Season-opening concert of the 2026-2027 season featuring the Texas Medical Center Orchestra and The Kingwood Chorale performing Beethoven's Symphony No. 9.
The Texas Medical Center Orchestra opens its 2026-2027 season at Jones Hall on Saturday, October 24, with a program built around Beethoven's Symphony No. 9. It's a heavy lift for a season opener, and they're bringing in a full choir and four soloists to handle it.
The night starts with Richard Wagner's Overture to Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, a bright, brassy piece that sets the stage before the main event. From there, the orchestra moves into Beethoven's Ninth, his final symphony, which is known for its scale and its emotional range—and for the Ode to Joy finale that brings in the voices. The soloists on the bill are Sophia Orrico on soprano, Antoinette Pompe van Meerdervoort on mezzo-soprano, Stefán Víkingur on tenor, and Tzvi Bat Asherah on bass-baritone, with The Kingwood Chorale filling out the choral parts. Todd Miller conducts the whole thing.
If you're not familiar with the orchestra, it's a bit of a local curiosity. Founded in 2000 by Maestra Libi Lebel, it's one of the few community orchestras in the country rooted in the medical community. The membership is made up of physicians, nurses, researchers, healthcare professionals, educators, students, and musicians from across Greater Houston. They describe themselves as dedicated to presenting orchestral performances while supporting medically related and educational charities, and they've picked up some national recognition for it, including honors from The American Prize.
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It's a season-opening concert, so it's the first time the orchestra will be out on stage for the new year. The performance is at Jones Hall on Saturday, October 24, starting at 7 PM.
