Houston Symphony to Offer Free Summer Concert Series

Following a successful and packed season, the Houston Symphony will begin a series of free summer concerts June 1. Performances will include eight Summer Community Concerts at various locations across Houston, five concerts as part of the ExxonMobil Summer Symphony Nights at Miller Outdoor Theatre and two festive Star-Spangled Salute celebrations. The free performances are casual, relaxed and designed for concert-goers of all ages.

The free concerts on the summer lineup will be performed in addition to the ticketed Bank of America Summer Series at Jones Hall. Summer activities follow the orchestra's second complete season with Music Director Andrés Orozco-Estrada, which featured violinist Joshua Bell, song-and-dance man Matthew Morrison, festive family concerts and the world premiere of The Cosmos-An HD Odyssey.

The Summer Community Concerts series will be led by Associate Conductor Robert Franz and will welcome soprano Gwendolyn Alfred and baritone Blas Canedo González for eight concerts titled Epic Tales in Music. The program will delight audiences with music including Wagner's famous The Ride of the Valkyries, Gershwin's Summertime, and a dramatic score medley from the hit Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. The free community concerts are scheduled for: June 1 at Lilly Grove Missionary Baptist Church (7:30 p.m.), June 8 at Dulles High School (7:30 p.m.), June 9 at North Shore High School (7:30 p.m.), June 10 at Dobie High School (7:30 p.m.), June 14 at Miller Outdoor Theatre (11 a.m.), July 12 at The Ripley House Neighborhood Center (11 a.m.), July 12 at Alief Taylor High School (7:30 p.m.) and July 13 at Cypress Springs High School (7:30 p.m.).

Included at each community concert is the ever-popular instrument petting zoo, a hands-on, interactive activity that allows children and adults of all ages to touch and play instruments that represent each of the orchestra's instrument families. The instrument petting zoo will be open 45 minutes prior to each concert.

Continuing the more than 70-year-old tradition, the orchestra's ExxonMobil Summer Symphony Nights will take place at 8:30 p.m. June 17-18 and June 24-25 at Miller Outdoor Theatre. Sponsored in part by the City of Houston through the Miller Theatre Advisory Board, these concerts are free and open to the public. Each concert will feature a different conductor, kicking off with Associate Conductor Robert Franz followed by three conductors making their Houston Symphony debuts: Rune Bergmann, Jacomo Bairos and Yaniv Dinur. Classical music from Mozart, Mendelssohn, Brahms and Tchaikovsky will be on the programs. Admission is free, but tickets are required for the seating area.

A Houston tradition, the ever-popular Star-Spangled Salute concert will take place at 8:30 p.m. July 4 at Miller Outdoor Theatre. Led by Principal POPS Conductor Designate Steven Reineke, the celebration includes a firework display provided by the City of Houston through the Miller Theatre Advisory Board and live booming cannons. An additional Star-Spangled Salute performance will take place at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion July 3.

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