The soft serenade of a violin, the crisp tone of a saxophone, the trill of a flute — all come together for a monthlong celebration of music at The Immanuel and Helen Olshan Texas Music Festival (TMF).

Celebrating its 15th anniversary season, the festival, presented annually by the University of Houston Moores School of Music (MSM), brings together faculty members, internationally recognized guest artists and emerging students for a variety of musical performances.

From June 8 – July 3, thousands of music aficionados will visit UH to attend one or more of the performances at the Moores Opera House and at other campus venues.

The festival kicks off at UH with the Rockwell Distinguished Artist Series at 7:30 p.m. June 8 at the Moores Opera House.

MSM faculty members Valerie Vidal on saxophone and Vagram Saradjian on cello will perform “Celebration and Reflection,” the festival’s opening chamber music concert. Works by MSM Director David Ashley White, Ludwig van Beethoven, Coleridge Taylor Perkins and Dmitri Shostakovich will be performed.

“If you consider the quality of the young musicians who will play in the TMF orchestra, the four outstanding conductors who will each present a concert, the impressive soloists and the venue — our fabulous Moores Opera House — I think TMF will offer the best musical experience anywhere in Houston this summer,” said David Ashley White, MSM director.

Jazz fiends will love the Jazz Showcase, which returns to the festival a third time in response to its growing popularity. Organized by Noe Marmolejo, the TMF Jazz Project will fill the opera house with the beats of such jazz and Big Band heroes as Count Basie, Herbie Hancock, Bill Homan and others.

“We have some of the finest jazz musicians in Texas coming here to perform,” Marmolejo said. “With this ensemble, we decided to showcase new music written by some of its members, as well as cutting-edge music by composers throughout the Big Band era. This is an opportunity for these performers to improvise, challenge themselves and challenge the audience.”

And, according to Alan Austin, festival director, this year’s TMF Orchestra Series is not to be missed. Under the direction of MSM conductor Franz Anton Krager and featuring Andrzej Grabiec, an MSM faculty member, and Karen Ritcher, Igor Stravinsky’s “Rite of Spring” may never again be played so well.

“The orchestra this year will probably be the best orchestra that has ever played in the Moores Opera House — period,” Austin said. “It’s one of those amazing pieces that everyone should hear once in their life.”

Free concerts by young students in TMF’s jazz and piano institutes will be staged at Moores Opera House and Dudley Recital Hall, respectively. TMF Young Artist Chamber Music and the American Festival for the Arts Conservatory Orchestra also will hold free performances.

Behind the scenes, the festival also serves as a unique learning experience for emerging artists. Students from as far away as Europe audition for a place at the festival.

That’s a far cry from the festival’s beginning. In 1990, TMF attracted mostly local high school students. Today, the program has grown so immensely that many students are placed on a waiting list. This year, the orchestra alone includes 123 students — 40 more than last year.

“As the quality has risen, and the festival’s reputation has grown, we have attracted higher-level players,” Austin said. “Participants come to UH from throughout the United States and as far away as Europe, Mexico, Asia, Canada and other parts of the world.”

The opportunity to learn from such seasoned musicians as guitarist Steve Kostelnik and harpist Paula Page, an MSM faculty member and principal with the Houston Symphony since 1984, also has resulted in an increase in interest.

“The festival was founded to provide young professional musicians with a stimulating musical environment in which to concentrate on developing skills in orchestral, chamber music and solo performance,” Austin said. “They don’t have to worry about academics; they can concentrate solely on their music.”

Selected students submitted tapes of their solo recordings, including their own selections and those to be performed during the festival. During the four-week program, students participate in master classes, lessons and performances alongside established musicians.

One such group of classes is Floot Fire, which is directed by MSM faculty member Kimberly Clark and teaches students all aspects of flute performance. Students are placed in one of four levels: Poco Allegro, for beginners and near beginners; Allegro, for flutists who have played at least one year; Vivace, for students entering the 9th or 10th grade; and Presto, for students entering the 11th or 12th grade and graduated seniors.

“Floot Fire is designed to educate and inspire flutists through a diverse curriculum that covers many aspects of flute performance,” Austin said. “Floot Fire combines an informal, comfortable and supportive atmosphere with teaching, performance and artistic standards of the highest caliber.”

Each day, students spend about three hours in rehearsal, two hours in individual practice and three hours in chamber music coaching. They also spend one hour each week in private lessons.

Leticia Vasquez
lvaque5@central.uh.edu