MUSIC

Classical music's rising stars will align in Houston June 4-July 1 for the Immanuel and Helen Olshan TEXAS MUSIC FESTIVAL (TMF), with performances by outstanding student musicians and distinguished conductors and faculty artists from all over the world. Boasting orchestral masterworks, chamber music, jazz, guitar, voice, and piano, the Texas Music Festival presents nearly 50 performances, master classes and seminars at the University of Houston (UH) Moores School of Music at venues throughout the Houston area and at Texas A&M University in College Station. The one-month music residency is now in its 23rd season.

“A record number of students -- nearly 400 -- applied to The Texas Music Festival Orchestral Institute this year representing such noted music schools as The Juilliard School, Cleveland and Peabody Institutes of Music, Eastman School of Music, and Houston’s Shepherd and Moores Schools of Music,” said Alan Austin, TMF General and Artistic Director as well as a former participant in TMF. According to Austin, 95 participants (Orchestra Fellows) were chosen by competitive live and recorded auditions. This year’s Festival attracted musicians from 13 foreign countries. Each TMF Orchestra concert will kick off with an outdoor festival on the school’s Jane Blaffer Owen Plaza, featuring pre-concert musical performances and refreshments by local food trucks.

Based at the Moores School of Music at UH, TMF challenges the Festival Orchestra participants each week by presenting a new, full symphonic program under a new conductor of international stature. There are performances by the Festival Orchestra (Orchestra Series), faculty artists (PERSPECTIVES Series: Chamber Music and Jazz), Le Chiavi: The Keys to Bel Canto (voice), theClassical Minds Guitar Festival and Competition, and summer institutes for high school jazz and piano students. The TMF Orchestral Fellows study and rehearse under the direction of an international faculty of conductors and artists/teachers who also perform on the PERSPECTIVES Series concerts, presented weekly at Texas A&M University and in the Moores Opera House at the University of Houston.

Highlights of the 2012 TMF season include:

• Four PERSPECTIVES: Festival Artist Chamber Music and Jazz series concerts featuring innovative programming and stellar performances of jazz and classical music by Festival faculty, guest artists and the Texas Music Festival Jazz Project
• Conductors: Josep Caballé-Domenech (Colorado Springs Symphony), Daniel Hege (Wichita Symphony), Franz Anton Krager (Moores School of Music), Lavard Skou-Larsen (Salzburg Chamber Soloists)
• Soloists with TMF orchestra: Cynthia Clayton (soprano), Heather Scanio (mezzo-soprano), Vale Rideout (tenor), Hector Vasquez (baritone) and Houston Symphony Chorus, Charles Hausmann, director; David Kirk, tuba; world-class soloist Dan Zhu, a TMF alum and 2000 winner of the Festival’s prestigious Cynthia Woods Mitchell Young Artist Competition (violin); and the 2012 Festival winner of the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Young Artist Competition (to be determined.)
• A series of master classes in all instruments, featuring Festival faculty and guests. For a complete listing, please visit www.tmf.uh.edu
• Classical Minds Guitar Festival and Competition (June 12-17), including recitals by faculty, guest performers and competition winners

TMF 2012 Performance Calendar
Includes Festival Orchestra Series, Perspectives Series, Young Artist Chamber Music, Classical Minds Guitar Festival, and Institute Concerts.

June 4 (Mon.), Annenberg Pres. Conf. Center, Texas A&M University, 7:30 p.m.
June 5 (Tues.), Moores Opera House, University of Houston, 7:30 p.m.
PERSPECTIVES 1: Texas Music Festival Jazz Project – Traditions in Transition
The TMF Jazz Project is an all-star jazz orchestra composed of our state’s finest musicians. Led by director/trumpeter Noe Marmolejo, the program traces a musical arch from the swing era all the way to Radiohead.

June 8 (Fri.), Dudley Recital Hall, University of Houston, 7:30 p.m., FREE
Le Chiavi: The Keys to Bel Canto Vocal Institute Final Concert
Joseph Evans, Melanie Sonnenberg, directors
Advanced young artists use the Keys of Bel Canto to unlock the secrets of music by some of opera's greatest composers.

June 9 (Sat.)
6:30 p.m., Jane Blaffer Owen Plaza, Moores School of Music, University of Houston
Pre-concert performances and refreshments by local food trucks.
7:30 p.m., Moores Opera House
FESTIVAL ORCHESTRA 1 – Celebratory Opening
Franz Anton Krager, conductor
Cynthia Clayton, soprano soloist
Heather Scanio, mezzo-soprano soloist
Vale Rideout, tenor soloist
Hector Vasquez, baritone soloist
Houston Symphony Chorus, Charles Hausmann, dir.
Hindemith: Symphonic Metamorphosis on Themes by Carl Maria von Weber
Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 in D Minor, Op. 125

June 10 (Sun.), Dudley Recital Hall, University of Houston, 2 p.m., FREE
Cynthia Woods Mitchell Young Artist Competition Final Round
Final competition round featuring solo performances by Festival Orchestra musicians. Come and vote for your favorite performer to receive the Audience Favorite Award!

June 11 (Mon.), Annenberg Pres. Conf. Center, Texas A&M University, 7:30 p.m.
PERSPECTIVES 2: Faculty Artist Chamber Music
International Tour
Take a musical tour of the world to various ports of call, travelling through France (Fauré’s Sonata for Violin and Piano), and ending in Germany (Brahms’ Piano Quartet in A Major), all performed by TMF faculty artists.
Performers include: Zuo Jun, Lucie Robert, violin; Ivo van der Werff, viola; Timothy Hester, Brian Suits, piano; others

June 12 (Tues.), Moores Opera House, University of Houston, 7:30 p.m.
PERSPECTIVES 2: Faculty Artist Chamber Music
International Tour
Take a musical tour of the world to various ports of call, travelling through France (Fauré’s Sonata for Violin and Piano), and ending in Germany (Brahms’ Piano Quartet in A Major), all performed by TMF faculty artists.
Performers include: Zuo Jun, Lucie Robert, violin; Ivo van der Werff, viola; Richard Belcher, cello; Timothy Hester, Brian Suits, piano; others

June 12 (Tues.), Dudley Recital Hall, University of Houston, 7:30 p.m.
CLASSICAL MINDS GUITAR FESTIVAL
Artist Recital: Lynn McGrath and Frank Wallace

June 13 (Wed.), Room 160, Moores School of Music, 6 p.m.
CLASSICAL MINDS GUITAR FESTIVAL
Student Recital
Student participants perform works for solo guitar.

June 15 (Fri.), Moores Opera House, University of Houston, 7 p.m.
Jazz Institute Concert
Noe Marmolejo, director
Talented high school and college jazz musicians perform tunes ranging from classical to contemporary in a big band setting.

June 15 (Fri.), Dudley Recital Hall, University of Houston, 7:30 p.m.
CLASSICAL MINDS GUITAR FESTIVAL
Artist Recital: Michael Nicolella and Duo46

June 16 (Sat.)
6:30 p.m., Jane Blaffer Owen Plaza, Moores School of Music, University of Houston
Pre-concert performances and refreshments by local food trucks.
7:30 p.m., Moores Opera House
FESTIVAL ORCHESTRA 2 - International Tour
Daniel Hege, conductor
David Kirk, tuba soloist
Prokofiev: Symphony No. 1 in D Major, Op. 25 “Classical”
Vaughan Williams: Tuba Concerto in F Minor
Barber: Overture to The School for Scandal, Op. 5
Sibelius: Pohjola’s Daughter, Op. 49
Debussy: La mer

June 16 (Sat.), Dudley Recital Hall, University of Houston, 7:30 p.m.
CLASSICAL MINDS GUITAR FESTIVAL
Artist Recital: Edel Munoz and Les Freres Meduse

June 17 (Sun.), Dudley Recital Hall, University of Houston, 1 p.m.
CLASSICAL MINDS GUITAR FESTIVAL
Student Recital: Small Ensembles and Guitar Orchestra

June 17 (Sun.), Dudley Recital Hall, University of Houston, 2 p.m., Tickets: $5
CLASSICAL MINDS GUITAR FESTIVAL
Competition Finals
Junior and High School division finalists

June 18 (Mon.), Annenberg Pres. Conf. Center, Texas A&M University, 7:30 p.m.
June 19 (Tues.), Moores Opera House, University of Houston, 7:30 p.m.
PERSPECTIVES 3: Faculty Artist Chamber Music
Made in America
Following our International Tour, we explore the music of our own native composers, with Aaron Copland’s Sonata for Violin and Piano, Michael Colgrass’ Variations for Viola and Drums, and Houston composer Pierre Jalbert’s Trio for Piano and Strings.
Performers: Kyung Sun Lee, Lucie Robert, violin; TBA, cello; Blake Wilkins, drums; Jeffrey Cohen, Brian Suits, piano

June 21 (Thurs.), Dudley Recital Hall, University of Houston, 7 p.m., FREE
Young Artist Chamber Music
Small ensemble performances by Orchestral Fellows.

June 22 (Fri.), Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, 8 p.m., FREE

June 23 (Sat.)
6:30 p.m., Jane Blaffer Owen Plaza, Moores School of Music, University of Houston
Pre-concert performances and refreshments by local food trucks.
7:30 p.m., Moores Opera House
FESTIVAL ORCHESTRA 3 – German Masters
Lavard Skou-Larsen, conductor
Winner, Cynthia Woods Mitchell Young Artist Competition, soloist
Strauss: Death and Transfiguration, Op. 24
TBA: Solo work performed by 2012 Competition winner
Brahms: Symphony No. 3 in F Major, Op. 90

June 25 (Mon.), Annenberg Pres. Conf. Center, Texas A&M University, 7:30 p.m.
June 26 (Tues.), Moores Opera House, University of Houston, 7:30 p.m.
PERSPECTIVES 4: Faculty Artist Chamber Music
Grand Finale – Instrumental Colors
Experience the wide variety of instrumental color on display in a program that includes Jennifer Higdon’s Trio for Piano and Strings and ends with Beethoven’s Septet for Strings and Winds. Along the way, get rustic with Libby Larsen’s Barn Dances.
Performers include: Webster Trio (Leone Buyse, flute, Michael Webster, clarinet, Robert Moeling, piano); Andrzej Grabiec, Kirsten Yon, violin; Rita Porfiris, viola; Brinton Smith, cello; Dennis Whittaker, double bass; Randall Griffin, clarinet; TBA, horn; Richard Beene, bassoon

June 27 (Wed.), Dudley Recital Hall, University of Houston, 7 p.m., FREE
Young Artist Chamber Music
Small ensemble performances by Festival Orchestra musicians.

June 28 (Thurs.), Dudley Recital Hall, University of Houston, 7 p.m., FREE
Young Artist Chamber Music
Small ensemble performances by Orchestral Fellows.

June 30 (Sat.), Dudley Recital Hall, University of Houston, 10 a.m., FREE
High School Piano Institute
Ensemble Recital
Nancy Weems, Tali Morgulis, directors
Gifted high school pianists perform ensemble works.

June 30 (Sat.)
6:30 p.m., Jane Blaffer Owen Plaza, Moores School of Music, University of Houston
Pre-concert performances and refreshments by local food trucks.
7:30 p.m., Moores Opera House
FESTIVAL ORCHESTRA 4
Grand Finale: Cinematic Virtuosity
Josep Caballé-Domenech, conductor
Dan Zhu, violin soloist
Dukas: The Sorcerer’s Apprentice
Korngold: Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D Major, Op. 35
Bartók: Concerto for Orchestra, Sz. 116/BB 123

July 1 (Sun.), Moores Opera House, University of Houston, 10 a.m. & 1 p.m., FREE
High School Piano Institute Recitals
Nancy Weems, Tali Morgulis, directors
Recitals by gifted high school pianists.

All programs and artists are subject to change.

Festival master class schedule available online at: www.tmf.uh.edu/season/masterclass.htm l

Conductor, composer, faculty bios and photos are available at: www.tmf.uh.edu  OR www.class.uh.edu/music/texasmusicfestival/about/index.html. Orchestral Fellow bios and photos available at: www.tmf.uh.edu/about/participants.html.