Houston Symphony Announces June & July Summer 2013 Schedule

The Houston Symphony will kick off its Centennial Season with a sensational line up of summer concerts, including over 10 FREE concerts in the Houston community as a part of its Sounds Like Fun! andExxonMobil Summer Symphony Nights at Miller Outdoor Theatre concert series. Concert highlights include a celebratory Centennial 100th Birthday Concert on June 21 at Miller Outdoor Theatre, a free 12-hour Day of Music celebrating of Houston's Musical Diversity at Jones Hall on July 13 and the annual 4th of July concert, Star Spangled Salute, complete with booming cannons and a fireworks display provided by the City of Houston through the Miller Theatre Advisory Board.

Rock-and-roll, movie and video game fans will have something to enjoy during the Symphony's exciting Summer in the City concert series. Blockbuster concerts include Video Games Live; Music of The Rolling Stones; Pixar in Concert andFrankie Valli and The Four Seasons, and will begin on July 5 at Jones Hall.

Centennial 100th Birthday Concert
Free Community Concert at Miller OutdoorTheatre
Friday, June 21, 2013, 8:30 pm
Robert Franz, conductor
Celebrate the kick-off of the Centennial Season with a free concert at Miller Outdoor Theatre open to all of Houston. Conducted by Associate Conductor Robert Franz, the concert will be broadcast live on KTRK Channel 13 and will feature some of the most beloved classical works, pops hits and even a few surprises, including an appearance by American Idol Finalist and Houstonian, LaKisha Jones. This is a perfect way for the whole family to join what just might be the biggest birthday celebration that Houston has ever seen. The orchestra will perform classical blockbusters like Beethoven's Ode to Joy with the Houston Symphony Chorus, selections from Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker, and John Williams' Celebration Fanfare, written for the Houston Symphony. Plus, hear music from The Planets - An HD Odyssey, paired with images of NASA's exploration of the solar system projected on a giant screen.

Day of Music
A Free Day-Long Celebration of Houston's Musical Diversity
Saturday, July 13, 2013, 10 am-10 pm
Spend the day at Jones Hall listening to dozens of free performances representing Houston's diverse musical landscape. Begin the day with a family concert in the morning and end the evening with a concert of favorite symphonic works by the orchestra. In between, hear jazz groups, rock bands, blues artists, ethnic ensembles, choral, chamber music and more. In an effort to deepen its presence in Houston's musical community, the Symphony has partnered with other local organizations including Music Doing Good, The Houston Blues Museum, Sugar Hill Studios and Guitar Houston, each of whom will not only assist in curating performances but also have the opportunity to share their own stories and history. Plus, sample some of Houston's finest food truck fare next door at Jones Plaza.

SOUNDS LIKE FUN: Let's Celebrate!
The 2013 Sounds Like Fun! series begins on June 6 with Associate Conductor Robert Franz leading the orchestra in 9 different FREE Family concerts held in churches, community centers and schools throughout Houston. These performances are relaxed, dynamic and designed for the whole family. The orchestra will present a program of celebration-themed music including the Finale from "Star Wars" and Dvorák's Carnival Overture.

Performance Dates:

Thursday, June 6, 2013, 7:30 pm
Atascocita High School
13300 Will Clayton Pkwy.
Humble, TX 77346

Friday, June 7, 2013, 7:30 pm
Grace Community Church
14505 Gulf Freeway
Houston, TX 77034

Tuesday, June 11, 2013, 11:00 am
The Ripley House
4410 Navigation Blvd.
Houston, TX 77003

Tuesday, June 11, 2013, 7:30 pm
The Centrum
6823 Cypresswood Dr.
Spring, TX 77379

Wednesday, June 12, 2013, 11:00 am
Pershing Middle School
3838 Blue Bonnet Blvd.
Houston, TX 77025

Thursday, June 13, 2013, 5:15 pm
The Methodist Hospital
6565 Fannin St.
Houston, TX 77030

Monday, June 17, 2013, 11:00 am
Miller Outdoor Theatre
6000 Hermann Park Dr.
Houston, TX 77030

Tuesday, July 9, 2013, 7:30 pm
United Methodist Church
4308 W Davis St.
Conroe, TX 77304

Wednesday, July 10, 2013 7:30 pm
Church Without Walls
5725 Queenston Blvd.
Houston, TX 77084

ExxonMobil Summer Symphony Nights Series
Miller Outdoor Theatre
6000 Hermann Park Drive
Houston, TX 77030

Centennial 100th Birthday Concert

Friday, June 21, 2013, 8:30 pm
Robert Franz, conductor
LaKisha Jones, vocalist
Houston Symphony Chorus
Charles Hausmann, director
Memorial High School Choir
Lawrence Johnson, director
University of Houston Spirit of Houston Cougar Marching Band
Westside High School Inertia Dance Company
Smith/Skrowaczewski: The Star-Spangled Banner

Shostakovich: Festive Overture
Menken: Be Our Guest from Beauty and the Beast
Tchaikovsky: Waltz of the Flowers from The Nutcracker
Williams: Liberty Fanfare
Bizet: Selections from Carmen
Giménez: Intermedio from La boda de Luis Alonso
Parton: I Will Always Love You
Holst: Jupiter from The Planets with film from The Planets--An HD Odyssey
Beethoven: "Ode to Joy" from Symphony No. 9

Mozart and Scheherezade
June 22, 2013, 8:30 pm
Robert Franz, conductor
Christine Lamprea, cello (2013 winner of the Sphinx Competition)
Mozart: Symphony No. 31, Paris
Tchaikovsky: Variations on a Rococo Theme for Cello and Orchestra
Rimsky-Korsakov: Scheherezade

Schumann's Symphony No. 4
June 28, 2013, 8:30 pm
Case Scaglione, conductor
Kuok-Wai Lio, piano
Tchaikovsky: Overture to Romeo and Juliet
Mendelssohn: Piano Concerto No. 1

Schumann: Symphony No. 4Brahms' Symphony No. 1
June 29, 2013, 8:30 pm

Aziz Shokhakimov, conductor
Verdi: Overture to La Forza del Destino
Brahms: Symphony No. 1

Star-Spangled Salute
July 4, 2013, 8:30 pm
Michael Krajewski, Principal Pops Conductor
Will Makar, vocalist
LaKisha Jones, vocalist

Summer in the City Series
Jones Hall 615 Louisiana St.
Houston, TX 77002
Innovative, multi-media experiences are the core of summer programming as the Symphony continues its tradition of encouraging new audiences to experience live music from a full orchestra while featuring familiar entertainment in this year's Summer in the City concert series.

Video Games Live - With New Content!
Friday, July 5, 2013 7:30 pm
Tommy Tallarico, host
Emmanuel Fratianni, conductor
Laura Intravia, vocalist
Join the Houston Symphony for a videogame multimedia concert experience! The number one touring game concert in the world comes back to Houston for a show the New York Times calls "Captivating! Bombastic!" This immersive concert event features an all new program with music from the most popular video games of all time like Pokemon, Skyrim, Super Smash Bros, and the Zelda, World of Warcraft, and Final Fantasy series, combined with exclusive synchronized video, music arrangements, lighting, and much more. Pre and post-concert events include a costume contest, Guitar Hero competition, and a meet-and-greet with top composers and designers of the game industry. Come for a celebration of video games the entire family will enjoy.
Tickets: from $35

Music of The Rolling Stones
Saturday, July 6, 2013 7:30 pm
Brent Havens, conductor
Brody Dolyniuk, vocalist
Hailed as the "World's Greatest Rock and Roll Band" by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, The Rolling Stones celebrated their 50th anniversary in 2012. This summer, conductor Brent Havens and vocalist Brody Dolyniuk join the Houston Symphony for a rock and roll tribute concert to The Rolling Stones with full orchestra featuring their hits like, "I Can't Get No (Satisfaction)," "You Can't Always Get What You Want," "Start Me Up," "Ruby Tuesday" and more.
Tickets: from $35

Pixar in Concert
Music and Video
Friday, July 19, 2013 7:30 pm
Saturday, July 20, 2013 7:30 pm
Thomas Wilkins, conductor
From the Toy Story trilogy to The Incredibles and UP, Pixar has forever impacted filmmaking and given audiences of all ages some of the most beloved characters in cinematic history. Now, for the first time ever, the Houston Symphony presents Pixar in Concert, with visually stunning clips and memorable scores from each of Pixar's thirteen movies, including their latest release,Brave.
Tickets: from $22

Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons
Saturday, July 27, 2013 7:30 pm
Robby Robinson, conductor and keyboards
One of the most successful vocal groups of the 1960s, Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons join the Houston Symphony for an evening of smash hit singles. With his unmistakable falsetto voice, legendary status, and impeccable harmonies, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Frankie Valli will perform chart-topping favorites, "Big Girls Don't Cry," "Can't Take My Eyes Off of You," "Sherry," "Oh What a Night" and many more.
Tickets: from $35

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