Houston Music Festival presents: Texpressionism

Houston Music Festival presents Season 3: TexpressionismImpressionism, jazz, and the blues walk into a Houston concert hall. Something new walks out.Texpressionism is a brand-new sound, born in Houston's one-of-a-kind musical landscape. It draws on the harmonic language of French Impressionism, the fluid swing of jazz and Southern blues, and the wide-open spirit of Texas, and weaves them into a genre of its own.HMF presents jazz pianist and producer Elijah Fox, composer Ben Morris, and an all-star ensemble in a week-long creative lab, building this sound from the ground up.I. Texpressionism: Inspirations Monday, November 9, 7:30 pmEvery new genre starts somewhere. Inspirations traces the threads that come together in Texpressionism, unfolding as a series of conversations between old and new. Contemporary works by Fox and Morris are paired with the French masters whose sound worlds echo through their music, including Ravel's Violin Sonata No. 2 and String Quartet, Debussy's Reflets dans l'eau, and Nadia Boulanger's Trois Pièces.II. Texpressionism: The Premiere Friday, November 13, 7:30 pm Saturday, November 14, 7:30 pm (same program)Fox's music moves easily between lush melody, ambient texture, and hypnotic groove; Morris has reimagined it for string quartet, bass, and piano. The resulting suite is part chamber music, part improvisation, and part ambient soundscape, as Fox improvises through shimmering string textures and full orchestral color. Highlights include Fox's viral composition Wyoming, reimaginings of Impressionist favorites by Ravel and Debussy, and Stormy Monday, the blues classic by Texas-raised electric guitar pioneer T-Bone Walker. The Premiere is a chance to hear a new genre at the moment it's born.Doors open at 6:30 pm, with the lobby bar offering beverages by donation. For more information, visit houmusicfest.com/2026-season.Ticket options include individual tickets to each concert, or a bundle for Inspirations plus your choice of Friday or Saturday for The Premiere (save $5!). Friday and Saturday are the same program.