Other visiting soloists include Yefim Bronfman, Christian Teztlaff, and Emanuel Ax. Pianists Piotr Anderszewski and Jonathan Biss make their debuts with the orchestra. Among the guest conductors are Roberto Abbado and Miguel Harth-Bedoya.

The orchestra's celebration of the 250th anniversary of Mozart's birth begins on January 20 and 21, with two concerts featuring pianist Radu Lupu and soprano Barbara Bonney, and continues on January 27 with the premiere of three short works paying tribute to the composer, performed in collaboration with Da Camera of Houston.

The semi-staged performances of Elektra, on March 11 and 13, 2006, star soprano Elizabeth Connell, and are conducted by Graf.

Harbison's Double Bass Concerto, which was commissioned by the Houston Symphony, gets its world premiere on May 5, with Houston Symphony principal bassist Timothy Pitt playing the solo part. The orchestra also plays the American premiere of Guillaume Connesson's Adagio starting on October 28.