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Andre,s energy is infectious.
he brings joy to the music.
There was a lead conection at the okastra
[inaudible] >> I just love his youthful energy.
he brings music alive for the audience.
[speaking spanish] ‚
[applause] Welcome as we unveil the houston symphony 2014/15 series, the first season of the brand-new music director, andres
orozco-estrada and andres is in the studio.
He'll be here in just a moment.
We'll be doing a q & a with him, so whether you are in the studio audience here at the motor center or if you're watching at
home or watching on the web, via the symphony website our website, you will get the opportunity to ask your
questions.
You see our twitter handle there at the bottom of the screen, so go ahead and start tweeting.
I should say that before we actually talk to andres, we can talk very generally to the ceo of the executive director of the
houston symphony, mark hanson.
He is here.
Welcome, mark.
>> Thank you.
[Applause] >> we'll talk very generally to begin with.
This is a whirlwind time for the houston symphony.
You're in the middle of your centennial season and it's going to be followed the inaugural season of this fantastic new
conductor.
What are you thinking?
What are you feeling?
[00:02:01] >> We can hardly contain our excitement right now, both throughout the centennial season and the
arrival of our 15th music director, andres orozco-estrada.
He's such a dynamic, charismatic passionate musician, a joy to work with.
>> Is it going to be difficult to keep up with him.
>> That's for sure but a wonderful challenge to use his arrival to interact with the community and audiences in new
and exciting ways.
>> This really is the sort of and beginning of the new era not just for the houston symphony but also for the performing arts
in general here in houston?
>> As one of our youngest music directors in our 100 year director and as our first hispanic director, andres opened
so many doors for the houston symphony, to attract audiences of all ages, from all parts of houston.
And we are trying to seize that opportunity by announcing his arrival in as loud a joyous fashion as possible.
>> The houston symphony does three series the classical the family and the pops and we'll be talking about those in just a
moment, but generally speaking, give us is sense of what we might hear.
>> First of all, it doesn't what your musical preferences are, the houston symphony performs something that you will love.
For new audiences, we invite you to come down to jones hall or hear any of our community performances to enjoy the thrill
of 87 world cast musicians performing as one unit.
>> The first series we're going to hear about is the classical series so let's see what aurelie desmarais had to say when I sat
down with her at jones hall.
All aurelie desmarais, conducting conducting inaugural season, let's begin with andres orozco-estrada.
>> Rachmaninoff concerto, great wonderful way to open the subscription season.
Another thing that andres has put together is three weeks of beethoven symphony number 1, 4 and 5.
And this is part of a three-year all 9 beethoven cycle that should be a great deal of fun.
[00:04:17] >> And he'll get to work with the symphony chorus.
>> It's that's so exciting for him.
He doesn't get a chance to work with choruses so often, so he's like a little kid in a candy shop and going to be able to do
two requiems, mozart and verdi.
>> A big name that's coming that I'm sure andres is happy to see -- >> yes.
It's such a privilege to have mr. Perlman to come, not only play but also conduct the orchestra in schubert's ninth
symphony.
>> Opening night, picture an exhibition.
>> Just a little piece.
Yeah, it's a great showoff piece for the orchestra and also on that program we'll be having british trumper.
>> What about some of the guest artists we mentioned andre watts and I seeack perlman.
>> Sarah chang, derek olson, a pianist, we have so many fine, fine artists coming to work with andres.
>> Including some members of the symphony, frank huang?
>> It's important to bring not only guests and arts from outside hussein and from the international forum but also to
be able to really feature our unbelievably talented musicians, frank won concert master and brenton smith our principal
cellist.
>> And the novel sisters.
>> Andres had actually worked with the naughton sisters.
They're a piano duo over in vienna and he was so excited by this young american duo that he thought he would bring them to
appear with him in the mozart concerto.
>> Now, this particular concert that andres is really looking forward to.
>> Oh -- >> his opening outdoor theater.
>> That is so exciting to him because what he loves about the houston community is how vibrant and alive and curious and
excited people are.
And nothing better than to have a barn filled with people who are just enjoying the atmosphere, enjoying the music
and I think that that spanish-inspired program is going to be just an absolute blast.
[00:06:33] >> Talk about andres' new series, musically speaking.
This is something new, something that he's bringing to houston to the houston symphony.
>> Andres absolutely adores connecting to people about music, not only through his electric conducting style but
also being able to talk and have a dialog and share.
And so we have organized something called musically speaking.
There is going to be three thursday night concerts at student concert hall at rice university that will feature
just one symphony, a big piece.
And it will be an opportunity for him and some musicians to play some examples, to get into the background a little bit, to
really invite people in to the music at a deeper level, and i can think of no better host and tour guide than andres.
>> He's also offering one of those musically speaking concerts in spanish.
>> That's right.
>> Beethoven fifth.
>> Not that beethoven fifth sounds spanish but the commentary will be in spanish.
And that will be in november, also at rice university.
>> Well, a great classical series for his inaugural season, aurelie desmarais, thank you very much.
>> You're welcome.
>> And aurelie desmarais worked very closely with a man who has put this tremendous season together and it's my great
privilege to be able to introduce andres orozco-estrada.
>> Hi, nice to see you.
[Speaking spanish] [applause] >> andres, you were born in colombia.
From the age of 19, you lived in vienna, so there are people all over the world who may be watching us via the webcast, i
want you to look in the camera and give them a few words of welcome.
[Speaking spanish] [00:08:55] >> I think you're going to have to work on that spanish.
[Laughter] >> I'm losing a little bit of spanish but this is one of the reasons why I'm here now.
>> I was going to say, why did you want to come to houston?
Why did you want to come to this orchestra?
>> It's a good question, being a conductor for me at least like an explorer so you have to traveling around the world and
discover new orchestras and new experience and then I came to houston like two years ago.
And I discovered this fantastic orchestra, not only because they play great music at a very high level, the chemistry, they
weigh, the musicians, how everybody responds to my ideas conducting on what I was rehearseling was so good so i
felt at that moment, this could be a great something special and indeed I think like one month later, they asked me for, you
know, take a deposition and i said yes -- >> you responded very quickly.
>> Yes.
>> Your concert as your very first musician session as music director will be at the miller concert center.
Why did you want to start there rather than the concert hall?
>> You know, I'm sure houston symphony belongs to everybody.
Every people, everybody person is part of the symphony, so the best way to be in concert is with the people outside the
theater and we have a great location there.
I haven't been there making music.
I just visit ones.
And I have the feeling this is really something special there.
And I think the weather will be also very nice.
I think nicer than now at least.
[Laughter] >> so more warmer and, again, we always say before we put together a very nice program and I think my goal is
when I came to the orchestra that I fully love for the very first time i hope all the outings that are coming to this
concert in outdoors theater, they will enjoy and even continuing falling in love with us and with the houston
symphony.
[Laughter] >> something that we do want to talk about because it's a late-breaking addition to the schedule, it's not even in
the brochure yet.
[00:11:02] >> Yes.
>> In may of 2015, lunglumbar will be here and you'll get to work with him again.
>> Again.
This is always amazing, you know, this is a great artist, a great musician, a great person.
It's a pleasure.
We did something a couple of years ago.
It was again a very chemistry and we have just one rehearsal because he loves to work -- just one rehearsal, very
concentrated, very focused, and it was a great concert, so at this time the next opportunity to make more music but now at
home as I call it now.
>> Yep.
>> At home here in hussein and with my orchestra and all together so I hope everybody will come together.
>> Let's move on to the pops series.
People will get the opportunity to talk to you during the q & a that's coming up.
But now I sat down and talked to michael krajewski, who is the principal pops conductor of the houston symphony and he told us
all about what's coming up.
‚ô™‚ô™ >> michael krajewski, pops the houston symphony is built around the idea of music you know and music you love.
>> Well, our pops series here at the houston symphony is exactly that.
We like to present music that people are familiar with.
Music that people feel is part of their daily life, are a part of their life experience.
Music that they hear on the radio, music that they've heard in the movies, music that they've heard on tv and on the
broadway stage.
We make that all of our experience of our pops concerts.
>> Jason alexander will be here, tony award winner, known from seinfeld.
>> Known from seinfeld, actually.
George constanza.
A lot of people don't realize he started out on a broadway stage.
He's a song and dance guy.
As you mentioned a tony award winner so we're looking forward to presenting him -- kind of going back to his musical roots
as a musical theater guy and, of course, I'm sure there will be lots of great humor in that program as well.
‚ô™‚ô™ [00:13:11] >> and talking of broadway sutton foster will be here as well.
>> Sutton foster -- one of today's great broadway stars bringing her interpretation of some of the great hits of
broadway.
You can't get any better than that.
>> We lost marvin hamlisch recently.
One of the pop concerts will be a tribute to him.
>> Marvin hamlisch's music is universally known.
He had so many great hits.
We're looking forward to paying tribute to him and reminding people of what a phenomenal musician he was, composer and
how many songs that he wrote that have moved so many people over the past decades.
>> And an interesting performance, the paint jam concert experience.
This is something new.
>> This is something very new, very innovative.
It's something we're not quite sure we've got a handle on quite yet.
But dan don is this amazing painter, artist, very creative guy.
He will be painting enormous canvasses, live, fast and -- >> and to music.
>> And to music, choreographed to music and people will see something that they've never seen before.
It's very exciting.
It's real hard to explain but I've seen him in action and i can tell you that it's going to be a multimedia presentation
with the likes of which no one's ever seen before, because it's never been done before with an orchestra and to music the way
we're going to be presenting it.
So he is worldwide renowned artist.
He's been doing this literally all around the globe.
But to put it on stage with the symphony orchestra for the first time this is what we're be doing that in higher than.
We're looking forward to that immensely.
>> Michael krajewski, thank you very much.
[00:15:12] >> Thank you.
[Applause] >> mark, I want to talk about some of the concerts I wasn't able to get to with michael.
In february of 2015, february 13th, IS THAT RIGHT IN TIME FOR Valentine's day, I think 7-time tony award winner bernadette
peters will be joining us.
>> Sounds like a great date night for me.
[Laughter] >> she's an amazing offer that will-singing songs from her broadway career.
>> She's on the nbc sitcom, i forgot -- >> smash.
>> Smash.
>> She's the mother of megan hiltity who just performed with the houston symphony.
>> In june this year, ben folds of ben folds 5 and nbc's the sing-off.
>> A very multifaceted artist.
We've worked with him on one occasion before and it was a night to remember.
So we look forward to rocking down the house with ben folds.
>> I heard -- I heard that he actually smashed his stool on the keys of the piano.
>> Our stage manager is still talking about that.
[Laughter] >> and on december 10th of this year, the toyota center will be the place to be in houston because the houston
symphony will be there with andre bocelli.
>> That's right, on a stage set up particularly for that performance, in front of only about 12,000 people.
Always a thrill to work with an artist who has established such an amazing career that really extends beyond the boundaries of
classical music.
>> What does the orchestra think about getting to play in the toyota center?
>> I think for all of us involved with the houston symphony it's a thrill to see 12,000 people -- >> bigger than
jonas hall, isn't it?
>> A little bit.
[Laughter] >> and I remember on the three indications over the past 4 years that we've had an opportunity to work with andre
bocelli, looking up at the last row in the rear of the toyota center and just being amazed at the faces and the excitement,
the energy as the houston symphony was collaborating with this fine artist.
[00:17:24] >> We still have one more series to talk about for 2014/15 and that is the family series.
And to tell us about that here is associate conductor robert franz.
‚ô™‚ô™ >> robert franz, welcome, tell us about the family concerts.
What are these concerts about?
>> These concerts are great really because they're 4 events during the year that kids and parents and grandparents can
come and enjoy the houston symphony and everyone gets something out of them.
They're really not just for little ones, although the themes are definitely geared towards them but parents and
grandparents constantly tell me, wow, we had no idea we love this as much as our kids did and it's a great opportunity.
>> You wear costumes.
>> I always wear costumes.
Even to the orchestra so when the symphony acts surprise at the 10:00 show they really are surprised.
They have no idea what I'm going to wear.
>> African safari is one of the family concerts.
Tell us about it.
>> So next year we have african safari which features the music of lion king.
We'll have a student high school chorus singing the lion king i love that music we're also doing a star wars and more concert on
plenty of star wars music and one that I'm ticking excited about because it reminds me of my youth -- we are actually
commissioning arrangements of "schoolhouse rock."
So we're going to bring our PARENTS RIGHT BACK TO THE 1970s And our kids into a whole new world.
>> I think it's important as well that the houston symphony does not just play here at jones hall but you take the orchestra
out into the community.
[00:19:27] >> It's part of our mission to bring music to every corner and crevice of the greater houston area.
And so each year the orchestra does over 25 free concerts as a complete orchestra but we also take the orchestra out of the
hall and bring it to areas throughout the community including places like sugarland and the woodlands.
In addition to bringing the full orchestra out, small ensembles, solos, duets, trios small groups go out to 150 years a year
throughout the community for us it's not just about people coming to jones hall although we'd love to have people at home
to er has our music because it sounds incredible here, it's an incredible space but we also want to break down those walls
and go out and perform throughout the community.
>> Robert franz, thank you very much.
>> Thank you.
[Applause] >> well, mark hanson, robert mentioned these community concerts.
Tell us about what these are and some of the series that the symphony offers.
>> In total, next season we'll be presenting 25 free community concerts, full orchestra in traditional and nontraditional
venues including neighborhood concerts in june and december.
And then our annual residency at miller outdoor theater in june leading up to the july 4th spectacular with fireworks and
then on july 12th we'll be opening the doors of jones hall for the second annual day of music, a free 12-hour event
featuring two houston symphony performances and performances by 30 other community performing arts organizations.
>> You said it's a second annual.
Last year when you did it for the first time, there were 10,000 people that came through?
>> The centennial gave us the excuse to introduce some new ideas and many of them have been so, so warmly received.
We're bringing them back.
>> Well, we've heard about all the various series and I know what people want to do is they want to talk to the man behind
it all, andres orozco-estrada.
And he has kindly agreed to answer your questions and so whether you have tweeted, if you're at home watching
television or you're here in the studio with us and you got a question, we will pose it to andres.
Let's begin here in the studio.
You have a question for our music director designate.
>> Yes, I understand that you in making your career path/choice could not decide if you wanted to be a soccer player.
[Laughter] >> or a conductor.
Would you please share if that story is true or not.
>> This is a good question.
I see you have read all the magazines.
[00:21:31] [Laughter] >> and all the stuff.
This is truish the story.
Indeed, when I was young i started to play the futbol even if you don't believe I used to play the goal keeper so I'm not
very tall but that's what i wanted to be and I realized being there I was the goal keeper also the captain of the
team.
So I start very early when you have this feeling to control.
[Laughter] >> so playing soccer was a little bit easier.
And this was maybe the reason why they decided -- this is too easy for me so I needed something a little challenging
at some certain point I have to combine the soccer training weekends and also playing with the orchestra so at some point i
have to decide and finally, it was actually not a very hard decision to continue making music.
>> Another question.
>> Yes.
[Speaking spanish] >> mutualas gracias.
I will answer the question in spanish, okay.
>> Sure.
The question I should say is, you know -- we have this total diversity here in houston and the growing hispanic population.
How are you going to engage them?
The spanish-speaking population?
>> I don't know why but I need to answer in english now.
[Laughter] >> this is very bad.
I should answer in spanish.
[Laughter] >> but, you know, the thing is, I always say it is -- I will, of course, offer, for example, some during the
concerts some explanation for the audience or we are planning only before have one special concert in spanish.
We were talking about having some preconcert talks in spanish as well as.
But the thing is also the way to make the music is I think the end, finally, the most important thing and this is what I want to
share with everybody, with the musician first of all and then with the audience -- [00:23:55] [speaking spanish] >> a quick
tweet from at gloria hand.
Have you tried tex-mex food yet?
[Laughter] >> a little bit not so much because the thing is when I'm conducting, when I'm working, when I'm on the podium,
I need to take care about my stomach.
[Laughter] >> and not -- I'm not saying the texas food is bad for the stomach but a little bit heavy.
[Laughter] >> I need to be here first so i always pick texas but I always ask not so spicy.
A little bit less pepper, a little bit less, you know, mexican sides, more american sides.
[Laughter] >> but indeed, it's great and the steaks you offer here -- they're amazing.
Wow!
Absolutely fantastic.
>> Another question from the audience.
>> Yes.
Andres, when you are conducting, do you find that you have more freedom of expression with or without a baton?
>> That's a good question.
Hmmm that's a very good question.
I don't know for sure, but last week, for example, we were doing a program with a small orchestra.
We did a classical program with mozart because orchestra were not so big, they were a little bit smaller like a chamber
orchestra, I had the feeling i just want to be part -- really part of the whole -- of the whole group.
So I decided to conduct without the baton.
And I have a feeling it was very nice.
Of course, when I -- when i conduct in a big orchestra, it's just a very useful, you know, element, a tool to communicate.
>> We're almost out of time.
I should say, though, if you want more details about the 2014/15 season, go to the houston symphony.Org.
Let me say a very big thank you to mark hanson and to andres orozco-estrada, muchas gracias.
[00:26:01] >> Thank you to you for watching this evening and buenos noches.