Houston Symphony Salutes NASA In Annual Patriotic Program

The Houston Symphony closes out the ExxonMobil Summer Symphony Nights with an Independence Day celebration at Miller Outdoor Theatre: Star-Spangled Salute, a Houston tradition of more than 75 years. Houstonians can enjoy patriotic tunes, a celebration of the Apollo 11 space mission, and an incredible firework display in a free and family-friendly setting at 8:30 p.m. on July 4.

This year's Star-Spangled Salute includes select musical pieces like "Moondance," John Adams' Short Ride in a Fast Machine, and Bill Conti's music from the film The Right Stuff to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing. Retired NASA employee Bill Davidson will join the celebration as the Symphony's special guest during the evening's program. Davidson worked at NASA during the Apollo 11 era in a variety of roles including Special Assistant to Chief, Flight Control Division; Section Head, Advanced Operations Planning Section; Program Planning Supervisor; and Mission Manager for the Earth Operations Aircraft Program Office.

Houston-native and vocalist Chelsea Cymone is featured in the program along with a selection of patriotic favorites, American classics, and Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture led by Principal POPS Conductor Steven Reineke. The evening's festivities conclude with a stellar firework display provided by the City of Houston through the Miller Theatre Advisory Board.

Admission is free, but tickets are required for the covered seated area. Tickets are available at the Miller Theatre Box Office the day of the performance between 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. Any remaining tickets are released one hour before the performance time. Support for the Houston Symphony at Miller Outdoor Theatre comes from ExxonMobil, the City of Houston through the Miller Theatre Advisory Board, and The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. Visit milleroutdoortheatre.com and houstonsymphony.org for more information.

About the Houston Symphony

During the 2019-20 season, the Houston Symphony celebrates its sixth season with Music Director Andrés Orozco- Estrada and continues its second century as one of America's leading orchestras with a full complement of concert, community, education, touring and recording activities. The Houston Symphony, one of the oldest performing arts organizations in Texas, held its inaugural performance at The Majestic Theater in downtown Houston June 21, 1913. Today, with an annual operating budget of $33.9 million, the full-time ensemble of 88 professional musicians presents nearly 170 concerts annually, making it the largest performing arts organization in Houston. Additionally, musicians of the orchestra and the Symphony's four Community-Embedded Musicians offer over 900 community-based performances each year, reaching hundreds of thousands of people in Greater Houston.

The Grammy Award-winning Houston Symphony has recorded under various prestigious labels, including Naxos, Koch International Classics, Telarc, RCA Red Seal, Virgin Classics and, most recently, Dutch recording label Pentatone. In 2017, the Houston Symphony was awarded an ECHO Klassik award for the live recording of Alban Berg's Wozzeck under the direction of former Music Director Hans Graf. The orchestra earned its first Grammy nomination and Grammy Award at the 60th annual ceremony for the same recording in the Best Opera Recording category.