UST Augustine Hall Living-Learning Community students had a chance to experience the music of Beethoven, up close and personal, when they attended the Houston Symphony, Saturday, Sept. 15.

“It was wonderful,” said Sr. Mary Roberta Connors, FSE, who is one of the five Franciscan Sisters who directs the Augustine Hall Living-Learning Community. “Our group enjoyed the privilege of a private reception in the symphony’s Green Room prior to the concert. There we met with Maestro Hans Graf, the music director, and a young composer, Kevin Puts, whose First Symphony was performed that evening.”

This was the first time many of the 18 students had ever been to the symphony. The event is part of the Living-Learning experience. Program organizers had been looking for a cultural event to help expose students to various art forms. That is when they approached Gloria Portela, chair of the UST Board of Directors. Portela contacted Matthew VanBesien, CEO and executive director of the Houston Symphony, invited the students as guests at the event and gave 25 complimentary orchestra row tickets to enjoy the performance.

“Seeing as how this was my first time attending a live symphony performance, I was absolutely entranced!” said John Simons, UST student. “The conductor performed with such passion and it was especially beautiful to see how he and his symphony worked in such perfect sync with one another.”

The St. Augustine Living-Learning Community began as a freshman experience, but is now open to any student committed to the integration of faith, life and reason.

Attendees included: John Simons, Jennifer Callon, Kevin Puts/Composer, Seth Huey, Matt Wood, Hans Graf/Maestro, Will Stuart, John Zielinski, Rebecca Heffern, Jonathan More, Amina Dasiva, Michael Meriano, Noemi Flores, Claudia Garcia.