The celebrated Houston Ballet makes its Center debut

With renowned pianist George Li playing works by Frédéric Chopin, a new season of dance opens with a rapturous full-length ballet by Houston Ballet, making its Center debut. 

Sons de L’âme (Sounds of the Soul) by Stanton Welch AM is rarely performed, and this will be its West Coast premiere. Li will perform Chopin’s timeless music live onstage, while 20 dancers respond. Houston Ballet, hailed by The New York Times as “one of America’s best ballet companies,” is among the country’s leading ballet institutions. 

We have the famous Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo to thank for the birth of this company. For 11 years beginning in the 1930s, the Ballet Russe spent a week during the Christmas season performing The Nutcracker for Houston audiences. This led patrons to express a growing desire for a resident dance company in their city. 

Today it is the fifth-largest ballet company in the United States. In 2003 Stanton Welch AM was appointed its artistic director. The renowned Australian choreographer reenergized the company, recruiting new dancers and commissioning works for the company’s repertoire, of which a number of Welch’s own pieces are included. 

The company performs works from the mid-20th century and 21st century and takes pride in nurturing the creation of new full-length narrative ballets, including this piece. Sons de L’âme highlights hypnotic solos, dramatic partnering, and ensemble selections showcasing the skills of the dancers.  

Chopin defined classical music’s Romantic period in the early- to mid-19th century. The composer was known for his elegant piano works which focus on intensely expressive melodies and rich harmonies. It was obvious even in his lifetime that Chopin understood the piano intimately—while his technical skill was not the highest, his composition surpassed his peers in the way he utilized the piano—and his compositions make use of the numerous ways in which he utilized the instrument. Today Chopin is considered in the pantheon of the greatest composers.

George Li, the young celebrated American concert pianist, would agree with that. He is widely acclaimed for his poetic and virtuosic interpretations of Chopin’s music. Praised by the Washington Post for combining “staggering technical prowess, a sense of command, and depth of expression,” Li possesses an effortless grace, poised authority, and brilliant virtuosity far beyond his years. Li gave his first public performance at Boston’s Steinway Hall at the age of 10, and in 2011 performed for President Obama at the White House. He has enjoyed a stellar international career. 

His reviews reflect his talent. “Li commanded Chopin’s Piano Concerto No.1 from his first chord, skillfully navigating the shifts from virtuosic passages to lyrical,” says the Kansas City Star. “Applause erupted on the final cadence, and the audience was on its feet for a justly impressive display.” The Chicago Tribune says simply, “George Li plays Chopin brilliantly.”

This is a stunning production with which to start your dance season.  

Segerstrom Hall
October 15–18