Previous Season Performances
FridayOctober 4, 20137:30 pmWest Houston Assistance Ministries benefit concert First United Methodist Church Houston, Admission | Concert repertoire will include HOLST -- Selections from The Planets DORFF -- Blast Off! DELIBES -- Coppelia Ballet Suite STANFORD -- Irish Rhapsody no. 1 |
| WAGNER -- Overture to Rienzi TELEMANN -- Viola Concerto in G major HINDEMITH -- Trauermusik
SHOSTAKOVICH -- Symphony no. 9 in E flat major, op. 79 |
7:00 pmSt. Martin's Episopal Church Free Admission | R. STRAUSS -- Opening to Also Sprach Zarathustra SIBELIUS -- Finlandia SCHUMANN -- Cello Concerto in A minor, op. 120
SAINT-SAENS -- Symphony no. 3 in C minor, op. 78 "Organ" |
Friday | Overture -- TBD Young Artist Concerto Winners SCHUBERT- Symphony no. 8 in B minor, D. 759 "Unfinished" |
Friday | VAUGHAN WILLIAMS – Serenade to Music BERNSTEIN – Chichester Psalms BERNSTEIN – “Make Our Gardens Grow” from Candide RACHMANINOV – Symphonic Dances, op. 45 |
| Williams, The Cowboys Overture Tickets available through www.whamministries.org after August 1, 2012 |
Friday, 8:00 pm | Hummel, Trumpet Concerto in E flat |
Friday, 8:00 pm | Dvorak, Carnival Overture |
Friday, 8:00 pm | Michael Isadore, Conducting |
Friday, 8:00 pm | Beethoven, Violin Concerto |
Friday | Smetana - Bartered Bride Overture Bizet - L'Arlesienne Suite No. 2 Borodin - In the Steppes of Central Asia Marquez - Danzon no. 2 Copland - El Salon Mexico And choral works with WHAM member church choir members |
Friday | MacDowell - Hamlet, op. 22 Haydn - Symphony no. 94, "Surprise" Ravel - Piano Concerto in D Major for the Left Hand Sibelius - Karelia Suite, Op. 11
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Friday | Gabrieli - Canzona for Brass Jacob - Concerto for Bassoon, Strings and Percussion Franck - Symphony in D minor, M. 48 |
Friday March 2, 2012, 7:30 p.m.St. Martin's Episcopal Church Free Admission |
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| Gershwin - Cuban Overture Berlioz - Symphonie Fantastique, op. 14 |
The orchestra will continue its "Have a Seat on Stage" at this concert. At intermission, a name will be drawn for the privilege of sitting on stage with the orchestra for the second half of the concert. Tickets will be available for purchase in the lobby before the concert and at intermission. Tickets purchased at the January concert but not drawn will still be eligible to win this drawing. Be sure to attend, and bring your January ticket with you!
Soloists for the performance are Andrew Shiau, cello, and Serena Wang, winners of the Senior Division of the Symphony's Young Artist Competition conducted in January, and Bradly Dombrosky, piano, Winner, Senior Division, Pearland Music Teachers Association Concerto Competition.
The program will begin with Bernstein's Overture to Candide, and end with Saint-Saens' Bacchanale from Samson and Delilah.
 | Andrew Shiau, pictured left, will perform movements 1 and 2 of Elgar's Concerto in e minor, Op.85. Andrew is a student at Jersey Village High School. He started his studies with Cornelia Watkins at age eleven. He has won competitions including the Houston Youth Symphony Concerto Competition, the Clear Lake Concerto Competition, and the Houston Civic Symphony Concerto Competition. In addition, he has been a member of the all-state symphony orchestra for two years, and was selected as a 2011 Houston Young Artist. He attended Madeline Island Music Camp in 2009 and the Indiana University Summer String Academy in 2010. He enjoys reading and listening to classical music. Serena Wang, pictured center, will perform the third movement of Tchaikovsky's Concerto in D Major. |
 | Serena Wang is a Junior at A&M Consolidated High School in College Station, Texas. She began her musical studies on piano at the age of 4, and switched to violin at the age of 10. Her major influences in violin include Mr. Henry Rubin and Mr. Robert Donehew. This year, she was a finalist in the recent Houston Symphony League concerto competition. Her other achievements on the violin include receiving the Outstanding Performance award at TSSEC, being a member of the TMEA All-State Symphony Orchestra, and being a member of the Symphony orchestra of the Houston Youth Symphony for the past three years. |
 | Bradly Dombrowsky, pictured right, will perform the third movement of MacDowell's Piano Concerto No. 2. Bradly is a senior at Dawson High School in Pearland ISD. He has been studying piano since age 8 and has studied with his current teacher, Mrs. Cindy Mills, for the past seven and half years. Under the direction of Mrs. Mills he has earned numerous "Outstanding" awards at Federation Gold Cup Competitions, earned bronze and silver medals in the Music Theory Exams and qualified to be a participant in TMTA State Ensembles. Bradly is currently is in his 4th year as percussionist with the Houston Youth Symphony and the Dawson High School Band. He earned his Eagle Scout Rank with Boy Scout Troop 464 in August of 2008. |
Friday, March 4, 2011 | Leonard Bernstein - Overture to "Candide" Elgar - Concerto in e minor, Op. 85, movements 1 and 2
MacDowell - Piano Concerto No. 2, third movement
Intermission Tchaikovsky - Concerto in D major, third movement
Saint-Saens - Bacchanale from Samson and Delilah |
Friday, April 29, 2011 | W.A. Mozart - Overture to" Cosi fan Tutti" Johannes Brahms - Ein Deutsches Requiem, Op. 45
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Friday, October 1, 2010 7:30 p.m. Prior to the concert, Mozart's Quintet for | Gioacchino Rossini - Barber of Seville Overture Paul Dukas - The Sorcerer's Apprentice Peter Tchaikovsky - "Waltz of the Flowers" from The Nutcracker Suite Ney Rosauro - Marimba Concerto No. 1, movements 1, 2 and 4 Peter Tchaikovsky - "Marche" from The Nutcracker Suite Franz Liszt - Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 |
Sunday, November 21, 2010 2:30 p.m. Plan to arrive early to enjoy a performance of Mozart's Oboe Quartet, K. 370, in the Lobby, beginning at 1:55. Bruce Leon, oboe; Bill Atkerson, violin; Mendy Smith, viola; Doris Maynard, cello After the concert, plan to join us for a reception honoring Dr. Linder in the Learning Center, Professional II Building, Memorial Hermann Hospital Complex (immediately adjacent to the HBU Campus). No ticket required. | Franz Liszt - Les Preludes
Paul Hindemith - Symphonic Metamorphosis of Themes by Weber Ludwig van Beethoven - Symphony No. 8, Op. 93, F Major |
Friday, January 21, 2011 8:00 p.m. Free Admission Eric Ladau, KUHF, guest host | J.S. Bach - Orchestral Suite No. 3 in D Major L. Liebermann - Concerto for Flute and Orchestra, Op. 39 Jennifer Isadore, Winner, Member Concerto Competition, soloist
Igor Stravinsky - L'Oiseau de Feu |
| Friday, October 9, 2009 7:30 p.m. West Houston Assistance Ministries Benefit Concert; First United Methodist Church Houston, Westchase Campus 10570 Westpark, Houston, TX 77042 | Humperdinck - Prelude to "Hansel and Gretel" |
Friday, Free Admission Sunday, November 22, 2009 A ticketed concert, in association with Tickets available through the | Smetana - Moldau from "Ma Vlast" Aija Izaks has studied music performance at some of the finest music institutions in Europe, such Aija has traveled and performed all over the world and learned first hand different types and styles of music such as Baroque, Classical, Popular, Broadway, Jazz, Swing, Blues, Country & Western, Fiddling, various Ethnic styles, and many others. Prior to moving to the U.S., Aija was the violinist at the National Opera and Ballet House in Riga, Latvia, at several symphony orchestras around the world, and performed with various chamber music groups, both in the groups, and as soloist. For three years she was concertmaster of the West Virginia Symphony Orchestra where she had the privilege of performing with such notable artists as violinist Itzhak Perlman, cellist Yo-Yo Ma, flutist James Galway, and fiddler extraordinaire Mark O'Connor. She was honored to perform for First Lady Laura Bush in College Station. She remains active as a performer and teacher. She maintains a private studio in Richmond, TX, where she teaches both violin and piano. |
Friday, January 22, 2010 Free Admission | J. Strauss - Fanfare for the Vienna Philharmonic
Dr. Rhonda Furr has been a part of the Houston Baptist University music faculty since 1989. Her teaching fields include organ and musicology. As organ professor and university organist, she worked with the Canadian firm, Orgues Létourneau Limitée, to design the 58-rank Smith Organ in HBU's Belin Chapel. She has served as Dean of the Houston Chapter of the American Guild of Organists. In addition to numerous honors awarded at HBU, Dr. Furr was also a recipient of the Leadership Award by the Houston Chapter of Sigma Alpha Iota, the International Music Fraternity for Women. She has authored articles for The American Organist and The Hymn. Her biography and catalog on the life and work of distinguished scholar, author and composer Donald Paul Hustad is included in the book, Jubilate, Amen! A Festschrift in Honor of Donald Paul Hustad (2010). Active in music ministry, Dr. Furr has held organist positions at several Houston churches, including Willow Meadows Baptist Church, Houston's First United Methodist Church, and Grace Presbyterian Church; she is currently organist at Houston's First Presbyterian Church. Dr. Furr is active as an organ consultant, clinician and recitalist. She holds degrees from Western Carolina University and Southern Seminary where she completed the Doctor of Musical Arts degree. |
| Thursday, March 11, 2010 8:00 p.m. HBU, Morris Cultural Arts Center, Dunham Theater Free Admission | Young Artist Concert Torke- Green Wieniawski - Violin Concerto No. 2 in D minor, mvt. 1 Hummel- Bassoon Concerto in F, mvt. 1 Beethoven- Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 61, mvt. 3 Brahms - Academic Festival Overture |
Sunday, May 2, 2010 Free Admission | Wagner - Prelude to Die Meistersinger Mahler - Symphony no. 1 in D "Titan" |
as the Rimski-Korsakov Music School for the Gifted (St. Petersburg, Russia), Emils Darzins Music School for the Gifted (Riga, Latvia), and has earned her Master's Degree in Music Performance from the prestigious Music College, Latvian Music Academy (Riga, Latvia). She was recognized as "Best Graduate of the Year" in a leading National magazine. Aija moved to the U.S. in 1994 and her own dream came true – she became a citizen of the United States. 
| Friday, May 1, 2009 7:30 p.m. HBU, Morris Cultural Arts Center, Dunham Theater Free Admission |
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| Friday, October 10, 2008 7:30 p.m. First United Methodist Church Houston, Westchase Campus 10570 Westpark, Houston, TX 77042 | LLOYD-WEBBER- "The Music of the Night" from
Benefitting West Houston Assistance Ministries | ||||||||
| Friday, November 21, 2008 7:30 p.m. HBU, Morris Cultural Arts Center Free Admission | SMYTH – Overture to The Wreckers
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| Friday, January 30, 2009 7:30 p.m. HBU, Morris Cultural Arts Center, Dunham Theater Free Admission | ARRIAGA – Ouverture pastorale
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. | ||||||||
| Thursday, March 12, 2009 7:30 p.m. HBU, Morris Cultural Arts Center, Dunham Theater | Young Artist Concert BEETHOVEN – Leonore Overture no. 3
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Robert Walp joined the Houston Symphony Orchestra as 
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.
For further information contact: support @ civicsymphony.org or telephone 281-586-2100
Supported in part by a grant from the City of Houston through the Cultural Arts Council of Houston/Harris County
