MUSIC

San Jacinto College will host Houston Symphony Concerts at San Jacinto College, special concerts in April and May that feature esteemed musicians who perform for the Houston Symphony. All of the concerts are free and open to the public.

The Central Campus Concert will feature Anne Leek, (pictured) principal oboist with the Houston Symphony, who will perform with accompanist Molly Hammond. The chamber concert will be held April 4 at 2:30 p.m. in the Corbin Recital Hall, located in the Central campus’ Dr. Monte Blue Music Building, 8060 Spencer Hwy. in Pasadena.

Leek was educated at the Juilliard School in New York City, where she earned her bachelor of music, master of music, and doctor of musical arts degrees. While in New York, she won a recital contest in Carnegie Hall sponsored by the Artists International. Leek served as solo principal oboist of the Mannheim Orchestra in Germany. Before joining the Houston Symphony, she played a two-year position as principal oboist in the Pittsburgh Symphony. In addition to her orchestral career, Leek has taught at Indiana University, Arizona State University, and is currently teaching at the University of Houston. As a recital soloist and chamber musician, she has performed in major cities around the world.

The South Campus Concert will feature Brian Del Signore, principal percussionist for the Houston Symphony. The concert is set for April 5 at 2:30 p.m. in the Proscenium Theatre of the Marie Flickinger Fine Arts Center, located at 13735 Beamer Road in Houston. Del Signore will present a concert and educational demonstration using various percussion instruments. Del Signore holds a bachelor’s degree from Carnegie Mellon University and a master’s degree from Temple University. He teaches at the Moores School of Music at the University of Houston, and holds clinics and master classes in percussion performance.

The North Campus Concert will feature the Fidelis String Quartet, which includes Rodica Gonzalez, Mihaela Oancea, Wei Jiang, and Jeffrey Butler. The concert will be held May 20, from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m., in the auditorium of the Dr. Charles Grant Fine Arts Center, 5800 Uvalde Road in Houston.

The quartet’s first violinist Gonzalez earned a master’s degree from the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University and has performed extensively as a recitalist and chamber musician in Romania, Italy, Switzerland, the United States and other nations. Second violinist Oancea holds a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree from Rice University. She has performed in many nations and has appeared as a soloist with the Bucharest Philharmonic. Viola performer Jiang graduated with honors from the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing. He was a founding member of the Eclipse Ensemble, showcasing music by contemporary Chinese composers throughout China. Cellist Butler holds music degrees from Boston University and the University of Michigan. He was a cellist with the Detroit Symphony, and has appeared as a soloist with the Houston Chamber Orchestra, and the Galveston Symphony.