David Danzmayr
HOUSTON (Nov. 7, 2018) – The Houston Symphony celebrates Thanksgiving weekend by giving thanks for the musical legacy of two of the greatest symphonic composers of all time, Mozart and Brahms. The orchestra is joined by exciting guest artists Inon Barnatan, piano and David Danzmayr, conductor for A Mozart & Brahms Thanksgiving at 8 p.m., Nov. 23-24, and 2:30 p.m. Nov. 25
Inon Barnatan 2014- Pianist
Photo: Marco Borggreve
at Jones Hall.
Known as “a true poet of the keyboard” (The New York Times), Barnatan brings his consummate artistry to Mozart’s great Piano Concerto No. 22: a work often considered the pinnacle of Mozart’s ingenious skill at finding unique orchestral hues. In fact, this work marks the first time Mozart adds clarinets to the orchestra of one of his piano concertos.
Current chief conductor of the Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra, Danzmayr opens the program with the overture to Franz von Suppé’s operetta The Beautiful Galatea, a tuneful concert-opener full of Viennese waltzes. Danzmayr and the orchestra close out this program with Johannes Brahms’ powerful, cathartic Symphony No. 4.
A Mozart and Brahms Thanksgiving 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 www.houstonsymphony.org. 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.
About the Houston Symphony
During the 2018-19 season, the Houston Symphony celebrates its fifth 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 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 900 community-based performances each year, reaching thousands of people in Greater Houston.
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.