Houston Grand Opera has announced that it will present “Another City,” a new opera by Jeremy Howard Beck and Stephanie Fleischmann.

The world premiere is set for March 9 -11, 2023 at the campus of Ecclesia Houston. The work explores the stories of several Houstonians experiencing homelessness. The cast features 12 artists in total. Alex Amsel conducts with Emily N. Wells directing.

Per an official press statement issued by the company, “to create this powerful new opera, Fleischmann, Beck, and members of HGO conducted in-depth listening sessions, yielding over 60 hours of recorded interviews with clients (members of the unhoused community) and service providers at organizations including SEARCH, The Beacon, Star of Hope, Coalition for the Homeless, and New Hope Housing, as well as the Houston Mayor’s Office. They joined case managers for ride-alongs to meet with clients, volunteered in kitchens and at clothing drives, and helped with client intake, listening closely to community members generous enough to speak with them.”

The opera is presented as part of the company’s “Song of Houston” series.

“When we set out to speak with folks experiencing homelessness in Houston and those working to help the unhoused, we were overwhelmed by the generosity with which people opened up their spaces of refuge, and their hearts, to us,” Fleischmann said in an official press statement. “We were deeply moved by the eloquence, the music of their voices. Their stories—rich and varied, running the gamut of failures and triumphs, pain and joy—form the fabric of this opera.”