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DateConcertDescription
9/10/2010 7:30:00 PMFerenc Illenyi and his Gypsy Band Our first concert of the 2010-2011 season brings back the group that stretched our seating capacity to its limits; adding extra seats twice with people still left on the waiting list. And they didn't disappoint. We immediately booked Ferenc and his Gypsy Band to open our 2009-2010 season and after this concert sold out 6 weeks before the event we felt we needed to bring them back again to kick off the 2010-2011 season. ……………………………………………………………… Get ready for a fun and exciting way to start our 2010-2011 season. Houston Symphony violinist Ferenc Illenyi will lead his Gypsy Band through an eclectic evening of rhythms, classical interpretations, and jazz improvisations taken from Gypsy styles in Central and Eastern Europe. ……………………………………………………………… This will be a concert that either you were thrilled to have attended or very sorry to have missed!
11/5/2010 7:30:00 PMJade Simmons - Impulse Artist Series Jade Simmons was our featured performer back in January 2009. Classically trained under Woodlands Salon Series favorite, Jon Kimura (Jackie) Parker, Jade has made a very successful career for herself. However Jade has branched out beyond solo and orchestral performance. ……………………………………………………………… Jade leveraged the speaking poise she showed becoming first runner up of the 2000 Miss America pageant to become the highly acclaimed Internet host of the 2009 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. ……………………………………………………………… Dear to her heart is the Impulse Artist Series where Jade has been helping promote very high caliber young artists. She brings a few artists to town for a festival of performances. The November 5th concert will allow each of these artists to perform a portion of their individual recitals. While the exact complement of musicians has not been confirmed, it is likely that you will hear solo piano, harp and trumpet.
1/21/2011 7:30:00 PMJessica Mathaes - Violin; Colette Valentine - piano Hailed by critics for her “vivacious playing that’s both technically superb and emotionally engaging” and for her “quicksilver bowing” and “keenly expressed emotion,” award-winning violinist Jessica Mathaes enjoys a multifaceted career as a soloist, recording artist, educator and concertmaster of the Austin Symphony. ……………………………………………………………… Ms. Mathaes was appointed concertmaster of the Austin Symphony in 2005, becoming the youngest person to occupy the chair and the first woman concertmaster in the symphony's 99-year history. The Austin Chronicle selected her debut as featured soloist with the orchestra as one of the “Top 10 classical music wonders of 2007,” declaring her “a master of the Khachaturian Violin Concerto.” Her much anticipated debut solo CD, “Suites and Sweets,” was released on the Centaur label in the spring of 2009 and features works by Cowell, Stravinsky, Korngold, de Falla, Ravel and Massenet. ……………………………………………………………… Equally at home on the violin and the viola, Ms. Mathaes holds performance degrees in both instruments from Rice University, where she graduated magna cum laude.
2/18/2011 7:30:00 PM2011 Gala - Jazz Pianist Taylor Eigsti Dave Brubec says the following about Jazz Pianist Taylor Eigsti: "He's the most amazing talent I've ever come across. Remember him." Martin Gladu (All About Jazz) writes: "It is always a joy, not to mention quite reassuring, for any serious acoustic jazz cognoscente to happen upon a young interpreter of the music that not only masters its tradition, but significantly develops his own voice and sound….Be prepared to be blown away." ……………………………………………………………… Not bad for a person in his early 20's. He has produced six albums and was nominated for two GRAMMY awards for Best Instrumental Compostion and Best Instrumental Jazz Solo. ……………………………………………………………… You will be treated to a number of his Eigsti originals along with some Brubeck traditions such as Take Five and L'il Darlin made famous by Count Basie. ……………………………………………………………… Get to know Taylor a bit better by visiting www.tayloreigsti.com. If you like jazz, you will be in for a big treat at out 2011 Gala concert.
3/25/2011 7:30:00 PMWilliam VerMuellen - French Horn; pianist TBD It has been over 8 years since we had a French Horn recital - and we are not going to let it go another year. Our artist for this evening is none other than the principal horn for the Houston Symphony and Professor of Horn at Rice University's Shepherd School of Music, William VerMuellen. ……………………………………………………………… Hailed as “an impeccable solo horn” by the Berlin Neue Zeit, William VerMeulen leads his generation of American Horn Soloists. In Tune magazine says, “the horn playing of William VerMeulen is miraculous!....clearly one of today's superstars of the international brass scene.” Fanfare magazine writes, “Horn virtuoso William VerMeulen may be the best of the lot, commanding his difficult instrument with suavity and grace.” ……………………………………………………………… Mr. VerMeulen has been Principal Horn of the Houston Symphony since 1990. In addition, he has performed as guest Principal Horn of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Cincinnati Symphony, St. Louis Symphony, Pittsburgh Symphony and St. Paul Chamber Orchestra. He previously played with the orchestras of Chicago, Columbus, Honolulu, and Kansas City. Mr. VerMeulen maintains a busy schedule as a soloist and chamber musician with recent engagements in New York, Spain, Israel, Poland, Alabama, Colorado, Florida, Ohio, Idaho, Orcas Island, Virginia, Washington, and Texas.
5/6/2011 7:30:00 PMEric Halen - Violin; Scott Holshouser - Piano; Desmond Hoebig - Cello We conclude the 2010-2011 season with a phenomenal cellist coupled with our favorite pair of musicians; Eric Halen (Associate Concertmaster of the Houston Symphony) and Scott Holshouser (Principal Keyboard of the Houston Symphony). Eric and Scott's recitals at the Woodlands Salon Series have consistently drawn some of our largest audiences. ……………………………………………………………… Desmond Hoebig was the principal cello for the Houston Symphony from 1991 until 2003. In 2003 he became the principal cello of the Cleveland Orchestra and in 2009 he was appointed Professor of Cello at Rice University's Shepherd School of Music. He is a consumate chamber musician and this will make the final concert of the 2010-2011 season very special.