John Williams, Yo-Yo Ma, Holiday Concerts and More Set for Houston Symphony, Dec 2013

The Houston Symphony's December calendar features a special one-night-only performance as John Williams Joins Yo-Yo Ma on December 5 at Jones Hall. The Symphony will also celebrate the holidays with concerts for the entire family. On December 13, 14 and 15, the Symphony and Chorus will perform Very Merry Pops, which celebrates the season with holiday hits including a special piece, Glad Tidings, which features spiritual leaders from the Houston community as guest narrators.

On the morning of December 14, families are invited to Jones Hall for How the Grinch Stole Christmas. This interactive concert experience will introduce children to classical music through Dr. Seuss' beloved tale, which will be sung by baritone Reginald Smith, Jr. of the Houston Grand Opera. Between the instrument petting zoo, crafts in the lobby and Associate Conductor Robert Franz's surprise costume, this concert promises to be a special holiday treat for the whole family.

Handel's Messiah will return to Jones Hall and Sugar Land Baptist Church on December 19-22. The talented Houston Symphony Chorus will bring scripture to life as they sing this transcendent and revered oratorio with conductor Nicholas McGegan on the podium.

Unless otherwise noted, all concerts take place at Jones Hall for the Performing Arts, 615 Louisiana Street, in Houston's Theater District. For tickets and information, call (713) 224-7575 or visit www.houstonsymphony.org unless otherwise noted. Tickets may also be purchased at the Houston Symphony Patron Services Center in Jones Hall (Monday - Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.). All programs and artists are subject to change.

SYMPHONY SPECIAL CONCERT:

Thursday, December 5, 2013, 7:30 p.m.

John Williams Joins Yo-Yo Ma

John Williams, conductor

Yo-Yo Ma, cello

Two music superstars and longtime friends join your Houston Symphony for an evening of music by John Williams composed for the concert hall and for some of Hollywood's most beloved films. Williams and the legendary cellist Yo-Yo Ma perform the composer's lush and virtuosic Cello Concerto, followed by thrilling selections from some of his most popular film scores.

Friday, December 13, 2013, 8:00 p.m.

Saturday, December 14, 2013, 8:00 p.m.

Sunday, December 15, 2013, 2:30 p.m.

Sunday, December 15, 2013, 7:30 p.m.

Very Merry Pops

Michael Krajewski, conductor

Houston Symphony Chorus

Charles Hausmann, director

A Houston Symphony tradition, Very Merry Pops returns this Centennial Season with all the holiday music you love. Plus, experience a special piece, Glad Tidings, featuring spiritual leaders from the Houston community as guest narrators. Commissioned by the Houston Symphony in 2003, this musical journey through the story of the first Christmas will warm your heart and help you remember the true meaning of Christmas. Get in the holiday spirit with favorites like "Joy to the World," "Jingle Bells" and "Go Tell it on the Mountain."

Saturday, December 14, 2013, 10:00 a.m.

Saturday, December 14, 2013, 11:30 a.m.

How the Grinch Stole Christmas

Robert Franz, conductor

Reginald Smith, Jr., baritone from the Houston Grand Opera Studio

Music will tell the beloved Dr. Seuss tale of the grouchy creature with a heart "two sizes too small," his loyal dog Max, and their encounters with the merry and warm-hearted Whos. Baritone Reginald Smith, Jr. from the Houston Grand Opera Studio will join a local high school chorus and the musicians of the Houston Symphony to take you into the world of Whoville.

SYMPHONY SPECIAL CONCERTS:

Thursday, December 19, 2013, 8:00 p.m. (Sugar Land)

Friday, December 20, 2013, 8:00 p.m.

Saturday, December 21, 2013, 8:00 p.m.

Sunday, December 22, 2013, 2:30 p.m.

Handel's Messiah

Nicholas McGegan, conductor

Dominique Labelle, soprano

Christopher Ainslie, countertenor

Thomas Cooley, tenor

Douglas Williams, baritone

Houston Symphony Chorus

Charles Hausmann, director

Handel: Messiah

Delight in Houston's premier performance of Handel's transcendent and revered masterpiece - the Messiah - performed by the Houston Symphony, Chorus and star soloists. Experience the powerful words and music of beloved choruses and arias like "Ev'ry Valley Shall Be Exalted," "O Thou That Tellest Good Tidings to Zion," "Rejoice Greatly" and the timeless "Hallelujah" chorus.

During the 2013-14 Centennial Season, the Houston Symphony celebrates its 100th year as one of America's leading orchestras with a full complement of concert, community, education, touring and recording activities. The Houston Symphony is one of the oldest performing arts organizations in Texas whose inaugural performance was held at The Majestic Theater in downtown Houston on June 21, 1913. Today, with an annual operating budget of $30.7 million, the full-time ensemble of 87 professional musicians is the largest performing arts organization in Houston, presenting more than 280 concerts for 280,000 people, including 84,000 children, annually. For tickets and more information, visit www.houstonsymphony.org or call 713-224-7575.

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