The Shepherd School Symphony Orchestra will present “Momentum & Majesty” Oct. 25 under the baton of Miguel Harth-Bedoya, distinguished resident director of orchestras and professor of conducting at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music.
Since joining the Shepherd School faculty this season, Harth-Bedoya has emphasized repertoire that broadens students’ artistry while drawing listeners into the orchestra’s vivid range of color and expression. The concert will open with John Adams’ high-octane “Short Ride in a Fast Machine,” followed by Ottorino Respighi’s shimmering “Fontane di Roma” and Johannes Brahms’ deeply expressive Fourth Symphony.
“I enjoy expanding the musical palette across styles and periods,” Harth-Bedoya said. “Starting the program with a piece by a living composer, John Adams, and his electric minimalist style in his ‘Short Ride in a Fast Machine’ allows us to launch the concert with tons of energy and forward momentum, which will then be followed by ‘Fountains of Rome’ by Ottorino Respighi, composed in 1916. This piece contrasts tremendously from ‘Short Ride’ as it is atmospheric and descriptive, offering a huge range of dynamics, tempos and orchestral colors. Finally, Brahms’ majestic Symphony No. 4 complements the musical ‘menu’ with absolute music, which means music without any external influences. Brahms’ last symphony brings out the most expressive, intense and joyful music that the composer wrote for orchestra.”
Together, the three works chart an arc from modern pulse to romantic splendor, mirroring the ensemble’s own sense of momentum and discovery under Harth-Bedoya’s direction. As the Shepherd School enters a new chapter under his leadership, the Symphony Orchestra continues to deliver performances that celebrate the vitality and breadth of orchestral music.
The performance is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. in Stude Concert Hall at Alice Pratt Brown Hall. Tickets are pay-what-you-wish starting at $5 and a livestream will be available.