Symphony of a City Honors San Angelo

“Symphony of a City” is both the name of the next San Angelo Symphony concert on Feb. 1, as well as a description of the multimedia event.

“In ‘El Salon Mexico’ by [American composer] Aaron Copeland, there is going to be a display of pictures that depict the history of San Angelo,” explained Hector Guzman, Maestro of the symphony. “It has some American music, but it also has Mexican music intertwined.”

'El Salon' was written and first performed in Mexico City in the 1930s. According to Wikipedia, 'El Salon' is "a musical depiction of an eponymous dance hall in Mexico City and even carries the subtitle, 'A Popular Type Dance Hall in Mexico City'". (source)

Here is the Frankfort Radio Orchestra performing the Copeland composition:

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Other pieces being performed by the Symphony include “Candide” by Leonard Bernstein and “An American in Paris” by George Gershwin.

“We want it to have a lot of American flavor, with American composers,” said Guzman. “Strangely enough, songs that depict other cities.”

In addition to the symphony pieces, Symphony of a City will feature former Sorantin Competition Strings winner Russell Houston. Houston, who won the 2012 competition, is a professional cellist that performs with many outfits in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.  

Guzman personally knows the Houston family, and praises them as fantastic musicians.

“The mother is a pianist and the father is a violist who played with the Boston Symphony,” Guzman said. “And he’s a good kid.”

Like Houston, some of the symphony performers travel to San Angelo from other cities, however, many are local. John Irish, the first chair trumpet, as well as Daniel McCloud in percussion are both Angelo State professors in the music programs.

Guzman explains that many of the brass and percussionists in the symphony are local because of the strong programs at ASU and local high schools, but many of their strings section are out-of-towners due to the small orchestra interests here.

Guzman invites the public to the concert at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 1, at the McNease Convention Center.