The Houston Symphony Performs Carl Orff's Epic Choral Masterwork CARMINA BURANA

Carmina Burana, Carl Orff's monumental oratorio depicting life, love and lust in medieval times, takes the Jones Hall stage March 29-31 with an all-star cast of soloists, the Houston Symphony Chorus, and rising young conductor Yaniv Dinur, recipient of the prestigious 2019 Sir Georg Solti Conducting Award.

One of the most instantly-recognizable pieces of choral music, Carmina Burana opens and closes with the world-famous chorus "O Fortuna," heard in countless movie scores, including the soundtracks to the films Excalibur and The Doors, television series, and popular advertisements (e.g.: Old Spice, Adidas and Domino's Pizza).

Dinur leads over 200 members of the Houston Symphony and the Houston Symphony Chorus in Carmina Burana, a setting of medieval poetry ranging in subject from the fickleness of fortune and the joys of Spring to the pleasures of the tavern and the flesh. Soloists Laura Claycomb (soprano) and Matthew Grills (tenor) make their Houston Symphony debuts with returning baritone Reginald Smith, Jr., the Houston Symphony Chorus under the direction of Dr. Betsy Cook Weber, and the Fort Bend Boys Choir.

On the same program, Houston Symphony Principal Cello Brinton Averil Smith takes center stage in d'Albert's lyrical and passionate Cello Concerto. Influenced by Liszt, Brahms and Wagner, d'Albert's Cello Concerto is a virtuoso showpiece for the soloist infused with dramatic flair. "I have always loved this piece," said Smith. "And I'm thrilled the Houston Symphony has allowed me to advocate for beautiful but neglected repertoire like this concerto."

The Carmina Burana program sponsored by Shell takes place at Jones Hall for the Performing Arts, 615 Louisiana Street, in Houston's Theater District. For tickets and information, please call (713) 224-7575 or visit houstonsymphony.org. Tickets may also be purchased at the Houston Symphony Patron Services Center in Jones Hall (Monday-Saturday, 12-6 p.m.). All programs and artists are subject to change.

During the 2018-19 season, the Houston Symphony celebrates its fifth season with Music Director Andrés Orozco-Estrada and continues its second century as one of America's leading orchestras with a full complement of concert, community, education, touring and recording activities. The Houston Symphony, one of the oldest performing arts organizations in Texas, held its inaugural performance at The Majestic Theater in downtown Houston June 21, 1913. Today, with an annual operating budget of $33.9 million, the full-time ensemble of 88 professional musicians presents nearly 170 concerts annually, making it the largest performing arts organization in Houston. Additionally, musicians of the orchestra and the Symphony's four Community-Embedded Musicians offer over 900 community-based performances each year, reaching thousands of people in Greater Houston.

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