I'm sorry Connie W. had such a bad experience the one time she came, but I would encourage people to give this place another chance. If you want to enjoy live classical music and you don't have a lot of money to burn, this venue is excellent. I have participated in music camps through the UH Moores School of Music, I've gone to many concerts here over the years, and I have never had a bad experience. Dolph W. did a great job describing the hall itself. The MSM has different strengths compared to the Rice Shepherd School of Music, but it is no less enjoyable.
One of my favorite concerts they hold is the annual "Collage" performance to kick off the new school year. It is free and there is free parking in the adjacent parking lot. Every group within the department performs at least one work so you'll hear from the jazz orchestra, the symphony, the percussionists in a steel drum band, the chorale, the opera students, and even the marching band. You will not be bored. I will say that I know John Cage's 100th birthday is this year, but that was a lot of John Cage to perform in one non-Cage concert this past September.
Most of the concerts are by students and faculty, but they do collaborations with local groups as well. Every summer, they hold the Texas Music Festival which recruits conservatory students from around the nation and world for an intensive music camp. Many of their faculty have been there for years. Also, I noticed they now have an online ticket system, but I had problems obtaining tickets through it so I emailed them and they responded within a day and I didn't have any problems getting them at will call. read more