A joyous finale to the 2008-2009 season.

Congratulations!

Beethoven's 9th Symphony!

Free Admission

Read about the soloists

Lynda Keith-McKnight, soprano	Debra Seibert, mezzo soprano
Russ Clark, tenor	Stephen Ray, bass

LLOYD-WEBBER- "The Music of the Night" from
The Phantom of the Opera
Russ Clark, tenor
MUSSORGSKY - Night on Bald Mountain
RACHMANINOV - Rhapsody on a Theme by Paganini
Jessica Zhu, piano
RODGERS - "Some Enchanted Evening" from South Pacific
Russ Clark, tenor
MOZART - Eine Kleine Nachtmusik "Allegro"
STRAUSS - Blue Danube
ROSSINI - William Tell Overture

Jessica Zhu, pianist	Russ Clark, tenor

Benefitting West Houston Assistance Ministries

Tickets are $10 adults, $5 students, and can be purchased here
or at the door.

Free Admission

SMYTH – Overture to The Wreckers
HUMMEL - Trumpet Concerto in E major
Robert Walp, trumpet, Houston Symphony Orchestra
BORODIN - Symphony no. 2 in B minor

Robert Walp joined the Houston Symphony Orchestra as
Assistant Principal Trumpet in 1983. Originally from Pasadena, California, Mr. Walp studied with Walter Laursen and Thomas Stevens in Los Angeles before moving to Chicago to work with Vincent Cichowicz at Northwestern University. As a member of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, Mr. Walp also studied with Adolph Herseth and Arnold Jacobs of the Chicago Symphony. After graduating from Northwestern University in 1982, Mr. Walp worked with Timofei Dokshuster and Albert Calvayrac in France.

Well known for his success in teaching young people, Robert Walp substituted for Vincent Cichowicz at Northwestern University, leading masterclasses, teaching, and giving a recital at his alma mater. Mr. Walp served on the faculty of Rice University's Shepherd School of Music for five years, and he has adjudicated competitions at the University of Houston Moores School of Music, Rice University's Shepherd School of Music, and the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama.

Active as a chamber musician as well as recitalist, Robert Walp has performed with the Carmel Bach Festival, San Louis Obispo Mozar Festival, Rheingau Musikfestival, Albi Festival, and Gidon Kremer's Laurié Festival in Köln & St. Petersberg, Russia. Solo appearances include numerous recitals throughout the US and Europe, and concerti with the Symphonies of Houston and Brazosport, Texas. He leads the brass ensemble TOOT!, and conducts the Houston Brass Band.

Free Admission

ARRIAGA – Ouverture pastorale
FALLA – Nights in the Gardens of Spain
Melissa Marse, pianist, Houston Baptist University
CHABRIER – España
RIMSKY-KORSAKOV – Capriccio Espagñol

Pianist Melissa Marse has been featured in New York venues including Alice Tully Hall, Merkin Hall, Pierpont Morgan Library, and Carnegie Hall as well as the Ford Centre for the Performing Arts in Toronto and the Gardner Museum in Boston. Her solo and chamber music performances spanning the repertoire are being met with critical acclaim throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, and Asia.

In February 2001 upon invitation by the late Isaac Stern, she debuted in Carnegie Weill Hall with the Lincoln Piano Trio. She has been a returning guest artist for CarnegieKids, and was music director, coach, and pianist for the Metropolitan Opera's Growing Up with Opera. She has collaborated with members of the New York Philharmonic, Hong Kong Philharmonic, London Symphony, Berlin Philharmonic, Boston Symphony, and was a vocal soloist for New Music New Haven. She sings professionally with the Grammy nominated ensemble Conspirare, directed by Craig Hella Johnson. Additionally, she is a founding Artist Member and Board Member of the New York based chamber music society America's Dream Chamber Artists.

She has played under the baton of conductors including James Conlon, John Debney, James DePriest, Jerry Junkin, Jahja Ling, Lawrence Loh, Timothy Muffit, Murray Sidlin, Lawrence Leighton Smith, Yuri Temirkanov, Michael Tilson Thomas, and Gerhardt Zimmermann. Other musicians with whom she has worked include Boris Berman, Vladimir Feltsman, Peter Frankl, Aldo Parisot, Robert White, and the Tokyo String Quartet. Radio appearances include NPR's Performance Today, WNYC, WKBH, Texas public radio broadcasts, and public radio in Japan and the Slovak Republic. Festival appearances include the Pacific Music Festival, Juilliard Focus Festival, Aspen Music Festival, Victoria Bach Festival, ProMusicis Foundation Concerts, and the Isaac Stern Chamber Music Workshop. She has appeared as soloist with the Vancouver Symphony, Victoria Symphony, Ft. Worth Symphony, and the Breckenridge Music Festival Orchestra in addition to various film music studio orchestras in Los Angeles.

Ms. Marse completed Professional Studies at The Juilliard School with Brian Zeger while also studying with Herbert Stessin and the late Samuel Sanders. She obtained a Masters Degree at Yale University as a scholarship student of Claude Frank, and received a Bachelor of Music degree with honors from the University of Texas. Her Doctorate degree was awarded from New England Conservatory.

Melissa was the recipient of the Certificate of Distinction for her teaching at Harvard University. She has also taught at Texas State University, the Mannes Art Song Institute, the Plymouth Music Festival, and is a frequent piano competition adjudicator. She is currently the Head of the Keyboard Department at Houston Baptist University.

2006 - 2007 season highlights included Shostakovich Concerto No. 2 with the Austin Symphony, Merkin Hall as pianist in the Mark O'Connor Trio with Rosanne Cash, and Liszt's Totentanz with the Northeastern Pennsylvania Philharmonic. Upcoming 2007- 2008 engagements include Steinway Hall, Carnegie Hall, Library of Congress, and the Meyerson Center. Melissa is the founding Artistic Director of the Houston Chamber Music Society, founded in 2007.

BEETHOVEN – Leonore Overture no. 3
HAYDN - Cello Concerto no. 1 in C major, H. VIIb:1
Marcia Chen, cello
WEBER - Concertino, J. 109, op. 26 in E flat major
Jeremy Reynolds, clarinet
LALO - Concerto in D minor for Violoncello and Orchestra
Charles Seo, cello
DVORAK - Slavonic Dances, op. 46, no. 1 & 3

Marcia Chen, cello	Jeremy Reynolds, clarinet	Charles Seo, cello