The highly-rated Houston Airports Harmony in the Air Performing Arts program just got even better! Houston City Council recently approved expanding the program. Passengers and employees alike can now enjoy even more performances. The full schedule is available here for IAH /iah/harmony-in-the-air/ or here for HOU /hou/harmony-in-the-air/.

The program will now feature performances scheduled from Monday through Saturday, around peak travel times to serve as many passengers as possible based on each airport’s demographics and destinations.  

“Year after year, Skytrax cites Harmony in the Air as a 5-star feature at both airports, and we are happy that this wonderful program will reach even more people,” said Performing Arts Program Manager Maricela Kruseman. “We aim to enhance the airport experience, and we have found that the live performances take away the anxiety some experience when traveling and set a positive mood for their trip.”

Passengers are amazed and delighted at the quality of music performances and the response to Harmony in the Air has surpassed  expectations. Comments collected via comment cards and social media include “diffused all the stress and made me happy!” “the music added a touch of humanity and grace at a time that it was much needed,” “what an awesome, relaxing few moments I had when I heard the music, it was a break in the hassle and it made me feel very welcome,” “the music felt like an oasis of beauty in a busy thoroughfare,” “it brought a sense of peace and happiness to the airport and made people talk to one another,” “it gives a fantastic impression of Houston as a hospitable and cultured city.”  Passengers have also responded by posting, tweeting, re-tweeting on Twitter, posting videos on YouTube, and even live-streaming. No other airport program has received the volume of “likes” as Harmony in the Air, and the program accounts for the greatest number of videos shared by passengers on Twitter of any airport program. 

The New York Times pointed to “Harmony in the Air” as one of IAH’s amenities in a user’s guide to U.S. airports.  The story ran twice, both in print and later in the online edition, http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/23/travel/the-airport-survival-guide.html

Every musician participating in the Harmony in the Air program underwent a rigorous solicitation process required by the City of Houston. The criteria to select performers was based on education, experience, professional credentials, and ability to perform diverse music genres. Diversity in genders, races and cultures was a significant aspect for the selection of musicians. All the musicians in the Harmony in the Air program are residents of Houston.

Current Harmony in the Air performers include:

• APOLLO CHAMBER PLAYERS (modern classical) – quartet - HOU
• ARS LYRICA HOUSTON (chamber music) – quartet – IAH, Terminal A
• AXIOM QUARTET (modern classical) – quartet – IAH, Terminal A
• BOB CHADWICK TRIO (south American, bossa nova) – trio - HOU
• DIVISI STRINGS (modern classical) – quartet - HOU
• HOPE COWEN (classical) – solo – IAH, Terminal A
• RAINEL JOUBERT DUO (classical) – duo - HOU
• MELVIN JOHNSON AND THE ELECTRO-AKOUSTICS BAND (R&B, pop) – trio- HOU
• EDDIE AKHMETCHINE TRIO (jazz) – trio – IAH, Terminal A
• GERLING-MUT DUO (classical) – duo - HOU
• MARK PRAUSE (contemporary, pop) – solo - HOU
• MUSIQA (classical) – trio - HOU
• MYSTERY LOVES COMPANY (chamber rock) – quartet - HOU
• PAMELA YORK TRIO (jazz) – trio – IAH, Terminal D
• PAUL ENGLISH JAZZ QUARTET (jazz) – quartet – IAH, Terminal D
• RETROSPECT (contemporary, pop) – quartet – IAH, Terminal D
• SOLERO FLAMENCO (flamenco) – trio - HOU
• THE DANCEWICZ-DOUCET DUO (classical) – duo – IAH, Terminal D
• TONY HENRY (R&B, pop) – solo –HOU and IAH

More information on the program is available on the fly2houston.com website.