'Tis the Season for Beethoven Piano Sonatas and Holiday Jazz from DACAMERA

'Tis the Season for Beethoven Piano Sonatas and Holiday Jazz from DACAMERA

Brooke Wyatt Trio

AS TOY-PIANO VIRTUOSO Schroeder hollers in Merry Christmas Charlie Brown, “Whaddya mean Beethoven wasn’t so great?!!” Real recognizes real, and Dec. 4-16, DACAMERA presents Beethoven For All, a free, six-concert series of 20 of Ludwig Van Beethoven’s piano sonatas performed by some of the city’s leading classical pianists.


While each concert is currently at capacity, walk-up seating may be available the day of the performances on a first-come, first-served basis. While not as intense as Taylor Swift’s swifties, Beethoven has a formidable fanbase, and we hear he’s doing pretty well on Spotify.

Yvonne Chen

The first three concerts take place at the Menil Collection with performances by six different pianists, including CityBook faves Mei Rui and Yvonne Chen, who founded the new music ensemble Loop38 and was featured in our 2019 Music Issue. The series culminates with a marathon performance on Dec. 16 (Beethoven’s birthday!) at the Rothko Chapel.

First up, at 1pm, is Timothy Hester, who will tackle two of Beethoven’s most popular and technically challenging sonatas: Piano Sonata No. 8 in C minor, popularly known as “Sonata Pathetique,” and Sonata No. 21 in C major, nicknamed “Waldstein.” At 2:15pm, Tali Morgulis will play the always-popular Sonata No. 14 in C-Sharp Minor, better known as the “Moonlight” sonata. And at 3pm, DACAMERA artistic director Sarah Rothenberg closes the series with what will no doubt be a breathtaking performance of Beethoven’s final three sonatas, including his two-movement, almost avant-garde Sonata No. 32 in C Minor. In a 2022 interview for Houston CityBook, Rothenberg said, “In a way, there’s nothing more modern than some of the compositional things Beethoven does in his late works.”

For Houston jazz fans, DACAMERA has two free concerts on tap featuring pianist and rising star Brooke Wyatt performing several holiday jazz favorites, first on Dec. 6 at noon in the Grand Foyer of the Wortham Theater Center, and again on Dec. 15 from 5-7pm in the new Lynn Wyatt Square for the Performing Arts.

Art + Entertainment
Fall Philanthropy Report: Urban Harvest Farmers Market Helps ‘Transform Food Accessibility’

What year was your organization launched? Urban Harvest’s Saturday Farmers Market started in 2004 with just seven vendors, providing an outlet for local farms, community and backyard gardeners to sell fresh produce harvested directly from their soils. Now in its 20th year, the market has grown to be one of the largest markets in Texas, supporting over 100 local farmers, ranchers, and food artisans all from within 180 miles of Houston. The market draws 3,000 customers every Saturday morning and includes many original vendors like Animal Farm, Atkinson Farms, and Wood Duck Farm.

Keep Reading Show less

WITH HOLIDAY PARTIES and festive dinners galore this time of year, it’s officially Champagne season! Artisans is celebrating with a special bubbly dinner paired with sips from famous Champagne house Moet Chandon Winery on Thursday, November 14.

Keep Reading Show less
Food

HOLIDAY CHEER IS coming to Bandista, the Four Seasons hotel’s swanky speakeasy, in the form of a fun collab with Nashville bar Four Walls.

Keep Reading Show less
Food