Houston families packed Stude Concert Hall at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music Feb. 28 for the school’s annual Family Concert, a lively morning designed to introduce young audiences to the instruments and excitement of the orchestra.
The sold-out performance drew a full house of returning attendees and families experiencing a Shepherd School concert for the first time. Before the music began, children and parents gathered in the Grand Foyer where student musicians offered instrument demonstrations and answered questions. Visitors of all ages lined up to see instruments up close and meet the performers who would soon take the stage.
The concert launched with the high-energy opening of Kevin Day’s “Lightspeed,” then conductor Miguel Harth-Bedoya introduced the orchestra’s instrument families before the program’s centerpiece: Benjamin Britten’s “The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra.” The beloved work unfolded with narration and was conducted in turn by Harth-Bedoya and master’s of conducting students Ana Spasovska and Kyle Haake, highlighting the distinct sounds of woodwinds, brass, strings and percussion.
“My toddler was enthralled, his arms draped over the balcony rails as he repeated the names of the instruments and watched them in action,” said Evelyn Tang, assistant professor of physics and astronomy. “We loved it!”
The program concluded with a vibrant arrangement of Ary Barroso’s “Aquarela do Brasil.”
“We had a terrific time at the Shepherd School’s Family Concert,” said Elizabeth Roberto, assistant professor of sociology. “I was so impressed by the student musicians! The performance was fantastic, and they were so kind to show my son their instruments before the concert. It was a welcoming and engaging experience for our whole family.”
After the concert, many families continued the morning with a short walk to the Moody Center for the Arts where the Art Lab invited visitors to create their own cyanotype prints inspired by the exhibition “Imaging after Photography.”
Learn about upcoming events at the Shepherd School here.
