Symphony Opening Night shines with twice the star power
Gala returns to Theater District, and pianist Wang and conductor Gimeno steal the show
Don’t call it a comeback.
The Houston Symphony’s Opening Night Concert & Gala returned to downtown’s Theater District following a one-year hiatus post-Hurricane Harvey. With it, a welcome swirl of black-tie wares, sparkling wines and venue-hopping breathed excitement into the air, plus — a hint of suspense — the evening landed on a note between nostalgia and the new guard of concert performances.
Following a string of high-profile shake-ups — former executive director and CEO Mark C. Hanson to San Francisco, vice president for development David Chambers to Chicago and, most recently, news that Andres Orozco-Estrada will double up his role as music conductor for the Vienna Symphony Orchestra, beginning in 2021 — all eyes were on pianist Yuja Wang and guest conductor
Gustavo Gimeno, who each gave the crowd something to talk about.
Wang, a 31-year-old Beijing-born supernova, brought the big three: a powerhouse performance, jaw-dropping outfits and a dazzling outpouring of support from Houston’s Chinese community. The “Crazy Rich Asians” effect remains in full force, with a red-carpet scene outside Jones Hall that rightly earned the term “diverse.”
Inside, Wang charged the stage the next-gen way, in sequined, sheer and strapless millennial pink. Her Maurice Ravel concerto for the left hand was a tour de force, too. At the post-concert dinner, her talent and wardrobe change into a backless mini-dress — as well as Gimeno’s enviable coif — dominated cocktail conversation.
For all the duo’s refreshing furor, much of the program rang decidedly old school. Traditional black-and-white décor with dots of red florals swathed the Corinthian’s interiors to match the 275-key piano painted outside Jones Hall. And Jackson & Co. plated steakhouse-style classics, beginning with a la salade Rue Saint-Benoit and filet mignon with bearnaise and ending with chocolate-mousse-filled edible pianos.
Later, a Steinway Spirio Model M signed by Wang fetched its value to the tune of six figures, and Andrew
Bost’s curious auctioning-off of a glass of water led to more questions than bids. In the end, chairs Donna and Max
Chapman raised a commendable $750,000 toward the symphony’s education and community-engagement programming, and immeasurable interest in the upcoming season at Jones Hall.