About the Band
The Houston Symphonic Band
THE HOUSTON SYMPHONIC BAND is one of the country's premier volunteer concert bands. Celebrating our twenty-second season, the band has grown to draw players from over 150 of the Houston area's top musicians.
Many of the players are applied music teachers, band directors and performers but most are highly talented musicians whose daily lives have them working as doctors, lawyers, housewives, computer engineers as well as dozens of other occupations. The common bond among the players is a shared love for making great music at the highest levels of sophistication.
There are no auditions for membership in the band. The playing ability of each of the players grows under this system, the capability of the ensemble continues to improve and we all learn from each other. The group rehearses once each week (year-round) at the Kinkaid School in the Memorial area of Houston, Texas. Concerts are given throughout the year with Christmas and Patriotic music being very important parts of our concert repertoire.
Having achieved numerous honors and awards for excellence in performance and service, the HSB's most humbling recognition is the 2004 presentation by the revered John Philip Sousa Foundation of their covted "Sudler Silver Scroll" Award. This prestigious award is reserved for the most outstanding adult bands in the world (juried competition).
Other major events in the life of this organization have included concerts for the Texas Music Educators Association (San Antonio, 1987) and an unprecented four invitations to perform for the Texas Bandmasters Association (San Antonio, 1996, 1999, 2003 and 2005). On the closest Sunday to the 4th of July each year, the HSB presents music for the inspiring Annual Patriotic Worship Services at Foundry United Methodist Church (northwest Houston). Christmas for the HSB includes concerts at Foundry and for the Four Oaks Plaza (TIAA/CREF) in the Uptown Galleria area of Houston.
The Houston Symphonic Band is invited for regular appearances at several annual subscription concert series in the Houston area ... most notably "The Friends of the Arts - Missouri City," "The Fine Arts Series of St. Timothy Lutheran Church" (Tomball area), and the newly-created concert series sponsored by Foundry United Methodist Church (Northwest Houston area). HSB was invited to participate in the Houston Variety Club's spectacular concert at Zilkha Hall (Hobby Center, Houston) to the benefit of Houston's deserving youth.
Other concerts have been presented in the major concert halls of the Houston area, several venues in Europe (summer, 2000) and at the Royal Military School of Music in London, England, St. Mary's Cathedral in Limerick, Ireland and St. Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin, Ireland (summer, 2003). The band has been invited to perform in the People's Republic of China in June of 2007.
The Houston Symphonic Band takes pride in sponsoring a concert series that features world-renowned conductors, composers and virtuoso performers of wind band music. Dr. Francis McBeth conducted the inaugural concert of this series in 1997. Other guests have included Geoffrey Brand (City of London Wind Ensemble), Col. John Bourgeois (U.S. Marine Corps, retired), Larry Sutherland (Cal State, Fresno), Harvey Phillips (tubist), Robert W. Smith (Composer), Jerry Junkin (Dallas Wind Symphony), Alan Bonner (USAF, retired) composer Robert Sheldon (Alfred Music Publishing) and Øystein Baadsvik (tuba virtuoso of Norway).
Another favorite project for the band is the production of reference recordings that include much of the music that is used in competitions around the country by school bands (beginning as well as very advanced ensembles). The most popular release is a Warner Brothers Production featuring the HSB titled: "INCHON - the music of Robert W. Smith (Vol. II)." The most recent release is "A Nation's Strength," a compilation of favorite Patriotic pieces written especially for concert band. More information about the band, please contact Robert McElroy at: rmcelroy[at]houstonsymphonicband[dot]com
For further information regarding membership or booking of the Houston Symphonic Band.
