Longtime Houston Symphony fans take note: A revered figure in Houston classical music is returning for a performance of an iconic work.
Christoph Eschenbach, the pioneering Houston Symphony music director from 1988 to 1999, will guest conduct an homage to a master in Brahms’ Symphony No. 1 on January 21, 22, and 23, 2022 at Jones Hall.
For those still observing COVID safety measures, the symphony will livestream the Saturday, January 22 performance.
Eschenbach will be joined by headliners Jan Lisiecki and Stathis Karapanos, two of the hottest stars in the genre. The shows open with Ibert’s Flute Concerto by Greek virtuoso Karapanos in his first Jones Hall performance. Karapanos, a child prodigy on flute, actually grew up listening to recordings of Eschenbach, his bio notes, and lists him as one his greatest inspirations.
Canadian piano standout Lisiecki, also making his Houston debut, will follow with Beethoven’s powerful Piano Concerto No. 4, one of the most quintessential pieces of the piano repertoire. Lisiecki, who is the youngest recipient of Gramophone Magazine’s Young Artist Award to date, signed with classical music label Deutsche Grammophon at age 15 and performs more than 100 concerts globally each year, a press release notes.
In a fitting closer, Eschenbach will lead the symphony in Brahms’ triumphant Symphony No. 1 (classical music aficionados know that the prolific German composer spent more than 20 years to perfect the piece).
This performance marks Eschenbach’s ninth time to take the baton and podium in Jones Hall since his tenure with the symphony ended in 1999. The former music director is credited for strengthening the symphony’s reputation in the U.S. and abroad: He led symphony musicians on six international tours to Europe and Japan and four major national tours.
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Christoph Eschenbach, Jan Lisiecki, and Stathis Karapanos perform on January 21, 22, and 23, 2022 at Jones Hall (615 Louisiana St.). For tickets and more information, call 713-224-7575 or visit houstonsymphony.org. Livestream tickets for Saturday, January 22, 2022 are available for $20.
Piano standout Jan Lisiecki.
