- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Movies |
- All
Houston Symphony
Categories: Arts & Entertainment Performing Arts Arts & Entertainment Music Venues Nightlife Music Venues Performing Arts, Music Venues [Edit]
615 Louisiana StSte 102
Houston, TX 77002
Neighborhoods: Fourth Ward, Downtown
(713) 224-7575
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Garage
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Best Nights:
- Sun, Sat
- Happy Hour:
- No
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Smoking:
- Outdoor Area/ Patio Only
- Coat Check:
- Yes
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Good For Dancing:
- No
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
11 reviews for Houston Symphony
11 reviews in English
-
Review from Lauren P.
Magnolia, TX
7/30/2011
Went for a free concert back in April I think it was and I was totally hooked.
Last Saturday I attended the screening of Lord of the Rings Fellowship of the Ring where the symphony provided the entire soundtrack. I honestly do not have the words to describe it. The music was already moving enough but to have it right there so close so loud...and the soloist was glorious {I never thought anyone could sing Enya better than Enya but I was proved wrong} ...I openly wept several times.
I certainly hope with those two showings being sold ut that the other two films will be upcoming.
They have recently done Bugs Bunny and the music from Final Fantasy. A viewing of The Matrix is coming In November.
I like this mix of current media with the classical music. I hope this will introduce a whole new audience and generation to Classical Music. -
Review from Kathy Z.
10/17/2011 1 Check-in Here
I grew up listening to and playing classical music, so this was something I missed after going away to college. Thank goodness for the Houston Symphony. I usually go to at least 1 symphony a year. This year, I actually bought a YPB subscription, for "young professionals". Tickets are deeply discounted, and free drink voucher for every concert.
My husband and I saw Idina Menzel last weekend. It was a packed house, but she made the concert very intimate. Highly recommend this if she comes back.
Parking gets pretty hairy on Saturday nights since all the other theater halls have shows too. -
Review from Jere D.
Houston, TX
10/28/2011
Not too bad, but it is a B grade symphony in my honest opinoin. Programming and Presentation leaves a lot to be desired but over all musicality, superb. Leadership, get moving on innovation and pushing this ensemble to step outside the box more often. More interaction with the performers and audience and such. Otherwise, it's a Jurrasic experience for me.
-
Review from Cynthia C.
Los Angeles, CA
2/15/2011 1 Check-in Here
Attended the Gil Shaham concert. Great performance of Beethoven's 7th. I had orchestra seating, so I can only blame the uneven acoustics on our location. (Don't ever sit in the front 5 rows no matter the pricing...)
Parking was $5 in a lot across the street. -
Review from Allison M.
Houston, TX
5/7/2010 ROTD 7/1/2010
I have the musical taste of a 14 year old and not even the cool emo kind. I prefer Beyonce to Beethoven. Conversely my husband, though of identical chronological age to me, has the musical taste of the AARP set.
The hubby listens to classical music constantly so I thought a nice Christmas present would be to buy him tickets to the Houston Symphony. I suppressed a yawn and clicked the buy button on the symphony website. Silently telling myself that he really "owes me for this".
The performance at Jones Hall was a Pops concert (c'mon I couldn't go ALL the way) featuring the music of composer John Williams. My conclusion: The Houston Symphony is brilliant. We are so lucky to have world class musicians in our city.
While they haven't prevented me from hastily switching the station when KUHF goes from news to classical, I respect the genre more and am more willingly to attend a performance at Jones Hall, Miller Outdoor Theater, or Discovery Green.
The symphony itself is 5 star, but the business side is a 3. After my one online purchase, they bombarded me with pushy phone calls, emails, and fliers begging me to buy again. I get that these are rough economic times for the arts, but this type of promotion makes me want to buy the tickets even less.Listed in: My ROTDs
-
Review from David N.
5/5/2010
I have never been to any kind of symphony before but when given the opportunity to couple the symphony in with an event created by Farra, I knew this was finally the time to check it out. I was lucky enough to see Pink Martini. They are a band of sorts from Oregon with their sound being a blend of classical, jazz, Latin and Parisian cabaret music.
I saw the Pops version this night instead of the classical, I didn't know the difference but apparently Pops, is more modern/contemporary, which is definitely something I prefer.
The show started out with the traditional performance from the Houston Symphony, they played Offenbach's Overture to Orpheus in the Underworld, V. Youmans/Dragon's Carioca from Flying Down To Rio, and Tchaikovsky's Capriccio Italien, Opus 45.
I didn't recognize any of these pieces by name but I clearly recognized, the end of the Offenbach piece which was the Can-Can.
I loved the conductor, Robert Franz, he was a lot of fun, not your traditional conductor, and totally not what I was expecting. He was funny, danced along, and even made corny jokes in between songs.
At Intermission, we were blessed with Pink Martini. I didn't really know what to expect because their set up looked like a band, but they had the whole symphony in the back. Once they started playing it was so much fun. The leader singer, China Forbes, is so talented. They played songs of all different languages. Probably some of the most fun I've had out in a long time!Listed in: Houston: Evening Fun
-
Review from Dolph W.
Houston, TX
9/28/2007
The Houston Symphony is the cornerstone of Houston's fine arts scene and they hold up their end quite well. For eleven years from the late 80's until 1999, Christoph Eschenbach took the ensemble from regional respectability to a musical force that made people take notice all around the globe. When its current conductor, Hans Graf, mounted the podium in 2001, many of us thought there was only one direction things could go - downwards.
First of all, you couldn't have two more diametrically opposed musical personalities: Eschenbach stretched the limits of musical interpretation as he conducted expansive interpretations of Brahms, Mahler and Bruckner where Graf is a precise technician most comfortable with Mozart and Haydn. Quite happily, the orchestra has maintained its high level of artistic integrity the past six years.
No - we don't have an orchestra like Boston, Philadelphia (where Eschenbach has just been dumped), New York, Cleveland or Chicago, but you're not going to find a better option in the South (sorry Dallas and Atlanta).
It's hard to keep orchestras solvent these days. Audiences across the country are diminishing or barely holding steady. Being the musical snob that I am, I attribute this to the dumbing down of all things cultural in this country. At the rate we're going, we'll be back to tribal chanting in a few more decades. That being said, the Houston Symphony has pulled themselves out of a financial cesspool of deficit spending and has managed to break even the past few years. Alas - this kind of tension is endemic with the fine arts. All you Yelpers out there need to "culturefy yourselves" a bit and start attending performances of the music that made Western Culture great. Believe it or not, music older than two months, two years and even two centuries can be incredibly relevant today.
The symphony performs at Jones Hall, a big venue with less than distinct acoustics. For some performances, the roof is lowered and completely closes off the upper balcony. This is a bit of an improvement. I find the best seats to be mid-orchestra (around row M).
There are lots of season subscription options to satisfy diverse tastes from pops to more serious classical fare. They also perform at Miller Outdoor Theater and up in the Woodlands. I'm a bit concerned about "programing to keep us out of a deficit" mentality. This results in more crowd pleaser concerts and less diversity. Hearing Carmina Burana and Beethoven's Ninth every other year might be exciting to some, but just makes this old codger shake his head. Also, how many Christmas Messiahs can one endure before being "Hallelujah'ed" to death?
All-in-all though, if you can find it in yourself to turn off your iPod for a few hours on a weekend and listen to live music that will actually stimulate your brain to the point where you will have a temporary increase in your IQ instead of pounding your cerebrum into oblivion, a Houston Symphony concert is where you should be.Listed in: Classical Music in Houston
-
Review from Jon S.
Houston, TX
2/8/2009 1 photo
I just attend my first concert at the Symphony and it won't be my last. I went to one of their "pop" concerts entitled "Star Wars and More: Music of John Williams." As a Star Wars/Williams fan I really enjoyed the performance. Most of the two hour song set was from Star Wars but themes from Harry Potter, Jaws, Superman, Indiana Jones, ET all popped up during the show.
Star Wars characters also made appearances on stage such as a jawa, R2-D2, Stormtroppers, and even Vader himself.
Conductor Michael Krajewski was brilliant and fun making jokes between pieces and telling stories. He is the conductor of the "pops" side of the Symphony while I think Hans Graf deals with more of the classical side as music director.
Location is right downtown and easy to get to and the price of a ticket was pretty good. I paid 30 bucks for balcony seat, all the way at the top, but I could still see everything and more importantly I could hear everything.
For 99 bucks you can get a 9 event pass for either classical or pops which is a really good deal. Granted it is in the balcony selection and the 99 bucks is only for Sundays but it is really worth it. I'm really considering buying one soon.
If you have some free time and want to have a good night out and enjoy some great live music of either pop culture or the classics, go to the Symphony. I think you'll be glad you did.Listed in: Stuff to do
-
Review from Alan S.
7/8/2008
Ahh... the symphony! There is not much left to say, other than to give my opinion of it all. It was enjoyable with rather comfortable seating... just a little to pricey for me to go to on a regular basis. The last time I went was because someone with season tickets could not go... I'd say the place was at most 2/3rd full. Perhaps they should offer half price tickets an hour before the shows? Yes... there are $8 tickets, but its only for the bland formal orchestra stuff...
During the summer there are many free shows you can catch at various events... I've hit up one of those... and while the music is just as good, they tend to be short (30 minutes on average) and the kids tend to be loud. The special events seem awesome, such as Video Games Live, and the upcoming Monty Pythons inspired show... but decent tickets cost $50+ each for these. Or pay $25-35 for obstructed views!
Hit it up once a year for a dose of culture... it's worth it... on occasion. -
Review from May N.
10/2/2007
Dolph's review was so comprehensive so the only thing I have to add is that the Houston Symphony has great pops series--have you ever heard video game music played by a formal orchestra? They also have a great "wavelength" series for people young adults 18- 29 years old (they check your driver's license). For six designated classical and pops performances throughout the season, HSO offers members up to two $8 tickets for the show. That's even better than student rush tickets! And you don't have to arrive an hour before the show you can book in advance and do will call! Sign up at http://www.hswavelengt.../. The membership card also gets you night-of-concert deals at nearby restaurants.
-
Review from LAWJISTIK -.
Houston, TX
7/23/2008
The Houston Symphony has made a big resurgence. Tix are pretty reasonable, & shows are bigger & better than past years.
