“The Energy Corridor of Houston Orchestra (ECHO) is tuning up for an inaugural season,” writes Lindsay Peyton in Thursday’s (10/9) Houston Chronicle. The orchestra’s first performance is scheduled for October 24, with food and drinks for sale at the concert. “Conductor Michael Fahey said, ‘We’ll have songs that people know and enjoy as well as short works and movements from longer pieces…. We want to appeal to people of all ages. We want classical music to be fun, and the way to do that is to play great music.’ ” Founder and president Sarah Plunkett, a flutist, said “she knew there were a lot of musicians looking for a place to play. ‘So I decided to go ahead and build one,’ she said.” Plunkett notes that Houston’s Energy Corridor—home to many energy-related companies—is “all about business. There’s not a lot of art or music. This will definitely bring the community closer together…. Fahey said that the idea of starting a community orchestra had crossed his mind in the past. ‘What about people who have a talent and love for music but make a living in another field? We’re not providing enough opportunities for people like that,’ he said.”
Posted October 16, 2014
