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Houston Symphony Wiki Information
The Houston Symphony
is a professional orchestra based in Houston, Texas. Since 1966, it has performed at the Jesse H. Jones Hall for the Performing Arts in downtown Houston.
The first concert of what was to become the Houston Symphony took place on June 21, 1913, sponsored by the Houston philanthropist Ima Hogg. Initially, the orchestra was composed of only 35 part-time musicians. Despite its small stature and budget, the orchestra and its first conductor, Julien Paul Blitz, enjoyed a good response and continued to perform. Blitz conducted until 1916, then Paul Bergé, until the orchestra disbanded in 1918.
It reformed in 1930, still as a semi-professional orchestra, and gave its first full season of concerts the following year conducted by Uriel Nespoli. In the spring of 1936 the symphony society officially became the Houston Symphony Society. Ernst Hoffmann began his tenure that year with increased support from the Society and began hiring professional musicians. The orchestra continued to expand over the next several decades, and its first 52-week contract was signed in 1971. It is now considered one of the major orchestras in the United States.
The orchestra performed in either the City Auditorium or the Music Hall until the construction in 1966 of the Jesse H. Jones Hall for the Performing Arts. In 2001, the orchestra lost millions of dollars worth of instruments, music, and archives when Tropical Storm Allison flooded the basement levels of Jones Hall. In 2003, the musicians went on strike for 24 days, and the settlement included a pay cut for the musicians and a reduction in the size of the orchestra [1] [2].
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HOUSTON SYMPHONY TICKETS
| EVENT | DATE | AVAILABILITY |
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| Houston Symphony: Juraj Valcuha - Viva Italia! Opera Beyond Words Tickets 2/7 | Feb 07, 2025
Fri, 7:30 PM |  | | Houston Symphony: Juraj Valcuha - Viva Italia! Opera Beyond Words Tickets 2/9 | Feb 09, 2025
Sun, 2:00 PM | | | Houston Symphony: Juraj Valcuha - Duke Bluebeard's Castle Tickets 2/15 | Feb 15, 2025
Sat, 7:30 PM | | | Houston Symphony: Juraj Valcuha - Duke Bluebeard's Castle Tickets 2/16 | Feb 16, 2025
Sun, 2:00 PM | | | Houston Symphony: Star Wars The Empire Strikes Back In Concert Tickets 2/21 | Feb 21, 2025
Fri, 7:30 PM | |
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Music Directors
- 1913–1916 Julien Paul Blitz
- 1916–1918 Paul Bergé
- 1918–1930 dissolved
- 1931–1932 Uriel Nespoli
- 1932–1935 Frank St. Leger
- 1936–1947 Ernst Hoffmann
- 1948–1954 Efrem Kurtz
- 1954 Ferenc Fricsay (resigned mid-season)
- 1955–1961 Leopold Stokowski
- 1961–1967 John Barbirolli
- 1967–1969 André Previn
- 1971–1979 Lawrence Foster
- 1980–1988 Sergiu Comissiona
- 1988–1999 Christoph Eschenbach
- 2001–present Hans Graf
Notable musicians
- James Austin, trumpet, principal 1960-1977
- Edward Carroll, trumpet, associate principal 1970s
- Wayne Crouse, viola, principal 1951–1983
- Paul Ellison, bass, principal 1964–1987
- Hal Robinson, bass, assistant principal 1977–1985
- Elaine Shaffer, flute, principal 1948–1953
- Joseph Silverstein, violin 1950–1953
- Harold Wright, clarinet, c. 1949–1952
References
- International Conference of Symphony and Opera Musicians, Settlement Bulletin, "Houston Symphony Ratifies 4-Year Agreement". 17 April 2003.
- Daniel J. Wakin, "Carnegie Hall 4 Vry Lo Rnt". New York Times, 5 February 2006
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