Civic leaders and members of the Houston Symphony approached The Woodlands founder George P. Mitchell in 1982 indicating a desire to establish a regional summer home for the Houston Symphony in The Woodlands. The facility was envisioned as a place where both performing arts groups and contemporary entertainers could perform. After an initial delay due to the region's economic situation, construction began in June 1989. The Pavilion's opening weekend in late April 1990 featured successive concerts by the Houston Symphony, Frank Sinatra, Alabama, and Clint Black.