Tickets Available Online for Next in GHF's Summer Chamber Concert Series

1880 Garten Verein: "Adoration of the Earth" Concert on Friday, June 4, to Feature Music by Corelli, Debussy and Stravinsky

(Galveston, TX) - Galveston Historical Foundation and Restoration Chamber Music, a group of Houston-area classical musicians, are partnering for the second year to present a summer series of three chamber concerts in historic Galveston buildings. Each musical program will be linked thematically to the building in which it is performed. The series begins with a concert at Moody Mansion May 29. The price for each concert is $25 for non-GHF members and $22.50 for GHF members. Reservations can be made through email to education@galvestonhistory.org,
by calling 409-765-7834, or online HERE.

Restoration Chamber Music is an ensemble of the region’s most acclaimed classical musicians, including Houston Symphony players and faculty from the region’s best university music schools. The summer chamber series will fill three historic buildings with music written to be played in intimate settings—not concert halls. The concerts will be held in the Moody Mansion May 29, Garten Verein Pavilion June 4 and St. Joseph’s Church June 12.

Program organizers say that by linking historic music with historic buildings they hope to highlight the joy that both music and architecture inspire in humans.

“I'm always amazed by the emotion and power of Galveston’s beautiful historic buildings,” said Restoration Chamber Music executive artistic director Evan Leslie. “I respond to an inspiring space just as I respond to an inspiring piece of music.”

“Our intimate, friendly concerts, each lasting about an hour, allow music and history lovers a rare opportunity to experience world class performances in some of the most inspiring settings Texas has to offer,” Leslie said. 

The idea for the series grew out of Leslie’s awareness, as he finished his graduate studies at Rice University, that classical music audiences were dwindling. He was determined to find ways to make “historic” music more relevant to people today.

Joined by his former Rice teacher and graduate advisor, cellist Brinton Averil Smith, and Smith’s wife, world-renowned pianist Evelyn Chen, Leslie presented the summer series concept to GHF executive director Dwayne Jones. Still embroiled at the time in GHF’s struggle to save its architectural treasures in the wake of Hurricane Ike, Jones and his staff embraced Leslie’s concept for a summer classical musical series as a new way to connect people with the city’s rich heritage.

“This concert series helps people see that historic buildings are not just artifacts we have preserved but vital spaces that can be used for wonderful activities,” Jones said. “The music people will hear this summer evokes the essence of these wonderful structures and the concerts no doubt will enhance listeners’ appreciation for Galveston’s architectural heritage.”

The musicians who play the music in Galveston’s historic sites get a special sense of history as well.

“In my career, I’ve enjoyed performing in great concert halls all over the world,” said Chen. “But there’s something really special about the environment and the audience in Galveston. The people are warm and welcoming and I love playing in Galveston. “I’ve never experienced such a wonderful, casual and pure connection with an audience.”

This year’s concert sites, musical themes and dates are:

Moody Mansion: Living Room Music, Saturday, May 29, 7:30 p.m. - SOLD OUT

Today, with radios and I-pods, people often take for granted music in their lives, but in the time of the Moody Mansion, if someone wanted to hear Beethoven or Chopin in their homes, they had to play the music themselves. Some of the most famous chamber music masterpieces were premiered in living rooms, not concert halls. Restoration Chamber Music offers this exciting and surprising program of music written for home performances. Guests are invited to enjoy one of Galveston’s most celebrated historic homes, while hearing virtuoso performances by our region’s best musicians. This concert will include the world premier of a work written especially for Restoration Chamber Music, plus three famous nocturnes by Chopin, and a lighthearted trio by Beethoven.

Featured Performers: Frank Huang, violin; Brinton Averil Smith, cello; Evelyn Chen, piano

1880 Garten Verein: Adoration of the Earth, Friday, June 4, 2010, 7:30 p.m

An adventurous assortment of music masterpieces inspired by nature, this concert has something for everyone. Visitors will hear famous melodies by baroque master Arcangelo Corelli, the enchanting, pastel harmonies of Claude Debussy, and the tectonic rhythms of Stravinsky. Enjoy the sunset and the serenity of Kempner Park while listening to historic music in one of Galveston’s most distinctive buildings, the 1880 Garten Verein. 

Featured performers: Judy Dines, flute; Joan DerHovsepian, viola; Paula Page, harp; Evan Leslie, cello; Evelyn Chen and Nancy Weems, piano

St. Joseph’s Church: Sanctuary Music – Saturday, June 12, 7:30 p.m.

Music is the language of the spirit. When words fail, a solo violin or cello more perfectly captures the expressions of the soul. This concert features music inspired by profound, personal spirituality, including sacred music for chamber choir by the famous German Catholic composer Anton Bruckner, a contemporary of St. Joseph’s Church. The concert also includes peaceful masterpieces on religious themes for solo cello and a rarely heard arrangement of Bach's famous d minor chaconne for cello quartet.

Featured performers: Evan Leslie, cello; Brinton Averil Smith, cello; Coro directed by Betsy Cook Weber

For more information about Restoration Chamber Music and its musicians, click here.

Learn about the historic settings for the Summer Concert Series by clicking on the names of the buildings: 1880 Garten Verein, St. Joseph’s Church and Moody Mansion.

Information about all of the Galveston Historical Foundation’s attractions and activities is available at www.galvestonhistory.org.