Mark your calendars, music lovers: the Houston Symphony brings a playful, pulse-raising evening to Jones Hall on November 6, 7 and 8, 2026, with guest conductor Emmanuel Tjeknavorian on the podium.
The spotlight belongs to the Symphony’s own concertmaster, Yoonshin Song, who takes center stage for Prokofiev’s electrifying Violin Concerto No. 2 — a fast, fiery musical ride full of drama and virtuosity.
The headliner of the night is Shostakovich’s Ninth Symphony, a short, witty and delightfully irreverent work. Legend has it that Stalin expected a grand, heroic victory symphony after World War II — and Shostakovich answered with this mischievous little masterpiece instead. Eight decades later, its cheeky charm still crackles.
The evening closes on a crowd-pleasing note with Borodin’s Polovtsian Dances — lush, colorful melodies you are sure to recognize. Performances are Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. at Jones Hall for the Performing Arts, 615 Louisiana Street in downtown Houston. Tickets are available at houstonsymphony.org.
Photo: Houston Symphony (Lukas Beck)
