AFA's
2006 Summer Concert Series presented seventeen concerts to thousands
of area music lovers consisting of student orchestra, chamber music,
choral, jazz, and faculty performances. Concerts were held at Episcopal
High School’s Underwood Theater, Benitez Chapel and Black Box,
at the University of Houston Moores Opera House, Ovations in Rice Village,
the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts, South Main Baptists Church
and at Austin Middle School in Beaumont. All concerts were free and
open to the public. AFA Concerts provide students with a supportive
atmosphere in which to demonstrate their achievements, and allow audiences
to support their learning process. Moreover, concerts take place when
most arts organizations have concluded their seasons and are especially
targeted to serve student families, local music teachers, school districts
and the greater Houston and AFA communities.
AFA
is also dedicated to innovative Audience Development Initiatives. In
2007, these initiatives will again call for AFA conductors, chamber
music coordinators, and history instructors to program and teach works
from the upcoming seasons of the Houston Symphony, Ballet, Da Camera
and other Houston presenters. As AFA traditionally employs artists of
these presenters as faculty, AFA students will, therefore, have the
opportunity to learn these works from the musicians who will perform
them. AFA believes that this initiative will broaden the audience for
Houston presenters in an educated and quality way, instill pride in
the greater Houston community for these organizations, and leave a lasting
impression on AFA students and their families. It is the opinion of
AFA that this type of initiative is unique and will become a model for
other orchestras and chamber music presenters in large cities who face
the challenge of connecting with and becoming a meaningful part of their
own increasingly diverse communities
In
November of 2004, AFA had a unique opportunity to partner with the Houston
Symphony in an exciting audience development initiative. More than fifty
AFA students and their families participated in an open rehearsal of
Beethoven's Sixth Symphony with Houston Symphony American Conducting
Fellow Damon Gupton. Maestro Gupton spent over an hour working with
AFA students in the rehearsal rooms at Jones Hall to help them understand
and perform this complicated work as parents and friends observed. Later
that evening, AFA students and their families received free tickets
to see the Houston Symphony perform this very same work — thereby
extending their learning experience. AFA is very grateful to the Houston
Symphony and Maestro Gupton for this wonderful opportunity for AFA students
and look forward to future opportunities for further collaborations.
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