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Classical Music in Texas The State of Texas in the USA has a great tradition of supporting the arts, not least Classical Music. Here's an overview of what you can find when you visit the Lonestar State.
When you think of Texas, the second largest state in the United States in both population and land area, the thoughts of a Classical music centre might not cross your mind. However, Texas boasts several prominent music schools and performance companies, keeping Classical music a rich tradition, and very much alive within the area. Listed among these is Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music, a liberal arts university with a $22 million dollar music facility and internationally esteemed faculty, ranking it as one of the top university programs for music in the United States. Grammy award winning musicians and composers frequent the campus each year to mentor music students, and share their experiences and talent. The school focuses on Orchestral and Chamber Music as its performance core curriculum, and attracts more that 70,000 audience members each year to its extensive schedule of concerts and recitals. In addition, Houston – Texas’ largest city – has a theatre district that is second only to New York City’s in regard to its capacity and significance. There are some 13,000 combined seats in its multiple concert halls and performance venues, making it a stop on almost every major music tour within the United States. In addition, multiple famous conductors made the move from Europe and the UK to the Houston Symphony Orchestra (Leopold Stokowski and Sir John Giovanni Battista Barbirolli, to name a few) to serve as musical directors there. While lacking the limelight of the better known orchestras throughout the world, or even those on the East and West coasts of the United States, the Houston Sympony Orchestra has held tenaciously to a reputation as having more than its expected share of impressive conductors and performances.
Unfortunately for some, the prestige of name and place goes a long way in the music industry, and to an even greater degree in the Classical music genre. Performers, venues and locations outside of the famed music capitals suffer significant stereotyping amongst music critics, and Texas natives are no exception. Grammy award winner Danny Elfman, who composed the scores for such movies as Batman and Tim Burton’s Nightmare Before Christmas, is a Texan who knows this stereotyping all too well. Although his movie scores remain some of the most memorable pieces in American cinema, some of his critics write him off as an ex rock star who most likely hires ghost writers for his acclaimed work. Yet, with influences like Mozart, Prokofiev, Stravinsky and Tchaikovsky, as well an attitude of high-spirited rebellion that has always been a characteristic of Texans, his work reflects as much ingenuity and popular appeal as the work of his Classical role models. It goes to show: talent and musical genius can spring up anywhere—even in what is typically considered the politically conservative gateway to the desert. Those who are engaged in the Classical music scene in Texas will attest to the rich and diverse musical culture their state offers. Besides, where else can you enjoy the best in rodeo and an internationally-renowned symphony performance, all within the span of one evening?
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