Houston Grand Opera has announced that Artistic and Music Director Patrick Summers is transitioning to a new role in the organization. Summers, who has been at the helm for over 25 years with the company, will step away from his current position in Spring 2026 and become Music Director Emeritus, where he will serve as an advisor, scholar, and guest {…}
Houston Grand Opera is set to release a recording of “Werther” starring Matthew Polenzani and Isabel Leonard. The album will hit digital storefronts starting on Nov. 15, 2024. The Act one Prélude is currently available for streaming on Apple Music Classical, Spotify, and Amazon Music. The opera is conducted by Robert Spano and also stars Jasmine Habersham and Sean Michael {…}
(Photo credit: Houston Grand Opera) The Sarah and Ernest Butler Houston Grand Opera Studio is set to present its annual Butler Studio Showcase this September. Scheduled for Sept. 13 at the Cullen Theater at the Wortham Theater Center, the showcase will feature members of the 2024-25 class in staged, costumed excerpts from a variety of operatic works. This year’s program {…}
The Houston Grand Opera has announced the cancelation of its summer event “Sing! Move! Play!” on July 8, 2024. The company took to social media to announce the news that due to weather conditions and out of an abundance of caution, it would not go on with the event. Houston is set to be hit with storms and heavy rain from {…}
(Photo credit: Stephen Wadsworth) Houston Grand Opera (HGO) invites Houston street artists to apply for the opportunity to showcase a large-scale work at the company’s 2024-25 season opening. Local artists are invited to submit one image of their original street art, which may take the form of graffiti, murals, stencils, or wheat-pasted posters; a short bio; and other materials detailed {…}
Houston Grand Opera has announced its first annual “HGO Family Day.” Scheduled for Nov. 9, 2024 at Wortham Theater Center’s Brown Theater, the 90-minute event will feature a performance of Rossini’s “Cenerentola” directed by mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard. “It was important to us to invite not only a leading opera star, but a mother, to direct our first-ever Family Day,” said {…}
Houston Grand Opera has announced that it will present a series of free summer programs for children. There will be two types of programs. First up is “Sing! Move! Play!” which allows children to interact with some of the most famous works in the repertory through singing, movement, and creative play. They will engage with such works as “The Marriage {…}
The Houston Grand Opera has announced its 2024-25 season. The season opens with Verdi’s “Il Trovatore“ starring Michael Spyres, Ailyn Perez, Raehann Bryce-Davis, Lucas Meachem, and Morris Robinson. Patrick Summers conducts the production by Stephen Wadsworth. Performance Dates: Oct. 18-Nov. 3, 2024 Isabel Leonard leads Rossini’s “La Cenerentola” with Jack Swanson, Alessandro Corbelli, Iurii Samoilov, and Cory McGee. Lorenzo Passerini {…}
The Houston Grand Opera has announced its 2024-25 Sarah and Ernest Butler Houston Grand Opera Studio Artists. Here is a run down of the first-year artists: Alissa Goretsky, soprano Elizabeth “Hanje,” soprano Shawn Roth, tenor Sam Dhobhany, bass-baritone Ziniu Zhao, bass-baritone Laura Bleakley, pianist/coach Jenny Choo, pianist/coach There are also four returning artists: Ani Kushyan, mezzo-soprano Michael McDermott, tenor Demetrious Sampson, Jr., tenor Navasard Hakobyan, baritone “Thanks to extraordinary support {…}
The Houston Grand Opera and True Tickets have announced a landmark partnership that will introduce a state-of-the-art digital ticket delivery solution that is designed to enhance convenience and security for opera enthusiasts. The new approach will streamline the ticketing process and will also address the challenges of ticket reselling and fraud. The Houston Grand Opera will utilize a convenient and secure {…}
(Credit: Michael Bishop) Houston Grand Opera has announced the winners of its 2024 Concert of Arias. First place went to Elizabeth Hanje, who takes home a $10,000 cash prize. Bass-baritone Ziniu Zhao was the recipient of second prize and $5,000, while Alissa Goretsky took home third place and $3,000. The Ana María Martínez Encouragement Award went to Sam Dhobhany, while {…}
