Houston Grand Opera Raises $1.8 Million During Opera Ball Gala
By David Salazar(Photo Credit: Michelle Watson)
Houston Grand Opera hosted its 2026 Opera Ball on April 11 at the Wortham Theater Center, welcoming nearly 400 guests and raising over $1,825,000.
Titled “Brilliance Ball: A Celebration of Light and Legacy,” the evening honored HGO Artistic and Music Director Patrick Summers, who received the company’s Silver Rose award in recognition of over 25 years of artistic leadership.
The evening culminated in a performance by soprano Renée Fleming, accompanied at the piano by HGO Chief Artistic Officer and Chorus Director Richard Bado. Fleming performed “I can smell the sea air” from André Previn’s A Streetcar Named Desire, “O mio babbino caro” from Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi, Andrew Lippa’s “The Diva,” and “You’ll Never Walk Alone” from Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Carousel.
The ball was chaired by HGO supporters John G. Turner and Jerry G. Fischer.
“I thank you all for this long privilege of your support, friendship, and for our shared love of this company,” Summers told attendees during the event. “I ask that you please continue to ensure that this company is a beacon in the arts world… A strong Houston Grand Opera is going to be more important to the future of opera in this country than it has ever been before.”
At the close of the 2025-26 season, Summers will step down as Artistic and Music Director before assuming the role of Music Director Emeritus and holder of the Robert and Jane Cizik Music Director Emeritus Chair.
Proceeds from the evening support HGO’s productions, the Sarah and Ernest Butler Houston Grand Opera Studio, and the company’s community programs.
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