Celebrate the holiday season with the Houston Symphony's "Very Merry Pops" concert at Jones Hall, a festive tradition that promises to fill the air with the merry sounds of the season. This year, the concert will be graced by the presence of Broadway star Mandy Gonzalez, who will join the Symphony and Chorus, adding her heartwarming vocals to the mix. Under the baton of conductor Lucas Waldin and with the Houston Symphony Chorus directed by Allen Hightower, audiences are in for a sparkling evening decked with boughs of holly.

The "Very Merry Pops" concert is part of the Houston Symphony's 2023-24 season and is available for purchase as part of a Pick Your Own subscription, offering savings and flexibility. The concert series runs from December 20th through December 23rd, 2023, with performances each evening at 7:30 PM at the iconic Jones Hall. This event is not only a celebration of holiday cheer but also a showcase of the Houston Symphony Chorus's talent, an ensemble with a rich history of performances under the direction of some of the world's most notable conductors.

Don't miss this heartwarming holiday tradition that brings family and friends together for an evening of joyous music and celebration. Secure your subscription now to be part of this festive experience.

EPSG:4326

Very Merry Pops

Jones Hall

Juraj Valčuha and the orchestra kick off the season with one of the world’s most beloved orchestral works, Dvořák’s soul-stirring New World Symphony. This spotlight on great Czech composers also includes Martinů’s joyful Czech Rhapsody, written in celebration of Czechoslovakia’s 1918 independence.

Opening Weekend: Dvořák’s New World

The vibrant and eclectic style of Pulitzer Prize-winning composer John Adams is paired with biblical verse, modern Spanish-language poetry, and more in this contemporary take on the Christmas story, uniquely told from a mother’s point of view. Experience the power of this spellbinding masterpiece, which in Adams’s words explores “what is meant by a miracle.”

Adams’s El Niño

This is what ‘epic’ sounds like. A massive orchestra and huge chorus join forces in Jones Hall for Orff’s infamous ode to love, drink, and living life to the fullest, Carmina burana. Instantly recognizable thanks to its use in countless movies and commercials, a live Carmina is one of classical music’s most spellbinding and immersive experiences. Conductor Laureate Andrés Orozco-Estrada returns to lead these performances, which also include an exciting world premiere by Jimmy López Bellido.

Carmina Burana

Music Director Juraj Valčuha leads Brahms’s extraordinary A German Requiem. Written during a time of personal grief for Brahms, the Requiem offers music of time-altering beauty as a balm of comfort, peace, and uplifting hope to those experiencing grief and loss. The concerts open with Tōru Takemitsu’s emotionally powerful Requiem for strings.

Takemitsu + Brahms’s Requiem

Gather family and friends in Jones Hall—decked with boughs of holly—for a sparkling concert filled with the merry sounds of the season! Broadway star Mandy Gonzalez joins the Symphony and Chorus for this heartwarming holiday tradition.

Jones Hall will be filled with joyous refrains and exultant arias, including the iconic “Hallelujah” Chorus, in this powerful presentation of the greatest story ever told.

Handel’s Messiah

Opening weekend will be “très magnifique” as Music Director Juraj Valčuha leads dazzling French masterworks! Spotlighting the Houston Symphony Chorus, Poulenc’s Gloria surges with playful spirit and celebratory fanfare. From a shimmering “musical sunrise” you’ll practically see to a rapturous ending guaranteed to bring down the house, Ravel’s Daphnis and Chloe is live music at its most electrifying.

Opening Weekend: Ravel’s Daphnis and Chloe

Mozart’s genius burns with brooding intensity in the legendary Requiem that was to become his own funeral music. Instantly recognizable thanks to its use in the multi-Academy-Award-winning film Amadeus, to experience it live is to feel its brilliance. Houston Symphony Artistic Partner Itzhak Perlman conducts orchestra, chorus, and outstanding vocal soloists in this must-see concert event.

Houston Symphony Chorus

12 - 15 Dec, 2024

Very Merry Pops

4 - 6 Oct, 2024

Opening Weekend: Dvořák’s New World

Houston Symphony Chorus