Frank R. Eyler
Helen Bess Fariss Foster Christine E. George Mrs. Marcella Levine Harris General & Mrs. Maurice Hirsch Miss Ima Hogg Burke & Octavia Holman Mrs. L. F. McCollum Joan B. McKerley Monroe L. Mendelsohn Jr. Mrs. Janet Moynihan
Constantine S. Nicandros Hanni Orton Stewart Orton, Legacy Society co-founder Dr. Michael Papadopoulos Miss Louise Pearl Perkins Walter W. Sapp, Legacy Society co-founder J. Fred & Alma Laws Lunsford Schultz Ms. Jean R. Sides
Robert Lee Gomez Philip and Audrey Lewis Gerald and Shirley Mathews Dave B. Nussmann Nina and Peter Peropoulos
Karen and Hank Rennar Holly S. Rubbo Jennifer Klein Salyer Susan Scarrow Paige and Rich Sommer
John K. & Fanny W. Stone Dorothy Barton Thomas Mrs. Harry C. Wiess Mrs. Edward Wilkerson
Chorus Endowment Donors........................................................................................... $500 or more
As of December 1, 2011
Anonymous Nadene and James Crain Paul and Vickie Davis Taylor Faulkner
Beth Anne Weidler & Stephen M. James Jennifer Young
In Kind Donors......................................................................................................... As of December 1, 2011
Alexander’s Fine Portrait Design Baker Botts L.L.P. Bergner & Johnson BKD, LLP Bright Star Classical 91.7 FM Cognetic Mr. Carl R. Cunningham
Darryl & Co. Deville Fine Jewelry DocuData Solutions The Events Company Foster Quan LLP Hilton Americas - Houston Houston Chronicle Jackson and Company JOHANNUS Organs of Texas Jim Benton of Houston LLC
The Lancaster Hotel Limb Design Martha Turner Properties Meera Buck Minuteman Press – Post Oak Music & Arts Neiman Marcus New Leaf Publishing, Inc. Nos Caves Vin PaperCity
Rice University Saint Arnold’s Brewery Shecky’s Media, Inc. Spec’s Wines, Spirits & Finer Foods United Airlines Valobra Jewelry & Antiques John Wright/Texprint Yahama
January 2012 31
Backstage Pass. ................................................................................................. Barbara and Ulyesse LeGrange, musician sponsors
Thomas LeGrand, associate principal clarinet
Birthplace: We were both born in Louisiana and raised in Baton Rouge.
Birthplace: Richmond Virginia
Education: Ulyesse has a B.S. in accounting from Louisiana State University and is a CPA. He retired from Exxon after 40 years. Beginnings: We were high school sweethearts and have been married for more than 62 years. We have three children and six grandchildren. Joined the Houston Symphony: Ulyesse has been a Board of Trustee member for more than 25 years and has served on the Executive Committee much of that time. We are long-time Pops subscribers and were Honorees at the 2010 Opening Night Gala. We have hosted a number of Symphony social affairs in our home. Earliest musical memories: We grew up during the Depression and listened to music on the radio (big band and vocals). This led to a love of that type of music. Music-making: Ulyesse took piano lessons after retirement and became enamored with music composition. He has written more than 50 pieces, including a “Broadway-type” musical, which has been performed at the University of Houston’s Moores School of Music. Favorite music moment: The greatest musical thrill was dancing at the Symphony Ball to one of Ulyesse’s songs that had been orchestrated by Richard Brown. Being a Musician Sponsor: We have been Musician Sponsors for about 15 years. We selected Thomas LeGrand because of our last name similarity. We met him and his wife, as well as many other musicians, at socials. We also got to know many Pops guest artists, as well as Michael and Darcy Krajewski. We consider these social contacts important, and they make the Symphony experience more personal, as well as entertaining. Out and about: We support many other organizations in the arts, education and medical fields and have been recognized many times for our contributions. Pass it on: For a rewarding experience, we recommend having a close personal attachment to the Symphony family through subscriptions, contributions and participation in social events.
32 www.houstonsymphony.org
Education: Curtis Institute of Music, Bachelor of Music in Clarinet. Before that, I attended the College-Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati. Joined the Houston Symphony: 1986 Looking forward to in the 2011-2012 Season: There are two programs that stand out for me: last month’s return of Christoph Eschenbach performing Mahler 5 and the Mozart Gran Partita wind serenade in March. Beginnings: I started clarinet at age 10. My best friend and I had group lessons twice a week with my father over the summer before we started band. Earliest musical memory: I remember my mother practicing violin. All in the family: My mother and father were professional orchestral musicians. He is a clarinetist and she was a violinist. Other close relatives were music educators and serious amateur musicians. Large family gatherings often included chamber music. It was a great day for me as a high school student when I was allowed to play Brahms and Mozart Clarinet quintets with the strings. Becoming a musician: The summer after my junior year in high school, I attended Eastern Music Festival, where I performed major symphonic repertoire in an excellent student orchestra. From then on, I was determined to become a professional musician. I was fascinated by the way that an orchestra sounds from within and by the depth of expression that is possible. Favorite piece to perform: Any Mahler symphony. Finding the perfect instrument: Much of the voice of a clarinet comes from the mouthpiece. When the orchestra was on tour in the United Kingdom (2010), I spent all of my free time in London working with a gifted young mouthpiece maker, Ramon Wodkowski, who brought a few of my antique Chedeville mouthpieces to life. Daily grind: Reed work is always a challenge. If the reeds are not great, it is much more difficult to play well. I spend much of my practice time making minute adjustments in the balance and taper of the reeds to improve the tone and response. Pastime and good company: Whenever I have free time, I travel as much as possible with my wife, Carol. Favorite destinations are Tuscany, the Big Island of Hawaii, the Teton Mountains, and the canyon country of the desert southwest. Travel in Italy feeds our love of cooking. When we return home, we work to duplicate all the wonderful food that we enjoyed.