Symphony Presents ‘Big’ Glamorous Night of Music and Philanthropy

Priscilla Dickson & Daniel Ortiz
Symphony Presents ‘Big’ Glamorous Night of Music and Philanthropy

Phoebe and Bobby Tudor

IT WAS A big night for the Houston Symphony. Not only was it the annual Opening Night Concert and Gala, chaired this year by Susan and Dennis Carlyle, but it was also the official first performance of Juraj Valčuha as the symphony’s 16th music director.


And the music was big. The concert presentation of Verdi Requiem drew on the full orchestra, guest opera stars including Houston’s Ana María Martínez and others from around the world, and a large 100+-person choir.

After dinner, per Symphony custom, patrons including Margaret Alkek Williams, Bobby and Phoebe Tudor, and Betty and Jess Tutor piled onto luxury buses and made their way to the grand Corinthian event space nearby for a lavish dinner. “The décor, created by The Events Company, transformed the space with crystal chandeliers and greenery cascading across the balcony,” cooed a rep for the organization. “Tables, covered in green linens, filled the room and were topped with varying high and low floral arrangements in shades of white and green.”

Dinner included salad with shrimp terrine, gremolata-and-breadcrumb-crusted cod, with profiteroles and hazelnut macaroons for dessert. The David Caceres Band played for a lively dancefloor afterward.

The Symphony announced it had raised $540,000 on Opening Night for its education and community-engagement efforts.

Alan and Elizabeth Stein, Bobbie Nau, Marc Grossberg

Alex Blair, Jennifer Roosth, Katherine Warren

Barbara Burger, Dom and Stephanie Beveridge

Betty and Jesse Tutor

Brittany Clark, Mario Gudmundsson

Cheryl Buyington

Dee and Lea Hunt

Dennis & Susan Carlyle, John Mangum

Heather Almond

James and Kimberly Bell

Houston Symphony Opening Night Gala

John Mangum, Margaret Alkek Williams, Juraj Valčuha

Robert and Joan Duff

Scott and Geraldine Wise

Tony and Frances Buzbee

Yoon Smith, Malaika Mukoro, Heidi Rockecharlie

Parties
Elevate Dining in and out this Summer with Steam Cooking

MAKE THE MOST of every delicious bite this summer with the benefits of steam cooking. Whether you’re reviving leftovers from Houston’s hottest foodie hangout or hosting memorable gatherings at home, integrating steam into your cooking repertoire can take your food to the next level.

Keep Reading Show less

MUTINY WINE ROOM in the Heights is celebrating five years with a bash this month. Opening just months before the pandemic, the tasting-room-style bar and restaurant is run by Emily Trout and Mark Ellenberger, who also own Kagan Cellars in Napa Valley.

Keep Reading Show less
Food

A giant astronaut now looks over Discovery Green where the PCMA conference will host its opening event

AMAL CLOONEY, LIZ Cheney and Brené Brown will be in Houston this week to speak at the Professional Convention Management Association’s annual conference. Houston First is bringing the conference — for meeting-planners who work on behalf of companies and associations to book conventions — to town. Houston First president and CEO Michael Heckman has referred to the event as “the Super Bowl of our industry,” as the organization hopes to book $200 million in new incremental business over the next five years.

Keep Reading Show less