HOUSTON SYMPHONY SOCIETY
615 Louisiana St 102, Houston, TX 77002 www.houstonsymphony.org

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Organizations Filed Purposes: The mission of the Houston Symphony is to inspire and engage a large and diverse audience in Greater Houston and beyond through exceptional orchestral performances, educational programs and community activities.

Artistic EndeavorsMusic Director Andrs Orozco-Estrada began his sixth season at the helm of the Houston Symphony with an all-Stravinsky program at Jones Hall. The Sunday matinee performance of the classical subscription concert marked the Houston Symphonys first-ever online video broadcast of a concert from Jones Hall. Orozco-Estrada continued the month of September with the return of French piano star Jean-Yves Thibaudet in a program that explored the formers interest in music of the Americas. Then, Music Director Andrs Orozco-Estrada, an all-star cast of vocalists, the Houston Symphony, and the Houston Symphony Chorus united on stage for two thrilling choral masterpieces: Mahlers Das klagende Lied and Mendelssohn: Die erste Walpurgisnacht. During Thanksgiving, Orozco-Estrada and the Symphony delved into the music of Richard Strauss, with works including Strauss exquisite Four Last Songs with soprano Miah Persson, as well as the composers Death and Transfiguration, Don Juan, and Till Eulenspiegels Merry Pranks. The Houston Symphonys commitment to new music continued as it saw the world premiere of a Houston Symphony commission from Composer-in-Residence Jimmy Lpez, in the third and final year of his residency. Lpez Symphony No. 2, Ad Astra (December 2019), took its inspiration from a Houston space program. In February 2020, Orozco-Estrada led the Schumann Festival, a comprehensive exploration of the works of composer Robert Schumann, with performances in Jones Hall and other venues around the city. The festival included lectures and other special events to illumine further the artistry of the great German composer. Musical works included the composers four symphonies, the piano concerto with soloist Benjamin Grosvenor, the cello concerto with soloist Alisa Weilerstein, and choral selections from Dichterliebe (A Poets Life) and Der Rose Pilgerfahrt (The Pilgrimage of the Rose), with Houston Symphony Principal Keyboardist Scott Holshouser and the Houston Symphony Chorus under the direction of Dr. Betsy Cook Weber. The 201920 Classical Season also saw the return of esteemed guest soloists including Emanuel Ax, Gil Shaham, and Augustin Hadelich, as well as a chamber music series showcasing musicians of the orchestra and guest luminaries in intimate venues across Houston. During the 201920 POPS Series, Steven Reineke opened his third season as Principal POPS Conductor with Tony Award and Grammy Award-winning actress and vocalist Rene Elise Goldsberry, original cast member of the musical phenomenon Hamilton. The season continued with best-selling travel author and PBS star Rick Steves and former Houston Symphony Principal POPS Conductor Michael Krajewski in an immersive concert experience. In November 2019, Houston audiences experienced the blockbuster film, Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back on the big screen as the Symphony performed John Williams award-winning score live led by Principal POPS Conductor Steven Reineke. Former Principal POPS Conductor Michael Krajewski returned to lead the orchestra and Houston Symphony Chorus in a cherished musical holiday tradition: an evening full of holiday tunes like Silent Night and Joy to the World. The program included the Symphonys commissioned holiday piece Glad Tidings. Closing out the holiday season, Steven Reineke welcomed the New Year with an all-Frank Sinatra program with vocalist and jazz pianist Tony DeSare. Reineke and the Symphony celebrated the centennial birthday of Nat King Cole, one of the most celebrated and influential recording artists of the 50s with a concert highlighting his music featuring three-time Grammy-nominated vocalist Ryan Shaw and vocalist Josette Newsam. After canceling the balance of the 201920 Season and its usual slate of summer performances in early March due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Symphony began turning out content to keep its audiences connected and entertained during quarantine. But above and beyond its on-demand content, the Symphony was in the vanguard of American orchestras with live digital performance. Beginning in May and continuing through June, the Symphony began livestreaming its Living Room Series. Each Friday night, a musician from the Houston Symphony hosted a live-streamed concert from their home, often including musically distinguished family members.

Education and CommunityThe Houston Symphony is committed to increasing the quality of life in Houston by addressing priority community issues, including education, healthcare, building community between disparate populations, and improving the welfare of underserved populations. The Symphony accomplishes this by presenting an extraordinary range of music education and community engagement programs both inside Jones Hall and in community venues throughout the Greater Houston area. Through nearly 1,000 interactions with Houston Symphony musicians and Community-Embedded Musicians, partnerships with schools, community centers, hospitals and other non-profits, the Society serves a wide range of Houstonians that reflects the diversity of the city. Whether they are underserved students, cancer patients, refugees, or homeless families, we put the people we serve first, asking how music can best meet their needs. Our goal is to remove economic and geographical barriers to music so that Houstonians from all walks of life can benefit from the art form. Houston Symphony Education and Community Engagement programs served more than 200,000 Houstonians of all ages and backgrounds and represented an investment of $6.1 million, or over 18% of the annual organization budget, during the 201920 Season.

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