Wondering how to throw a blowout centennial bash that people will remember for years to come?
Start with the incredible Houston Symphony led by Juanjo Mena and add legendary soprano Renee Fleming for a two-hour concert at Jones Hall. Make sure to include passionate music lovers who also just happen to be dressed in their opening night finest and then follow the live performances with dinner and dancing at The Corinthian, one of Houston’s most elegant gala venues.
"The Houston Symphony’s Centennial Opening Night Gala with Renee Fleming" checked all those boxes and more, kicking off the season and continuing the social swirl in glamorous style.
The Texans and Bob McNair were Community Partner Honorees, proving sports and the arts can make beautiful music together.
More than 500 gala-goers packed The Corinthian for pre-concert bubbly, hopping on chauffeured luxury buses to Jones Hall for the concert which got underway in moving patriotic style with singing of the national anthem.
At the end of the concert, with the audience on its feet, accompanied by the Houston Symphony and polished by Jones Hall’s acoustics, the goose-bump inducing early sing-a-long set the stage for "We Hold These Truths," sung by Fleming and arranged by Houstonian J. Todd Frazier.
Fleming and the Houston Symphony complemented each other, moving from Strauss and Wagner to Puccini and Rodgers and Hammerstein. Fleming held court in a lavish black ball gown to start the concert and changed into a golden gown to sing songs from the great American songbook.
The Centennial Opening Night Gala was a family affair chaired by Carolyn and Mike Mann and Kathy and Paul Mann, who were clearly thrilled to be a part of the record-breaking evening. The gala honored Mike Stude, an avid arts supporter and Janice Barrow, a lifetime trustee of the Houston Symphony.
The Houston Texans and team owner Bob McNair were the Community Partner Honorees, proving professional sports and the arts can indeed make beautiful music together.
Channel 13’s Tom Koch served as master of ceremonies, introducing the Richard Brown Orchestra and dancers from Dance Houston who performed throughout the evening.
The gala drew many of Houston’s influential including, Dr. Kelli Cohen-Fein, Phoebe and Bobby Tudor, Tiffany and Rick Smith, Divya and Chris Brown, Peter Brown, Valerie and Tracy Dieterich, Marianne and Bob Ivany, Debbie and Vidal Martinez, Dr. Franklin and Cindi Rose and symphony CEO Mark Hanson and wife Christina.
Renee Fleming, center, with Christina and Mark Hanson at the Houston Symphony opening night gala.
