HOUSTON – The Houston Symphony announced Tuesday the details of its free family-friendly summer concerts during the months of June and July. A Houston tradition, these evening concerts are held in various casual venues across Greater Houston, including the iconic Miller Outdoor Theatre, making these performances accessible to people of all ages and backgrounds.
Led by Associate Conductor Robert Franz, this year’s Summer Community Concert Series will take place at schools and churches in Houston area communities, bringing the Houston Symphony’s sound and live entertainment right to people’s front door. This year’s five summer community concerts will feature selections from Bizet’s Carmen, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Tchaikovsky’s Sleeping Beauty, and John Williams’ E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.
The ExxonMobil Summer Symphony Nights, which will return to Miller Outdoor Theatre at Hermann Park for the 77th consecutive year, feature the full orchestra and outstanding young rising artists, including the winners and silver medalists of various prestigious competitions. These dynamic performances begin June 23 with a classical program led by Houston favorite Robert Franz featuring Beethoven’s thrilling Eroica and Barber’s lushly melodic Violin Concerto interpreted by Sphinx Competition winner Annelle Gregory.
The Houston Symphony returns the next day with a rhythmic program led by up-and-coming Austrian conductor David Danzmayr. Composer-in-Residence Jimmy López’ high-energy orchestral showpiece, Fiesta!, will be featured in the program along with Dvořák’s melodic Symphony No. 8 and Mozart’s sunny Horn Concerto by Houston Symphony Principal Horn William VerMeulen.
On June 30, Miller audiences are in for a treat when Tchaikovsky Competition Silver Medalist George Li performs Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1, a deeply emotive work that has become the most popular piano concerto in history. The program begins with a lively overture by one of Tchaikovsky’s musical idols and concludes with Mendelssohn’s precocious Symphony No. 1, written when the composer was just 15 years old.
The last two summer concerts at Miller Outdoor Theatre will be held on July 1 and 4 and will feature Brahms’ Symphony No. 4 and patriotic classics respectively. A Houston tradition, this year’s Star- Spangled Salute showcases vocalist Ryan Shaw’s soulful sound and the spirited leadership of the Houston Symphony’s new Principal POPS Conductor, Steven Reineke. The booming 1812 Overture and magnificent fireworks will make for a patriotic Independence Day celebration.
Admission is free, but tickets are required for the seated area. This is a ticketed event for the covered seating area. Free tickets are available (4 per person over age 16 while they last) at the Miller Outdoor Theatre box office the day of the performance between the hours of 10:30am-1pm. If tickets remain at 1 p.m., the box office will re-open one hour before show time to distribute the remaining tickets. As always, open seating is available on the hill. Visit www.milleroutdoortheatre.com for more information.
About the Houston Symphony
During the 2016-17 season, the Houston Symphony celebrates its third season with Music Director Andrés Orozco- Estrada, and continues its second century as one of America’s leading orchestras with a full complement of concert, community, education, touring and recording activities. The Houston Symphony, one of the oldest performing arts organizations in Texas, held its inaugural performance at The Majestic Theater in downtown Houston June 21, 1913. Today, with an annual operating budget of $33.9 million, the full-time ensemble of 87 professional musicians presents nearly 170 concerts annually, making it the largest performing arts organization in Houston. Additionally, musicians of the orchestra and the Symphony’s four Community-Embedded Musicians offer over 900 community-based performances each year, reaching thousands of people in Greater Houston. For tickets and more information, please visit www.houstonsymphony.org or call 713-224-7575.
