Da Camera of Houston

Celebrating its 20th anniversary season, Da Camera of Houston is a vital           institution in the world of chamber music. Da Camera is a source of innovative programming, notably Artistic Director Sarah Rothenberg’s programs connecting chamber music with literature and the visual arts. The organization is nationally acclaimed for provocative programming, as well its jazz series with a unique balance between renowned performers and emerging artists.

Da Camera of Houston takes its name from the Italian phrase “da camera,” which means “of or in the chamber.”  A member of the Houston Theater District along with Houston Symphony, Houston Grand Opera and other prestigious performing arts organizations, Da Camera brings together leading American and international artists to perform in concerts at the Wortham Theater Center, The Hobby Center for the Performing Arts and The Menil Collection.  Da Camera has also brought its programs to New York’s Lincoln Center, to Washington’s Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and to prestigious concert series across Texas, throughout the country and in Mexico and Europe.

From its founding, Da Camera’s varied programming has consisted of chamber music in its broadest definition, a definition that includes both classical music and jazz.  Notable ensembles and musicians who have performed in Da Camera programs include Herbie Hancock, Heinz Holliger, The Juilliard String Quartet, Gidon Kremer, Paul Katz, Ida Kavafian, Catherine Malfitano, Dianne Reeves, Sonny Rollins, Richard Stoltzman, Joshua Redman and McCoy Tyner.

Artistic director Sarah Rothenberg is an acclaimed pianist.  Her recording of Fanny Mendelssohn’s Das Jahr received the Best Solo Classical Performance Award from the Association of Independent Recording Companies.  Ms. Rothenberg recently made her debut at the prestigious Gilmore Piano Festival and her debut as soloist with the Houston Symphony and maestro Hans Graf in a celebratory concert marking the 250th anniversary of Mozart’s birth. She also recently presented her latest Da Camera production, Epigraph for a Condemned Book, a solo recital interweaving the music of Chopin with poetry, video and recorded voices, at La Jolla Music Society, the Hancher Auditorium series at University of Iowa and Kravis Center in West Palm Beach.

Da Camera of Houston is committed to innovative programming and community outreach. In 2007, the organization was recognized by Chamber Music America with the CMAcclaim Award, presented in honor of Da Camera’s significant contribution to the cultural life of our region. Da Camera has twice been presented with the CMA/ASCAP Award for Adventurous Programming, most recently in recognition of the 2005/2006 season, which included five Da Camera commissions. Da Camera presents a wide range of education and outreach programs, including free monthly lunchtime concerts in the Wortham Theater Center and a series of family concerts on the campus of The Menil Collection.

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