Entry No. 16 — the Houston file — filed under: public art
Virtuoso
A disembodied 36-foot, 25-ton steel-and-concrete cellist — just a giant head, two hands, and a bow, the rest of him implied — looms beside the Lyric Centre in the Theater District, wired with an integrated sound system that pipes classical music onto the sidewalk (a life-sized abstract trio of other musicians stands behind him). David Adickes, 1983.
The story
In 1983, Houston sculptor David Adickes took 25 tons of steel and concrete and carved away everything a performer doesn't strictly need. The result sits beside the Lyric Centre at 615 Prairie Street: a 36-foot cellist reduced to a towering head, two giant hands, a bow, and the neck of an instrument, leaving his body and cello entirely to your imagination.
Adickes built more than a visual oddity into the downtown plaza. Hidden inside the sculpture is an integrated sound system that continuously pipes classical music onto the sidewalk, making the concrete titan appear to perform for whoever walks past. Tucked directly behind the giant cellist stands a companion piece—a life-sized abstract trio of other musicians that visitors frequently overlook while staring up at the main event.
What it's like
Walk down Prairie Street in the Theater District and you will hear string arrangements echoing off the glass office towers before you even turn the corner. Standing directly under the giant bow places you right beneath the hidden speaker output. Head there around dusk when the streetlights kick on and cast sharp shadows across the concrete hands, then follow the sidewalk down to an evening performance at one of the nearby venues.
The move: Catch it at dusk when the Theater District lights come up and stand under the bow for the speaker's classical loop, then walk a few blocks to an actual evening performance.
- 📍 Downtown / Theater District, Houston
- 💸 Free
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Outdoors
Where: 615 Prairie St, Houston, TX 77002
Hours: Added 2026-07-19 — confirm current hours before you go.
Pair it with
- La Carafe — Walk two short blocks east after listening to the concrete cellist to grab a drink inside Houston's oldest bar, lit almost entirely by dripping candle wax.
- Art Club at POST Houston — Trade Adickes's 1980s concrete scale for immersive high-tech laser corridors inside a converted 1960s post office just across the bayou.
- Julia Ideson Building — Head four blocks south to visit this 1926 Spanish Renaissance library housing the city's historical archives.
Good to know
Where is the sculpture located?
You can find it on the sidewalk outside the Lyric Centre at 615 Prairie St in Downtown Houston's Theater District.
Who made Virtuoso and how big is it?
It was created by local artist David Adickes in 1983, constructed from concrete and steel, standing 36 feet tall and weighing 25 tons.
Does the sculpture actually play music?
Yes, an integrated sound system continuously loops classical music through speakers embedded near the sculpture onto the sidewalk.
Do I need tickets or reservations?
No, it is a permanent outdoor public art installation accessible on the sidewalk 24 hours a day for free.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Wikipedia · 365thingsinhouston.com · downtownhouston.org
last checked: 2026-07-19