For all of humanity, there is nothing quite like the melodious strains of music – Harmony in the Air!  

From the early hymns of the Sumerian culture, to the first-century Greek tune called Seikilos Epitaph, to the soundtracks that accompany the performances of today’s Dancing With the Stars, music has undeniable power to soothe, to calm, to inspire and motivate, and even to heal. 

With that fact in mind, Houston Airports unveiled its new Harmony in the Air stage at William P. Hobby Airport in early March, and the early reviews are overwhelmingly positive. Harmony in the Air is Houston Airports’ award-winning performing arts program, designed to create a memorable and positive travel experience for its guests. 

A recent airport guest commented that her opinion of Hobby Airport was enhanced, “For the first time in my hundreds of flights/layovers/flight delays, I actually have a sense of a mini-Vaca during a flight delay. Thank you! The artist is fantastic and the setting is … a mini travel oasis. lol. Food nearby, comfortable seating, power to charge up while I chow-down and get my groove on…” 

According to Maricela Kruseman, Program Founder and Director of Harmony in the Air, that’s exactly what Harmony in the Air is here for, to inspire and encourage airport guests as they engage in the travel experience. 

Kruseman said the design inspiration for the stage came from world-renowned concert halls.   

Upon examination, the sophisticated and organic white oak wood stage features a 19-x-16-foot oval platform with a sinuously curved 10-foot vertical backdrop. The backdrop is branded with a cut-out silver metal Harmony in the Air logo on standoffs, displayed at both the front and the back of the backdrop. An array of greenery in planters surrounds the stage to soften the background, and a sound system and lighting upgrade were built to enhance acoustics and stage radiance. 

Hobby Airport was recently recognized as the first and only 5-star airport in North America and Skytrax auditors again cited the program as a unique and outstanding feature of the airport. 

The program features live performances at both Hobby and Bush Airports. The performances include a diverse repertoire of classical, jazz, pop, and international music performed by more than 75 of Houston’s finest professional musicians. 

Except for a hiatus during the thick of the COVID-10 pandemic, Harmony in the Air has been music to the ears of Houston Airports’ patrons for more than seven years. The crowds at times have reached 20 to 30 people, swaying to the beats, memorializing the time through cellphone recordings, and occasionally even breaking into dance. 

Kruseman said that helping travelers relax was the original inspiration for Harmony in the Air in 2015. At Hobby Airport, the music greets travelers who have just come through security or disembarked from planes; at Bush Airport, the passengers in Terminal A can experience the soothing sounds in a variety of popular genres. 

“With the emergence of COVID and its variants and the changes that have come with this ‘new normal,’ travel has become even more stressful these days,” Kruseman said. “Giving airport guests an opportunity to listen to the beautiful music absolutely enhances the travel experience. It also gives us an opportunity to showcase the many cultural groups in Houston; hence we offer jazz, classical, and more. There is something for everyone through Harmony in the Air.” 

Ah, the sounds of music! There is something for everyone, and there’s nothing quite like it!