The Fort Bend Symphony Orchestra will take concertgoers on a musical journey as it performs classical and popular music from the six countries that have laid claim to the Lone Star State.
The music of Spain comes from Joaquín Turina's La Procesión del Rocío, which depicts the sights and sounds experienced during the annual Procession of the Dew festival in Seville, Spain. The music of France comes from composer Jacques Offenbach. FBSO will perform Ballet Parisien, a suite of tunes from Offenbach's operas that begins with Overture from La Vie Parisienne and ends with the famous Can Can from Orpheus in the Underworld.
Also on the program is Laredo Paso Doble by James Clifton Williams. This fast-paced piece, representing the music of Mexico, honors Elmo Lopez, a Laredo native recognized by the Texas Legislature for promoting goodwill between the U.S. and Mexico. Concertgoers young and old will undoubtedly recognize music that represents the Republic of Texas and the United States: Texas Our Texas, The Yellow Rose of Texas and The Stars and Stripes Forever.
Ben Hoang, winner of FBSO's 2014 Marielle Ogletree Young Artist Concerto Competition, will perform the final movement of Grieg's Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 16.
Music director Héctor Agüero will share background on the musical selections during an informal Beyond the Baton talk at 1:30 p.m in the theater.