Performers practice their pieces for the Texas Music Festival. | Courtesy of Dancy Lukeman.
UH will host the 25th Annual Immanuel and Helen Olshan Texas Music Festival May 30 through June 28. The first event will take place at the Moore’s Opera House.
“If you’ve never been to an intensive classical music festival like this before, you’re in for a ride,” said Texas Music Festival Director Alan Austin.
This festival will showcase musicians’ talent and the hard work they put into their performances.
“The festival as a whole is to provide blossoming classical musicians a chance to perform under world-class conductors while learning new repertoire that gives audience members a chance to have a new concert experience for four straight weeks,” Austin said. “What we see is that each week, the orchestra and audience member evolve together as one.”
The focus of the festival is to not only provide an entertaining music experience but also to help young musicians get some experience under their belt.
“What we hope to do is give our musicians the tools and experience they need to become professional musicians while providing a truly unforgettable experience for the audience,” Austin said.
Performers perfect their overall appearance and sound at a dress rehearsal for the Texas Music Festival. | Courtesy of Dancy Lukeman.
While there are many things to look forward to in this month-long musical event, Austin has one in particular he is excited about.
“What people should really be getting excited about is Mahler’s ‘Resurrection Symphony’,” Austin said. “There will be 200 people on stage at once, including two world-class soloists and the entire Houston Symphony Orchestra.”
Musicians from 11 different countries will be performing along with some from the United States, including “Time for Three,” a classical string trio that have been making waves lately. A complete list of the acts can be found on their website at www.uh.edu/class/music/tmf/.
