Mark your calendars

Sexy new Houston Symphony conductor to lead a season with twist, surprises: Chasing music electricity

From the moment when Andrés Orozco-Estrada stepped onto the podium to lead his first concert with the Houston Symphony, the musicians knew they had found their guy. There was chemistry. There were sparks. And then there was passionate music.

It's fitting that in announcing its 2014-15 concert lineup on Friday night, the Houston Symphony themed the official inaugural season of the Colombian-born music director "Conducting Electricity," a nod to the the synergies between his stimulating conducting style, the 87 orchestral players and a hungry audience aching to be moved.

"I want to make music in a way that brings everyone together," Orozco-Estrada tells CultureMap. "My goal is for my guests to experience what can only happen in live performance — the excitement, the energy, the magic. If you've never been to a Houston Symphony concert, I promise to make this a thrilling experience."

Will you accept his invitation? Here's how the season unfolds.

You can expect the Opening Night Concert and Gala (Sept. 13) at the Corinthian to be a sold-out social affair teeming with the who's who of the city's philanthropists. British trumpeter and 2013 Gramophone Artist of the Year Alison Balsom is front and center for Haydn's Trumpet Concerto plus Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition and Mozart's Overture to the Marriage of Figaro.

SIX DON'T MISS CONCERTS WITH OROZCO-ESTRADA

The horns will wail and the woodwinds will twirl in Richard Strauss' Ein Heldenleben (A Hero's Life), a tone poem of epic proportions, scheduled as part of Watts Play Rachmaninoff (Sept. 19-21). Pianist André Watts joins Orozco-Estrada for the opulent Piano Concerto No. 2 by Rachmaninoff. Of note in this program is the world premiere of a commission by the Houston Symphony from composer Gabriela Lena Frank, who will serve as artist-in-residence for a community engagement program.

Is there such thing as too much Beethoven?

The symphony doesn't think so with the series Three Weeks of Beethoven Nov. 14-30), the first installment of a Beethoven Cycle to be completed in subsequent seasons. His first, fourth and fifth symphonies plus the overtures to Coriolan and Egmont are complemented by other important repertoire of the region, including Brahms' Schicksalslied, Mozart's Requiem and Schumann's Cello Concerto with principal cellist Brinton Averil Smith.

The Vienna-trained music director has a penchant for opera, but without a theater suitable for full productions, Orozco-Estrada is trying the next best thing. Mozart's The Abduction from the Seraglio (Jan. 23-25, 2015) will be performed in concert version with the help of vocal students from the Shepherd School of Music and the Moores School of Music. The main roles will be cast with singers of international repute.

"If you've never been to a Houston Symphony concert, I promise to make this a thrilling experience."

Beethoven and Bartók (May 7-10, 2015) couples two completely different works that test the dexterity of the soloists. Violinist James Ehnes will interpret Beethoven's Violin Concerto while the full ensemble shows their goods in Bartok's Concerto for Orchestra.

Lang Lang Joins Andrés (May 12, 2015) reunites the flamboyant piano badass with Orozco-Estrada for one night only. Expect tuneful fireworks and lots of gratuitous head bangs and facial expressions from the main man.

Mahler's Symphony No. 3 (May 15-17, 2015) brings the classical season to a close. The massive orchestral forces are complemented by the women of the Houston Symphony Chorus for this longest symphony among the standards.

UP-CLOSE AND PERSONAL

No more Access concerts, a format that attempted to add an educational and social component to traditional performances. Instead, Musically Speaking with Andrés (Jan. 15, March 12 and May 7, 2015) at Rice University reinvents the concept with interactive talks with Orozco-Estrada. In addition, the maestro will be available after several concerts to engage in informal question-and-answer sessions with patrons. Cyber savvy guests can even interact with him using hashtag #1415AndresHS on Twitter.

BIG NAMES

Remember Sarah Chang? The violinist is back for Sarah Chang Plus Copland (Oct. 2-5) to perform Barber's Violin Concerto. Beefing up the program led by conductor Cristian Macelaru is local composer Karim Al-Zand's City Scenes.

Always popular with audiences of every walk of life, Andrea Bocelli (Dec. 10) headlines a concert at the Toyota Center.

Classical music celeb Itzhak Perlman (Feb. 12-15, 2015) conducts and plays fiddle in Bach's Violin Concerto No. 2 and Schubert's Symphony No. 9. In between that concert run, Bernadette Peters (Feb. 13, 2015) comes to town for a Valentine's soirée filled with popular Broadway tunes.

The passionate maestro Robert Spano leads Ohlsson Plays Chopin (April 17-19, 2015) with pianist Garrick Ohlsson tickling the ivories to Chopin's Piano Concerto No. 1. Also on the program are two works by American composer Jennifer Higdon, an effort by the Houston Symphony to showcase more works by female composers.

GRAF RETURNS

Ravel and Debussy (Oct. 23-26) sees the return of former Houston Symphony music director Hans Graf in a concert with piano virtuoso Jon Kimura Parker. Graf will travel back for Graf Conducts Schumann (Feb. 20-22, 2015) to share music by Hindemith, Saint-Saëns and Schumann.

FREE STUFF

The first concert of the year happens to be free. ¡Bienvenido, Andrés! (Sept. 12) at Miller Outdoor Theatre introduces Orozco-Estrada to the city with a program that highlights music from the Americas. Adding prowess to this playbill is Venezuelan pianist Gabriela Montero, who's known for her ability to improvise on the spot.

Fiesta Sinfonica con Andrés (Sept. 14) at Jones Hall continues the welcoming ceremonies with Orozco-Estrada again with Montero in a program that celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month.

Think of the Second Annual Day of Music (July 12) as a cacophonous 12-hour concert marathon in which Jones Hall transforms into a showcase of many music presenters of all genres in Houston, including jazz, rock, blues, cultural groups, choirs and on and on.

WHAT TO DO

Season subscriptions — which are available in packages that include three to 18 concerts — start at $99. Subscriptions may be purchased online or by calling 713-224-7575.

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Stay tuned (pun intended) for CultureMap's coverage of the Houston Symphony's new Cynthia Woods Mitchell POPS season at Jones Hall.

The Houston Symphony themed the official inaugural season of Andrés Orozco-Estrada "Conducting Electricity."

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on the bright side

'First-of-its kind' Houston park reveals 6 murals by local artists

Houston artist Ade Odunfa stands in front of his mural "Salt Marsh" at the Hill at Sims.

Photo by Scott Julian, courtesy of Houston Parks Board

"Birth From the Sea" by Ade Odunfa

One of Houston's most innovative green spaces, the Hill at Sims, is edging toward completion as artists put the finishing touches on a series of six beautiful murals. They should be ready when the park has its grand opening on Saturday, May 23.

The project is being led by Harris County Precinct One Commissioner Rodney Ellis and the Houston Parks Board. Located in Sunnyside along Sims Bayou, it combines a flooding retention pond with walkways and other infrastructure to create a unique multi-use community space. Adding a series of environmentally-themed murals highlights the project's dedication to empowering nature around Sunnyside.

“When we bring art, resilience, and opportunity together in one place, we create something that can serve and inspire future generations for decades to come," said Ellis in an emailed statement. "The Hill at Sims is a community-oriented, first-of-its-kind green space in the neighborhood I grew up in. These murals honor Sunnyside, celebrate the natural world, and help turn public space into something people feel proud to protect.”

The murals include “Impression of Nature” by Emily Ding, “Step Into the Wild” by Carlos Alberto, “Birth from the Sea," a reproduction of a John Biggers’ mural by Ade Odunfa, "The Heron and the Fish” by Ana Marietta, “Rêverie” by Amy Sol inspired by Claude Debussy’s 1890 solo piano piece, and “Salt Marsh”, another Biggers reproduction by Bimbo Adenugba.

Houston is a major mural and street art city, with an increasing number of spaces using murals to showcase local talent as well as bring a sense of identity to locations like the Hill at Sims. The green space offers both a massive natural setting in a neighborhood that has traditionally been underserved in park acreage with an elevated point to view the whole city, a rare treat in a place as flat as Houston. Thanks to the Bayou Greenways Project, a 150-mile series of trails that connects parks across Houston, people can walk or bike to the Hills at Sims if they choose to.

"Our goal is for every person who visits this park to feel that Hill at Sims truly represents the Sunnyside community. Public art is a powerful and joyful way to evoke feelings of connection and stewardship in public settings,” said Justin Schultz, President and CEO, Houston Parks Board, in an emailed statement. “Houston Parks Board is proud to support Commissioner Ellis to bring Sunnyside residents a transformative, multi-benefit greenspace that captures the spirit of Houston: turning our climate challenges into vibrant community assets.”

The total cost of Hill at Sims is $28.3 million. Funding comes from Precinct One ($18.8 million), The Brown Foundation ($7.5 million), with an additional $2 million from public federal and state funds secured by State Representative Alma Allen and Congressman Al Green. When complete, it will feature a 1.6 mile basin loop trail, water access pier, a parking lot, a 2,000-square-foot open air pavilion with restrooms, flexible lawn space for active programming, and picnic pavilions.

parks visual-art hills at sims anderson