One of the club’s finest traditions was established during its second season, 1912-13, with the presentation of its first Artist Concert. The Flonzaley Quartet, one of the most prominent American string quartets of the time, was invited to perform the inaugural Artist Concert sponsored by the club and open to the public. From the outset the club members have possessed a remarkable ability to choose outstanding performers for these events. Many of these musicians have gone on to have distinguished careers. A notable and colorful early artist who performed the 1914-15 concert was Lucy Mary Agnes Hickenlooper of Galveston, Texas, who understandably changed her professional name to Olga Samaroff, and later married Leopold Stokowski.

In the late 1920's few opportunities to hear live classical music performances were available to Houston audiences. The club began a series of Sunday Afternoon Musicales which were free and open to the public. Sometimes there were as many as six or seven of these concerts in a season. The concerts were discontinued during the 1980's as Houston's musical scene was by then enriched by many other organizations also offering a variety of musical opportunities to the public. The Musicales were revived a few years ago with the presentation of one performance a year showcasing our own accomplished performing members.

The longest continuously operating chorus in Houston began its life under the auspices of the Tuesday Musical Club as the Choral Ensemble in 1936. Still very active, the Houston Tuesday Musical Club Chorus welcomes new members who are interested in singing with this enthusiastic group of music lovers. Each season the chorus practices together once a week and presents two performances for club meetings in addition to many outreach concerts in the Houston community.

Following our mission to encourage the pursuance of excellence in the performance of classical music, we are proud to sponsor two major competitions each year honoring the memories of two exceptional members. The Ruth Burr Awards Competition in memory of Miss Ruth Burr, a longtime member and premier piano teacher, was initiated in 1990 and is open to outstanding young pianists from the Houston area between the ages of 18 and 26 and alternating years to instrumentalists between the ages of 18 and 26 and vocalists between the ages of 19 and 27.  The Rochelle Liebling Kahan Memorial Fund Competition for Child Piano Prodigies in memory of Rochelle Liebling Kahan, a former child piano prodigy and former club president, began in 2005 and is open to gifted young pianists between the ages of 6 and 9.

On March 20, 2011, the Houston Tuesday Musical Club celebrated its 100th year with a gala concert by artists from the club roster  and the world premiere of an outstanding and moving work, "The Lovely Light," by librettist Kate Pogue and composer Robert Nelson. Featured performers were the HTMC chorus, seven vocal soloists and the HTMC chamber orchestra.

Now in our 110th year, the Houston Tuesday Musical Club continues to help ensure that music remains alive, vibrant and relevant to the needs of the Houston arts community.

Many thanks to Suzanne Davis Marion, the source for this brief history from her book Houston Tuesday Musical Club, 1911-2011, Journey Through a Century of Music. Purchase a copy of her book here.