Marek Janowski to Conduct the Houston Symphony

The Houston Symphony welcomes back world-renowned conductor and critically acclaimed Wagner interpreter Marek Janowski in Wagner + Beethoven 2, a program that celebrates the music of two revolutionary composers, 8 p.m. Oct. 25 and 26, and 2:30 p.m. Oct. 27 at Jones Hall.

First on the program, Janowski leads the orchestra in Beethoven's upbeat Symphony No. 2. Even though it was written as Beethoven grappled with his tragic hearing loss, the lively masterpiece finds the composer putting on a brave face, combining musical jokes and jovial energy throughout the symphony. With its brash, forward-looking style, the work marks an important point in Beethoven's development as a composer, bringing him to the brink of the musical revolution he would unleash in his next symphony.

Known for his recordings of all of Wagner's mature operas including a complete Ring Cycle, Janowski opens the second half of the program with two equally innovative works by Wagner: the scandalously provocative Overture and Venusberg Music from Tannhäuser, and two majestic excerpts from Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg (The Mastersingers of Nuremberg). The two pieces close an evening of powerful orchestral music that particularly showcases the orchestra's brass sections.

Wagner + Beethoven 2, sponsored by Rand Group, takes place at Jones Hall for the Performing Arts, 615 Louisiana Street, in Houston's Theater District. For tickets and information, please call 713.224.7575 or visit houstonsymphony.org. Tickets may also be purchased at the Houston Symphony Patron Services Center in Jones Hall (Monday-Saturday, 12-6 p.m.). All programs and artists are subject to change.

During the 2019-20 season, the Houston Symphony celebrates its sixth 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 $35.2 million, the full-time ensemble of 88 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 1,000 community-based performances each year at various schools, community centers, hospitals, and churches reaching nearly 200,000 people in Greater Houston annually.

The Grammy Award-winning Houston Symphony has recorded under various prestigious labels, including Naxos, Koch International Classics, Telarc, RCA Red Seal, Virgin Classics and, most recently, Dutch recording label Pentatone. In 2017, the Houston Symphony was awarded an ECHO Klassik award for the live recording of Alban Berg's Wozzeck under the direction of former Music Director Hans Graf. The orchestra earned its first Grammy nomination and Grammy Award at the 60th annual ceremony for the same recording in the Best Opera Recording category.

Photo Credit: Felix Broede