2009-2010 Season 

Note these concert dates and
plan to join us

Free Admission

Young Artist Concert
Featuring winners of the 2010 Young Artist Competition

Torke- Green 

Wieniawski - Violin Concerto No. 2 in D minor, mvt. 1
                            Melissa Du, soloist

Hummel- Bassoon Concerto in F, mvt. 1
                            George Fan, soloist

Beethoven- Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 61, mvt. 3
                            Kenny Wong, soloist

Additional Repertoire - TBA

Sunday, May 2, 2010
2:30 p.m.
HBU, Morris Cultural Arts Center,
Dunham Theater

Free Admission

Humperdinck - Prelude to "Hansel and Gretel"
Mendelssohn - Symphony no. 1 in C minor
Britten - Young Persons Guide to the Orchestra
Shostakovich - Cello Concerto, Op. 107
Rossini -  Overture to Semiramide
Dvorak - Slavonic Dance op. 46, no. 1

Friday,
November 20, 2009
8:00 p.m.
HBU, Morris Cultural Arts Center,
Dunham Theater

Free Admission

Sunday, November 22, 2009
3:00 p.m.
Ballroom, Moody Gardens Hotel,
Galveston, Texas

A ticketed concert, in association with
the opening of "The Forgotten
Gateway" exhibit commemorating
immigration through Galveston

Tickets available through the
Moody Gardens . Tickets for the exhibit and concert ($15.95) can be obtained through the link above.

Smetana - Moldau from "Ma Vlast"
Brahms - Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 77
                Aija Izaks,  violin
Mussorgsky(arr. Ravel) - Pictures at an  Exhibition

Aija Izaks has studied music performance at some of the finest music institutions in Europe, such as the Rimski-Korsakov Music School for the Gifted (St. Petersburg, Russia), Emils Darzins Music School for the Gifted (Riga, Latvia), and has earned her Master's Degree in Music Performance from the prestigious Music College, Latvian Music Academy (Riga, Latvia). She was recognized as "Best Graduate of the Year" in a leading National magazine. Aija moved to the U.S. in 1994 and her own dream came true – she became a citizen of the United States.

Aija has traveled and performed all over the world and learned first hand different types and styles of music such as Baroque, Classical, Popular, Broadway, Jazz, Swing, Blues, Country & Western, Fiddling, various Ethnic styles, and many others. Prior to moving to the U.S., Aija was the violinist at the National Opera and Ballet House in Riga, Latvia, at several symphony orchestras around the world, and performed with various chamber music groups, both in the groups, and as soloist.  For three years she was concertmaster of the West Virginia Symphony Orchestra where she had the privilege of performing with such notable artists as violinist Itzhak Perlman, cellist Yo-Yo Ma, flutist James Galway, and fiddler extraordinaire Mark O'Connor.  She was honored to perform for First Lady Laura Bush in College Station.  She remains active as a performer and teacher.  She maintains a private studio in Richmond, TX, where she teaches both violin and piano. 

Friday, January 22, 2010
8:00 p.m.
HBU, Morris Cultural Arts Center,
Belin Chapel & Dunham Theater

Free Admission

J. Strauss - Fanfare for the Vienna Philharmonic
Respighi - Suite in G Major for Organ and
                  Strings,
                Dr. Rhonda Furr, organ
R. Strauss - Serenade in E flat
Respighi - Pines of Rome

Dr. Rhonda Furr has been a part of the Houston Baptist University music faculty since 1989.  Her teaching fields include organ and musicology.  As organ professor and university organist, she worked with the Canadian firm, Orgues Létourneau Limitée, to design the 58-rank Smith Organ in HBU’s Belin Chapel.  

She has served as Dean of the Houston Chapter of the American Guild of Organists.  In addition to numerous honors awarded at HBU, Dr. Furr was also a recipient of the Leadership Award by the Houston Chapter of Sigma Alpha Iota, the International Music Fraternity for Women.  She has authored articles for The American Organist and The Hymn.  Her biography and catalog on the life and work of distinguished scholar, author and composer Donald Paul Hustad is included in the book, Jubilate, Amen! A Festschrift in Honor of Donald Paul Hustad (2010).

Active in music ministry, Dr. Furr has held organist positions at several Houston churches, including Willow Meadows Baptist Church, Houston’s First United Methodist Church, and Grace Presbyterian Church; she is currently organist at Houston’s First Presbyterian Church. Dr. Furr is active as an organ consultant, clinician and recitalist.

She holds degrees from Western Carolina University and Southern Seminary where she completed the Doctor of Musical Arts degree.