The Houston Symphony to Open the Second Half of the 19–20 Season with Violinist Augustin Hadelich

The Houston Symphony opens the second half of the 19-20 season with Grammy Award-winning violinist Augustin Hadelich in the all-Italian program, Paganini + "Pines of Rome" at 8 p.m. Jan. 9 and 11 and 2:30 p.m. Jan. 12. Sunday's performance also honors Houston-area educators with a special Salute to Educators celebration.

Known for his phenomenal technique and poetic sensitivity, Hadelich takes center stage to perform a work so technically challenging that it leaves audiences gasping: Niccoló Paganini's Violin Concerto No. 1. Guest conductor Jader Bignamini, who makes his Houston Symphony debut, opens the program with one of the most famous classical pieces ever written, the Overture to Rossini's opera William Tell, which enjoyed a 20th-Century resurgence in popularity thanks to the Lone Ranger.

The second half of the program features two tone poems by Respighi: The Fountains of Rome and The Pines of Rome. The Fountains of Rome depicts four of Rome's famous fountains at different times of the day, while The Pines of Rome explores Rome's history by evoking its iconic pine trees in locations throughout the Eternal City, ending with blazing brass in one of the most sonically spectacular finales in classical music.

Annually, the Houston Symphony honors Houston-area music teachers with a special Salute to Educators concert to recognize their efforts towards music education within Houston's community and schools. This year's honoree is accomplished violinist, conductor, and music educator Angela Badon from J. Frank Dobie High School in Pasadena ISD. Salute to Educators takes place during the Sunday matinee performance of the Paganini + "Pines of Rome" program. Salute to Educators is sponsored by Spec's Wines, Spirits & Finer Foods/Spec's Charitable Foundation, the Houston Symphony's Principal Corporate Guarantor.

Paganini + "Pines of Rome", sponsored by Shell Favorite Masters, 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 2019-20 season, the Houston Symphony celebrates its sixth 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 $35.2 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 1,000 community-based performances each year at various schools, community centers, hospitals, and churches reaching nearly 200,000 people in Greater Houston annually.

The Grammy Award-winning Houston Symphony has recorded under various prestigious labels, including Naxos, Koch International Classics, Telarc, RCA Red Seal, Virgin Classics and, most recently, Dutch recording label Pentatone. In 2017, the Houston Symphony was awarded an ECHO Klassik award for the live recording of Alban Berg's Wozzeck under the direction of former Music Director Hans Graf. The orchestra earned its first Grammy nomination and Grammy Award at the 60th annual ceremony for the same recording in the Best Opera Recording category.

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