A note regarding COVID-19
Upcoming Events in Houston
Houston
“John Akromfrah: The Hour Of The Dog”
April 24-Oct. 11
The Menil Collection, 1533 Sul Ross St.
The Menil Collection and the Baltimore Museum of Art have co-commissioned renowned British filmmaker and artist John Akomfrah to create an immersive, multichannel video installation exploring the history of civil rights-era nonviolent protests, including the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee.
“Wall Drawing: Jitish Kallat”
Sept. 10-Aug. 8, 2027
Menil Drawing Institute, 1412 W. Main St.
The Menil Collection has commissioned Jitish Kallat to create the eighth installment of the Menil Drawing Institute’s ephemeral Wall Drawing Series. Born in Mumbai where he continues to live and work, Kallat is a leading figure in contemporary Indian art. His work often probes the intersections of the intimate and the immense, weaving together references to history, science, philosophy, and the cosmic scale of time.
“Fragility”
Sept. 10-Jan. 24, 2027
Menil Drawing Institute, 1412 W. Main St.
The exhibition highlights paper—and its incongruous and variable characteristics—as an artistic material. Included in the show are works that present a range of processes, as well as paper sculptures and found papers that imbue a finished work with an additional sense of history and place.
“The Music Man”
Sept. 15-27
The Hobby Center for the Performing Arts, 800 Bagby St.
Meredith Willson’s six-time Tony Award-winning beloved musical comedy, “The Music Man,” marches into Houston with laughter, heart, and all the music you love. Follow the fast-talking traveling salesman Harold Hill as he cons the people of River City, Iowa, into buying instruments and uniforms for a boys’ band that he vows to organize. Featuring songs such as “Seventy-Six Trombones,” “Trouble,”“Till There Was You,” “Pick-a-Little,” and “Gary, Indiana,”“The Music Man” is a classic musical to be shared with every generation.
“Terry Winters: Vitalized Geometry”
Sept. 25-April 4, 2027
The Menil Collection, 1533 Sul Ross St.
The exhibition presents 44 prints and works on paper by the American artist Terry Winters, who draws inspiration from mathematical systems and structures of the natural world. Celebrating two groups of gifts to the Menil and organized in close consultation with the artist, the career-spanning presentation explores the importance of printmaking to Winters’s practice and its dialogue with other forms of making.
ROCO In Concert: Eyes on the Horizon
Sept. 25-26
Miller Outdoor Theatre, 6000 Hermann Park Drive
ROCO embarks on its 22nd season with Eyes on the Horizon, an opening weekend featuring two world premiere commissions in back-to-back orchestra performances conducted by artistic partner Delyana Lazarova. The program begins with Jonathan Peters’ “Sonus Colorum,” an orchestral meditation on color in sound, before moving into two multimedia world premieres that explore the connections between sight, sound, and perspective. Leanna Primiani’s multimedia concerto “Visions” explores the lenses through which we see the world and how perception shapes our understanding of ourselves and those around us. Composer and saxophonist Alison Shearer features in her own new work, “The Light Paintings,” inspired by abstract artwork created by her late father, acclaimed LIFE photojournalist John Shearer. The evening concludes with “The Godfather” trilogy composer Nino Rota’s rarely performed Symphony No. 3 in C Major.
Party in the Park
Oct. 15
Menil Park, 1423 Branard St.
The Menil Collection’s annual fall fundraiser, Party in the Park, features cocktails and culinary delights under the majestic oak trees and twinkling lights of Menil Park. Proceeds support the museum’s public programs, as well as the enhancement, maintenance, and care of museum’s art buildings and green spaces.
Ice at Discovery Green
Nov. 13-Jan. 18
Discovery Green, 1500 McKinney St.
Houston’s premiere outdoor ice-skating rink opens for a magical winter season. Glide under the glittering lights of downtown and enjoy festive discount nights. Bring mittens, scarves, and a thermos of hot chocolate. As always, guests in non-motorized wheelchairs are welcome.
Beats Antique in Concert
Dec. 4
Bad Astronaut Brewing Co., 1519 Fulton St.
Commitment to the full performance art form is how Beats Antique fuses musical worlds, pulling on global sounds for experiments on the fringes of cinematic cabaret, informed by electronic mash-ups and inspirations who have joined them on the journey such as Les Claypool, Alam Khan, The Glitch Mob, Too Many Zooz, and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band.
Houston Chamber Choir in Concert: “The Holly and the Ivy”
Dec. 4-6
Various locations
In the season of Advent, the Grammy Award-winning Houston Chamber Choir invites audiences to performances in three of the Houston area’s most beautiful and historical churches: Trinity Episcopal Church in Galveston and Trinity Episcopal Church and the Cathedral of Our Lady of Walsingham in Houston.
ROCO Connections: Eva Burmeister, Violin
Dec. 5
Julia Ideson Library, 550 McKinney St.
Curated by ROCO violinist Eva Burmeister, this ROCO Connections concert transforms the historic Julia Ideson Library into a gathering place for music, poetry, and conversation.
Disney’s “The Little Mermaid”
Dec. 8-24
The Hobby Center for the Performing Arts, 800 Bagby St.
Disney’s “The Little Mermaid” is a dazzling musical adventure based on the beloved Hans Christian Andersen tale and classic animated film. Follow Ariel, a curious young mermaid who dreams of life above the sea. Relive all the moments you love with songs like “Under the Sea,” “Kiss the Girl,” and “Part of Your World.”
Make a Joyful Noise!
Dec. 10
Padre’s Wine Bar, 3522 White Oak Drive
Make A Joyful Noise! returns for an evening of fun creativity at Padre’s Wine Bar, inviting guests to sip, mingle, and explore their musical side through ROCO’s Instrument Petting Zoo for adults. Led by ROCO musicians, the event offers hands-on experiences with orchestral instruments in a relaxed, no-pressure setting, paired with a variety of wines and tasty bites.
“How to Make an Exhibition: The Story of Jermayne MacAgy”
Dec. 11-July 18
The Menil Collection, 1533 Sul Ross St.
Organized in celebration of the Menil Collection’s 40th anniversary, this exhibition honors the impact and legacy of the late San Francisco- and Houston-based curator, art historian, and museum director Jermayne MacAgy, who was renowned for her dynamic and groundbreaking installations and innovative approach to curating.
Stearman Santa
Dec. 12
The Lone Star Flight Museum, 11551 Aerospace Avenue
Get ready for a little holiday magic as Santa gives his reindeer a break before the big night. Watch Santa taxi in on a vintage, open-cockpit biplane. Afterwards, there are photos and activities.
Will Holiday’s Grand Ol’ Christmas Show
House of Blues Houston, 1204 Caroline St
ROCO Connections: Beer and Brass
Jan. 14
Saengerhalle, 1703 Heights Blvd.
Raise a glass with ROCO as the annual Beer and Brass tradition continues. This spirited event features the ROCO Brass Quintet performing traditional beer hall music and favorite brass arrangements. Perfect for a midweek adventure, the evening pairs engaging, interactive performances with locally brewed craft beers (plus root beer and cider), tasty bites, and good company.
Houston Chamber Choir in Concert: “Hear the Future”
Jan. 23
Westbury Baptist Church, 10425 Hillcroft St.
The “Hear the Future” concert and master classes are one of the choir’s most important initiatives, allowing choral music lovers to enjoy this art form at its finest in a beautiful acoustic setting. The public is invited to attend both the class and the concert.
“The Who’s Tommy”
Feb. 2-14
The Hobby Center for the Performing Arts, 800 Bagby St.
In 1969, The Who created a rock opera that changed the course of music history. Myth and spectacle combine in this fresh reinvention that includes the unforgettable anthems “I’m Free,” “See Me, Feel Me,” “Sensation,” and “Pinball Wizard.” After witnessing a murder, the young Tommy Walker is lost in the universe, endlessly and obsessively staring into the mirror. An innate knack for pinball catapults him from reticent adolescent to celebrity savior.
ROCO In Concert: “Pure Imagination”
Feb. 13
The Hobby Center for the Performing Arts Zilkha Hall, 800 Bagby St., #300
Adventure continues where curiosity takes hold in “Pure Imagination.” Artistic partner Mei-Ann Chen returns to lead Houston’s chamber orchestra. The concert includes the world premiere of Maxime Goulet’s “The Return of Wolf Suite” and a Texas premiere of a new guitar concerto by Austin Wintory, featuring guitarist Mak Grgiä, plus Mozart’s “Sinfonia Concertante for Four Winds” (I. Allegro) and Mahler’s Symphony No. 1 (I. Langsam, schleppend).
Houston Chamber Choir in Concert: “Towards Paradise”
Feb. 20
South Main Baptist Church, 4100 Main St.
Guest conductor and Voces8 Artistic Director Barnaby Smith performs. Inspired by the sound world of Voces8 and his Decca release “Shall We Gather,” this program explores the sacred choral tradition. Centered on Frank Martin’s “Mass for Double Choir”—a powerful a cappella work of the 20th century—the evening unfolds as a sequence of reflections, with movements of the Mass interwoven with music spanning five centuries.