Shelby About Town

Houston invades! At Carnegie Hall, at the Kentucky Derby and at a wild,political bowling alley

Mayor Annise Parker with WQXR FM's Elliott Forrest on stage at Carnegie Hall tointroduce the Houston Symphony.
Photo by © Craig Chesek/Houston Symphony
Mark Hanson greets string musicians from Virtuosi of Houston.
Photo by © Craig Chesek/Houston Symphony
Phoebe and Bobby Tudor on the balcony at Le Parker Meridien.
Photo by © Craig Chesek/Houston Symphony
Valerie Dieterich, Mary D'Andrea and Kelli Watson at the Kentucky Derby.
Courtesy Photo
Sarah Davis and Corbett Daniel Parker celebrating birthdays at Palace Lanes.
Courtesy Photo
Matthew VanBesien and wife Rosie Jowitt at Carnegie Hall.
Photo by © Craig Chesek/Houston Symphony
Jim Shaffer, from left, Mike Stude and Mike McLanahan at Carnegie Hall.
Photo by © Craig Chesek/Houston Symphony
Houston Symphony performing at Carnegie Hall Isaac Stern Auditorium.
Photo by © Craig Chesek/Houston Symphony
Elliott Forrest, left, with Houston Symphony principal tuba Dave Kirk and WyntonMarsalis at Carnegie Hall.
Betty and Jesse Tutor at Carnegie Hall.
Photo by © Craig Chesek/Houston Symphony
Back row, from left, Valerie Dieterich, Tracy Dieterich and Dr. Mark D'Andrea;front row, from left, Chris Watson, Mary D'Andrea and Kelli Watson.
Courtesy Photo

We suspect that Houston Symphony musicians, leadership and patrons are still beaming over the orchestra's lead performance Monday night at the Spring for Music festival at Carnegie Hall. With maestro Hans Graf at the helm, the symphony received a standing ovation following the all-Shostakovich program.

Applause from the audience of 1,100 was so robust that the home team gave an encore performance — Liadov's Baba Yaga.

Mayor Annise Parker and Kathy Hubbard accompanied symphony patrons on the trip and the mayor introduced the 87-member orchestra to the Carnegie Hall crowd.

Houston Symphony CEO Mark Hanson welcomed this contingent and demonstrated how to wave the hometown purple handkerchief, given to each ticket-holder for the concert.

The day before was filled with celebrations for Houstonians in the mix that included Mike Stude, Phoebe and Bobby Tudor and Betty and Jesse Tutor. Sunday evening began with cocktails in the Citi Café at Carnegie Hall, where a string quintet of musicians from Virtuosi of Houston entertained, and continued on with dinner for a select group of symphony patrons in Carnegie Hall's iconic Rohatyn Room.

Graf explained to the gathering the significance of the symphony's 16th appearance at Carnegie Hall and his plans for the unique program on Monday night.

Houston Symphony CEO Mark Hanson welcomed this contingent and demonstrated how to wave the hometown purple handkerchief, given to each ticket-holder for the concert. Spring for Music tradition holds that each orchestra has its own color during the festival and the waving hankies are indication of hometown support.

On Monday, a number in the Houston crowd gave Tilman Fertitta's Manhattan Vic & Anthony's Steakhouse a look-see, stopping in for lunch.

Notables taking in the concert Monday night were Wynton Marsalis (who hung out backstage with symphony pals), symphony guest performer violinist Augustin Hadelich, and New York Philharmonic CEO Matthew VanBesien (former Houston Symphony CEO) and wife Rosie Jowitt and WQXR (New York's classical music station) weekend morning host Elliott Forrest, who emceed the entire concert and streamed it live online.

Making the NYC scene were Muffy and Mike McLanahan, Rita Graf, Linda and Gene Dewhurst, Christina Hanson, Nancy and Bob Peiser and Ata and Mikhail Svetlov. The festivities ended Monday night with a post-concert dinner at the Parker Meridien Hotel.

A run for the roses

While there were more than a few Houstonians in the stands at Saturday's Kentucky Derby, probably none had more fun than traveling pals Valerie and Tracy Dieterich, Mary and Dr. Mark D'Andrea and Kelli and Chris Watson.

This trio of couples had tickets for the Secretariat Lounge both race days and are still grooving over the memory of the bands playing, the vast buffet tables and, of course, Derby Pie. It was all so rich that Tracy Dieterich observed that he felt like he was on the Titanic — before any thought of icebergs.

The ladies packed their finest for the outings that required hats and at least one long gown. They did it up for the Kentucky Oaks, the Friday night Julep Ball and on Derby Day.

Bowling for birthdays

State Rep. Sarah Davis and Bellaire City Councilman Corbett Daniel Parker put politics aside (never mind the elephant sitting atop the cake from Moeller's) to celebrate their mutual birthdays with a wild and wooly bowling party at Palace Lanes.

They celebrated Sunday with friends and family over strikes and spares while noshing on barbecue from Goode Company. The early evening event also served to celebrate the duo's being named to Houston Business Journal's 40 Under 40.

In lieu of bringing gifts, guests were asked to support Davis' re-election campaign and the Rotary Club of Houston Skyline, founded by Parker.

Joining the party were Sarah's husband Kent Adams, Reyne Hirsch, Metro board member and former Bellaire Mayor Cindy Siegel, Judge John Coselli, Leisa Holland-Nelson and Robert Davenport.

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MFAH expands

Houston museum acquires historic Masonic lodge property for new greenspace

Holland Lodge No. 1, A.F. & A.M./Facebook

The building at 4911 will be torn down for the new greenspace.

The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston has acquired a prime parcel to expand its campus in the Museum District. On Tuesday, December 23, the museum announced it has purchased a two-acre parcel of land at 4911 Montrose Blvd that will bring its total footprint to 16 acres.

Located just north of the Glassel School of Art, the property will be developed as a greenspace that will serve as a community lawn as well as be utilized for future museum events and parking. MFAH has retained landscape architects Nelson Byrd Woltz — the firm responsible for work at Memorial Park and the recently-opened Ismaili Center — to create the design for the new greenspace.

Museum of Fine Arts, Houston greenspace rendering A rendering offers a bird's-eye preview of the new greenspace.Image by by Cong Nie/Courtesy of Museum of Fine Arts, Houston

At this time, the museum does not have plans to build anything on the property, according to a press release.

To make way for the greenspace, the property’s existing building, Holland Lodge No. 1, will be torn down. Built in 1954 as a home for the oldest Masonic lodge chapter in Texas, the building features a sandstone mural facade. It has been for sale since at least 2005, according to a report in the Houston Chronicle.

Demolition on the site is expected to begin in spring 2026 with the greenspace opening in approximately two years, according to press materials. In addition to the Glassell School, the museum’s campus includes the Audrey Jones Beck Building, the Caroline Wiess Law Building, the Lillie and Hugh Roy Cullen Sculpture Garden, and the Nancy and Rich Kinder Building.

“We are delighted to contribute to Houston’s greenspace access with this new initiative, which will expand the museum’s 14-acre campus to a thoroughly walkable 16 acres,” Gary Tinterow, director and Margaret Alkek Williams chair of the MFAH, said in a statement. “While the primary objective for the purchase of this property is to secure land for any potential future expansion of the museum, our priority now is to create a welcoming community lawn. Thoughtfully designed by Nelson Byrd Woltz, one of the leading firms in sustainable landscape practice, the site will serve as public greenspace and provide additional parking for museum visitors.”

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