Houston Symphony Reveals 24-25 Season Featuring Jessica Vosk, Pink Martini & More

The Houston Symphony has revealed its 2024−25 Season, Juraj Valčuha’s third as  music director. Valčuha leads ten of the eighteen classical subscription programs in the season, all highlighting the hallmarks that have quickly come to characterize Valčuha’s programming philosophy.

Programming motifs and unifying concepts Bohemian Rhapsody, Vienna Calling, and Fairytales span multi-week appearances. Tribute is paid to the Houston Symphony’s rich legacy of music directors as two past music directors return to the Jones Hall stage: Christoph Eschenbach and Conductor Laureate Andrés Orozco-Estrada.

Operatic repertoire (Duke Bluebeard’s Castle and a program of orchestral highlights from the operatic repertoire) takes its place alongside great choral works from the symphonic repertoire like Martinů’s Czech Rhapsody, Brahms’s Schicksalslied, and Mahler’s Third Symphony. Houston Symphony musicians, including Yoonshin Song, Joan DerHovsepian, Brinton Averil Smith, Jonathan Fischer, Colin Gatwood, Mark Nuccio, Christian Schubert, Rian Craypo, Elise Wagner, William VerMeulen, and Ian Mayton take the spotlight as soloists, and the Symphony welcomes the greatest guest artists in the world to Houston, including Tabita Berglund, Yefim Bronfman, James Ehnes, Pacho Flores, Kirill Gerstein, Ekaterina Gubanova, Hilary Hahn, Domingo Hindoyan, Capathia Jenkins, Leila Josefowicz, Bruce Liu, Simone Lamsma, Matthias Pintscher, Marina Prudenskaya, Sir Donald Runnicles, Dalia Stasevska, Byron Stripling, Cédric Tiberghien, and Michael Tilson Thomas.

New works this season include a world premiere commissioned by the Houston Symphony: Karim Al-Zand’s Al-Jazari’s Ingenious Clocks, based on the fantastic inventions of the famed 12th-century Islamic polymath Ismail Al-Jazari.

“Creating each season is a journey,” said Juraj Valčuha. “We find the right moments for a world-renowned soloist or music festival, we pay tribute to our musical legacy, and we honor our talent. We develop a beautiful mixture of musical colors by inviting our audience to experience something new and celebrating familiar masterpieces together. The unique orchestration of these elements defines how we will experience this incredible art form.”

“The era of Juraj Valčuha at the Houston Symphony is in full swing,” said Executive Director/CEO, and holder of the Margaret Alkek Williams Chair, John Mangum. “The orchestra is artistically flourishing as we anticipate Juraj’s third second season as Music Director, with more insightful and creative programming that showcases the entire orchestra, the Chorus, and its soloist-caliber musicians. 

THE 2024−25 CLASSICAL SEASON

Juraj Valčuha opens the season October 4, 2024 (with additional performances October 5 and 6) with the first of three mini-festivals of the season, entitled Bohemian Rhapsody. Valčuha leads the massed forces of the Houston Symphony in Bohuslav Martinů’s Czech Rhapsody, a majestic cantata for orchestra, chorus and baritone soloist, here the renowned Czech baritone Svatopluk Sem.  The Bohemian theme continues in Bryce Dessner’s pastoral reflection Mari and Dvořák’s iconic Symphony No. 9, From the New World. All three works on the program have both Czech and American connections, the Martinů and Dvořák works being written in America by Czech composers, and the Dessner work was written by an American composer with influences by the first movement of the Dvořák Ninth Symphony.

On Opening Night, October 4, the evening begins with a champagne reception before the Opening Night Concert at Jones Hall. Following the concert, the celebration continues at The Corinthian Houston with dinner and sensational entertainment. The Opening Night Concert and Gala, chaired by Mary Lynn and Steve Marks, are generously supported by ConocoPhillips, the lead concert sponsor and corporate gala underwriter for the 38th year.

Valčuha is back a week later (October 12 and 13, 2024) to continue the Bohemian Rhapsody Festival with violin virtuoso James Ehnes as soloist in Dvořák’s Violin Concerto. Two exceptional works for large orchestral forces expressing love for the Czech homeland complete the program: Janáček’s monolithic Sinfonietta, and Vitézslava Kaprálová’s Military Sinfonietta, of which Kaprálová herself remarked, “The composition does not represent a battle cry, but it depicts the psychological need to defend that which is most sacred to the nation.”

Internationally renowned British conductor Sir Donald Runnicles makes his Houston Symphony debut leading the orchestra, Principal Viola Joan DerHovsepian, and Principal Cello Brinton Averil Smith in Richard Strauss’sdelightfully luscious tone poem Don Quixote. The program opens with Wagner’s thrilling Overture to the opera Tannhäuser, and orchestral selections from Humperdinck’s Hänsel and Gretel. November 1, 2, and 3, 2024.

The musicians of the Houston Symphony take center stage November 23 and 24, 2024, with Concertmaster Yoonshin Song acting as soloist and leader in J.S. Bach’s Violin Concerto No. 1, and with Serenades by Mozart (Serenade No. 12) and Brahms (Serenade No. 1) providing musical conduits for the world-class talents of Jonathan Fischer, oboe; Colin Gatwood, oboe; Mark Nuccio, clarinet; Christian Schubert, clarinet; Rian Craypo, bassoon; Elise Wagner, bassoon; William VerMeulen, horn; and Ian Mayton, horn.

Vienna Calling is the second of Juraj Valčuha’s mini-festivals this season. Thanksgiving Weekend, Valčuha leads piano superstar Yefim Bronfman and the orchestra in Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 5, Emperor. Beethoven lived in Vienna from his early 20s until his death, and he composed the Emperor Concerto the year Napoleon’s siege of Vienna led all but Beethoven himself to flee the Austrian capitol. Austrian composer Franz Schubert’s Symphony No. 8, Unfinished, and Viennese composer Alban Berg’s Three Pieces for Orchestra, depicting the grandeur of the fading Austro-Hungarian Empire. November 29, 30, and December 1, 2024.

Juraj Valčuha ushers in the holiday season early on December 7 and 8, 2024, continuing the Vienna Calling Festivalwith A Viennese Waltz Christmas, a program entirely comprising famous and beloved waltzes by Johann Strauss Jr. and his brother Josef Strauss, including the Overtures to Die Fledermaus and The Gypsy Baron, and the Blue DanubeWaltz.

Beloved former Houston Symphony Music Director Christoph Eschenbach is celebrating the 200th anniversary of Anton Bruckner’s birth in a unique way this season. Eschenbach is conducting all eight of Anton Bruckner’s symphonies with important orchestras across the globe, each symphony with a different orchestra. With the Houston Symphony, Eschenbach conducts Bruckner’s Symphony No. 4, Romantic, January 11 and 12, 2025, just a month before the Maestro’s own 85th birthday.

Houston Symphony Concertmaster Yoonshin Song steps into the soloist spotlight for one of the best loved and most popular works in the violin repertoire: Beethoven’s Violin Concerto. Tabita Berglund makes her Houston Symphony debut on the podium for the Beethoven, as well as Anna Thorvaldsdóttir’s Metacosmos, and Tchaikovsky’s passionate, emotion-filled Symphony No. 6, Pathétique.

February finds Juraj Valčuha leading two opera-themed weekends. Viva Italia! Italian Opera Beyond Words (February 7 and 9, 2025) features orchestral music from well-known operas like Verdi’s Macbeth, Rossini’s William Tell (the famous overture), and Puccini’s Manon Lescaut, Suor Angelica, and Madama Butterfly, as well as little-known operas such as Casella’s La donna serpente, and Respighi’s Belfagor.

One week later on February 15 and 16, 2025, Juraj Valčuha leads the orchestra, mezzo-soprano Ekaterina Gubanova(Judith), and baritone Gábor Bretz (Bluebeard) in a semi-staged concert performance of Bela Bartók’s shattering, psychodramatic masterpiece Duke Bluebeard’s Castle. Valčuha continues the operatic theme of this program with  Prokofiev’s Symphonic Suite from The Love for Three Oranges on this program, as well as Benjamin Britten’s hauntingly lyrical Four Sea Interludes from Peter Grimes, and Unsuk Chin’s Prelude to the Mad Tea Party from Alice in Wonderland.

Drawing upon its rich legacy of past music directors that includes Leopold Stokowski, Sir John Barbirolli, André Previn, and Christoph Eschenbach, the Houston Symphony welcomes back Andrés Orozco-Estrada to the Jones Hall stage. Orozco-Estrada joins one of his favorite artistic collaborators, violin luminary Hilary Hahn, and the Houston Symphony for one of the most technically brilliant works in the violin repertoire: Brahms’s Violin Concerto. The Houston Symphony Chorus joins Orozco-Estrada and the orchestra for Brahms’s Schicksalslied (Song of Destiny), and the program concludes with Richard Strauss’s monumental tone poem Also sprach Zarathustra. March 7, 8 and 9, 2025.

March brings a two-week festival of works about and inspired by Fairytales. Dutch violin star Simone Lamsma joins Juraj Valčuha and the orchestra for Korngold’s Violin Concerto. Filled with melody from the Hollywood “dream factory,” Korngold’s concerto draws upon themes from Hollywood golden age films like Another Dawn and The Prince and the Pauper starring Errol Flynn, Juarez starring Bette Davis, and Anthony Adverse starring Olivia de Havilland. Prokofiev’s Cinderella ballet suite is also on the program on March 14, 15, and 16, 2025, as is the Houston Symphony-commissioned world premiere of Karim Al-Zand’s Al-Jazari’s Ingenious Clocks, based on the fantastic inventions of the famed 12th-century Islamic polymath Ismail Al-Jazari.

The second week of Fairytales (March 21, 22, and 23, 2025) finds piano luminary Kirill Gerstein joining Valčuha and the orchestra for Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Rachmaninoff’s fantastic musical tale of the legendary violinist Paganini’s deal with the devil and his doomed love for a woman. Anatoly Lyadov’s symphonic fairy tale The Enchanted Lake, and Alexander Zemlinky’s fantasy for large orchestra, The Mermaid (inspired by Hans Christian Anderson’s The Little Mermaid) complete the program.

Star violinist Leila Josefowicz performs Stravinsky’s daring neoclassical violin concerto, with Dalia Stasevska making her Houston Symphony subscription concert debut conducting the orchestra April 18 and 19, 2025. Stasevska also conducts the orchestra in John Adams’s vigorous and engaging Short Ride in a Fast Machine, and Sibelius’s majestic Symphony No. 5. Beethoven’s ebullient and wildly popular Symphony No. 7 shares the program with Takemitsu’s Twill by Twilight and Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 20, as Kansas City Symphony Music Director Matthias Pintschertakes the Jones Hall podium May 1, 3, and 4, 2025, with special guest pianist Cédric Tiberghien.

May 9, 10, and 11, 2025, Domingo Hindoyan makes his Houston Symphony debut conducting a program of Latin American and Spanish-influenced works, including Roberto Sierra’s Alegría, Debussy’s Ibéria from Images, and Ravel’s famed Boléro. Trumpet soloist Pacho Flores joins them in his Houston Symphony debut for two concertos written especially for him: Arturo Márquez’s Concierto de Otoño (Autumn Concerto) and Paquito d’Rivera’s Concierto Venezolano (Venezuelan Concerto).

Juraj Valčuha welcomes rising young piano star and 2021 Chopin Piano Competition 1st Prize Winner Bruce Liu to the Jones Hall stage in his Houston Symphony debut, to perform Chopin’s expressive and highly virtuosic Piano Concerto No. 1 with the Houston Symphony, May 23, 24, and 25, 2025. Valčuha leads the orchestra in Schumann’s triumphant, lyrical Symphony No. 2 to close the program.

For the classical season finale, Juraj Valčuha has chosen Gustav Mahler’s monumental anthem to nature, his Symphony No. 3, featuring mezzo-soprano Marina Prudenskaya and the Sopranos and Altos of the Houston Symphony Chorus. May 30, 31, and June 1, 2025.

Livestreaming

The first major American orchestra to both livestream and welcome live audiences back to the concert hall for the entirety of the 2020–21 Season, the Houston Symphony has livestreamed both subsequent seasons. It remains committed to livestreaming its 2024–25 Season to a broad audience in more than 45 countries and all 50 states, one of few American orchestras dedicated to transmitting live performances to a sizeable audience outside its home city through this technology.

Livestream of Houston Symphony concerts is made possible by Barbara J. Burger.

2024−25 SEASON HIGHLIGHTS

Returning and Debuting Guest Conductors and Artists

The classical season includes return appearances by conductors Christoph Eschenbach, Andrés Orozco-Estrada,Matthias Pintscher, Jason Seber, and Michael Tilson Thomas; pianists Yefim Bronfman, Kirill Gerstein, and Daniil Trifonov; violinists James Ehnes, Hilary Hahn, Leila Josefowicz, Simone Lamsma, and Yoonshin Song; violist Joan DerHovsepian; cellists Brinton Averil Smith and Yo-Yo Ma; oboists Jonathan Fischer and Colin Gatwood; clarinetists Mark Nuccio and Christian Schubert; bassoonists Rian Craypo and Elise Wagner; trumpet Byron Stripling, horns Ian Mayton and William VerMeulen; mezzo-soprano Marina Prudenskaya; and vocalists Mandy Gonzalez, Capathia Jenkins, Isabel Marie Sánchez, and Ryan Shaw; and vocal ensembles Pink Martini and Rajaton.

Making Houston Symphony subscription concert debuts in the 2024−25 Season are conductors Tabita Berglund, Jonathan Cohen, Domingo Hindoyan, Sir Donald Runnicles, and Dalia Stasevska; pianists Bruce Liu and Cédric Tiberghien; trumpet Pacho Flores; mezzo-soprano Ekaterina Gubanova; baritones Gäbor Bretz and Svatopluk Sem; and vocalists Carmen Bradshaw, Dan Domenech, Lena Hall, Chloe Lowery, Leo Manzari, and Jessica Vosk.

Houston Symphony Chorus

Music Director Juraj Valčuha’s commitment to programming choral repertoire finds the Houston Symphony Chorus performing an impressively diverse repertoire in the 2024−25 season, beginning with the opening night performance of Martinů’s Czech Rhapsody under Valčuha’s baton. Valčuha conducts the Sopranos and Altos of the Houston Symphony Chorus again in Mahler’s Symphony No. 3 later in the season. The Chorus is reunited with former Music Director and Conductor Laureate Andrés Orozco-Estrada for Brahms’s Schicksalslied, and the Chorus is also heard this season in performances of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9,  Handel’s Messiah and Very Merry Pops, which have both become true Houston holiday traditions.

The classical season is endowed by The Wortham Foundation, Inc. in memory of Gus S. and Lyndall F. Wortham. Valčuha is the fifth music director to hold the Roy and Lillie Cullen Chair; a position endowed in perpetuity by The Cullen Foundation.

The Margaret Alkek Williams Spotlight Series

Made possible through generous support from Margaret Alkek Williams, Spotlight Series performances feature outstanding conductors and artists, including Music Director Juraj Valčuha and renowned guest artists. The concerts include curated musical selections by some of the greatest composers of all time such as Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Brahms, and Rachmaninoff alongside contemporary works, offering audiences inspiring musical experiences that will stay with them after they leave the concert hall. Thanks to Margaret Alkek Williams, the Houston Symphony can serve its audiences with the highest level of artistry.

2024−25 BANK OF AMERICA POPS SEASON

Steven Reineke launches his eighth season as the Houston Symphony’s Principal POPS Conductor leading six of the nine season POPS concerts.

“Each and every year, I imagine what is possible,” says Reineke. “This wide-ranging season takes us on a musical journey from classic rock to world music, from Uptown to Motown, and from James Bond to the Bee Gees. Come experience music in a new way, reconnect with cherished memories, and create new ones.”

September 28 and 29, 2024, Steven Reineke opens the POPS season with special guest vocalists Capathia Jenkins and Ryan Shaw, performing the greatest hits of Diana Ross and The Supremes, Marvin Gaye, Tammi Terrell, and more in Ain’t No Mountain High Enough: The Music of Motown. 

Triple threat Byron Stripling (conductor, trumpet, and vocals) leads the orchestra, vocalist Carmen Bradford, and vocalist/tap dancer Leo Manzari in jazz hits from the era of The Cotton Club, when artists like Duke Ellington, Cab Calloway, and Ella Fitzgerald held sway. It Don’t Mean a Thing: Swingin’ Uptown Classics with Byron Stripling is happening at Jones Hall November 8, 9, and 10, 2024.

Steven Rieneke returns December 12, 14, and 15, 2024 to lead the orchestra in traditional carols and holiday favorites in the great Houston holiday tradition: Very Merry POPS, with the Houston Symphony Chorus, and special guest, Broadway’s Jessica Vosk.

Also returning to the Jones Hall stage is Pink Martini with China Forbes: 30th Anniversary Season. They’ll ring in the new year and open the second half of the POPS Series, January 3, 4, and 5, 2025 at Jones Hall. Known for its multi-lingual repertoire, this eclectic ensemble regularly performs in concert halls and with orchestras around the nation. Houston audiences can expect a musical potpourri that combines classical, Latin, jazz, world, and classic pop music.

February 28, March 1, and 2, 2025 at Jones Hall, the name is Bond. James Bond. Steven Reineke leads the orchestra and guest vocalist Lena Hall in great Bond themes from Sean Connery through Daniel Craig. Then, April 4, 5, and 6, 2025, Reineke is joined by guest vocalist Mandy Gonzalez for great smash hit numbers from the likes of Wicked, In the Heights, and Hamilton, in Showstoppers! Celebrating the Iconic Women of Broadway.

Conductor Jason Seber, guest vocalists Dan Domenech and Chloe Lowery, and the artists of Cirque de la Symphonie team up April 25, 26, and 27, 2025 for Cirque Rocks!, performing high-voltage arrangements of songs by Styx, Heart, Journey, The Eagles, Cyndi Lauper, and more, while the aerialists, strongmen, and acrobats of Cirque de la Symphonie perform around and above them.

Steven Reineke leads the orchestra and special guest ensemble Rajaton in music from the storied career of the Brothers Gibb in Stayin’ Alive: The Bee Gees & Beyond, May 16, 17, and 18, 2025. And Reineke conducts the season finale June 6, 7, and 8, 2025, celebrating the iconic partnership between one of the greatest directors in film history and arguably filmdom’s all-time greatest composer in John Williams & Steven Spielberg: Movie Magic.

2024−25 PNC FAMILY SEASON OVERVIEW

On select Saturday mornings throughout each season, the Houston Symphony presents its PNC Family Series, a popular Saturday morning destination designed for families and children of all ages.

Family programs include free, interactive lobby activities, such as an Instrument Petting Zoo─which encourages children to try out orchestral instruments─theme-related music, and craft activities. These activities take place one-hour before the 10 a.m. concerts and one hour following the 11:30 a.m. concerts in Jones Hall. Concertgoers are also encouraged to dress in costumes that match the concert’s theme.

The 2024–25 PNC Family Season kicks off with Clap Your Hands, Say Yeah! The Great American Music Adventureon November 9, 2024, when trumpet great Byron Stripling and the Houston Symphony bring audiences along on a journey through quintessential American musical genres. Houston Symphony Assistant Conductor Gonzalos Farías leads the orchestra in Holly Jolly Holiday, featuring a festive sing-along, lobby activities, free hot chocolate, and the chance to visit with Santa, December 14, 2024. The world’s greatest detective helps Gonzalo Farías and the Houston Symphony solve a mystery in Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Missing Maestro, March 1, 2025. The PNC Family Series concludes April 26, 2025, as Jason Seber conducts the orchestra and guest vocalists Dan Domenech and Chloe Lowery, while the artists of Cirque de la Symphonie perform awe-inspiring feats of derring-do.

2024−25 SYMPHONY SPECIALS

2024−25 subscribers get first access to Symphony Specials, presented by Remy Mártin, like Daniil Trifonov, and  Yo-Yo Ma in Concert, as well as newly announced performances throughout the season, including the Houston Symphony’s most in-demand concerts.

One of the most revered conductors in the world, Michael Tilson Thomas, returns to the Houston Symphony for the first time in decades to lead the orchestra and the Houston Symphony Chorus in  Beethoven’s monumental Symphony No. 9, capped by the justly famous, exuberant “Ode to Joy.” One performance only November 14, 2024 at Jones Hall.

Holiday Specials

Back by popular demand, the Symphony kicks off the Holiday Series, presented by Nexus Health Systems, once again with a screening of the animated holiday masterpiece Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas, with the orchestra playing Danny Elfman’s beloved score live, November 16 and 17, 2024 at Jones Hall.

A beloved Houston holiday tradition each season, the Houston Symphony, Houston Symphony Chorus, and guest soloists come together under the baton of Jonathan Cohen (Artistic Director and founder of the early music ensemble Arcangelo), December 20, 21, and 22, 2024 in a performance of Handel’s Messiah, the cherished English-language oratorio about the life and death of Jesus Christ.

Piano superstar Daniil Trifonov joins Juraj Valčuha and the Houston Symphony for one night only, October 10, 2024, for a performance of Dvořák’s only piano concerto, a spirited, heroic work that achieves a beautiful balance between soloist and orchestra.

Dvořák is front and center again on December 9, 2024, as Juraj Valčuha and the Houston Symphony are joined by cello superstar Yo-Yo Ma for Dvořák’s Cello Concerto, of which Interlude Magazine said, “[it] is considered by most cellists as the ultimate masterpiece that displays the depth, emotion, versatility, and range of our beloved instrument.”

The epic saga of “The Boy Who Lived” continues January 18 and 19, 2025 at Jones Hall, as the Houston Symphony screens Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, with the Houston Symphony performing John Williams’s indelible score live to the film.

Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader square off in what many consider to be the greatest sequel ever made, as the Houston Symphony performs John Williams’s iconic score live to the film Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back in its 45thanniversary year, February 21 and 22, 2025 at Jones Hall.

In 2019, the Houston Symphony, under the auspices of its Hispanic Leadership Council, celebrated the “Queen of Tejano Music” with The Music of Selena, bringing the iconic music of Selena to life in a way audiences had never heard it before: backed by a full, world-class symphony orchestra. The Symphony is bringing this concert back April 12 and 13, 2025 at Jones Hall, with its original sensational vocalist Isabel Marie Sánchez, performing Selena’s iconic hits like “Dreaming of You,” “Como La Flor,” “Bidi Bidi Bom Bom,” and many more. 

Ticket Information

Season tickets for the 2024–25 Season, including the Classical Series, the Bank of America POPS Series, and the PNC Family Series are on sale now. Classical Series packages start at $168, Bank of America POPS Series at $188, and PNC Family Series at $89. Subscriber benefits include presale access to Symphony Specials and free ticket exchanges.

Subscribers can also curate their own bespoke package from $195, mixing and matching from over 35 different concerts across series to tailor the perfect season for any tastes.

Single tickets for fall and spring concert tickets will go on sale at a later date. For more information or to purchase, visit houstonsymphony.org, or call or text the Houston Symphony Patron Services Center at 713-224-7575, Monday−Saturday, 12 noon−6 p.m.

Having built a substantial livestream audience beginning in July 2020 comprising audiences in all 50 states and in over 45 countries, the Houston Symphony strives to livestream all of its 2024–25 classical subscription performances, as well as most of its Bank of America POPS performances. Livestream subscriptions are also now available at houstonsymphony.org.

2024–25 CLASSICAL SUBSCRIPTION SERIES

Bohemian Rhapsody Festival

Opening Weekend: Dvořák’s New World

October 4, 5, and 6, 2024

Jones Hall for the Performing Arts

Juraj Valčuha, conductor

Svatopluk Sem, baritone

Houston Symphony Chorus

            B. Dessner: Mari (October 5 and 6)

Martinů: Czech Rhapsody

Dvořák: Symphony No. 9, From the New World

Dvořák’s Violin Concerto

October 12, and 13, 2024

Jones Hall for the Performing Arts

Juraj Valčuha, conductor

James Ehnes, violin

Kaprálová: Military Sinfonietta

Dvořák: Violin Concerto

Janáček: Sinfonietta

Hänsel and Gretel & Don Quixote

November 1, 2, and 3, 2024

Jones Hall for the Performing Arts

Donald Runnicles, conductor

Joan DerHovsepian, viola

Brinton Averil Smith, cello

Wagner: Tannhäuser Overture

Humperdinck: Selections from Hänsel and Gretel

R. Strauss: Don Quixote

Bach, Mozart & Brahms

November 23 and 24, 2024

Jones Hall for the Performing Arts

Yoonshin Song, violin and leader

Jonathan Fischer, oboe

Colin Gatwood, oboe

Mark Nuccio, clarinet

Christian Schubert, clarinet

Rian Craypo, bassoon

Elise Wagner, bassoon

William VerMeulen, horn

Ian Mayton, horn

J.S. Bach: Violin Concerto No. 1

Mozart: Serenade No. 12 for Winds, Nachtmusik

Brahms: Serenade No. 1

VIENNA CALLING FESTIVAL

Thanksgiving Weekend: Beethoven’s Emperor Concerto

November 29, 30, and December 1, 2024

Jones Hall for the Performing Arts

Juraj Valčuha, conductor

Yefim Bronfman, piano

Schubert: Symphony No. 8, Unfinished

Berg: Three Pieces for Orchestra

Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 5, Emperor

A Viennese Waltz Christmas

December 7 and 8, 2024

Jones Hall for the Performing Arts

Juraj Valčuha, conductor

Johann Strauss Jr.: Kaiser-Walzer

                                    Bauern-Polka

                                    Egyptischer Marsch

Josef Strauss: Die Liebelle

                                    Moulinet-Polka

Johann Strauss Jr.: Perpetuum Mobile

Josef Strauss: Feuerfest!

Johann Strauss Jr.: Die Fledermaus, Overture

                                    Der Zigeunerbaron, Overture

                                    Im Krapfenwald

                                    Éljen a Magyar

                                    Persischer Marsch

                                    Tritsch-Tratsch-Polka

                                    Unter Donner und Blitz

Josef Strauss: Jockey-Polka

Johann Strauss Jr.: An der schönen blauen Donau

An Eschenbach & Bruckner Birthday Celebration

January 11 and 12, 2025

Jones Hall for the Performing Arts

Christoph Eschenbach, conductor

Bruckner: Symphony No. 4, Romantic

Beethoven’s Violin Concerto & Tchaikovsky

January 24, 25, and 26, 2025

Jones Hall for the Performing Arts

Tabita Berglund, conductor

Yoonshin Song, violin

A. Thorvaldsdótter: Metacosmos

Beethoven: Violin Concerto

Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 6, Pathétique

Viva Italia! Italian Opera Beyond Words

February 7 and 9, 2025

Jones Hall for the Performing Arts

Juraj Valčuha, conductor

Respighi: Belfagor Overture

Casella: La donna serpente: Suite No. 2

Verdi: Macbeth: Act III Ballet Music

Puccini: Manon Lescaut: Intermezzo from Act III

                Suor Angelica: Intermezzo

                Madame Butterfly: Intermezzo

Rossini: William Tell Overture

Duke Bluebeard’s Castle

February 15 and 16, 2025

Jones Hall for the Performing Arts

Juraj Valčuha, conductor

Ekaterina Gubanova, mezzo-soprano

Gábor Bretz, baritone

U. Chin: Alice in Wonderland: Prelude to the Mad Tea Party

Prokofiev: The Love for Three Oranges: Symphonic Suite

Britten: Peter Grimes: Four Sea Interludes

Bartók: Duke Bluebeard’s Castle

Hilary Hahn Plays Brahms

March 7, 8, and 9, 2025

Jones Hall for the Performing Arts

Andrés Orozco-Estrada, conductor

Hilary Hahn, violin

Brahms: Violin Concerto

R. Strauss: Also sprach Zarathustra

Brahms: Schicksalslied

FAIRYTALES FESTIVAL

Korngold’s Violin Concerto & Cinderella

March 14, 15, and 16, 2025

Jones Hall for the Performing Arts

Juraj Valčuha, conductor

Simone Lamsma, violin

K. Al-Zand: Al-Jazari’s Ingenious Clocks

         (Houston Symphony Commission/World Premiere)

            Korngold: Violin Concerto

            Prokofiev: Suite from Cinderella

Rachmaninoff’s Rhapsody & The Little Mermaid

March 21, 22, and 23, 2025

Juraj Valčuha, conductor

Kirill Gerstein, piano

Liadov: The Enchanted Lake

Rachmaninoff: Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini

Zemlinsky: The Mermaid

Sibelius 5 & Stravinsky

April 18 and 19, 2025

Jones Hall for the Performing Arts

Dalia Stasevska, conductor

Leila Josefowicz, violin

J. Adams: Short Ride in a Fast Machine

Stravinsky: Violin Concerto

Sibelius: Symphony No. 5

Beethoven 7 & Mozart

May 1, 3, and 4, 2025

Jones Hall for the Performing Arts

Matthias Pintscher, conductor

Cédric Tiberghien, piano

Takemitsu: Twill by Twilight

Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 20

Beethoven: Symphony No. 7

Trumpet Brilliance & Bolero

May 9, 10, and 11, 2025

Domingo Hindoyan, conductor

Pacho Flores, trumpet

R. Sierra: Alegría

A. Márquez: Concierto de Otoño (Autumn Concerto)

P. D’Rivera: Concerto Venezolano (Venezuelan Concerto)

Debussy: Ibéria from Images

Ravel: Boléro

Bruce Liu Plays Chopin

May 23, 24, and 25, 2025

Jones Hall for the Performing Arts

Juraj Valčuha, conductor

Bruce Liu, piano

Walker: Icarus in Orbit

Chopin: Piano Concerto No. 1

Schumann: Symphony No. 2

Juraj Valčuha Conducts Mahler 3

May 30, 31, and June 1, 2025

Jones Hall for the Performing Arts

Juraj Valčuha, conductor

Marina Prudenskaya, mezzo-soprano

Sopranos and Altos of the Houston Symphony Chorus

Mahler: Symphony No. 3

2024–25 BANK OF AMERICA POPS

Ain’t No Mountain High Enough: The Music of Motown

September 28 and 29, 2024

Jones Hall for the Performing Arts

Steven Reineke, conductor

Capathia Jenkins, vocalist

Ryan Shaw, vocalist

It Don’t Mean a Thing: Swingin’ Uptown Classics with Byron Stripling

November 8, 9, and 10, 2024

Jones Hall for the Performing Arts

Byron Stripling, conductor, trumpet, and vocalist

Carmen Bradford, vocalist

Leo Manzari, vocalist and tap dancer

Very Merry POPS

December 12, 14, and 15, 2024

Jones Hall for the Performing Arts

Steven Reineke, conductor

Jessica Vosk, vocalist

Houston Symphony Chorus

New Year’s Celebration: Pink Martini with China Forbes

30th Anniversary Season

January 3, 4, and 5, 2025

Jones Hall for the Performing Arts

007: James Bond Forever

February 28, March 1, and 2, 2025

Jones Hall for the Performing Arts

Steven Reineke, conductor

Lena Hall, vocalist

Showstoppers! Celebrating Iconic Women of Broadway

April 4, 5, and 6, 2025

Jones Hall for the Performing Arts

Steven Reineke, conductor

Mandy Gonzalez, vocalist

Cirque Rocks!

April 25, 26, and 27, 2025

Jones Hall for the Performing Arts

Jason Seber, conductor

Dan Domenech, vocalist

Chloe Lowery, vocalist

Cirque de la Symphonie

Stayin’ Alive: The Bee Gees & Beyond

May 16, 17, and 18, 2025

Jones Hall for the Performing Arts

Steven Reineke, conductor

Rajaton, vocal ensemble

John Williams & Steven Spielberg: Movie Magic

June 6, 7, and 8, 2025

Jones Hall for the Performing Arts

Steven Reineke, conductor

2024–25 PNC BANK FAMILY SERIES

Clay Your Hands, Say Yeah! The Great American Music Adventure

November 9, 2024 10 & 11:30 a.m.

Jones Hall for the Performing Arts

Holly Jolly Holiday

December 14, 2024 10 & 11:30 a.m.

Jones Hall for the Performing Arts

Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Missing Maestro

March 1, 2025 10 & 11:30 a.m.

Jones Hall for the Performing Arts

Cirque for Kids

April 26, 2025 10 & 11:30 a.m.

Jones Hall for the Performing Arts

2024–25 SPECIALS

The Music of ABBA

June 15, 2024 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

Hobby Center for the Performing Arts Serafim Hall

Jurassic Park—In Concert

June 22, 2024 2:30 and 7:30 p.m.

June 23, 2024 2:30 p.m.

Hobby Center for the Performing Arts Serafim Hall

The Music of the Rolling Stones

June 28, 2024 7:30 p.m.

June 29, 2024 2:30 p.m.

Hobby Center for the Performing Arts

Trifonov in Concert

October 10, 2024

Jones Hall for the Performing Arts

Juraj Valčuha, conductor

Daniil Trifonov, piano

Kaprálová: Military Sinfonietta

Dvořák: Piano Concerto

Janáček: Sinfonietta

Michael Tilson Thomas Conducts Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9

November 14, 2024

Jones Hall for the Performing Arts

Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor

Yo-Yo Ma in Concert

December 9, 2024

Jones Hall for the Performing Arts

Juraj Valčuha, conductor

Yo-Yo Ma, cello

Johann Strauss Jr.: Die Fledermaus Overture

Dvořäk: Cello Concerto

Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas In Concert

December 16 and 17, 2024

Jones Hall for the Performing Arts

Handel’s Messiah

December 20, 21, and 22, 2024

Jones Hall for the Performing Arts

Jonathan Cohen, conductor

Houston Symphony Chorus

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban In Concert

January 18 and 19, 2025

Jones Hall for the Performing Arts

Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back In Concert

February 21 and 22, 2025

Jones Hall for the Performing Arts

The Music of Selena

April 12 and 13, 2025

Jones Hall for the Performing Arts

Isabel Marie Sánchez, vocalist

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