Emperor Piano Concerto
September 14, 15, 16, 2007
“The most versatile of America’s important pianists...the best of them.”
–Boston Globe
Hans Graf, conductor
Garrick Ohlsson, piano
Beethoven: Symphony No. 1
Puts: Symphony No. 1
Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 5, Emperor

Mendelssohn's
Midsummer Night's Dream
September 20, 22, 23, 2007
Graf recreates his magical conception of Shakespeare in music, language and light.
Hans Graf, conductor
Maureen Thomas, actress
Angela Fuller, violin
Women of the Houston
Symphony Chorus
Mendelssohn: Scherzo for Orchestra from the Octet
Bruch: Violin Concerto No. 1
Mendelssohn: A Midsummer Night’s Dream (complete)

Rachmaninoff and Liszt
September 28, 29, 30, 2007
Rachmaninoff’s famous 18th variation— perhaps the most romantic moment in all music.
Hans Graf, conductor
Kirill Gerstein, piano
Houston Symphony Chorus
Charles Hausmann, director
Liadov: Three Pieces
Rachmaninoff: Variations on a Theme of Paganini
Liszt: Totentanz
Stravinsky: Symphony of Psalms

Copland's Appalachian Spring
October 18, 20, 21, 2007
The Washington Post calls Salerno-Sonnenberg “a breathtakingly daring and original artist...who must be experienced in person.”
Carlos Miguel Prieto, conductor
Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg, violin
Copland: Appalachian Spring
Barber: Violin Concerto
Copland: Symphony No. 3

Graf's Mozart and Zemlinsky
November 9, 10, 11, 2007
Zemlinsky’s music, supressed by the Nazi regime, has broken through in all its glory.
Hans Graf, conductor
Twyla Robinson, soprano
Roman Trekel, baritone
Mozart: Serenade for Winds in C minor
Berg: Lyric Suite for String Orchestra
Zemlinsky: Lyric Symphony

Emanuel Ax' Brahms 1
November 15, 17, 18, 2007
Charles Ward wrote of Ax’ “pure joy... fleet technique and exultant energy.”
Hans Graf, conductor
Emanuel Ax, piano
Sibelius: Finlandia
Sibelius: Symphony No. 7
Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 1

Romeo and Juliet Plus Glennie
November 30, December 1, 2, 2007
“If you’ve never experienced Glennie, you shouldn’t miss her. If you’ve heard her before, chances are you already have your tickets.”
–Washington Post
Michael Christie, conductor
Evelyn Glennie, percussion
Schwantner: Percussion Concerto
Vivaldi: Concerto arranged for Vibraphone and Strings
Prokofiev: Selections from Romeo and Juliet

Graf's Mozart and Haydn
January 10, 12, 13, 2008
Haydn and Mozart speak to your heart and mind—and no one conducts them like Hans Graf.
Hans Graf, conductor
Susanne Mentzer, mezzo-soprano
Allen Barnhill, trombone
Haydn: Symphony No. 83, La poule
Mahler: Rückert Lieder
McTee: Trombone Concerto
(Houston Symphony Commission)
Mozart: Symphony No. 36, Linz

Strauss' Alpine Symphony with Photomontage
January 18, 19, 20, 2008
Thrill to spectacular panoramas as Strauss’ music ascends and descends the mountains.
Hans Graf, conductor
Brinton Averil Smith, cello
Tobias Melle, photographer
Beethoven: Overture to Fidelio
Elgar: Cello Concerto
R. Strauss: An Alpine Symphony

Mozart and Brahms
January 24, 26, 27, 2008
This pinnacle of Brahms symphonies radiates depth, poignance and beauty.
Lawrence Foster, conductor
Barry Douglas, piano
Enescu: Rumanian Rhapsody No. 2
Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 25
Brahms: Symphony No. 4

Carmina Burana Plus Bernstein
February 22, 23, 24, 2008
Revel in man’s earthly pleasures in Orff’s spectacular cantata.
Claus Peter Flor, conductor
Houston Symphony Chorus
Houston Children’s Chorus
Bernstein: Chichester Psalms
Orff: Carmina Burana
Due to demand, we cannot accommodate
exchanges into these performances

Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoff
February 28, March 1, 2, 2008
Tchaikovsky wrote of his Fourth, “This Symphony is better than anything I’ve done.”
Hans Graf, conductor
Stephen Hough, piano
Rachmaninoff/Respighi: Etudes tableaux for Orchestra
Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 1
Adams: Tromba Lontana
Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 4

Vivaldi's Four Seasons
March 14, 15, 16, 2008
Campestrini takes Houston on a grand Italian adventure.
Christoph Campestrini, conductor
Benjamin Schmid, violin
Vivaldi: Four Seasons
Mendelssohn: Symphony No. 4, Italian
Verdi: Overture to La Forza del Destino

Beethoven's Seventh Symphony
April 3, 5, 6, 2008
Beethoven called his Seventh, “one of the happiest products of my humble talents.”
Kwamé Ryan, conductor
Jean-Yves Thibaudet, piano
Pärt: Cantus in memoriam Benjamin Britten
Ravel: Piano Concerto for the Left Hand
Beethoven: Symphony No. 7

Saint-Saëns Organ Symphony
April 18, 19, 20, 2008
Louis Langrée, of the Mostly Mozart Festival, returns to lead the thrilling Organ Symphony.
Louis Langrée, conductor
Karen Gomyo, violin
Messiaen: Les offrandes oubliées
Saint-Saëns: Violin Concerto No. 3
Saint-Saëns: Symphony No. 3, Organ Symphony

Mahler's Resurrection Symphony
May 1, 3, 4, 2008
Mahler wrote of his triumphant, profound Second, “An overwhelming love illuminates our being.”
Hans Graf, conductor
Houston Symphony Chorus
Mahler: Symphony No. 2, Resurrection

Mozart's Fourth Violin Concerto
May 9, 10, 11, 2008
Shepherd School’s Cho-Liang Lin performs the most shimmering of the Mozart concertos.
Hannu Lintu, conductor
Cho-Liang Lin, violin
Rautavaara: Cantus Articus
Mozart: Violin Concerto No. 4
Schumann: Symphony No. 3, Rhenish

Rodrigo's Guitar Concerto
May 15, 17, 18, 2008
Fisk “left the audience enchanted. Their response was unending applause to the great artist.”
–The New York Times
Hans Graf, conductor
Eliot Fisk, guitar
Shai Wosner, piano
Falla: Suite from El Amor Brujo
Rodrigo: Concierto de Aranjuez
Falla: Nights in the Gardens of Spain
Rimsky-Korsakov: Capriccio espagnol