Tag Archives: Houston classical music

Encore!! Houston Classical Music Gains Dedicated Radio Coverage

Recent years have proven challenging for Houston’s incredible Arts Scene.  After KUHF’s Award-Winning program The Front Row closed its doors in 2013, the city’s diverse collection of artists and musicians lost one of their greatest champions.  In the years since, Houstonians have been wondering what will become of the once robust local music and arts coverage that was offered on public radio.

Past live performance from KUHF’s The Front Row featuring members of the Houston Ebony Music Society, 2012.  Performers are DuWayne Davis, Adavion Wayne, Wayne Ashley and Leon Turner with Dr. John Cornelius at the piano.  

Even with excellent intermittent feature stories from the great folks at Houston Public Media’s Houston Matters and the dedicated work of Arts and Culture reporter Amy Bishop and TV8 program Arts InSight, Houston Arts have dearly missed the programming options and connectivity that our former program schedule provided, and have been left wondering if there will ever be additional options.

Luckily with 2017, part of that open question is getting answered, as Houston Public Media premieres a new program dedicated to classical music in the area.  Here’s more from Clifford Pugh of CultureMap

Fans of Houston’s classical music scene will have a new outlet as Houston Public Media debuts a new weekly radio show and podcast that highlights performances of local concert organizations. Encore Houston premieres Saturday at 10 pm, with an encore performance Sunday at 4 pm on Classical 88.7 HD-2 and online at houstonpublicmedia.org/listen-live.

The first episode features Mercury‘s performance of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 in D Minor, also known as the “Choral” Symphony, from May 2016, along with commentary and details about the chamber orchestra’s upcoming performance from Houston Public Media classical host and producer Joshua Zinn.

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Other classical groups that will be featured during the first season are KINETIC, Chamber Music Houston, DaCamera, Ars Lyrica, Houston Early Music, Context, Musiqa, Bach Society, Houston Chamber Choir, River Oaks Chamber Orchestra, and St. Cecilia Chamber Music Society. The length of each show varies according to the concert performance; most shows will run between one and two hours.

Like other HPM program offerings, each episode of Encore Houston is also available via podcast, so if you’ve missed the debut, you can always go back and check out the previous shows.  Beyond listening, you can also show your support for Encore Houston (and any possibilities of future arts coverage) by posting about the program on social media.  Host and producer Joshua Zinn is on Twitter as @HPMZinn, and though there’s no Facebook page for the specific show yet, you can always like the Houston Public Media page and like/comment on posts about the new show.

After a noticeable drought of music and arts coverage, it’s great to see those resources slowly reforming in the community.  Encore, indeed!

Music Musings: The Houston Chamber Choir

For a singer and lover of all types of music, the recent resurgence of choirs has been a stunning event to witness. Of course choral groups have always had their fan base, but the broad-based popularity is something new, at least for the millennial generation.  No doubt it’s due to in part to shows like Glee and The Sing-Off… people have discovered that something magical happens when voices come together in song.

It’s been especially great to experience this resurgence as a member of one such group… the Houston Chamber Choir, under the direction of Robert Simpson. Now in its eighteenth season, the ensemble has firmly distinguished itself as a national leader in classical choral music. The choir has performed with a diverse group of artists, including singing sensation Jackie Evancho, Grammy Award winning Gospel star Cynthia Clawson, and the late great Dave Brubeck.

One way this group sets itself apart is not just through beautiful sound, but a commitment to innovative and relevant concert programs. Just in 2013, Houston Chamber Choir concerts celebrated the election of Pope Francis, and commemorated the 50th Anniversary of JFK’s assassination. Members of the ensemble will also perform for the 2014 inauguration of Houston Mayor Annise Parker, Controller Ronald Green, and the Houston City Council.

Along with stunning musical performances, the Houston Chamber Choir is equally committed to educational outreach. The choir is currently hosting a multi-year residency at Rusk Elementary school, working with young, economically- challenged students to foster music appreciation and creativity. 

To kick off 2014, here is the choir singing a brilliant new piece… O Magnum Mysterium by composer Wayne Oquin. Enjoy the sounds of the Houston Chamber Choir. 

For information on upcoming performances, visit www.houstonchamberchoir.org.