MUSIC

The Houston Symphony presents Slatkin’s Beethoven Eighth. 

One of the world’s most accomplished and beloved conductors joins the Houston Symphony on April 30, May 2, and 3, 2009 for a performance of Beethoven’s Eighth and Roberto Sierra’s Missa Latina. Sierra’s piece, whose English translation is “Latin Mass”, will mark the Texas debut of this piece.

Leonard Slatkin (pictured) has conducted many of the leading orchestras around the world and of his 100 recordings has received seven Grammy awards and 60 nominations. He recently completed a 12 year post with the National Symphony Orchestra in the 2007-2008 season. His current posts include: Music Director of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Principal Guest Conductor of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Principal Guest Conductor of the Royal Symphony Orchestra and Music Advisor to the Nashville Symphony. A true advocate of arts education, he is the founder and director of the National Conducting Institute and the Saint Louis Symphony Youth Orchestra.

In 2006, Slatkin premiered the work of Puerto Rican native Roberto Sierra’s, Missa Latina at the Kennedy Center. When he comes to Houston he brings with him the knowledge and integrity of the original performance and one of the original soloists, soprano Heidi Grant Murphy. Sierra’s work takes the Roman Catholic mass and sets it to the music and rhythms of his native Latin music. Specifically, Sierra chose the Mass of Peace to contrast the tumultuous period in which the piece was written, the Iraq War.

Explore the inner workings of symphonic music and those who create it with Prelude, sponsored by Fluor, beginning 50 minutes prior to each concert.

Conductor: Leonard Slatkin
Heidi Grant Murphy, soprano
Thomas Meglioranza, baritone
Houston Symphony Chorus
Charles Hausmann, Director

Programs:
Beethoven: Symphony No. 8
Roberto Sierra: Missa Latina