FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Musiqa Opens 25th Anniversary Season with “Double Feature: WindSync & Musiqa” at Miller Outdoor Theatre
HOUSTON — August 2026 — Musiqa, Houston’s creative convergence point for new music, launches its 25th anniversary season — UNBOUND — with a free outdoor concert at Miller Outdoor Theatre on Friday, September 4, 2026, at 8:00 PM. The evening is a double feature presented in collaboration with Houston Cinema Arts Society, pairing live chamber music with original short films from Musiqa’s “Parade” series, directed by James Templeton with scenarios created by multidisciplinary artist T’ Lavois Thibaud. Musiqa shares the bill with WindSync, Houston’s acclaimed wind quintet, with Musiqa performing the second half of the program.
The Musiqa portion of the evening intertwines live chamber works with selections from Musiqa’s “Sight and Sonic Houston Parade,” a vibrant series by Houston filmmakers T’ Lavois Thibaud and James Templeton that celebrates the city’s creative heart through music and film, showcasing compositions by Karim Al-Zand, Anthony Brandt, Pierre Jalbert, and Marcus Maroney. The program moves between live performance and projected film, creating a dialogue between contemporary music and moving image — a collision of music plus every other art form that has defined Musiqa for 25 years. Musiqa and Houston Cinema Arts Society have partnered since 2016, both dedicated to fostering innovation and amplifying underrepresented voices.
Dr. Anthony Brandt, Artistic Director and Founder: “We’re excited to share the stage with WindSync. Watching films with live musical accompaniments is a special treat. We’re excited to pair them with Musiqa’s “Parade” series, films made by James Templeton and T’ Lavois Thibaud that embed Musiqa performances in iconic Houston places.”
Dawson White, Executive Director, Musiqa: “For 25 years, Musiqa has believed the music of right now is worth everything. Opening our anniversary season at Miller Outdoor Theatre — free and open to all — with a program that moves between live performance and film feels like a true expression of who we are. We’re grateful to Houston Cinema Arts Society, Miller Outdoor Theatre and WindSync for making this evening possible, and to the city that has sustained us for a quarter century.”
Katie Creeggan-Ríos, Executive Director, Houston Cinema Arts Society: “Houston Cinema Arts Society has always been rooted in world-class film, but our work is ultimately about the larger cultural story of Houston and the incredible artists and organizations who bring it to life. Collaborations like this with Musiqa and WindSync are at the heart of what we do: connecting disciplines, amplifying Houston’s rich fine arts community, and creating new ways to experience our city. With the “Parade” films woven throughout the program, this lineup is a vibrant reflection of Houston’s creative spirit, and we’re honored to bring this work to the incredible stage at Miller Outdoor Theatre.”
Program
Marcus Maroney — “Scherzo (How A Mosquito Operates)” (live, solo piano, 6 min)
Inspired by Winsor McCay’s pioneering 1912 animated film, Maroney’s playful scherzo brings early cinema to life through contemporary music — a collision of music and moving image that reflects Musiqa’s commitment to bringing together artists, ideas, and disciplines.
Houston Sight and Sonic Parade (projected film)
A vibrant four-part series from the “Musiqa on Parade” series, created in collaboration with Houston Cinema Arts Society. Directed by James Templeton with scenarios by T’ Lavois Thibaud, the films celebrate the city’s creative heart through music and film, showcasing compositions by Karim Al-Zand, Anthony Brandt, Pierre Jalbert, and Marcus Maroney — embedding Musiqa performances in iconic Houston places and holding a mirror to a city of immigrants and artists, deep memory and constant reinvention.
Florent Ghys — “Etude for 11 Faces” (live, violin/cello/piano, 9 min)
Combining synchronized video with live chamber music, Ghys’ etude embodies Musiqa’s commitment to saying yes to music that has never been heard — an artist whose vision resists easy categorization, blending rhythmic precision with a spirit of playful reinvention.
Timothy Roy — “Southern Spectre” (live, flute/violin/viola/cello/piano, 13 min)
A haunting multimedia meditation on Spanish moss, Roy’s piece moves between live performance and projected video, creating a dialogue between contemporary music and the moving image. It reflects the world arriving on a Houston stage in all its complexity — the collision of music plus every other art form that has defined Musiqa since 2002.
About Musiqa
Founded in 2002, Musiqa is Houston’s creative convergence point for new music — bringing together artists, ideas, and disciplines, from dance and theater to neuroscience and visual art, to create work that reflects the world around us. Over 25 years, Musiqa has performed the works of 300+ living composers, presented 100+ world premieres, commissioned 50+ new works, and reached 70,000+ students. Musiqa is the recipient of Chamber Music America’s Interdisciplinary Collaboration of the Year (2025) and 14 National Endowment for the Arts awards. Follow Musiqa on our new website, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
About Houston Cinema Arts Society
Houston Cinema Arts Society (HCAS) engages, enriches, and empowers Houston’s diverse cultures and communities by programming and supporting filmmaking and the arts. Their goal is to uplift the importance of film as an accessible device for storytelling and raising awareness, and to create a sustainable film culture in Houston; they work to empower regional and underrepresented filmmakers and to showcase Houston’s diversity and cultural riches via community programs that highlight the intersection of film with other art forms and global issues. HCAS is creating an infrastructure for Houston filmmakers and film lovers to find projects that they are passionate about, connect and engage with each other, and make it possible for film production and film exhibition to have a strong foundation in Houston.
Follow HCAS on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and LetterBoxd.
About Miller Outdoor Theatre
Miller Outdoor Theatre, located in Hermann Park, is Houston’s premier outdoor venue, offering free, world-class performances to the public. All performances are free and open to all.
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Event Details
Double Feature: WindSync & Musiqa
Friday, September 4, 2026, 8:00 PM
Miller Outdoor Theatre
6000 Hermann Park Drive, Houston, TX 77030
Free admission
For free ticket information, visit Miller Outdoor Theatre’s website
Press Contact
Dawson White
Executive Director, Musiqa
dawson@musiqahouston.org
903-571-4245