OperaCues_Silent Night

VOLUME 66 NUMBER 02 WINTER 2026

YOUR GUIDE TO SILENT NIGHT PG. 32

A MESSAGE FROM THE GENER AL DIRECTOR AND CEO

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elcome to the Wortham Theater Center, and a stunning winter season at Houston Grand Opera! We are thrilled that you are here with us, set to enjoy an operatic experience unrivaled anywhere in the world.

This season’s revival of Kevin Puts and Mark Campbell’s Pulitzer Prize-winning 2011 masterpiece, Silent Night, marks its first-ever Houston staging. It also represents the first opportunity for audiences anywhere to see HGO’s brand-new co-production with the Metropolitan Opera— created by industry-leading director James Robinson and a brilliant design team—before it travels to New York. We could not be prouder to share this moment with you, Houston, as we bring this new Silent Night into the world.

The opera, inspired by the moving story of the World War I-era Christmas truce, is led by a true dream cast: tenor Miles Mykkanen as Sprink and soprano Sylvia D’Eramo as his beloved Anna, joined by bass-baritone Ryan McKinny and baritones Iurii Samoilov and Thomas Glass as the opera’s three lieutenants. Kensho Watanabe makes his anticipated company debut to conduct Puts’s score, which has been newly revised by the composer for this occasion.

Our other winter production—a gorgeous version of Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel, directed and designed by International Opera Award winner Antony McDonald—was first seen in 2018 at London’s esteemed Royal Ballet and Opera. In HGO’s hands, McDonald’s production soars to new heights, propelled by our extraordinary cast.

Taking the Brown stage is a powerhouse group of alumni of HGO’s Butler Studio program for young artists: soprano Mané Galoyan as Gretel, mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton as the Witch, and baritone Reginald Smith, Jr. as Peter. A Houston favorite, the mezzo-soprano Sasha Cooke, performs as Hansel, with celebrated soprano Alexandra Loutsion making her HGO debut as Gertrude.

It is our honor to welcome rising star Andreas Ottensamer, artistic director of the Bürgenstock Festival in Switzerland, to the podium for Hansel and Gretel. Last year, when he announced that he was leaving his seat as principal clarinetist of the Berlin Philharmonic to focus on conducting, the classical world took notice. This moment marks not only his company debut, but also his official operatic debut— opening an exciting new chapter in a brilliant career.

As Maestro Ottensamer leads the HGO Orchestra in Humperdinck’s ravishing score, he joins us in sharing this timeless fairytale with audiences of all ages, affirming our deep commitment to making world-class art and culture available to children and families. A warm Houston welcome to him, and to all of you.

Khori Dastoor General Director and CEO Margaret Alkek Williams Chair

VOLUME 66 NUMBER 02 WINTER 2026

VOLUME 66 NUMBER 02 WINTER 2026

YOUR GUIDE TO SILENT NIGHT PG. 32

YOUR GUIDE TO HANSEL AND GRETEL PG. 46

About the Cover Art

Houston artist Nestor Topchy has created a series of artworks representing each of HGO's operas from the 2025-26 season. For more on this special collaboration, head to our Backstage Pass blog!

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Opera Cues is published by Houston Grand Opera Association; all rights reserved. Opera Cues is produced under the direction of Chief Marketing and Experience Officer Jennifer Davenport and Director of Communications Catherine Matusow, by Houston Grand Opera’s Audiences Department.

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Featuring a musical moment from soprano Renée Fleming, honoring Patrick Summers

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Ticket sales cover less than 20%— your gift makes the music possible.

Support HGO and bring world-class performances to Houston families and students. Give today, and you’ll receive exclusive benefits like invitations to artist recitals and lecture series, plus Green Room access.

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CONTENTS 1

68 Butler Studio

90 Calendar

10 News and Notes

74 Impresarios Circle

92 Plan Your Visit

60 Signature Events

80 Annual Support

A Message from Khori Dastoor

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FEATURES 16 Opera’s Leading Lights: A Series Khori Dastoor in conversation with conductor Andreas Ottensamer.

18 A Hard Edge

Director James Robinson on his new Silent Night production.

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64

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20 The Eerie Magic of the Forest

56 The 1914 Christmas Truces

24 Meet the Hansel and Gretel

64 The Velveteen Rabbit Hops Again

The Grimms’ Hansel and Gretel taps into universal wisdom.

Children’s Chorus

A fabulous bunch.

26 Bombs and Bagpipes

Kevin Puts on his Pulitzer Prize-winning opera Silent Night.

The World War I ceasefire that inspired an opera.

HGO revives a world-premiere opera for children.

71 Out of Character

Mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton loves a witch.

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32 S I LE NT N IG HT 32 Program 33 Quick Start Guide 34 Cast & Synopsis 38 Who’s Who

AT THE

OPERA

A GUIDE TO OUR WINTER REPER TO IRE

46 HANSEL A N D G R E TE L 46 Program 47 Quick Start Guide 48 Cast & Synopsis 51 Who’s Who

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H G O B OA R D O F D I R E C T O R S 2 0 2 5 -2 6 O FFI C ER S

Mathilda Cochran*

Astley L. Blair, Jr., Chair of the Board

Albert O. Cornelison, Jr.* James W. Crownover

Claire Liu, Senior Chair of the Board; Governance Committee Chair

Khori Dastoor Joshua Davidson Marty Dudley

Allyn W. Risley, Chair Emeritus of the Board

David Duthu*

Lynn Wyatt*, Honorary Vice Chair of the Board

Warren A. Ellsworth IV, M.D., Butler Studio Committee Chair

James Loftis, General Counsel; Secretary

Benjamin Fink, Finance Committee Chair

M EM B ER S AT L A R G E

Joe Geagea

Richard E. Agee

Dr. Ellen R. Gritz, Community & Learning Committee Chair

Thomas R. Ajamie Robin Angly*

Selda Gunsel

John S. Arnoldy* Christopher V. Bacon, Audiences Committee Vice Chair Michelle Beale, Butler Studio Committee Vice Chair Janet Langford Carrig Albert Chao

Matthew Healey, Finance Committee Vice Chair Richard Husseini José M. Ivo, Philanthropy Committee Chair Marianne Kah, Houston Grand Opera Endowment, Inc. Chair

Bill Kroger, Audit Committee Chair Bryant Lee

Harlan C. Stai John G. Turner* Veer Vasishta

Blair Labatt David LePori, Community & Learning Committee Vice Chair; Governance Committee Vice Chair Gabriel Loperena

Alfredo Vilas Margaret Alkek Williams *Senior Directors

Beth Madison* Sid Moorhead Sara S. Morgan Kristin Muessig, Audit Committee Vice Chair Terrylin G. Neale, Philanthropy Committee Vice Chair Ward G. Pennebaker Cynthia Petrello Gloria M. Portela Matthew L. Ringel, Audiences Committee Chair Kelly B. Rose Jack A. Roth, M.D.

Louise G. Chapman*

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Theo (Faye) Nangala Hudson Fire Country Dreaming, 18"x36" Image©the artist and Booker • Lowe

IMPRESARIOS CIRCLE I M PR E S A R I O S C I R C L E $100,000 OR MORE Judy and Richard Agee Robin Angly and Miles Smith Astley Blair The Brown Foundation, Inc. Carol Franc Buck Foundation

Frost Bank

Sara and Bill Morgan

Marianne and Joe Geagea

Kathleen Moore and Steven Homer

Drs. Liz Grimm and Jack Roth Matt Healey William Randolph Hearst Foundation

Nabors Industries Novum Energy Sarofim Foundation

H-E-B

Shell USA, Inc.

Houston Grand Opera Endowment, Inc.

Dian and Harlan Stai

Janet and John Carrig Anne and Albert Chao

Houston Methodist

Louise G. Chapman

Humphreys Foundation

The Ting Tsung and Wei Fong Chao Foundation

ConocoPhillips

Elizabeth and Richard Husseini

Sarah and Ernest Butler

Mr. and Mrs. James W. Crownover The Cullen Foundation The Cullen Trust for the Performing Arts City of Houston through Houston Arts Alliance Ms. Marty Dudley The Elkins Foundation

Joan and Stanford Alexander Family Fund

Texas Commission on the Arts

Isabel and Ignacio Torras Mr. John G. Turner and Mr. Jerry G. Fischer Veer Vasishta

Marianne Kah

Mr. and Mrs. Alfredo Vilas

Carolyn J. Levy

Vinson & Elkins LLP

Claire Liu and Joe Greenberg

Vitol

M. D. Anderson Foundation

Margaret Alkek Williams

Beth Madison

The Wortham Foundation, Inc.

Laura McWilliams

2 Anonymous

To learn more about HGO’s Impresarios Circle members, please see page 74.

HOLD A LIGHT FOR OPERA . COMMUNITY. PURPOSE .

Visit HGOGuild.org or the HGO Guild Boutique in the Grand Foyer to learn more

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F O U N D E R S CO U N C I L F O R A R T I S T I C E XC E L L E N C E Houston Grand Opera is deeply appreciative of its Founders Council donors. Their extraordinary support over a three-year period helps secure the future while ensuring the highest standard of artistic excellence. For information, please contact Deborah Hirsch, chief philanthropy officer, at 713-546-0259 or DHirsch@HGO.org.

Mr. John G. Turner and Mr. Jerry G. Fischer

Ajamie LLP

Bryant Lee

Baker Botts L.L.P.

Carolyn J. Levy

Michelle Beale and Dick Anderson

Claire Liu and Joe Greenberg

Nana Booker and Booker · Lowe Gallery

Michelle Klinger and Ruain Flanagan

Helen Wils and Leonard Goldstein

Jane Cizik

Beth Madison

The Wortham Foundation, Inc

ConocoPhillips

John P. McGovern Foundation

Anonymous

Mr. and Mrs. James W. Crownover

Andrew W. Mellon Foundation

Mr. and Mrs. Joshua Davidson Drs. Rachel and Warren A. Ellsworth IV

Dr. and Mrs. Miguel Miro-Quesada Kathleen Moore and Steven Homer

Drs. Liz Grimm and Jack Roth

Novum Energy

Dr. Ellen R. Gritz and Mr. Milton D. Rosenau Jr.

Matthew L. Ringel

Houston Methodist Myrtle Jones Marianne Kah

Veer Vasishta

Sharyn and Jerry Metcalf

Frost Bank

Matt Healey

Vinson & Elkins LLP

Jill and Allyn Risley Kelly and David Rose John Serpe and Tracy Maddox Dian and Harlan Stai

Latham & Watkins

COME OUT TO HGO’S

NOCHE DE ÓPERA: THE BARBER OF SEVILLE M AY 8 , 2 0 2 6 INFO AT HGO.ORG

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P R E M I E R U N D E RW R I T E R S G R A N D U N D ERWR I T ER — $50,000 OR MORE Joan Alexander Dr. Susan Saurage-Altenloh Thomas R. Ajamie Dr. Dina Alsowayel and Mr. Anthony R. Chase

Mr. David Montague and Mrs. Diane FerrufinoMontague Franci Neely Mr. and Mrs. Andrey Polunin Jill and Allyn Risley John Serpe and Tracy Maddox

Ken and Donna Barrow

Alejandra and Héctor Torres

Michelle Beale and Dick Anderson

James M. Trimble and Sylvia Barnes

Mr. Jack Bell

Mr. and Mrs. Jesse B. Tutor

Mr. Eliodoro Castillo and Dr. Eric McLaughlin

Mary-Olga and John Warren

Jane Cizik Mathilda Cochran Ms. Lynn Des Prez Misook Doolittle Mrs. Nancy Dunlap Elaine Finger Jennifer and Benjamin Fink Amanda and Morris Gelb Dr. Ellen R. Gritz and Mr. Milton D. Rosenau Jr. Janet Gurwitch and Ron Franklin Myrtle Jones Dr. Linda L. Hart Gary Hollingsworth and Ken Hyde Mr. and Mrs. Blair Labatt Barbara and Pat McCelvey Dr. and Mrs. Miguel Miro-Quesada

Rebecca and Brian Duncan Drs. Rachel and Warren A. Ellsworth IV

Beverly and Staman Ogilvie

The Ensell Family

Susan and Ward Pennebaker

Mr. and Mrs. Russell M. Frankel

Elizabeth Phillips

Dr. and Mrs. Ronald Galfione

Gloria M. Portela

Lynn Gissel

Ms. Katherine Reynolds

Leonard A. Goldstein and Helen B. Wils

Mr. Lee Riley and Mrs. Charlos Ward

Mrs. Estela Hollin-Avery

Matthew L. Ringel

Michelle Klinger and Ruain Flanagan

Kelly and David Rose

2 Anonymous

Mr. and Mrs. Richard J. Langenstein

U N D ERWR I T ER — $25,000 OR MORE

Stephanie Larsen

Christopher Bacon and Craig Miller

Mr. and Mrs. Charles G. Nickson

Lori and David LePori Rita Leader

Mr. and Mrs. David Rowan Mr. Mike Rydin Ms. Jill Schaar and Mr. George Caflisch Jeff Stocks and Juan Lopez

Mr. Bryant Lee

Dr. Laura E. Sulak and Dr. Richard W. Brown

Judy Ley

Rhonda Sweeney

Sharon Ley Lietzow and Robert Lietzow

Mr. Scott B. Ulrich and Mr. Ernest A. Trevino

Mrs. Rosemary Malbin

John C. Tweed

Renee Margolin

Laura and Georgios Varsamis

Muffy McLanahan

Mary Lee and Jim Wallace

Prof. and Mrs. D. Nathan Meehan

Ms. Susan Winokur and Mr. Paul Leach

Amy and Mark Melton

Mr. Trey M. Yates

Sharyn and Jerry Metcalf

Alan and Frank York

Marsha L. Montemayor

Nina and Michael Zilkha

Mr. and Mrs. Michael Clancy

Sid Moorhead

2 Anonymous

Shelly Cyprus

Terrylin G. Neale

Dr. Saúl and Ursula Balagura Mr. and Mrs. Frank N. Barnes Ms. Susan Bloome Nana Booker and Booker · Lowe Gallery Meg Boulware and Hartley Hampton Melinda and Bill Brunger Drs. Ian and Patricia Butler Ms. Kiana K. Caleb Dr. Peter Chang and Hon. Theresa Chang

Mr. and Mrs. Joshua Davidson

CO M M U N I T Y A N D L E A R N I N G F U N D E R S GUA R A N TO R S The Brown Foundation, Inc. Mathilda Cochran William Randolph Hearst Foundation Sara and Bill Morgan Vitol Mr. and Mrs. K. C. Weiner The Wortham Foundation, Inc.

Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo ™ Mr. David Montague and Mrs. Diane FerrufinoMontague Powell Foundation Shell USA, Inc. Vitol U N D ERWR I T ER S

G R A N D U N D ERWR I T ER S

Ruth and Ted Bauer Family Foundation

Judy and Richard Agee

Ms. Kiana K. Caleb

Joan and Stanford Alexander Family Fund

The Cockrell Family Fund

ConocoPhillips The Elkins Foundation H-E-B

Rebecca and Brian Duncan Halliburton Rosemary Malbin Dr. Laura Marsh

S U PP O R T ER S Mr. and Mrs. Robert J. Ardell Adrienne Bond Mr. and Mrs. Lester P. Burgess The Lawrence E. Carlton, MD, Endowment Fund City of Houston through the Miller Theatre Advisory Board James J. Drach Endowment Fund Trish Freeman and Bruce Patterson

Albert & Ethel Herzstein Charitable Foundation Lee Huber Ms. Joan Jeffrey Mr. Geoffry H. Oshman Mr. and Mrs. Michael J. Pancherz Texas Commission on the Arts The activities of Houston Grand Opera are supported in part by funds provided by the City of Houston through Houston Arts Alliance.

Mrs. Geraldine C. Gill Rhoda Goldberg George and Mary Josephine Hamman Foundation William E. and Natoma Pyle Harvey Charitable Trust

Vivian L. Smith Foundation HGO.ORG

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Meet Houston Grand Opera’s Next Music Director Welcome (home), James Gaffigan!

HGO recently shared some important company news: internationally celebrated conductor James Gaffigan, who conducted Porgy and Bess in Houston this fall, is set to become our fifth Music Director since 1955. As evidenced by the slew of local and national headlines including the Houston Chronicle and the New York Times, it’s a major moment for HGO, and a coup for this company.

Gaffigan—“today’s leading American conductor,” according to HGO General Director and CEO Khori Dastoor—is in high demand in both Europe and the United States.

“To welcome James Gaffigan back to Houston, and to HGO, as our new Music Director represents the fulfillment of an ambitious dream,” Dastoor said.

“James was steeped in the art and culture of Houston on his way to finding phenomenal international success. His return is both a testament to our city and a reflection of HGO’s

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ascendance as a force in the global opera industry.”

Gaffigan is originally from New York but has made his career in Europe, holding his current position, as the General Music Director of Komische Oper Berlin, since 2023. Houston, and HGO, hold special significance to him, as he studied conducting under Larry Rachleff at the Shepherd School at Rice University; fell in love with opera after seeing Rigoletto at HGO; and in 2011, made his American operatic debut here conducting The Marriage of Figaro.

perfect fit,” said Gaffigan.

“As I considered which institution, which city, and which community aligned with my dreams and goals for an American institution, I found HGO to be my ideal partner. In my opinion, HGO is the most exciting opera company in the United States. Under Khori Dastoor’s leadership, the company has flourished, and it has become clear to me that the sky is the limit.”

HGO launched an international search for its next Music Director in fall 2024, after the company’s longtime Artistic and Music Director, Patrick Summers, announced that he would be stepping down from his role at the end of the 2025-26 season. Starting next season, Summers will assume the role of Music Director Emeritus and

“I always knew that the first post I would take in the United States as Music Director had to be the

Gaffigan joins HGO as Music Director Designate in fall 2026 and Music Director in fall 2027.

holder of the Robert and Jane Cizik Music Director Emeritus Chair.

Beginning his term as HGO’s Music Director Designate in the 2026-27 season, Gaffigan will assume the role of Music Director in the 2027-28 season.

Learn more about incoming Music Director James Gaffigan on HGO’s Backstage Pass blog! HGO.org/ Backstage-Pass

Mezzo-soprano J'Nai Bridges and soprano Janai Brugger (center) with dancers of the Urban Bush Women at the opera's 2023 world premiere.

A GRAMMY Nomination for HGO! Company’s Intelligence album up for Best Opera Recording Houston Grand Opera has earned a 2026 GRAMMY Award nomination for Best Opera Recording for Intelligence, the company’s powerful 2023 worldpremiere opera by composer Jake Heggie and librettist Gene Scheer, created in collaboration with choreographer and director Jawole Willa Jo Zollar.

The recording, released in August 2025, captures tourde-force performances from

And…Another Nomination!

HGO named finalist for Opera Company of the Year at the International Opera Awards Houston Grand Opera has once again captured the attention of the global opera world, earning a 2025 International Opera Award nomination for Opera Company of the Year. HGO

the HGO Orchestra under the baton of Maestro Kwamé Ryan and an acclaimed cast including Jamie Barton and Janai Brugger.

Composer Jake Heggie adds, “HGO championed this story from the very first spark—it’s deeply moving to see it honored this way.”

Intelligence is the debut release for the new Houston Grand Opera record label, created in partnership with London Symphony Orchestra’s LSO Live to share groundbreaking new works and seminal productions with global audiences.

The company is also celebrating a second 2026 GRAMMY nomination for Blanton Alspaugh, recognized as Producer of the Year, Classical for

“This nomination celebrates not only the opera’s artistic power but also the virtuosity of our HGO Orchestra and the extraordinary artists who brought this story to life,” says HGO General Director and CEO Khori Dastoor. was among just six finalists worldwide—and the only American company recognized in the category this year. 2025 marked the third time in company history that HGO was nominated for this distinction, following previous recognitions in 2017 and 2019.

“This is an incredible day for our company and our city,” HGO General Director and CEO Khori Dastoor said the day the company heard the news. “Houston dreams

big, and HGO shares those dreams through worldclass opera that resonates far beyond our stage.

This nomination reflects Houston’s place on the global opera map—and it’s a testament to the extraordinary artists, administrators, board members, and supporters who make this work possible.”

a portfolio that includes Intelligence and HGO’s 2025 release of Massenet’s Werther, conducted by Robert Spano and starring Matthew Polenzani and Isabel Leonard.

Both Intelligence and Werther are available on Apple Music Classical, Spotify, and other major streaming platforms. This year’s GRAMMY Awards take place on February 1.

event in Athens, all of us at HGO were proud to be acknowledged on this world stage, and to shine a light on Houston as one of America’s great cultural centers.

Founded in 2012, the International Opera Awards celebrate the highest achievements in the art form.

While the award for our category ultimately went to Vienna’s Theater an der Wien at a November HGO.ORG

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Solo artists from the 2025 concert take a bow.

The Sound of a Nation Join us for the seventh annual Giving Voice!

Houston Grand Opera’s beloved annual celebration of Black artists in opera and song returns this season with a new collaboration between HGO and The Fort Bend Church, honoring two important milestones: the centennial of Black History Month and the 250th anniversary of the United States.

Created in 2020 by acclaimed tenor Lawrence Brownlee, Giving Voice has become one of HGO’s most joyful traditions, bringing audiences together through opera, spirituals, and sacred music that reflect the breadth of America’s story.

Hosted by Houston media personality Linda Lorelle, the 2026 program will feature a distinguished lineup of artists, including 12

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mezzo-soprano J’Nai Bridges, baritone Donnie Ray Albert, bass-baritone Michael Sumuel, and three rising stars from the Butler Studio: bass-baritone Sam Dhobhany, soprano Elizabeth Hanje, and tenor Demetrious Sampson, Jr. The celebration will also feature The Fort Bend Church Music Ministry, Voices of Houston, the Houston Ebony Opera Guild, and the HGO Chorus.

Kevin J. Miller performs on the piano throughout, with the combined Giving Voice Choir led by Gregory D. McDaniel, Artistic Director of Houston Ebony Opera Guild.

We hope you join us for an evening of unity, hope, and song!

Join us at The Fort Bend Church on February 20 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 before February 6 and $20 after.

HGO.org/GivingVoice

Soprano Ana María Martínez as Florencia.

On the Way: A New Album!

Daniel Catán and Marcela Fuentes-Berain’s Florencia en el Amazonas is coming this spring.

On the heels of HGO’s nomination for Best Opera Recording in the 2026 GRAMMY Awards, the new Houston Grand Opera label is set to drop its next release.

The album captures a 2019 performance of the HGO-commissioned opera Florencia en el Amazonas, featuring Maestro Patrick Summers conducting the HGO Orchestra.

Inspired by the magical realism of Gabriel García Márquez, Florencia en el Amazonas is set aboard a steamboat journeying down the Amazon River. The title character—here portrayed by the sublime soprano Ana María Martínez—is one of the boat’s passengers, a celebrated opera singer

returning home in search of her long-lost love.

“Florencia en el Amazonas captures the mystery and emotional truth of the human heart,” says HGO General Director and CEO Khori Dastoor. “To share this new recording is to honor Daniel Catán’s boundless imagination, and to reaffirm HGO’s belief in the power of beauty to endure.”

The first major Spanishlanguage opera commissioned by an American company, Florencia en el Amazonas made its world premiere at HGO in 1996 before going on to find life on stages across the country, including a 2023 production at the Metropolitan Opera starring soprano Ailyn Pérez.

Look for the first single on April 10 and the full album on May 1, available to stream on HGO’s partner platform, Apple Music Classical, as well as major services including Amazon Music and Spotify.

February 14, 2026 / 11 AM T i cke ts o n s a l e n ow w i t h fa m i l y- f ri e n d l y p ri ci n g.

O rch e s tra -l eve l s ea t i n g s t a r t i n g a t $ 2 5 .

FUNDED IN PART BY

THE CITY OF HOUSTON THROUGH

HOUSTON ARTS ALLIANCE

H G O

PA R T N E R S

Shell USA, Inc. For over 40 years, Shell has been a cornerstone supporter of Houston’s cultural landscape and a dedicated champion of HGO. Shell’s partnership with HGO is strengthened through the leadership of Selda Gunsel, Chief Technology Officer and Executive Vice President of Technology for Shell globally, who also serves as a member of the HGO Board of Directors.

Shell’s support makes world-class opera accessible to all Houstonians—from subsidized ticketing initiatives for Wortham Theater Center performances such as student matinees and High School Night; to themed experiences for mainstage performances including Under 40 Friday, Noche de Ópera, and Military Appreciation Night; to special Family Day performances of our operas, including this season’s Hansel and Gretel; to community programming such as the annual Carols on the Green concert and this season’s traveling children’s opera, The Velveteen Rabbit.

HGO is grateful not only for Shell’s dedication to bringing the arts to the greater Houston community, but also for its understanding that creativity, innovation, and cultural vitality aren’t just buzzwords—they’re what make Houston the diverse, dynamic city it is.

Left: Don Pferdehirt and Selda Gunsel, Shell Executive Vice President, at Opening Night 2025. Right: Shell-supported HGO programs Opera to Go! and High School Night.

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H G O

PA R T N E R S

Frost Bank Frost Bank has been a steadfast supporter of HGO for more than a decade, bringing the same commitment to civic leadership that has defined the institution since its founding in 1868. As a proud Texas bank and corporate citizen, Frost invests in the communities it serves, building lasting relationships through integrity, caring, and excellence.

Frost’s dedication to arts and education reflects the bank’s belief that thriving culture is essential to communities.

HGO is grateful for the leadership of Regional President Richard Mann and proud to partner with Executive Vice President Michelle Huth, who serves on HGO’s Corporate Council.

“Our partnership with Houston Grand Opera reflects Frost’s deep commitment to the cultural vitality of our community,” says Huth. “Serving on HGO’s Corporate Council, I see firsthand the transformative impact this institution has upon Houston. We’re proud to stand alongside HGO as it continues to strengthen our city’s position as one of America’s great centers for the arts.”

Frost’s support has enabled HGO to stage some of opera’s most treasured works. Last season, the bank underwrote acclaimed productions of Cinderella and La bohème, and this season it’s supporting our sumptuous Hansel and Gretel. Frost also sponsors HGO’s signature events, including Opening Night, Concert of Arias, and Opera Ball, as well as the Patrons Circle Recital, one of HGO’s most beloved traditions.

HGO is deeply grateful for Frost Bank’s support in making opera an essential part of Houston’s cultural fabric.

Left: Guests of Frost Bank at Opening Night 2025. Right: Lori and David LePori, former Frost Bank Regional President, at HGO's Patrons Circle Recital.

HGO.ORG

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OPERA’S LEADING LIGHTS: PART 2 OF A SERIES

THE ROAD TO THE PODIUM RI SING-S TAR CONDUC TOR ANDRE A S OT TENSAMER , MAKING HI S OPER ATIC DEBUT WITH HANSEL AND GRE TEL , ON HI S NEWFOUND C AREER .

By Khori Dastoor, General Director and CEO

I

n the classical music world, it’s a rarity: A young musician reaches a level of virtuosity most could only dream of, and a coveted position to match, becoming principal clarinetist with the Berlin Philharmonic.

Then—rather than staying for life, like many of his peers—the musician decides to step down after a tenure of just 14 years, setting off to chase a different dream.

Yet last year, that is exactly what Andreas Ottensamer did, surprising his large following and leading to headlines like “Shock: Principal Clarinet Quits Berlin Phil.” He left his position, as is now well known in the industry, because he felt the calling to conduct.

Andreas Ottensamer was principal clarinetist with the Berlin Philharmonic for 14 years.

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“As much as I love playing in an orchestra, it’s not something I saw myself doing for the rest of my life exclusively.

That, I was aware of very early in my musical life,” Andreas tells me when I reach him over Zoom. “And to be true to such a huge endeavor that conducting is, I needed to make time to fully dedicate myself to it. As they say in German, you can’t dance in multiple weddings.”

Andreas is from Vienna, born to a family of Austro-Hungarian musicians.

“I was hearing music before I knew what it was,” he tells me, “and making music before I knew what it was.”

He started playing piano at 4, taking lessons from his mother, before switching to cello and, later, taking up the clarinet, which some may have seen as fated: His father Ernst was the longtime principal clarinetist for the Vienna Philharmonic, a position now held by Andreas’s brother Daniel.

Clarinet will always be a part of Andreas’s life, whether through his chamber performances or his recordings—both of which have garnered wide acclaim and fandom, and both of which he plans to continue. But in retrospect, his decision to leave the orchestra for the podium shouldn’t have been such a shock.

After all, Andreas had attended Switzerland’s Gstaad Conducting Academy, and in 2021, won its prestigious Neeme Järvi Prize. He’d dedicated himself to studying conducting fulltime during the pandemic shutdown.

He’d developed his technique as a conductor by attending masterclasses and workshops, assisting established conductors, building his repertoire with lesser-known orchestras, and simply experimenting.

He’d also been practicing another difficult discipline: saying no. “If you have a certain name or profile, you can just start if you want,” he says. “The temptation was there, to be honest.

Because people will offer you concerts and say, why don’t you try and conduct the second half? And—well—because I had no idea how to.”

We talk about how the same thing happens to young singers taking roles before they’re ready. The way conductors who do the same may go undetected because the musicians themselves are so good, they cover for them. Given the years he’s spent in the pit, Andreas, of course, would know.

Ottensamer made headlines when he decided to pursue a career in conducting.

But instead of taking shortcuts, he did the work and, over time, began receiving invitations to conduct major orchestras throughout Europe and beyond.

This season, his many engagements include the Oxford Philharmonic, Austria’s Tonkünstler Orchestra, and the Japan Century Symphony. And now, he’s reached another milestone, making his official operatic debut at HGO conducting Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel.

It’s a fitting piece for this seminal moment in Andreas’s career. The opera is full of tunes Austrians are constantly singing and whistling, whether or not they know their origin. “When I started to study it, even I was going, wait a second. This is from the opera? Oh my God,” he laughs. “So it’s beautiful, and it feels very, very close to me.”

Preparing to conduct the opera, Andreas tells me, he’s realized something: “It is, hands down, the best score I’ve ever seen in my entire life,” he says.

At first, I think he’s telling me it’s his favorite work. Many, many conductors have said the same. But while he loves the music, Andreas is talking about Humperdinck’s compositional technique.

Andreas’s brother, who has “played this up and down,” once warned him that with Hansel and Gretel, balance is the most important, and the most difficult, thing to achieve. Having seen orchestras struggle with the issue firsthand, Andreas sat down to sort it for himself.

“And then I opened the score, and it’s all written there,” he says. “The problem is not the scoring. The problem is how we play it. In every spot I noted a balance problem, Humperdinck writes fortepiano, respectively giving a dynamic indication to help the singers. In every spot. It’s insane, the accuracy of how he scored it.”

“Come scritto,” I say.

“Come scritto,” he nods, adding: “This is the big challenge, to put this beautiful writing, this beautiful scoring, this beautiful use of text into the right form, stylistically and dynamically. I’ll give it an honest try, together with the orchestra, to really find a way to get as close as possible to the actual score.

I’m very excited to see if we can make this happen.”

They will, I tell him, and I know it’s true. What a thing for us in the theater to witness.  HGO.ORG

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James Robinson in rehearsal for Silent Night with baritone Iurii Samoilov

A HARD EDGE Silent Night director James Robinson lays out his anti-romantic approach to staging World War I.

By Joe Cadagin, Audience Education and Communications Manager

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Silent Night is based on Christian Carion’s 2005 f ilm Joyeux Noël. Did you consult the movie while you were developing your produc tion?

I remember seeing the film a while ago, before this production was ever on the horizon for me.

But I chose not to go back and watch it again. I do think that contemporary opera is increasingly being informed by film—that’s the vocabulary that a lot of composers and librettists use. New operas like Silent Night have multiple scenes. It’s unusual, actually, to do a new opera that exists in one environment for a long period of time.

So that’s how we approached the scenery—the environment is overwhelming and relentless.

You consciously chose not to use projec tions in your produc tion . Why ?

The photographic imagery of WWI is so seductive.

But I also think that, as a director, one can get lazy by relying on projections. We felt very strongly that we didn’t want the scenery to tell the story. So there are no projections. We wanted to throw the focus on life down in the trenches and what our characters were subjected to. We think that the piece is strong enough—there’s definitely enough “meat.”

What do you think made the 1 914 How did you approach your staging?

Christmas truces possible?

There are some absolutely stunning images of World War I. But the unfortunate thing about these stunning images is that, often, there’s a patina of nostalgia. It’s sort of romanticized in a sense. But I don’t think of Silent Night as a heroic piece. It has a hard edge to it.

It wasn’t like war today, where it’s all done with drones and you have absolutely no connection to the people you’re killing. When you get right down to it, they could see each other across a field of 50 yards. They could see these were people.

When you get right down to it, this was a very ugly war. I mean, all war is ugly. But WWI was particularly ugly because it introduced mechanized killing. It was very different than wars that were fought, say, in the 19th century. It’s not like earlier hand-to-hand combat. Also, the life in the trenches was pretty gruesome. They were infested with lice and rats. It was cold. It was muddy. The quarters were cramped, and there was virtually no privacy.

Soldiers basically had one thing to wear. They were very exposed.

And there were bodies. There were friends and relatives on the battlefield. You could see that.

You could see that death. It wasn’t so much the soldiers’ differences that mattered as it was their similarities. At a certain point, a bedraggled soldier looks the same, no matter what his uniform is. 

So set designer Mimi Lien and I wanted a more sculptural environment—a world that was less romantic. Our no man’s land is this whitish, slanted area that’s about 12 feet above everything. And then beneath it we have three distinct playing areas for the French, Scottish, and German bunkers. It suggests the subterranean world of trench warfare.

Something that really influenced Mimi and me were monuments to WWI. Frequently, they’re not beautiful, carved, romantic things. There is something about them that’s very bleak. We were also looking at the austerity of big works of sculptors Richard Serra, Anish Kapoor, and Donald Judd.

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MAgic FOREST

The Eerie of the

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THE G R IM M S’ H A N S EL A N D GR ET EL, A S R ETO LD IN H U M PER DIN C K ’ S OPER A , TA PS I N TO U N IVERS A L WIS D OM .

By Joe Cadagin, Audience Education and Communications Manager

I

n a diary entry from 1879, Engelbert Humperdinck copied down a phrase he found in a history book: “the eerie magic of forest solitude.” The German composer had been occupied at the time with writing a forest soundscape for orchestra, and these words no doubt resonated with him. Two evenings later, perhaps inspired by the woodland music swirling in his head, Humperdinck read from the Brothers Grimm before bed. The sylvan fantasies conjured by these fairy tales kept him awake that night.

Although Humperdinck’s forest piece never materialized, he would again wander into the Grimms’ dark woods over a decade later, when he began composing Hansel and Gretel. Much like Hansel, he was joined in this journey by his own Gretel—his sister Adelheid Wette, who wrote the libretto. Drawing on both the Grimms’ original text and a later retelling by Ludwig Bechstein, Wette envisioned the work as a children’s Christmas play with a handful of songs by her brother. But the humble project grew into a full-sized opera that, after its 1893 premiere, transformed Humperdinck into an overnight success.

Though the composer remained something of a one-hit-wonder the rest of his life, he produced three other fairytale operas and musical plays based on Grimm stories: Snow White in 1888, Sleeping Beauty in 1902, and Königskinder in 1910 (the last loosely adapted from the Grimms’ “Goose Girl”). But none of these replicated the success of Hansel. In that opera, more than any other, Humperdinck truly captured the music of his subject: the simple fears and joys of children as they navigate the “eerie magic” of the forest.

The forest in German Romantic opera before Humperdinck could be filled with mystery and wonder, but also monstrous terrors. In the famous “Wolf’s Glen” scene of Weber’s 1821 Der Freischütz, invisible spirits cry out and a demonic ritual unfolds at midnight.

And in Wagner’s 1876 Siegfried, the title hero ventures deep into the forest to slay a dragon. Home to devils and beasts, the woods were no place for children in opera.

By contrast, the Grimms’ tales were rife with instances of children encountering nasty creatures in the forest. It’s common today to mock the more gruesome elements of German folktales as wholly inappropriate for little ones. But even in the Grimms’ day,

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Above: Engelbert Humperdinck (1854-1921). Below: Wilhelm (1786-1859) and Jacob Grimm (1785-1863).

finger-wagging moralists objected to depictions of cruelty or evil. Bourgeois parents wanted “clean” versions to read to their children. We can see this reflected in the changes to the plot found in Wette’s libretto: the parents don’t voluntarily leave Hansel and Gretel behind in the woods, and the Witch turns children into gingerbread before gobbling them up.

But it was the Grimms’ mission to get as close to the original oral narratives as possible— even if that meant including bawdy or violent material.

Many of the tales were recorded second-hand from middle-class or aristocratic women who had heard them told by nannies and servants. For the Grimms, these rustic people represented the German Volk, and their tales addressed issues that concerned the early-19th century peasantry, such as starvation and child abandonment. In the days when many women died in childbirth, men would often remarry. The cruel stepmother who mistreated her new stepchildren was a very real figure.

Besides these more localized concerns, the Grimms theorized that the folktales they collected—many of them likely hundreds of years old—were an expression of an ancient and innate Germanic spirit. They observed that certain stories, including “Hansel and Gretel,” appeared in multiple variations throughout the Vaterland. But the Grimms later tempered this nationalist interpretation after noticing that similar stories could also be found beyond Germany.

They reasoned that folktales, which crop up again and again in different guises across the world, must contain some universal human wisdom.

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Writing in the introduction to the first edition of their collection in 1812, they argued that the stories “moved people and taught them something that… has certainly emanated from that eternal source that moistens all life.”

In this “eternal source” we can see the forerunner of Carl Jung’s concept of “archetypes”—i.e. stories and symbols that unite us as a species. In his books and essays, written in the decades following Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel, the Swiss psychiatrist specifically addressed the archetype of the primeval forest.

Jung noted that among traditional African peoples, the jungle was a dangerous and evil place—a realm of spirits, animals, and magic where man was no longer in control. For Jung, the woods represented the forest of the unconscious, where fears, psychoses, and instincts lurked in the shadows.

“The forest, dark and impenetrable to the eye…is the container of the unknown and the mysterious.”

For all its “sanitizing” of the story, Humperdinck and Wette’s Hansel does contain frightening scenes.

There’s an unsettling moment in Act II when Hansel and Gretel realize they are lost in the woods.

“Do you hear what the forest is saying?” Hansel asks his sister, “‘Children, are you not afraid?’” Rather than bombarding us with scary sounds, however, Humperdinck reduces the score to near silence. Hansel and Gretel cry into the night, “Is someone there?” An echo—sung by offstage voices—answers back. Unable to see in the darkness, the children picture all sorts of ghastly spirits looming in the gloom.

But the eeriest part of this passage is a simple two-note cuckoo call. Earlier in the act, it was an amusement for the children, who sang a trio with their unseen bird friend. In the context of the echo passage, the exact same cuckoo pitches are rendered strange and uncanny.

Humperdinck isn’t making fun of the children for their terror and ignorance. Rather, he’s allowing us as an audience to feel that same chill of dread that we did as children, gazing into the black forest and imagining what lies there. Nor does the composer trivialize childhood. On the contrary, instead of talking down to tykes, he treats their stories and songs as worthy of High Art. A juvenile fairytale is brought to life, not as a theatrical farce, but as a Wagnerian drama on the same dramatic and musical scale as the Ring cycle.

McDonald’s take on this confectionary assassination, they push the hag into a vat of melted chocolate.

However grisly, it’s crucial that we show moments like this to children. They need to be taught that evil does exist, but it can be conquered. In real life, the Witch might be an abusive grownup, luring with smiles and sugar.

Even adult audiences—who were the intended readers for the Grimms rather than children— can recognize the archetypal truths at the core of the opera and apply them to their own experiences. Each of us has our own Witch to vanquish, perhaps a dark entity deep inside the forest of our mind.

Each of us has our own Witch to vanquish, perhaps a dark entity deep inside the forest of our mind.

Humperdinck was a protégé of Wagner, having assisted the elder composer on the premiere of Parsifal. As a devoted disciple, he knew Wagner’s music inside and out and adopted many of his mentor’s compositional techniques. In Hansel and Gretel, authentic German nursery songs are employed like Wagnerian leitmotifs—i.e. symbolic melodies that reprise throughout the score. The music of Act I, for instance, develops symphonically from the tune “Suse, liebe Suse” that the siblings sing at the opera’s opening.

In Humperdinck’s hands, Hansel and Gretel’s ditties are elevated to epic Wagnerian leitmotifs.

By doing so, the composer places his pint-sized protagonists on the same mythical level as heroes like the twins Siegmund and Sieglinde, who themselves wander through a hostile forest in Die Walküre. And in the pattern of Siegfried, who defeats the dragon Fafner, Hansel and Gretel use their wits to kill the Witch. In director Antony

Humperdinck’s original opera features a dream ballet sequence in which Hansel and Gretel— frightened by the echoing forest—are protected by the 14 angels they summon in their evening prayer. Faith is crucial to the story, and the children are often comforted by their father’s credo that God comes to aid those in need. However, in McDonald’s staging, the angels are replaced with fairytale figures from Grimm who put the siblings to sleep.

Rumpelstiltskin lays a bed with his straw, Rapunzel cuts her long braid for their pillow, and Little Red Riding Hood covers them in her cloak. With Hansel and Gretel tucked in, the characters read from an edition of the Grimms’ collection that the children are seen leafing through in Act I. Armed with these stories—tales of courageous children who best wolves and witches—Hansel and Gretel are able to face their fears and sleep peacefully under the moonlit canopy of the forest. 

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Anvi, 11, 5th grade Albanese Gummies by “Until I Found You” Em & Stephen Sanchez ld iho Be inspire, I use my voice to s es connect, and expr usic. m h ug ro th ion pass

17, etta, Conc rade 12th g h Bar Heat Violin vsky o ik a ajor Tch in D M o t r e st Conc ur pa let yo 't n o .

D re r futu e you in f e d

Arabelle, 12, 6th grade Trolli Sour Brite Crawlers “For Forever” from Dear Evan Hansen Be brave, be weird, be wonderful! ade Edison, 14, 9th gr Sour Patch Kids ?”

“Do I Wanna Know s ey

by Arctic Monk “Don’t dream it, be rror it.” —The Rocky Ho Picture Show

Ayla, 9, 4th grade Gum “Better When I’m Dancin’” from The Peanuts Movie I show up in the world strong, confident, and creative.

Emma, 12, 7th grade Twix “Smells Like Te en Spirit” by Nirv ana Better an “oop s” than a “what if.”

l e t e r G d n a l e s n a H e h t Meet

s ’ n e r d l i h C ! s u Chor

illian,

By Ashlyn K tions Communica Coordinator

Stats

Emmett, 8, 3r d grade Snickers

“Golden” from K-Pop Demon Hunte rs Be prepared, because it’s no t good to be late!

Felicity, 13, 7th grade Nerds Gummy Clusters

Favorite song

“Curses” by The Crane Wives

Life motto

I am not afraid, I was born to do this.

Isadora, 10, 5th grade Twix

Nerds Gummy Clusters,

“Traitor” by Olivia Rodrigo Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass; it’s about learning to dance in the rain.

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WINTER 2026

Favorite candy

Kaiya, 11, 6th grade Skittles “Colors of the Wind” from Pocahontas “Fall seven times, stand up eight.” — Japanese Proverb

, 9th grade Katherine, 14 Green Apple

Laffy Taffy

Heart” by “Ruler of My BL8M has a value.

Every story

Lucas, 10, 5th grade e Lora, 10, 5th grad tter Reese’s Peanut Bu Cups

from “Defying Gravity” Wicked rfect.

Practice makes pe

Jolly Rancher Hard Candy

“Something in the Orange” by Zach Bryan

Jump high, dream big, and let the music begin.

Mary, 11, 5th grade

Reese’s Pieces

Twix

You never know unless you try.

Anything sour

“Stand Up” by Cynthia Erivo from Harriet

Macie, 13, 8th grade “Sugar Sweet” by Benson Boone

Luciana, 12, 7th grade

Kindness is much more than just words.

Matilda, 11, 6t h grade Nerds “Jump” by BLACKPINK

“Let It Snow” Be positive!

Work hard an d try your best.

Maximus, 13, 8th grade Max, 11, 5th grade Hi-Chew “The Water Is l; Wide” (traditiona on) rsi ve r James Taylo A sharp mind leads to success. ade Shreya, 12, 7th gr Oreo Milka Chocolate Bar

spa “Supernova” by æ not “Life is a journey, n.” tio a destina

de Theodore, 12, 7th gra

Raasti, 13, 7th grade Hershey’s Cook ies ’n’ Creme or Ai rheads

Danish candy “Waving Through a Window” from Dear Evan Hansen Work smarter not harder.

“Can’t Catch M e Now”

by Olivia Rodr igo Stay positive, work hard, and drea m big.

Sonya, 11, 6th grade Milky Way Too many! Currently: “Better When I’m Dancin’” by Meghan Trainor Music, a book, and a bichon frise is my recipe for happiness.

Victoria, 13, 8th grade

Skittles (sour and regular)

Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups

by “Best Day of My Life” rs American Autho

No favorite song, I love a lot of music.

The world is my classto learn room with so much meet. and many people to

You can’t predict the future, but you can always create it.

HGO.ORG

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BOMBS AND BAGPIPES Composer Kevin Puts discusses the music of his opera Silent Night and the recent revisions he made to the score.

By Joe Cadagin, Audience Education and Communications Manager

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K

evin Puts has never written a film score. And yet his music is consistently labeled “cinematic.”

It’s not that his style sounds like an imitation of John Williams or Hans Zimmer. Rather, there’s something about his compositional language that recalls the musical storytelling of a film soundtrack.

It’s especially evident in his first opera, Silent Night, which itself is based on director Christian Carion’s 2005 movie Joyeux Noël, a dramatization of the 1914 Christmas truces.

source, though one that depicts World War II rather than the earlier Great War of Silent Night.

“I love film, and I’ve always wanted to write film music,” says Puts ahead of Houston Grand Opera’s 2026 production of Silent Night. “When I started composing Silent Night, I was like, ‘This feels like I’m writing a film score but with singing.’

And also, the nature of Mark Campell’s libretto, which moves quickly from scene to scene—it felt like film to me. I was imagining the whole thing in a very cinematic way.”

Orchestral writing came naturally to Puts at the time he composed Silent Night in 2011. By then, he already had four symphonies under his belt.

But the voice was relatively new territory for him.

Moreover, because the soldiers sing in their respective languages in Campbell’s libretto, Puts faced the added challenge of setting text in English, French, and German.

But there’s something deeper about the opera’s score that makes it “cinematic,” beyond its resemblance to soundtracks. Puts often emulates techniques from film editing, musically recreating post-production effects like montages, dissolves, and overlaps.

In the opera’s prologue, he introduces five soldiers from the three nations engaged in combat: Scotland, France, and Germany. In between a series of vignettes, choruses representing these three sides perform war songs. At the climax, Puts superimposes these five soloists and three choruses in a complex “multiple exposure.”

“So first you get this five-voice counterpoint. And then the war songs come up underneath the soloists, like you’re turning up a fader. One after another, the five guys fade out, and then you’ve got the three songs kind of faded up. I wanted them all to be in disparate keys so that they would clash in a really gnarly and cataclysmic way. Then that crashes into the battle scene.”

Puts’s terrifying battle sequence—a barrage of exploding bombs and the ratatat of machine guns—is a masterpiece of organized sonic chaos.

And, unsurprisingly, it was inspired by a cinematic

“I rewatched the beginning of Saving Private Ryan to get in the mode of absolute horror,” explains Puts. “There’s this moment in the movie when they come off the boats and onto the beach in Normandy. They’re underwater, and they can still hear the gunfire. There are bullets whizzing through the water and piercing their skin, and you can hear the thuds of battle. That’s what I was going for.”

“I’d written almost no vocal music at all,” admits Puts, “and I had not written anything in German or French before. The French was okay—I studied French in high school and felt comfortable with it.

But the German just really freaked me out. I was so worried about where the stresses fell. It was a real kind of ‘paint-by-the-numbers’ process, where I could take a line and then figure out the rhythm and the shape of the line.”

"When I started composing Silent Night... I was imagining the whole thing in a very cinematic way."

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A major attraction of the libretto for Puts was the many passages of diegetic music—that is, songs that the characters in the opera perceive as music. None of these are quotations of pre-existing sources. Rather, Campbell and Puts invented their own pastiches—imitations of musical styles.

The folksongs, hymns, and carols that appear throughout the score are all clever “forgeries.”

“The first prompt in the libretto is that Anna and Sprink are singing an opera in the style of Mozart or Gluck,” says Puts. “And I was like, ‘Okay, great. I get to pretend.’ And then there were other songs, like there’s a duet later in the show which is kind of Schubertian. For me, it was so appealing to write those songs on my own. It became really polystylistic. I’m always referred to as a ‘polystylistic’ composer, maybe because of this opera. It just naturally sprang from all these diegetic moments.”

Such instances of music-making within the world of the opera are essential to the story’s pacifist themes. After all, it’s the universal language of music that serves as the catalyst for the ceasefire.

In one of the most magical scenes of Silent Night, Sprink climbs out of the German trenches and sings a Latin carol for the Scottish troops on the other side, one of whom answers back on a bagpipe. This instrument—almost entirely absent from the operatic repertoire—presented some obstacles for Puts.

“The bagpipe can only play in one key. So everything in those scenes is built around what the bagpipe can play. But the thing that we didn’t anticipate was that the bagpipe was so loud that we basically couldn’t hear the orchestra. So we figured out that the player had to be backstage.

They built a box for the bagpiper to play inside of.

But I had written something in the score like, ‘The bagpipes fade out.’ Well, how do you do that? So we had the bagpiper just walk out of the hall into the parking lot!”

In the years after the triumphant 2011 premiere of Silent Night—which earned its creators a Pulitzer Prize—Puts composed three additional operas, including his recent The Hours. Given this added experience, the composer felt impelled to revisit his first operatic effort. His revised version of the score will be performed at HGO and later at the Metropolitan Opera, where James Robinson’s new staging will be mounted next season.

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"I really embrace language now.

I really love the words themselves, and I feel like there's so much music in the words."

A scene from the 2005 film Joyeux Noël, which inspired the opera.

One of Mimi Lien's set designs for this new Silent Night, a co-production between HGO and the Metropolitan Opera.

“It was just a matter of thinking, ‘Well, I wrote this a long time ago, and I write a lot better for the voice now. If HGO and the Met are going to do this, then I want to feel really good about it.’ I made little tweaks to the vocal parts—there’s a little something changed in every single line in the opera.

Sometimes a bar would be added where I thought it needed more time to be more lyrical. A lot of the baritone parts were too low in the original. I would sing lines and think, ‘Well, that’s awkward. Why did I do it that way?’

ago, and I was really happy with the result. The climax when the bagpipe comes in is even more emphatic, obviously, with an entire chorus singing.

It just feels more like opera.”

In spite of these revisions, Puts emphasizes that, at its core, Silent Night essentially remains the same opera. “Nothing’s really changed. It’s almost like when they clean old paintings— suddenly it’s brighter.” 

“I think what it is, is that I really embrace language now. I really love the words themselves, and I feel like there’s so much music in the words—not just in the vowels, but in the consonants as well. I’ve been working with wonderful singers recently, like Joyce DiDonato, and a great singer can make music out of every single part of the word.”

The most drastic change was the addition of a new chorus, sung by the three platoons while they bury their dead in no man’s land. Miraculously, Puts found a way to weave this poignant number into the existing music without lengthening the score in any way.

“Mark Campbell gave me some very simple text, and I found that I could overlay it quite well on the orchestral interlude that was already there. And we tried that out at Wolf Trap Opera two summers HGO.ORG

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Soprano Andrea Carroll as Nannetta in Falstaff (2023) Photography by Lynn Lane

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Soprano Andrea Carroll as Nannetta in Falstaff (2023) PREMIER GUARANTORS

Photography by Lynn Lane.

The Brown Foundation, Inc. Albert and Anne Chao Ms. Marty Dudley Houston Grand Opera Endowment, Inc.

GRAND UNDERWRITERS

Alan and Frank York

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The Robert and Jane Cizik Foundation Mr. and Mrs. Michael Clancy Mathilda Cochran

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GUARANTORS

Judy and Dick Agee Robin Angly and Miles Smith

Saurage Marketing Research Mike Stude

Carol Franc Buck Foundation Hansel and Gretel

Louise G. Chapman Cullen Trust for the Performing Arts Marianne and Joe Geagea Drs. Liz Grimm and Jack Roth Elizabeth and Richard Husseini Marianne Kah Carolyn J. Levy Laura McWilliams Margaret Alkek Williams

UNDERWRITERS

Nana Booker and Booker · Lowe Gallery Drs. Ian and Patricia Butler Kiana Caleb Renee Margolin Muffy McClanahan Prof. and Mrs. D. Nathan Meehan Terrylin G. Neale Mr. and Mrs. Charles G. Nickson Ambassador and Mrs. Lyndon L. Olson Jr. Katherine Reynolds Samuels Family Foundation Mary Lee and Jim Wallace Mrs. Charlos Ward and Mr. Lee Riley Helen Wils and Leonard Goldstein

2025-26

PRODUCTION FU N DERS

Messiah

J a n ua r y 2 3 , 2 5 m , 31 , Fe b r u a r y 4 , 8 m A N O P E R A I N T WO AC T S

M U S I C BY Kev in Pu t s

L I B R E T T O BY M ark C amp b e ll

Revised Version, July 2025

Brown Theater, Wortham Theater Center

A Co-Production of Houston Grand Opera and The Metropolitan Opera

The performance lasts approximately 2 hours and 25 minutes, with one intermission

Sung in English, French, German, Italian, and Latin, with Projected English Text/Translation

The activities of Houston Grand Opera are supported in part by funds provided by the City of Houston through Houston Arts Alliance and by a grant from the Texas Commission on the Arts.

By arrangement with B&H Music Publishing, Inc., sole agent for o/b/o G. Ricordi & Co. Bühnen- und Musikverlag GmbH in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.

FUNDED IN PART BY

THE CITY OF HOUSTON THROUGH

HOUSTON ARTS ALLIANCE

FUNDED IN PART BY

THE CITY OF HOUSTON THROUGH

HOUSTON ARTS ALLIANCE

Quick Start Guide T H E OP E R A I N ON E SE N T E NC E On a dark night in 1914, soldiers from three nations embroiled in World War I put aside their weapons to celebrate Christmas together in no man’s land.

B AC KGROU N D In August 1914, at the beginning of World War I, the German military invaded Belgium and began pushing its way into France. Allied French and British troops halted the Germans along a 400-mile line stretching through France and Belgium—what became known as the Western Front. By December, the deplorable conditions of trench warfare and the proximity of the two sides set the stage for a series of spontaneous Christmas ceasefires.

Inspired by the holiday, German and Franco-British forces put down their guns and fraternized in no man’s land.

In 2005, these truces were depicted in director Christian Carion’s war film Joyeux Noël (Merry Christmas). The movie served as the basis for the 2011 opera Silent Night by composer Kevin Puts and librettist Mark Campbell.

Like the screenplay, Campbell’s text is trilingual, with Scottish, French, and German characters singing in their respective languages. A year after its Minnesota Opera premiere, Silent Night was awarded the Pulitzer Prize

for Music. For its 2026 production, HGO performs Puts’s recently revised version of the score.

Act I, as well as her virtuosic Act II aria “Irgendwo, irgendwann,” with its hopeful call to action.

W H AT T O L IS T E N F OR

Puts features the all-male chorus prominently in his score, typically dividing the voices into three groups that overlap and intertwine in complex counterpoint. Listen for the soldiers’ lullaby “Sleep” in Act I and their poignant Act II procession “Je vous promets,” during which the soldiers bury their dead.

In the opening scene, fictional opera stars Nikolaus Sprink and Anna Sørensen sing a duet from what sounds like a forgotten Mozart opera. In reality, it’s a pastiche—that is, a clever imitation of a musical style. Puts’s score includes convincing pastiches of war anthems, folksongs, hymns, and German Lieder, some accompanied by harmonica or bagpipe. Listen for Sprink’s Latin carol “Dormi Jesu,” which serves as the catalyst for the truce in Act I. These “forgeries” are strung together

by Puts’s personal compositional language. Brooding string lines and tense harmonies convey the atmosphere of apprehension that pervades the trenches. Listen for the Act I battle music, in which the orchestra violently recreates the din of artillery.

F U N FAC T Silent Night isn’t the first musical work to depict the 1914 Christmas truces. The ceasefire was reenacted in the 1963 musical Oh, What a Lovely War!, which was adapted into a 1969 film by Richard Attenborough. The truce also inspired Paul McCartney’s 1983 song “Pipes of Peace,” Collin Raye’s 1996 “It Could Happen Again” (with spoken narration

by Johnny Cash), and Garth Brooks’s 1997 “Belleau Wood.”

Scattered among these bombastic moments are quieter passages of calm that reflect the opera’s central theme.

For instance, the delicate strains of the harp are often associated with scenes of peace. Anna’s numbers, especially, stand as defiant expressions of pacifism. Listen for her a cappella “Dona nobis pacem” (Grant us peace) at the end of Father Palmer’s mass in

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CA ST & C R E AT I V E C AST (in order of vocal appearance)

French Soldier #2

Grant Peck *

Anna Sørensen

French Soldier #3

Dallas Gray *

German Soldier #2

Francis Rivera *

German Soldier #3

Saïd Henry Pressley

Sylvia D’Eramo *

Nikolaus Sprink Miles Mykkanen * Michael McDermott † Michelle Beale and Dick

British Major Sam Dhobhany † Dian and Harlan Stai

Anderson / Dr. Ellen R. Gritz

and Mr. Milton D. Rosenau Jr. Fellow (Feb. 4)

CR E ATI V E TE A M

German Military Official

Matthew Reynolds *

Composer

Kevin Puts *

Father Palmer

Brandon Cedel *

Librettist

Mark Campbell *

Jonathan Dale

Jack Swanson

Conductor

Kensho Watanabe *

William Dale

Charles Eaton *

Director James Robinson Claire Liu and Joe

Madeleine Audebert

Elizabeth Hanje †

Ms. Marty Dudley/ Amy and Mark Melton/ Diane Marcinek/ Jeff Stocks and Juan Lopez Fellow

Lieutenant Audebert

Iurii Samoilov

Lieutenant Gordon

Thomas Glass ‡

Scottish Soldier #1

Heath Martin

French Soldier #1

David Le *

French General

Ziniu Zhao †

Carolyn J. Levy/ Jill and Allyn

Risley/ Dr. Peter Chang and

Hon. Theresa Chang and Friends Fellow

Ponchel Edward Nelson * Lieutenant Horstmayer

Ryan McKinny ‡

German Sentry

Andrew Surrena

German Soldier #1

Johnny Salvesen

Kronprinz

Chad Shelton ‡

Scottish Soldier #2

Jon Janacek

French Sentry

John Allen Nelson *

Scottish Soldier #3

Scott Clark

Fellow

Greenberg Director Chair

Scenic Designer

Mimi Lien

Costume Designer

Catherine Zuber

Lighting Designer

Lap Chi Chu *

Movement Director

Seán Curran

Sound Designer

Andrew Harper

Fight Director

Luke Fedell

Intimacy Director

Olivia Knight

Chorus Director

Richard Bado ‡

Diction Coach

Jennifer Ringo ‡

Music Preparation

Nicholas Roehler

Tzu Kuang Tan † Shelly Cyprus Fellow William Woodard

Stage Manager

Annie Wheeler

Assistant Director

Kathleen Belcher

* Mainstage debut † Butler Studio artist ‡ Former Butler Studio artist

P RODUC T ION C R E DI T S English supertitles by Alexa Lietzow. Supertitles called by Luisana Rivas.

Performing artists, stage directors, and choreographers are represented by the American Guild of Musical Artists, AFL-CIO, the union for opera professionals in the United States.

Scenic, costume, and lighting designers and assistant designers are represented by United Scenic Artists, IATSE Local USA-829.

Orchestral musicians are represented by the Houston Professional Musicians Association, Local #65-699, American Federation of Musicians.

Stage crew personnel provided by IATSE, Local #51.

Wardrobe personnel provided by Theatrical Wardrobe Union, Local #896.

Usher personnel provided by IATSE, Local B-184 This production is being recorded for archival purposes.

Houston Professional Musicians’ association

MP A AFM Local 65-699

LOCAL UNION

®

USHER UNIT IATSE LOCAL B-184 USHER UNIT HOUSTON TEXAS

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S I L E N T

S Y NOP SIS I N T ER M ISSION

ACT I

ACT II

In Berlin, German tenor Nikolaus Sprink and his lover, Norwegian soprano Anna Sørensen, are performing together in an opera when a military official interrupts their duet. The Kaiser has declared war, and Sprink has been enlisted. In a Scottish village, Jonathan and his brother William rush off to enlist. And in France, Lt. Audebert’s pregnant wife Madeleine begs him not to leave her for combat.

The next morning, the three lieutenants agree to extend the truce through Christmas Day so the platoons can bury their dead. Watching from the side, Anna imagines what it must be like for women who receive news that their loved ones have been killed. Meanwhile, word of the truce has reached the British, German, and French commanders, who find this disgraceful conduct treasonous. As Christmas comes to a close, Anna and Sprink— refusing to participate in the war any longer—surrender themselves over to the French as prisoners.

Five months later, in December 1914, a bloody battle breaks out on the Western Front—the Germans against the Scottish and their French allies. During the skirmish, William is fatally shot. Despite the prayers of his parish priest, Father Palmer, Jonathan vows revenge on the enemies who killed his brother. In the French bunker, Lt. Audebert logs the names of the men he lost while he pictures his wife and their future child safe at home.

Exhausted by the day’s fighting, troops from all three sides find some brief respite in sleep.

On the morning of Christmas Eve, a shipment of decorated trees arrives for the German platoon. Their lieutenant, Horstmayer, informs Sprink that Crown Prince Wilhelm has requested the tenor sing that night at a party, where he’ll be joined by Anna. In the French trenches, Lt. Audebert receives a haircut from his aidede-camp, Ponchel, who remarks that his mother lives only an hour away. After Anna and Sprink perform at the Crown Prince’s soiree, Anna reveals she has arranged for the couple to spend the night together. When Sprink tells her he has an obligation to return to his comrades, she convinces him to take her with him.

The troops write home about the extraordinary truce—all except Jonathan, who lies to his mother in a letter that William is still alive. The British Major arrives the day after Christmas to notify the Scots that they are being relocated. Just then, a soldier can be seen in no man’s land. The Major orders the men to fire, but only Jonathan obeys, shooting what appears to be a German. In reality, it is Ponchel, who borrowed a German uniform to sneak behind enemy lines and visit his mother. Before he dies, Ponchel shares some news he learned: Lt. Audebert’s son has been born.

Audebert is lectured by his father, the French General, who informs him that the platoon is being transferred to Verdun. Likewise, the Crown Prince tells the Germans that they are being deployed to the Eastern Front as punishment. While they wait to be shipped off by train, the German troops hum a ballad they learned from the Scots. Men from all three sides reflect on the miraculous Christmas they witnessed.

Back at the front line, Sprink sings for the German troops.

Suddenly, he climbs out of the bunker to perform a carol for the Scots on the other side, who answer back on bagpipe. Horstmayer, Audebert, and the Scottish lieutenant, Gordon, confer in no man’s land and agree to a ceasefire—just for that night. Troops from the three platoons fraternize, sharing chocolate and exchanging photos of wives and girlfriends. Father Palmer holds a Christmas Eve mass, during which Anna sings the “Dona nobis pacem”—“Grant us peace.”

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N I G H T

SETTI NG: Belgium, Western Front, Christmas 1914

HG O ORC H E ST R A Patrick Summers, Artistic and Music Director

V IOL I N

FLU TE

TROM BON E

Denise Tarrant *, Concertmaster

Henry Williford *, Principal

Thomas Hultén *, Principal

Chloe Kim *, Assistant Concertmaster

Tyler Martin *

Mark Holley *

Natalie Gaynor *, Principal Second Violin

Izumi Miyahara

Jordan Milek Johnson †

Carrie Kauk †, Assistant Principal Second Violin

PICCOLO Henry Williford *

Miriam Belyatsky *

T U BA

Tyler Martin *

Mark Barton *, Principal

Rasa Kalesnykaite *

Izumi Miyahara *

Hae-a Lee Barnes * Chavdar Parashkevov † Anabel Ramirez * Mary Reed * Erica Robinson * Linda Sanders * Oleg Sulyga * Sylvia VerMeulen *

OBOE Elizabeth Priestly Gehrke *, Principal Mayu Isom † Stanley Chyi

ENGL ISH HOR N Spring Hill

Melissa Williams *

CL A R I N ET

Zubaida Azezi

Eric Chi †, Principal

Lucinda Chiu

Justin Best, Acting Principal

Andres Gonzalez

Julian Hernandez

Kana Kimura

Molly Mayfield

Mila Neal Rachel Shepard Trung Trinh Emily Zelaya

E - FL AT CL A R I N ET Julian Hernandez

BASS CL A R I N ET Molly Mayfield

V IOL A Eliseo Rene Salazar *, Principal

BASSOON

Lorento Golofeev *, Assistant Principal

Amanda Swain *, Principal

Gayle Garcia-Shepard *

Quincey Trojanowski †

Erika C. Lawson *

Benjamin Atherholt

Suzanne LeFevre *

Micah Doherty

Matthew Weathers * Elizabeth Golofeev Sarah Mason

CON TR A BASSOON Micah Doherty

HOR N

CEL LO Barrett Sills *, Principal Erika Johnson *, Assistant Principal Dana Rath * Wendy Smith-Butler *

Sarah Cranston *, Principal Kimberly Penrod Minson * Spencer Park * Aaron Griffin

Chennie Sung *

TRU M PET

Shino Hayashi

Tetsuya Lawson *, Principal

DOU BL E BASS Dennis Whittaker *, Principal Erik Gronfor *, Assistant Principal Carla Clark * Hunter Capoccioni 36

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Randal Adams * Gerardo Mata

Brian Logan

TI M PA N I Alison Chang *, Principal

PERCUSSION Christina Carroll, Acting Principal Craig Hauschildt Karen Slotter

HARP Caitlin Mehrtens *, Principal

PI A NO/CEL ESTE Nicholas Roehler

BA N DA Richard Kean, Bagpipes * HGO Orchestra core musician † HGO Orchestra core musician on leave this production

S I L E N T

HG O C HORUS Richard Bado, Chorus Director

Neal Martinez

Asa Ambrose

Norman Mathews

Dennis Arrowsmith

Jason Milam

Cody Ryan Arthur

Jeff Monette

Blake Austin Brooks

Mason Montuoro

Steve Buza

Iván Moreno

Jadon Campos

John Allen Nelson

Christopher Childress

Matthew Neumann

Scott Clark

Lance Orta

Patrick Contreras

Grant Peck

Esteban G. Cordero Pérez

Patrick Perez

Robert Dee

Saïd Henry Pressley

Jacob DeSett

Nicholas Rathgeb

Dallas Gray

Roberto J. Reyna

Austin Hoeltzel

Matthew Reynolds

Nathan Holmes

Francis Rivera

Jon Janacek

Benjamin Rorabaugh

James R. Jennings

Johnny Salvesen

Cole Jones

Kade I. Smith

Joe Key

Andrew Surrena

David Le

Miles Ward

Alejandro Magallón

John Weinel

Heath Martin

Joe Carl White

N I G H T

Matteo Adams

SU P E R N U M E R A R I E S Gage Campos Broderick Tyrone Davis Ian M. Gallagher Matthew A. Goodrum Samuel Jones David Kenner Robert Richard DeVonte' Rogers Russell Tautenhahn Brian Tighe

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W HO ' S W HO K EV I N PU TS (U N ITED STATES)

K ENSHO WATA NA BE (JA PA N)

COMPOSER

CONDUC TOR

Pulitzer Prize- and Grammy-winning composer Kevin Puts is making his HGO debut. He has been commissioned and performed by leading organizations around the world, including the Metropolitan Opera, Philadelphia Orchestra, Carnegie Hall, Opera Philadelphia, Minnesota Opera, and many more, and has collaborated with world-class artists such as Renée Fleming, Yo-Yo Ma, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, and Marin Alsop, among others. Silent Night, Puts’s breakthrough opera, was awarded the 2012 Pulitzer Prize following its 2011 premiere by Minnesota Opera. He has received numerous additional honors and awards for composition. Since 2006, he has been a member of the Composition Faculty at the Peabody Institute. In the 2024-25 academic year, he served as Distinguished Visiting Composer at the Juilliard School. He returned to his role as Director of the Minnesota Orchestra Composer’s Institute in 2025. Puts was named Musical America’s Composer of the Year in 2024. His works are published worldwide by G. Ricordi & Co, New York, a division of Universal Music Publishing Classics & Screen.

M A R K C A M PBEL L (U N ITED STATES)

Kensho Watanabe is making his HGO debut leading Kevin Puts’s Silent Night, following his widely praised Metropolitan Opera debut with Puts's The Hours.

Other projects during the 2025-26 season include his debuts with National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland and Florida Orchestra and returns to Orchestre Métropolitan and Opéra de Montréal (Don Giovanni). Highlights of his 2024-25 season included conducting La bohème for the Metropolitan Opera and engagements with the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra, the Calgary Philharmonic, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, and Minnesota Orchestra. Recent seasons have seen him conduct at the Detroit Opera (Madame Butterfly) and the Seiji Ozawa Matsumoto Festival and lead the Orchestre Symphonique de Québec and the Philadelphia Orchestra, where he served as Assistant Conductor from 2016 to 2019. Watanabe earned his Master of Music degree from the Yale School of Music and performed as a substitute violinist with the Philadelphia Orchestra from 2012 to 2016. A protégé of Yannick Nézet-Séguin, he was the inaugural conducting fellow at the Curtis Institute of Music, studying under both Nézet-Séguin and Otto-Werner Mueller. He also holds a Bachelor of Science degree in molecular, cellular, and developmental biology from Yale University.

LIBRE T TIS T

Mark Campbell is making his HGO mainstage debut. In 2017 for the company, he and Kimberly Reed co-wrote the libretto for world-premiere chamber opera Some Light Emerges, a one-act chamber opera about the Rothko Chapel composed by Laura Kaminsky. Campbell has created 41 opera librettos, lyrics for seven musicals, and the text for nine song cycles and five oratorios.

His other important works include The Shining, The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs, As One, Sanctuary Road, A Nation of Others, Unruly Sun, Edward Tulane, A Thousand Acres, The Manchurian Candidate, and Later the Same Evening. In addition, Campbell created and funds the first award in the history of opera for librettists— the Campbell Opera Librettist Prize—and co-conceived the True Voice Award to support the training of transgender and non-binary singers. In 2024, he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Opera Association, and in 2025, he became the first librettist to be inducted into OPERA America’s Hall of Fame.

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JA M ES ROBI NSON (U N ITED STATES) DIREC TOR Claire Liu and Joe Greenberg Director Chair

This season at HGO, James Robinson also directed Il trittico. In previous HGO seasons, he directed Nixon in China (2017); the world premiere of A House Without A Christmas Tree (2017); Julius Caesar (2017, 2003); The Abduction from the Seraglio (2017, 2008, 2002); La bohème (2008, 2002); Don Pasquale (2006); the world premiere of Salsipuedes (2004); Turandot (2004); and Lucia di Lammermoor (2003). Before becoming Seattle Opera’s general and artistic director in 2024, Robinson was artistic director at the Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, where he mounted landmark productions including Ricky Ian Gordon’s This House (world premiere) and 27 (world premiere); Tobias Picker’s Awakenings (world premiere); Terence Blanchard’s Fire Shut Up in My Bones (world premiere, later presented at the Metropolitan Opera and Lyric Opera of Chicago) and Champion (world premiere, later presented at the Metropolitan Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Washington National Opera, and Opéra de Montréal); and Jack Perla’s Shalimar the Clown (world premiere). His work has also been seen at Opera Australia,

L A P CH I CH U (U N ITED STATES) LIGHTING DESIGNER

SCENIC DESIGNER

Mimi Lien is a designer of sets/ environments for theater, dance, and opera. Previously for HGO, she served as scenic designer for the world premiere of Intelligence (2023). During the 2024-25 season, Lien was the scenic designer for The Four Seasons at Boston Lyric Opera; Grounded and Antony and Cleopatra at the Metropolitan Opera; and The Righteous at the Santa Fe Opera. In 2015, she was named a MacArthur Fellow, the first set designer to achieve this distinction. Selected work includes Parsifal (Bayreuth Festival); Sweeney Todd (Broadway); Natasha, Pierre, & The Great Comet of 1812 (Broadway, Tony Award, Lortel Award, 2013 Hewes Design Award); The Magic Flute (Staatsoper Berlin); Taylor Mac’s A 24 Decade History of Popular Music (St. Ann’s Warehouse and international tour); John (Signature Theatre, 2016 Hewes Design Award); Appropriate (Mark Taper Forum, LA Drama Critics Circle Award); Preludes and The Oldest Boy (Lincoln Center); An Octoroon (Soho Rep/TFANA, Drama Desk, and Lortel nominations); and Black Mountain Songs (BAM Next Wave). Lien’s stage designs were exhibited in the Prague Quadrennial in 2011 and 2015, and have been seen at a wide array of leading U.S. and international venues. She is an artist-in-residence at Lincoln Center and Park Avenue Armory, and co-founder of the Brooklyn performance space JACK.

C AT H ER I N E ZU BER (U N ITED K I NGDOM) COS TUME DESIGNER

Previously for HGO, Catherine Zuber’s work has been seen in Rodgers and Hammerstein II’s Carousel (2016), Florencia en el Amazonas (1996 world premiere and 2001 and 2019 revivals), Salome (1997), and Annie Get Your Gun (1992). Her work on Broadway includes Just in Time (Tony nomination), Moulin Rouge!

The Musical (Tony, Drama Desk, and Outer Critics Circle awards), and My Fair Lady (Tony, Drama Desk, and Outer Critics Circle awards). She won Tony Awards for The King and I, South Pacific, The Coast of Utopia, The Light in the Piazza, Awake and Sing!, and The Royal Family. Other Broadway credits include Oslo, Junk, The Father, War Paint (Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle awards), Fiddler on the Roof, Golden Boy, Edward Albee’s

Lighting designer Lap Chi Chu is making his HGO debut. His Broadway credits include Suffs, Yellowface, Uncle Vanya, and Camelot, which received a Tony nomination for Best Lighting Design of a Musical in 2023. He has also contributed his designs for venues including the Public Theater, Roundabout Theatre Company, Lincoln Center Theater, New York Theatre Workshop, Signature Theatre, Geffen Playhouse, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, The Old Globe, American Contemporary Theater, Goodman Theatre, American Repertory Theater, Arena Stage, and the Alley Theatre. His award recognitions include the Lucile Lortel Award for Outstanding Lighting Design and an Obie for Sustained Excellence in Lighting Design. Formerly Head of Lighting at CalArts, he is now Professor and Head of Lighting Design at the University of California, Los Angeles.

SE Á N CU R R A N (U N ITED STATES) MOVEMENT DIREC TOR

Previously at HGO, Seán Curran was the choreographer for Nixon in China (2017). Curran’s career in the arts spans 40 years, beginning with traditional Irish step dancing as a child in Boston. His New York-based contemporary dance ensemble, Seán Curran Company, has toured across the U.S., Europe, and Asia. Notable opera/theater projects include: Salome (Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, San Francisco Opera, Opera Montreal, San Diego Opera); Much Ado About Nothing and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Shakespeare Theater); Champion, Harvey Milk, Fire Shut Up in My Bones, Shalimar the Clown, Ariadne auf Naxos, and Nixon in China (Opera Theatre of Saint Louis); L’Etoile, Alcina, Turandot, Haroun and the Sea of Stories, Capriccio, and Acis and Galatea (New York City Opera); As You Like It (Shakespeare in the Park); Romeo and Juliet (Metropolitan Opera); and The Dead, Cymbeline, and The Rivals (Broadway, Lincoln Center Theater). Other career highlights include “Bessie” award-winning performances with Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company and four years as a member of the original New York City cast of STOMP!. Curran is an Arts Professor at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts.

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N I G H T

M I M I L IEN (U N ITED STATES)

Seascape, Gigi (Drama Desk Award), Doubt, and Dinner at Eight. For the Metropolitan Opera, she costumed Rigoletto, Porgy and Bess, Otello, The Barber of Seville, The Tales of Hoffmann, Comte Ory, The Elixir of Love, Otello, Dr. Atomic, and Romeo and Juliet. In 2016, she was inducted into the Theater Hall of Fame.

S I L E N T

Canadian Opera Company, San Francisco Opera, Santa Fe Opera, New York City Opera, the Los Angeles Opera, the Seattle Opera, the Royal Swedish Opera, English National Opera, the Dallas Opera, the Minnesota Opera, and Chicago Opera Theater. Robinson is scheduled to direct the American premiere of Tobias Picker’s Lili Elbe at Santa Fe Opera in Summer 2026.

A N DR EW H A R PER (U N ITED STATES)

OL I V I A K N IGHT (U N ITED STATES)

SOUND DESIGNER

INTIMACY DIREC TOR

Andrew Harper is a sound designer and consultant for theater, opera, and ballet. This season at HGO, Harper also served as the sound designer for Porgy and Bess; in previous seasons, he designed sound for company productions including West Side Story (2025, 2018); The Sound of Music (2024); Another City (world premiere, 2023); the outdoor singalong My Favorite Things (2021); El Milagro del Recuerdo (world premiere, 2019); The Phoenix (world premiere, 2019); The Flying Dutchman (2018); Cruzar la Cara de la Luna (2018); The House without a Christmas Tree (world premiere, 2017); It’s a Wonderful Life (world premiere, 2016); Carousel (2016); Sweeney Todd (2015); A Coffin in Egypt (world premiere, 2014); and A Little Night Music (2014). Harper has designed sound for productions with Washington National Opera/Kennedy Center, New York City Opera, Glimmerglass Opera, Lyric Opera Kansas City, The Atlanta Opera, San Antonio Opera, El Paso Opera, and Houston Ballet, among others. As sound designer for Houston’s Theatre Under the Stars, Harper has designed sound for more than 50 productions since 2013. In the 2025-26 season, he designed American Psycho for Houston Broadway Theatre, West Side Story for Los Angeles Opera and Washington National Opera, and Guys and Dolls at Shakespeare Theatre in Washington, D.C.

LU K E FEDEL L (U N ITED STATES)

This season at HGO, Olivia Knight’s additional engagements include serving as the Fight/Intimacy Director for the Butler Studio Showcase and Porgy and Bess, and the Fight Director for Hansel and Gretel. Last season for HGO, she served as Intimacy Director for Il trovatore. Other engagements during the 2024-25 season included Una in Blackbird with Dirt Dogs Theatre Co. and the premiere of Synapse with The Octarine Accord. Knight has led movement, fight, and intimacy workshops at various Houston educational institutions and taught at both the college and high school levels.

She was awarded the VCUarts Research Grant in 2021 for her work on The Penelopiad. Previous theatrical credits include Helena in A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Gregory in Romeo and Juliet with the Houston Shakespeare Festival (2024); Ursula in Much Ado About Nothing and First Witch/Lady Macduff in Macbeth with the Houston Shakespeare Festival (2023); Ash in Wolf Play with Rec Room Arts (2023); #25 in The Wolves at Quintero Theatre (2023); Princess of France in Love’s Labour’s Lost with Studio 108 (2023); the title role of Rumpelstiltskin and Katherine/Boy in Henry V at the Wortham (2022); Sonia in Our Lady of 121st Street at Quintero Theatre (2021); and Olivia in Twelfth Night at Richmond Catholic Theatre (2020).

R ICH A R D BA DO (U N ITED STATES) CHORUS DIREC TOR

FIGHT DIREC TOR

Previously at HGO, Luke Fedell served as Fight Director for Falstaff (2023), the world premiere of Intelligence (2023), La favorite (2020), Faust (2016), and Carlisle Floyd’s Prince of Players (2016). He has also performed as Rufflan in Prince of Players and Frid in A Little Night Music (2014). Fedell is an active theater practitioner in the Houston area and a certified Advanced Actor Combatant with the Society of American Fight Directors.

He has performed in and staged fight choreography at theaters across the country, including in New York City, and internationally in Taiwan and Scotland. Additionally, he has worked at notable local Houston theaters including the Alley Theatre, Stages, Rec Room, Mildred’s Umbrella, Catastrophic Theatre, and the Classical Theatre Company. Fedell holds an MFA in Performance and Movement Pedagogy from Texas Tech University and is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Arts and Communication at the University of Houston-Downtown, where he also serves as the Director of the University’s O’Kane Theatre and Drama Program.

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Richard Bado made his professional conducting debut in 1989 leading Houston Grand Opera’s acclaimed production of Show Boat at the newly restored Cairo Opera House in Egypt. Since then, Bado has conducted at Teatro alla Scala, Opéra National de Paris, HGO, New York City Opera, the Aspen Music Festival, Tulsa Opera, the Russian National Orchestra, the Florida Philharmonic, the Montreal Symphony, and Wolf Trap Opera, and has conducted the Robert Wilson production of Virgil Thomson’s Four Saints in Three Acts at the Edinburgh Festival. During the 2025-26 season, Bado conducted performances of Porgy and Bess for HGO and The Nutcracker for Houston Ballet. In the 2024-25 season, he conducted West Side Story for HGO in addition to leading HB’s The Nutcracker. Bado—who holds music degrees from the Eastman School of Music, where he received the 2000 Alumni Achievement Award, and West Virginia University—has studied advanced choral conducting with Robert Shaw. He is the Chief Artistic Officer and Chorus Director for HGO, where he received the Silver Rose Award in 2013. He has appeared on A Prairie Home Companion with Garrison Keillor. For 12

TENOR — NIKOL AUS SPRINK

Miles Mykkanen is making his HGO debut. Elsewhere this season, Mykkanen performs as Sam Clay in The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay and The Groom in Kaija Saariaho’s Innocence with the Metropolitan Opera. He also makes house and role debuts as Leukippos in Strauss’s Daphne at Seattle Opera and Tamino in The Magic Flute at LA Opera. In concert, he performs Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with the Cleveland Orchestra, Handel’s Messiah with Chicago’s Music of the Baroque, and the University Musical Society in Ann Arbor. He marks his first appearance at the Maastricht Festival in the Netherlands as soloist in Carmina Burana and will be the featured artist in Juilliard’s annual Alice Tully Vocal Recital at Carnegie’s Weill Recital Hall. Past engagements include a new Barrie Kosky production of Die Fledermaus and Philip Venables’s world premiere We Are The Lucky Ones, both at Dutch National Opera, a new Ted Huffman production of The Coronation of Poppea at Festival d’Aix-en-Provence, and the North American premiere of Kaija Saariaho’s Innocence at San Francisco Opera.

Additional appearances include Die tote Stadt (Bayerische Staatsoper); Falstaff (Staatsoper Hamburg); Candide (Opéra de Lausanne, Ravinia, Tanglewood); Silent Night (Minnesota Opera); A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Opera Philadelphia); and Boris Godunov, Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, Ariadne auf Naxos, and Wozzeck, all at the Metropolitan Opera. He is the founding Artistic Director of the Emberlight Festival.

M ICH A EL MCDER MOTT (U N ITED STATES) TENOR — NIKOL AUS SPRINK Michelle Beale and Dick Anderson / Dr. Ellen R. Gritz and Mr. Milton D. Rosenau Jr. Fellow

(Feb. 4 performance) A third-year Butler Studio artist from Huntington Beach, California, Michael McDermott was the third-place winner in HGO’s 2023 Eleanor McCollum Competition Concert of Arias. His other roles during the 2025-26 season include Young Lover in Il tabarro (Il trittico) and Carlson in the

SY LV I A D’ER A MO (U N ITED STATES) SOPR ANO —ANNA SØRENSEN

Sylvia D’Eramo is making her HGO debut. Elsewhere this season, she performs as Mimì in La bohème with Theater St. Gallen; makes her role and house debut as Marta in Die Passagierin with Dutch National Opera; and makes her role and house debut as Gutrune in Götterdämmerung with Atlanta Opera. In the 2024-25 season, D’Eramo made her Dallas Opera debut as Mimì in La bohème and also performed the role at the Santa Fe Opera. She also returned to Theater St. Gallen for her role debut as Chrysothemis in a new production of Elektra by Lisaboa Houbrechts and Modestas Pitrenas. In the 202324 season, D’Eramo created the role of Gerda Wegener in Tobias Picker’s world-premiere opera Lili Elbe at Theater St. Gallen. She made her role debut as Elvira in Ernani in St. Gallen and reprised performances of Kitty/Vanessa in The Hours, which she originated at the Metropolitan Opera in the 2022 world-premiere production. D’Eramo can be heard on Albany Records’s 2017 recording of The Crucible by Robert Ward in the role of Abigail Williams.

She is a winner in the Lois Alba Aria Competition and the recipient of an encouragement award from the Career Bridges Foundation.

RYA N MCK I N N Y (U N ITED STATES) BA SS-BARITONE— LIEUTENANT HORS TMAYER

This season at HGO, Butler Studio alumnus Ryan McKinny also performed the roles of Michele in Il tabarro and the title HGO.ORG

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N I G H T

M I L ES M Y K K A N EN (FI N L A N D/U N ITED STATES)

Butler Studio production of Of Mice and Men. In 2025, he sang the role of Nicias in Thaïs at the Spoleto Festival, and served as an Apprentice Artist for Santa Fe Opera, where he covered the role of Peter Quint in The Turn of the Screw. During HGO’s 2024-25 season, he performed as Messenger in Il trovatore, Don Ramiro in student and Family Day performances of Cinderella, and Rodolfo in La bohème. During HGO’s 2023-24 season, he performed the roles of Bardolph in Falstaff and 4th Esquire in Parsifal.

In 2022, he covered the role of Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni at the Aspen Music Festival and returned in 2023 to perform Arbace in Idomeneo. In summer 2024, McDermott sang the role of Camille de Rosillon in The Merry Widow at the Glyndebourne Festival. His recent competition wins include first prize in the 2024 Grand Concours Vocal Competition, first prize in the Schmidt Vocal Competition, and first prize in the Scholarship Division of the National Opera Association’s Carolyn Bailey Argento Competition. McDermott received his Bachelor of Music degree from The Juilliard School and pursued his master’s degree at Rice University.

S I L E N T

years, he was the Director of the Opera Studies Program at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music. Bado has served on the faculty of the Aspen Music Festival and School, the Dolora Zajick Institute for Young Dramatic Voices, the International Vocal School in Moscow, and the Texas Music Festival. He has served on the music staff of the Metropolitan Opera, Seattle Opera, the Bolshoi Opera Young Artist Program, Opera Australia, Santa Fe Opera, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, Utah Opera, Chautauqua Opera, and Wolf Trap Opera.

role in Gianni Schicchi, both part of Il trittico. McKinny’s many roles at HGO include Jan in Breaking the Waves (2025); Amfortas in Parsifal (2024); Leporello (2024) and the title role (2019) in Don Giovanni; Jokanaan in Salome (2023); and Gunther in Götterdämmerung (2017).

Elsewhere during the season, McKinny stars as Joseph De Rocher in the 25th-anniversary production of Heggie’s Dead Man Walking at San Francisco Opera and makes a role debut as John Proctor in a new Francesca Zambello production of The Crucible at Washington National Opera. McKinny joins Omaha Symphony and Opera Omaha for the title role in Bluebeard’s Castle.

He has recently appeared as the title character in Don Giovanni (Washington National Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Boston Symphony Orchestra); Escamillo in Carmen (Semperoper Dresden, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Staatsoper Hamburg); De Rocher in Dead Man Walking (Metropolitan Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago); and Mozart’s Figaro (Washington National Opera, Wolf Trap Opera, Seattle Opera, Metropolitan Opera). He created the role of Mac in the world premiere of Jake Heggie and Gene Scheer’s opera, Before It All Goes Dark (2024), recently released on Warner Classics.

I U R II SA MOI LOV (U K R A I N E) BARITONE— LIEUTENANT AUDEBERT

Previously at HGO, Iurii Samoilov performed the role of Dandini in Cinderella (2024). Elsewhere in the season, Samoilov returns to the Metropolitan Opera as Schaunard in La bohème, Irish National Opera as Sharpless in Madama Butterfly, Finnish National Opera and Ballet as Robert in Iolanta, and Gran Teatre del Liceu in Manon Lescaut.

During the 2024-25 season, he performed the title role of Eugene Onegin with Teatro Real; Marco in Gianni Schicchi at Opéra National de Paris; and took the stage at the Zürich Tonhalle for Das Lied von der Erde. In the 2023-24 season, he made company debuts at the Gran Teatre del Liceu and Finnish National Opera and Ballet in the title role of Eugene Onegin; Olympia Municipal Music Theater Maria Callas as Sir Riccardo Forth in I puritani; and Irish National Opera as Marcello in La bohème. Recent highlights include debuts at the Metropolitan Opera as Schaunard in La bohème; Oslo’s Den Norske Opera in the title role of Eugene Onegin; and Opéra National de Paris as Papageno in The Magic Flute. Samoilov has appeared at renowned opera houses and festivals including the Salzburg Festival, Semperoper Dresden, Teatro San Carlo, Teatro Real in Madrid, La Monnaie in Brussels, Rossini Opera Festival, Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, and Alte Frankfurt Opera. He was a finalist at the 2017 BBC Cardiff Singer of the World competition and a recipient of the Päsel Foundation Award.

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T HOM AS GL ASS (U N ITED STATES) BARITONE— LIEUTENANT GORDON

Previously at HGO, Butler Studio alumnus Thomas Glass performed as Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet (2022); Papageno in The Magic Flute (2022); Marcello in La bohème (2019, Miller Outdoor Theatre); Alvaro in Florencia en el Amazonas (2019); Fiorello in The Barber of Seville (2018); Krupke in West Side Story (2018); Figaro in The Barber of Seville (2018, Miller Outdoor Theatre); Marcello in La bohème (2018); and Baron Douphol in La traviata (2017). In the 2024-25 season, Glass returned to the Metropolitan Opera, where he performed the role of Starbuck in Moby Dick and covered Antony in Antony and Cleopatra. Highlights of recent seasons include house and role debuts at The Metropolitan Opera as Yamadori in Madame Butterfly; Opera Theatre of Saint Louis as the title role in Harvey Milk: Reimagined; Berkshire Opera Festival as Ford in Falstaff; Atlanta Opera as Dandini in Cinderella; and Arizona Opera as John Lassiter in Riders of the Purple Sage. Glass is the winner of the 2022 Mabel Dorn Reader Foundation Prize at Opera Theatre of Saint Louis and a Grand Prize Winner at the 2019 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. He is an alumnus of the Minnesota Opera Resident Artist Program.

EDWA R D N ELSON (U N ITED STATES) BARITONE— PONCHEL

Edward Nelson is making his HGO debut. Elsewhere this season, he returns to the Metropolitan Opera for the premiere of Mason Bates’s The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, sings the title role in the world premiere of Benoît Mernier’s Bartelby at the Opéra Royal de Wallonie-Liège, and sings the title role in Pelléas et Mélisande at the Palacio de la Ópera a Coruña. During the 2024-25 season, Nelson debuted at Opera Theatre of Saint Louis as Eisenstein in Die Fledermaus; debuted in Italy at Teatro Regio Torino as Marquis d’Hérigny in Manon Lescaut; returned to Teatro de la Maestranza in Seville as Oreste in Iphigénie en Tauride; and debuted at Boston Lyric Opera in Carousel as Billy Bigelow. He performed the title role of Philip Glass’s Orphée at Teatro Real Madrid and as Dandini in Cinderella at Théâtre des Champs-Élysées and Semperoper Dresden. He made his Metropolitan Opera debut in Terence Blanchard’s Champion, which won the 2024 Grammy Award for Best Opera Recording. An alumnus of both the Merola Opera Program and the Adler Fellowship at the San Francisco Opera, Nelson has made over 70 appearances on the stage of the War Memorial Opera House. Other recent engagements include Don Andrès in La Périchole at Washington National Opera and the Barber in Strauss’s Die schweigsame Frau at Bard Summerscape.

BA SS-BARITONE— FATHER PALMER

JACK SWA NSON (U N ITED STATES) TENOR —JONATHAN DALE

Also this season at HGO, Jack Swanson performs the role of Count Almaviva in The Barber of Seville.

He previously performed with HGO as Don Ramiro in Cinderella (2024) and Fenton in Falstaff (2023). During the 2024-25 season, Swanson performed the role of Almaviva in The Barber of Seville in his debut with the Metropolitan Opera and made his role debut as Ernesto in Don Pasquale with Hamburg State Opera. In the 2023-24 season, he performed as Ferrando in Così fan tutte at Den Norske Opera; Don Ramiro in Cinderella at Den Norske Opera and Lyric Opera of Chicago; Count Almaviva in The Barber of Seville at the Rossini Opera Festival in Pesaro and the Arena di Verona; and Belfiore in Il viaggio a Reims in Pesaro. Recent operatic highlights include the title role in Paola Prestini’s Edward Tulane with the Minnesota Opera (2022); and house debuts with Austin Opera as Almaviva in The Barber of Seville (2022), Utah Opera as Tonio in The Daughter of the Regiment (2023), and the Atlanta Opera as the title role in Candide (2022).

Swanson has performed at such opera houses as Teatro Regio di Torino, Frankfurt Opera, Los Angeles Opera,

N I G H T

Brandon Cedel is making his HGO debut. Elsewhere this season, he sings Masetto in Don Giovanni at the Metropolitan Opera and Figaro in The Marriage of Figaro at Atlanta Opera.

Highlights of his 2024-25 season included his debut as Dulcamara in The Elixir of Love (English National Opera); Il rè di Scozia in Ariodante (Boston Baroque); and Garibaldo in Rodelinda (Garsington Opera). Recent appearances include Bottom in A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Leporello in Don Giovanni for the Glyndebourne Festival; the title role in Hercules for the Karlsruhe Handel Festival and the Komische Oper Berlin; the title role in Don Giovanni for the Atlanta Opera; Dan Brown in the world premiere of The Hours with the Philadelphia Orchestra conducted

by Yannick Nézet-Séguin and at the Metropolitan Opera; Masetto in Don Giovanni for the Metropolitan Opera and the Lyric Opera of Chicago; Collatinus in The Rape of Lucretia and Magnifico in Cinderella for the Boston Lyric Opera; the title role in The Marriage of Figaro for Opera Philadelphia and the Stuttgart Staatsoper; Goulaud in Pelléas et Mélisande for Des Moines Metro Opera; and Colline in La bohème and Basilio in The Barber of Seville for the Canadian Opera Company. Cedel is a graduate of the Metropolitan Opera’s Lindemann Young Artist Development Program and was an ensemble member of Oper Frankfurt from 2016-19.

Opera National du Rhin, the Opéra National de Lorraine, and Santa Fe Opera. He is the recipient of a Richard Tucker Career Grant and a two-time winner of the Richard Tucker Memorial Award from Santa Fe Opera. He is an alumnus of HGO’s Young Artist Vocal Academy.

CH A D SH ELTON (U N ITED STATES) TENOR — KRONPRINZ

Butler Studio alumnus Chad Shelton performs regularly at HGO, including as Herod in Salome (2023), Chaplain in Dialogues of the Carmelites (2022); the Witch of Endor in Saul (2019); Patrick Kelly and other roles in the world premiere of The Phoenix (2019); Pollione in Norma and Aegisth in Elektra (both in 2018); Mao Tse-tung in Nixon in China (2017); Cavaradossi in Tosca (2015-16); Charles II in the world premiere of Carlisle Floyd’s Prince of Players (2016); Froh in Das Rheingold and Fredrik Egerman in A Little Night Music (2014); and Alfredo in La traviata (2012), among many others. This season, Shelton also returns to San Francisco Opera as Father Grenville in Dead Man Walking, Cincinnati Opera as Herod in Salome, and the Metropolitan Opera roster. Recent performances include Herod in Salome, Pinkerton in Madame Butterfly, Bob Boles in Peter Grimes, Father Grenville in Dead Man Walking, Tchekalinsky in Queen of Spades (Metropolitan Opera); Herod in Salome (Staatsoper Stuttgart, Des Moines Metro Opera), Sir Edgar Aubry in Der Vampyr (Grand Théâtre de Genève); Don José in Carmen (Austin Opera); Erik in The Flying Dutchman (Santa Fe Opera, Opera Colorado, Boston Lyric Opera); the title role in Idomeneo (Opéra national de Lorraine, Théâtre de Caen, Grand Théâtre de Luxembourg); and Giasone in Medea, Don José in Carmen, and Guido Bardi in The Florentine Tragedy (Opéra national de Lorraine).

CH A R L ES H . E ATON (U N ITED STATES) BARITONE—WILLIAM DALE

Charles H. Eaton is making his HGO debut. Elsewhere during the 2025-26 season he performs the role of Oleskii in a workshop presentation of The Mothers of Kherson, to be premiered in their 2027-28 season at the Metropolitan Opera. He makes his company debut with Shreveport Opera in the title role of Don Giovanni, his role and company debut as Sonora in La fanciulla del West with Wichita Grand Opera, and his company debut with Amelia Island Opera as Gaudenzio and Sam in a double bill of Il Signor Bruschino and Trouble in Tahiti. Eaton returned to Wolf Trap Opera in the summer of 2025 as a Filene Artist to make role debuts as The Count in The Marriage of Figaro, Dancaïre in Carmen, and his debut with the National Symphony Orchestra as baritone soloist in Carmina Burana. His 2024-25 season also included a return to HGO.ORG

S I L E N T

BR A N DON CEDEL (U N ITED STATES)

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Minnesota Opera for his role debut as Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet, as Silvio in Pagliacci with Pensacola Opera, and a debut of the title role in Don Giovanni with Madison Opera.

In addition to Wolf Trap Opera and Minnesota Opera, Eaton is a graduate of programs at The Glimmerglass Festival, Opera Colorado, and Des Moines Metro Opera. He received his Bachelor of Music in 2013 from the University of Connecticut, and his Masters of Music in 2015 from the University of Minnesota.

ZI N I U ZH AO (CH I NA) BA SS — FRENCH GENER AL Carolyn J. Levy/ Jill and Allyn Risley/ Dr. Peter Chang and Hon. Theresa Chang and Friends Fellow

A second-year Butler Studio artist from Shandong, China, Ziniu Zhao was the second-place winner at HGO’s 2024 Eleanor McCollum Competition Concert of Arias and a winner of the San Francisco District in the 2025 Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition. In HGO’s 2025-26 season, his other engagements include Maestro Spinellocchio in Gianni Schicchi (Il trittico) and Candy in the Butler Studio production of Of Mice and Men. In the summer of 2025, Zhao sang Leporello in a concert version of Don Giovanni at the National Centre for Performing Arts in Beijing. During the 2024-25 season, he made his HGO debut as Don Magnifico in the company’s Family Day production of Cinderella and performed the role of Reinmar von Zweter in Tannhäuser. Zhao was a member of the Opera Talent Training Program of the China National Arts Foundation and has won several prestigious awards, including first prize at the Colorado International Music Competition, the Rossini Singing Award at the Fiorenza Cedolins Opera Competition in Italy, and the Maria Callas Award at the Vincerò International Opera Competition, also in Italy. In 2023, he performed a solo concert in Shandong. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing.

SA M DHOBH A N Y (U N ITED STATES) BA SS-BARITONE— BRITISH MA JOR Dian and Harlan Stai Fellow

A second-year Butler Studio artist from Brooklyn, New York, Sam Dhobhany received the Ana María Martínez Encouragement Award at HGO’s 2024 Eleanor McCollum Competition Concert of Arias. He is a 2022 alumnus of HGO’s Young Artist Vocal Academy. In HGO’s 2025-26 season, Dhobhany’s other roles include Undertaker in Porgy and Bess, Notary in Gianni Schicchi (Il trittico), George Milton in the Butler Studio production of Of Mice and Men, and Officer in The Barber of Seville.

In HGO’s 2024-25 season, he made his company debut as Alidoro in Family Day Cinderella and sang the role of Terry in Breaking the Waves. In the summer of 2025, Dhobhany performed the roles of Zuniga in Carmen and Bartolo in The 44

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Marriage of Figaro at Wolf Trap Opera. In 2024, Dhobhany sang the role of Angelotti in Tosca with Dayton Opera.

He was an apprentice artist with Santa Fe Opera in 2023 and 2024, performing roles including Un Médecin in Pelléas et Mélisande and Marchese d’Obigny in La traviata. Dhobhany was the second-place winner of the 2024 Rocky Mountain Region and the winner of the 2025 Arizona District of The Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition. He holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Vocal Performance from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music.

EL IZ A BET H H A N JE (U N ITED STATES) SOPR ANO — MADELEINE AUDEBERT Ms. Marty Dudley/ Amy and Mark Melton/ Diane Marcinek/ Jeff Stocks and Juan Lopez Fellow

Second-year Butler Studio artist Elizabeth Hanje, a Tanzanian-American soprano from Vestavia Hills, Alabama, was the first-place winner at HGO’s 2024 Eleanor McCollum Competition Concert of Arias. In the 2025-26 HGO season, Hanje's other roles include Strawberry Woman in Porgy and Bess, First Alms Sister in Suor Angelica (Il trittico), and Gertrude in Family Day Hansel and Gretel. In the summer of 2025, Hanje was an Apprentice Singer for Santa Fe Opera, where she covered the role of Gerhilde in Die Walküre. Hanje has also been a Young Artist with Merola Opera Program (2024) and an Apprentice Artist with Des Moines Metro Opera (2023). In fall 2024, she made her mainstage debut with HGO as Ines in Il trovatore. In April 2023, she performed the role of Lyra in Alice Tierney in her debut with Opera Columbus. Hanje is a winner of the 2023 Duncan Williams Voice Competition and the 2022 George Shirley Vocal Competition. In 2021, she received the Richard Miller Award for Fine Singing and a YoungArts Award. She holds a Bachelor of Music degree from Oberlin Conservatory. She is a 2022 alumna of HGO’s Young Artist Vocal Academy.

S I L E N T N I G H T

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sales@srresidenceshouston.com | srresidenceshouston.com | 346 579 7787 The St. Regis Residences, Houston are not owned, developed or sold by Marriott International, Inc., or its affiliates (“Marriott”). SR Luxury Condominium, LTD uses the St. Regis marks under a license from Marriott which has not confirmed the accuracy of any of the statements or representations made herein. We are in compliance with Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968. We have not, and will not, either directly or indirectly, discriminate against you or any other prospective purchaser on the basis of race, color, religion, sex or national origin. The St. Regis Residences is a proposed condominium project in Houston, Texas that does not yet exist. Information provided by SR Luxury Condominium, LTD, through the marketing materials or marketing center is preliminary in nature; changes may be made to the project, including but not limited to the design, building height, floor plans, unit sizes, number of units, services, amenities, project name and brand and pricing. Warning: the California Department of Real Estate has not inspected, examined or qualified this offering. Douglas Elliman Texas, 2001 Kirby Dr, Suite 600, Houston, Tx, 77019, 281.652.5588. © 2025 Douglas Elliman Real Estate. All material presented herein is intended for information purposes only. While, this information is believed to be correct, it is represented subject to errors, omissions, changes or withdrawal without notice. All property information, including, but not limited to square footage, room count, number of bedrooms and the school district in property listings should be verified by your own attorney, architect or zoning expert. Copyright ©2026. Equal Housing Opportunity.

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January 30, February 1m, 7, 13, 15m A N O P E R A I N T H R E E AC T S M U S I C BY Englebert Humperdinck

L I B R E T T O BY Adelheid Wette

Produced in Association with The Royal Ballet and Opera and San Francisco Opera.

The performance lasts approximately 2 hours, with one intermission.

This production was first seen at the Royal Opera House, London on 13 December 2018.

The activities of Houston Grand Opera are supported in part by funds provided by the City of Houston through Houston Arts Alliance and by a grant from the Texas Commission on the Arts.

Sung in German with Projected English Translation Brown Theater, Wortham Theater Center

FUNDED IN PART BY

THE CITY OF HOUSTON THROUGH

HOUSTON ARTS ALLIANCE

FUNDED IN PART BY

THE CITY OF HOUSTON THROUGH

HOUSTON ARTS ALLIANCE

Quick Start Guide THE OPERA IN ONE SENTENCE

WHAT TO LISTEN FOR

Sent into the forest to gather berries, Hansel and Gretel encounter a childeating Witch, whom they bravely vanquish using their wits.

A protégé of German Romantic composer Richard Wagner, Humperdinck borrowed many of his mentor’s musical techniques. After the sweeping prelude, listen for Hansel and Gretel’s “Suse, liebe Suse” (Susie, dear Susie). Humperdinck treats this genuine German nursery song like a Wagnerian leitmotif—i.e. a recurring theme that he develops in the orchestra. While the other numbers in Hansel and Gretel sound like real folk music, the melodies are mostly Humperdinck’s own invention. Listen for the children’s toe-tapping dance tune “Brüderchen, komm tanz mit mir” (Brother, come dance with me) and their father Peter’s lusty drinking song, with its “Ral-la-lala” refrain. Act I ends with an orchestral interlude titled “The Witch’s Ride,” which is based on the broomstick theme Peter sings earlier. Its wild string runs and arpeggios are indebted to Wagner’s “Ride of the Valkyries.”

BACKGROUND German librettist Adelheid Wette originally intended Hansel and Gretel as a children’s Christmas entertainment that would feature a few musical numbers by her brother, composer Engelbert Humperdinck. But the score gradually expanded into a full-length Märchenoper, or fairytale opera, which premiered in 1893. Wette’s text combines the original Brothers Grimm version with a later retelling by Ludwig Bechstein. Characters like the Sandman and Dew Fairy were added, and more gruesome elements were softened. The parents no longer purposefully abandon their children, for instance, and rather than cannibalistically devouring children, the Witch turns them into gingerbread first.

Act II opens with the only other authentic German folksong in the score, Gretel’s “Ein Männlein steht im Walde” (A little man stands in the woods). It’s actually a riddle: the little man with a crimson coat and black cap is a rosehip.

Listen for the highlight of this act, the siblings’ heavenly “Evening Prayer.” Its melody serves as the basis for a pantomime, which originally featured 14

angels descending from heaven. In his production, director Antony McDonald replaces the celestial messengers with characters from other Grimms’ fairytales.

In Act III, the Dew Fairy delivers her self-introductory aria, which is the same tune as the Sandman’s number from the previous act. While the Witch gleefully prepares to consume two tasty children, listen for her galloping nonsense song “Hurr hopp hopp.” Once she’s been defeated and the gingerbread children are set free, everyone celebrates by dancing the jig from Act I. In the final passage, the whole ensemble joins Peter to recite his hopeful motto, which is sung to the theme from Hansel and Gretel’s “Evening Prayer.”

FUN FACT Humperdinck composed three other fairytale operas and musical plays: Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, and Königskinder (Royal Children). This last work, loosely based on the Grimms’ story “The Goose Girl,” premiered at the Metropolitan Opera in 1910. To prepare for the lead role, soprano Geraldine Farrar trained a gaggle of geese to follow her around onstage.

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CAST & CR E ATI V E C AST (in order of vocal appearance)

CR E ATI V E T E A M

Gretel Mané Galoyan ‡

Conductor

Andreas Ottensamer *

Hansel Sasha Cooke

Director and Scenic and Costume Designer

Antony McDonald *

Associate Designer

Ricardo Pardo *

Lighting Designer

Lucy Carter *

Choreographer

Lucy Burge *

Associate Director/ Associate Choreographer

Róisín Whelan *

Fight Director

Olivia Knight

Children’s Chorus Director

Karen Reeves

German Diction Coach

Anja Burmeister

Music Preparation

Jenny Choo †

Gertude (Mother)

Alexandra Loutsion *

Peter (Father)

Reginald Smith, Jr. ‡

Sandman Megan Mikailovna Samarin ‡ Dew Fairy

Alissa Goretsky †

Gloria M. Portela/ Susan Bloome/ James M. Trimble and Sylvia Barnes Fellow Witch Jamie Barton ‡ Will-o'-the-wisp

Silken Kelly *

Claire Liu and Joe Greenberg Director Chair

Dr. Laura E. Sulak and Dr. Richard W. Brown Fellow William Long *

Peter Pasztor ‡

Madeline Slettedahl Stage Manager

Brian August

Assistant Director

Stephanie Smith

* Mainstage debut † Butler Studio artist ‡ Former Butler Studio artist

PRODUCTION CR EDITS English supertitles by Patricia Houk, adapted by Alexa Lietzow. Supertitles called by Matthew Neumann.

Performing artists, stage directors, and choreographers are represented by the American Guild of Musical Artists, AFL-CIO, the union for opera professionals in the United States.

Scenic, costume, and lighting designers and assistant designers are represented by United Scenic Artists, IATSE Local USA-829.

Orchestral musicians are represented by the Houston Professional Musicians Association, Local #65-699, American Federation of Musicians.

Stage crew personnel provided by IATSE, Local #51.

Wardrobe personnel provided by Theatrical Wardrobe Union, Local #896.

Usher personnel provided by IATSE, Local B-184.

This production is being recorded for archival purposes.

Houston Professional Musicians’ association

MP A AFM Local 65-699

LOCAL UNION

®

USHER UNIT IATSE LOCAL B-184 USHER UNIT HOUSTON TEXAS

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H A N S E L

SY NOPSIS

ACT I

ACT III

Once there was a poor broom-maker who lived with his wife and two children in a cottage on the edge of the forest. As our story begins, the children—whose names are Hansel and Gretel—are alone at home. Their mother left them chores to do while she was out. Instead, they get into mischief, singing and prancing about. But they can’t ignore the rumbling of their stomachs. The family has gone weeks with little to eat. Gretel reminds her brother of their father’s motto: the Lord provides for those in need. To distract them from their hunger, she teaches Hansel a funny dance.

The next morning, the Dew Fairy flutters in and sprinkles dewdrops on the children to awaken them. Rubbing sleeping sand from their eyes, Hansel and Gretel can hardly believe what they see: a cottage made from sugar and cake!

As they begin to devour bits of the abode, a voice is heard from inside: “Nibble, nibble, mousey, who’s nibbling at my housey?” A friendly old lady emerges and coaxes the brother and sister with the promise of more treats. But it turns out this is the Gingerbread Witch! When the children try to escape, she freezes them in place with a spell.

At that moment, their mother Gertrude returns. She scolds the siblings for their laziness, and in her anger, she accidentally knocks over a pitcher of milk. With the family’s supper spoiled, Gertrude sends Hansel and Gretel out into the woods to gather strawberries. Left alone, she desperately prays for some money to feed her children.

From afar, she hears her husband Peter approaching, drunkenly singing a lusty folksong. He’s sold dozens of brooms, and with all the money he earned, he bought the family a pantry-load of food.

But where are Hansel and Gretel? When Gertrude explains that they’re in the forest of Ilsenstein, Peter becomes terrified! Doesn’t she know that’s where the Gingerbread Witch lives? The old crone flies around on a broomstick, hunting children and baking them into gingerbread in her magic oven. Worried sick, the parents rush off to save Hansel and Gretel from being gobbled up.

ACT II In the forest, Gretel makes a flower chain while Hansel handles a basketful of berries. “Cuckoo-cuckoo,” goes a bird, and the children sing back to it. But night is descending, and the children realize they are lost. They call out into the forest, and strange voices echo back. In the darkness, they imagine all sorts of frightening spirits coming toward them, and they cry out for their parents.

Suddenly, a strange little man appears from among the trees. He’s the Sandman, and he sprinkles his magic sand to help the children fall asleep. After saying their prayers, Hansel and Gretel bed down for the night, protected by friendly characters who guard over them.

The Witch imprisons Hansel and instructs Gretel to set the table while she gleefully prepares to bake both siblings. But clever Gretel has a plan. She uses the Witch’s magic wand to free Hansel. When the hag asks her to check on the oven, Gretel plays dumb and asks for a demonstration. With their captor distracted, brother and sister push her in, vanquishing the Witch once and for all!

But who are all these other children who have assembled, with their eyes shut tight? These are all the boys and girls the Witch turned into gingerbread. With a touch of the hand and a wave of the wand, they’re awakened! Everyone sings and dances in celebration, and Hansel and Gretel’s parents arrive, thrilled to be reunited with their precious little ones. Peter reminds them all that, “When need is more than we can stand, G ​ od extends his loving hand!​”

HGO PER FOR M A NCE H ISTORY HGO previously performed Hansel and Gretel in the 1966-67, 1974-75, 1975-76, 1977-78, 1978 (summer), 1978-79, 1980-81, 1983 (summer), 1983-84, 1988-89, 1989-90, 1990-91, 1997-98, 2006-07, and 2020-21 seasons.

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G R E T E L

I N T ER M ISSION

A N D

SETTI NG: A long time ago in Germany

HG O OR C H E S T R A Patrick Summers, Artistic and Music Director

FLU TE

PERCUSSION

Henry Williford *, Principal

Christina Carroll, Acting Principal

V IOL I N

Tyler Martin *

Craig Hauschildt

Denise Tarrant *, Concertmaster Chloe Kim *, Assistant Concertmaster

PICCOLO

Natalie Gaynor *, Principal Second Violin

Izumi Miyahara

Carrie Kauk *, Assistant Principal Second Violin

R ECOR DER

Miriam Belyatsky *

Izumi Miyahara

Rasa Kalesnykaite *

OBOE

Hae-a Lee Barnes *

Elizabeth Priestly Gehrke *, Principal

Chavdar Parashkevov †

Mayu Isom †

Anabel Ramirez *

Spring Hill

Mary Reed * Erica Robinson *

ENGL ISH HOR N

Linda Sanders *

Spring Hill

Oleg Sulyga *

CL A R I N ET

Sylvia VerMeulen * Melissa Williams * Andres Gonzalez

Emily Zelaya

V IOL A Eliseo Rene Salazar *, Principal Lorento Golofeev *, Assistant Principal Gayle Garcia-Shepard * Erika C. Lawson * Suzanne LeFevre *

† HGO Orchestra core musician on leave this production

HG O C H I L D R E N ' S C HOR U S Karen Reeves, Children’s Chorus Director

Emma Cranston

Molly Mayfield

Trung Trinh

* HGO Orchestra core musician

Justin Best

Fiona Lofthouse

Rachel Shepard

Caitlin Mehrtens *, Principal

Victoria Auyanet

BA SS C L A R I N ET

Sean O'Neal

HARP

Eric Chi *, Principal

Kana Kimura Mila Neal

Karen Slotter

BASSOON Amanda Swain *, Principal Quincey Trojanowski †

Felicity Cronin Isadora Dominguez Arabelle Howard Anvi Joshi Raasti Kayani Mary Anna LeGall

Micah Doherty

Luciana Madaria

HOR N

Sonya Parsons

Sarah Cranston *, Principal

Ayla Perrin

Kimberly Penrod Minson *

Shreya Puvvada

Spencer Park *

Matilda Rutledge

Aaron Griffin

Edison Salek

Jamie Leff

Emmett Adair Scoles

Concetta Mayorca

Lucas Sequera

Matthew Weathers *

TRU M PET

Elizabeth Golofeev

Tetsuya Lawson *, Principal

Sarah Mason

Randal Adams *

CEL LO

TROM BON E

Lora Uvarova

Barrett Sills *, Principal

Thomas Hultén *, Principal

Maximus Vu

Erika Johnson *, Assistant Principal

Mark Holley *

Katherine Yu

Dana Rath *

Jordan Milek Johnson †

Kaiya Zhang

Wendy Smith-Butler *

Brian Logan

Chennie Sung *

T U BA

Shino Hayashi

Mark Barton *, Principal

DOU BL E BASS

TI M PA N I

Dennis Whittaker *, Principal

Alison Chang *, Principal

Erik Gronfor *, Assistant Principal Carla Clark * Hunter Capoccioni

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Theodore F. Shadding Max Shekerdemian Macie Joy Speer

Alexandra FitzGibbon

Persi Mey

Ava Makana Dempster

Silken Kelly

Ainsley Waguespack

Cameron Edwards

Shondra Marie

Jillian Evers

Aia K. McInnes

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Nikolas Darrough

H A N S E L

HG O C OR P S DA NC E R S

A N DR E AS OTTENSA M ER (AUSTR I A) CONDUC TOR

Andreas Ottensamer is making his HGO debut. In the 2024-25 season, Ottensamer made conducting debuts with Mozart Orchestra Salzburg at the Mozart Week; Tonkünstler Orchestra; Basel Symphony Orchestra; Music College Winterthur; Iceland Symphony Orchestra; and Naples Philharmonic. He will return to conduct the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra, Munich Chamber Orchestra, and Istanbul State Symphony Orchestra. Recent highlights include debuts with Basel Chamber Orchestra in a tour of Asia, NHK Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre Metropolitain Montreal, Seoul Philharmonic, Chamber Academy Potsdam, Sofia Philharmonic, Erfurt Philharmonic Orchestra, Janacek Philharmonic, and the Liszt Chamber Orchestra. In 2021, Ottensamer was awarded the Neeme Järvi Prize, 1st Prize, of the Gstaad Festival Conducting Academy. Since then, he has joined Maestro Riccardo Muti in his Italian Opera Academy, assisted Sir Simon Rattle with the BR Symphony Orchestra, Francois-Xavier Roth with the London Symphony Orchestra, and Christian Thielemann in a production of Wagner’s Lohengrin at the Vienna State Opera. Ottensamer is artistic director of the Bürgenstock Festival in Switzerland and the Artström Festival at the Stienitz-Lake near Berlin, Germany. A renowned clarinetist, he has performed as a soloist in the major concert halls around the world; he held the position of principal clarinetist with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra from 2011 to 2025.

A N TON Y MCDONA L D (U N ITED K I NGDOM) DIREC TOR; SCENIC AND COS TUME DESIGNER

Claire Liu and Joe Greenberg Director Chair

Antony McDonald is making his HGO debut. As director-designer, McDonald’s credits include Phaedra & Minotaur, 4/4 - Knoxville: Summer of 1915 (Royal Ballet and Opera); Alice’s Adventures Under Ground (Irish National Opera, Royal Ballet and Opera); Der Ring des Nibelungen (Dutch Touring Opera); Rusalka, The Queen of Spades, and Fidelio (Grange Park Opera); Lohengrin (Welsh National Opera, Polish National Opera,

Greek National Opera); Powder Her Face (Irish National Opera); Mary Stuart (Opera North); L’Enfant et les sortilèges (Bolshoi Theatre); Tristan and Isolde (Opéra national du Rhin); The Importance of Being Earnest (Northern Ireland Opera); Die Gezeichneten (St. Gallen); Ariadne auf Naxos (Scottish Opera, Opera Holland Park); Werther (Bergen National Opera); and On The Town and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Hyogo Performing Arts Centre Japan). He has also designed for the Royal Shakespeare Company, Royal Court, Old Vic, Almeida, National Theatre, and Scottish Ballet. McDonald was nominated for the 2023 Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in Opera for his design for Alcina (Royal Ballet and Opera), and he won Set Designer of the Year at the 2013 International Opera Awards. He is a Royal Designer for Industry, a title awarded annually by the U.K.’s Royal Society of Arts to exceptional designers.

R IC A R DO PA R DO (SPA I N) A SSOCIATE DESIGNER

Ricardo Pardo is making his HGO debut. His opera designs include Romeo and Juliet (Ingolstadt, Germany), Unborn in America (Vaults Festival, London), The Marriage of Figaro (King’s Head Theatre, London), and The Medium (Cochrane Theatre, London). As an associate designer for director/designer Antony McDonald, his credits include this production of Hansel and Gretel (Royal Ballet and Opera/San Francisco Opera), Tristan and Isolde (Opéra National du Rhin), Phaedra/The Minotaur (Ustinov Studio, Bath), Julietta (English National Opera), and Alice (Croatian National Ballet). He has also collaborated with and assisted McDonald on productions such as Alcina and Kátya Kabanová (Royal Opera House, both winners of Olivier Awards), Wozzeck (New National Theatre, Tokyo), L’Enfant et les Sortilèges (Bolshoi Theatre), The Marriage of Figaro (La Scala, Milan), 4/4 – Knoxville: Summer of 1915 and Alice’s Adventures Under Ground (Royal Ballet and Opera/Irish National Opera), Lohengrin (Greek National Opera), Powder Her Face (Irish National Opera), The Importance of Being Earnest (Northern Ireland Opera), Fiddler on the Roof (Grange Park Opera), Raymonda (English National Ballet), and On the Town (Hyogo Performing Arts Centre Japan). Pardo’s future engagements include serving as the associate HGO.ORG

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designer for Manon (Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, Paris, November 2026) and collaborating with McDonald on productions including Iolanta (Finnish National Opera, May 2026) and Suor Angelica/La Mort de Cléopâtre (Erl Festival, Austria, July 2026)

LUC Y C A RTER (U N ITED K I NGDOM) LIGHTING DESIGNER

Nibelungen (Dutch Touring Opera); Ariadne auf Naxos (Scottish Opera, Opera Holland Park, and Glyndebourne Festival); The Importance of Being Earnest (Northern Ireland Opera); and Carmen (Opera North). Theater work includes Oliver Twist (Regent’s Park Theatre) and Oresteia (Shakespeare’s Globe).

RÓISÍ N W H EL A N (IR EL A N D) A SSOCIATE CHOREOGR APHER

Lucy Carter is making her HGO debut. Carter was awarded the 2018 Critics’ Circle National Dance Award for Outstanding Creative Contribution; and the Knight of Illumination Award for Dance for Chroma (2008) and Woolf Works (2015). Opera-lighting credits include Festen, Alcina, Mavra, and Pierrot Lunaire (Royal Ballet and Opera); Obsidian Tear (National Ballet Bordeaux); The Turn of the Screw (Royal Danish Opera); The Marriage of Figaro (Paris Opera); Kát’a Kabanová (Rome, Royal Ballet and Opera); The Cunning Little Vixen, Orphée, Salome, and The Dream of Gerontius (English National Opera); Fiddler on the Roof (Grange Park Opera); La finta giardiniera (Glyndebourne Festival, La Scala, Milan); and Peter Grimes (Aldeburgh). Theater credits include The Time Traveler’s Wife (Storyhouse, West End); Shirley Valentine, 2:22 A Ghost Story, and Everybody’s Talking About Jamie (West End); Much Ado about Nothing, Home I’m Darling, Husbands and Sons, Medea, and Emil and the Detectives (National Theatre); and Persuasion (Rose Theatre, Kingston). Dance productions with Wayne McGregor include DYAD 1929, INFRA, Woolf Works, MADDADDAM, The Dante Project, McGregor + Mugler, Multiverse, Chroma, and Autobiography.

OL I V I A K N IGHT (U N ITED STATES)

LUC Y BU RGE (U N ITED K I NGDOM)

FIGHT DIREC TOR

CHOREOGR APHER

For information about Olivia Knight, please see page 40.

Lucy Burge is making her HGO debut.

Burge was a principal dancer with Rambert from 1970 to 1985, performing as a guest artist with Rudolf Nureyev. Her opera movement credits include The Rake’s Progress, Fiddler on the Roof, Rusalka, and The Queen of Spades (Grange Park Opera); La Gioconda (Salzburg Easter Festival); Madame Butterfly (Bregenz Festival); Festen, Eugene Onegin, Samson et Dalila, Alice’s Adventures Under Ground, Hansel and Gretel, L’heure espagnole, Gianni Schicchi/Il trittico, and A Masked Ball (The Royal Ballet and Opera); The Girl of the Golden West (English National Opera, Santa Fe Opera); Ariodante (Aix-enProvence, Amsterdam); Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg (Welsh National Opera, English National Opera); Parsifal (Paris Opera); The Makropulos Case (Frankfurt); Billy Budd (Gothenburg, Frankfurt); The Tales of Hoffmann and Lohengrin (Bavarian State Opera); Powder Her Face (Irish National Opera); Der Ring des 52

Róisín Whelan is making her HGO debut. Whelan is a choreographer and director working across theater, opera, and contemporary dance in Ireland and internationally. Her 2025 highlights include serving as the Assistant Director of Falstaff (Glyndebourne) and La Gioconda (Greek National Opera), as well as work with London’s Royal Ballet and Opera. Theater credits include The Borrowers, Circle Mirror Transformation, and Fun Home at the Gate Theatre. Opera credits include Hansel and Gretel, Eugene Onegin, and Festen (Royal Ballet and Opera); Der Freischütz and Madame Butterfly (Bregenz Festspiele); and La Gioconda (Salzburg Easter Festival).

Choreographic work includes Íomhá, The Glasshouse, Man Down, and The Galaxy of Occupations. TV and film work includes Moonhaven, Sanctuary, The Tourist, and Life/Time. Whelan received the Kathleen Tattersall Leadership Award and previously performed in Matthew Bourne’s Romeo and Juliet. She holds Bachelor of Performing Arts and Master of Arts degrees from the Northern School of Contemporary Dance.

WINTER 2026

K A R EN R EEV ES (U N ITED STATES) CHILDREN ’ S CHORUS DIREC TOR

Karen Reeves has been working with young singers at HGO since 1991. This season, she also served as children’s chorus director for Il trittico. Reeves served as chorus director for the HGO Children’s Chorus in the Houston Symphony’s performance of Berg’s Wozzeck, which won the 2017 Grammy for Best Opera Performance. She prepared HGO’s Juvenile Chorus for the world premiere of The House Without a Christmas Tree in 2018 and has also prepared the HGO Children’s Chorus and child soloists for such productions as La bohème, The Sound of Music, W erther, Otello, Carmen, Dead Man Walking, Tosca, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Hansel and Gretel, and The Little Prince. Reeves was a member of the HGO Chorus for

Previously for HGO, Sasha Cooke performed as Venus in Tannhäuser (2025); Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni (2024); Thirza in the company’s new production of The Wreckers (2022); Alto Soloist in Verdi’s Requiem (2017); and Magnolia Hawks in Show Boat (2013). This season brings her role debut as Carmen with Seattle Opera and a host of international concert engagements. In the 2024-25 season, Cooke returned to the Bard Festival as Marguerite in La damnation de Faust; performed as Brangäne in Tristan and Isolde at the Gstaad Festival; and debuted at La Monnaie de Munt as Emilie Ekdahl in the world premiere of Mikael Karlsson and Royce Vavrek’s Fanny and Alexander. Cooke has sung at the Metropolitan Opera, San Francisco Opera, English National Opera, Opéra National de Bordeaux, and Gran Teatre del Liceu, among others. She is a recipient of the 2011 and 2019 Grammy Awards for Best Opera Recording for her performances in Doctor Atomic and The (R) evolution of Steve Jobs, respectively. In 2022, her album with pianist Kirill Kuzmin, How do I find you, was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Classical Vocal Solo Album. She is the co-director of the Lehrer Vocal Institute at the Music Academy of the West.

M A N É G A LOYA N (A R M EN I A) SOPR ANO — GRE TEL

Butler Studio alumna Mané Galoyan has appeared with HGO many times, including as Avis in The Wreckers (2022); Gilda in Rigoletto (2019); Confidante in Elektra (2018); Violetta Valery in La traviata (2017); Adina in The Elixir of Love (2016); Lucy Goodman in After the Storm (2016); and Margaret Hughes in the world premiere of Carlisle Floyd's Prince of Players (2016). She was the first-place winner in HGO’s 27th Eleanor McCollum Competition Concert of Arias, and the secondplace prize winner of the 2021 Operalia competition, where she also won the Zarzuela Prize and the Rolex Audience Prize. Highlights of the 2025-26 season include Musetta in La bohème with the Metropolitan Opera,

JA M IE BA RTON (U N ITED STATES) MEZ ZO -SOPR ANO —WITCH

Butler Studio alumna Jamie Barton appears regularly at HGO, including last fall as Frugola, The Princess, and Zita in Il trittico, Elizabeth Van Lew in the world premiere of Jake Heggie and Gene Scheer’s Intelligence (2023), Leonor de Guzman in La favorite (2020), and Adalgisa in Norma (2018). Other HGO roles include Waltraute/ Second Norn in Götterdämmerung (2017) and Fricka in Das Rheingold (2014) and Die Walküre (2015), all part of the Ring cycle. This season, Barton starred as Sister Helen Prejean in the 25th anniversary production of Jake Heggie’s Dead Man Walking at San Francisco Opera and Ježibaba in Rusalka at Bayerische Staatsoper and Opéra National de Paris. Elsewhere, she appears in concert with Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, Houston Symphony, and Minnesota Orchestra, and in recital with Arizona Opera and the Tucson Desert Song Festival. Named 2020 Personality of the Year at the BBC Music Magazine Awards, Barton is the winner of the International Opera Awards Readers’ Award, Beverly Sills Artist Award, Richard Tucker Award, and BBC Cardiff Singer of the World Competition. Barton’s debut solo album, All Who Wander, won the BBC Music Magazine Vocal Award and was shortlisted for the International Classical Music Awards and Gramophone Classical Music Awards. Most recently, Unexpected Shadows, her album with composer and pianist Jake Heggie, was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Classical Solo Vocal Album.

A L E X A N DR A LOU TSION (U N ITED STATES) SOPR ANO — GERTRUDE

Alexandra Loutsion is making her HGO debut. In the 2024-25 season, Loutsion performed as Lady Macbeth in Macbeth at Teatro Nuovo; performed the role of Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni at Virginia Opera; sang Gerhilde and covered Sieglinde in Die Walküre with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra; covered the title role in Aida at the HGO.ORG

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MEZ ZO -SOPR ANO — HANSEL

A N D

SASH A COOK E (U N ITED STATES)

Violetta with Atlanta Opera, Sister Angelica and Lauretta in Il trittico with Deutsche Oper Berlin, Soléa in Penello’s El gato montés at the Teatro de la Zarzuela in Madrid, and in concert, the title role in Iolanta with the Opéra Orchestre Normandie Rouen. Highlights during the 2024-25 season included Gilda in Rigoletto at the Lyric Opera of Chicago, Vitellia in La clemenza di Tito at the Monte Carlo Opera, Liù in Turandot at Theater Basel, and Adina in The Elixir of Love at the Bavarian State Opera. She holds two degrees from the Yerevan State Komitas Conservatory in Armenia, where she was named the 2013 winner of the President of the Republic of Armenia Youth Prize.

H A N S E L

13 seasons, and was the founding director of HGO’s Bauer Family High School Voice Studio. She received her Bachelor of Music degree from Southwestern University and her Master of Music degree from Rice University. She taught on the voice faculty at Houston Baptist University and in the voice department of Kinder HSPVA. She has served as a grant evaluator for the Texas Commission on the Arts. She recently retired after serving many years as the opera program administrator at the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University.

Metropolitan Opera; and covered the title role in Turandot at Lyric Opera of Kansas City. Loutsion began the 2023-24 season with a role debut as Brünnhilde in Siegfried with Virginia Opera followed by her debut at Lyric Opera of Kansas City as Mother Abbess in The Sound of Music. She was a winner of the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition District Auditions and Long Beach Mozart Competition, and a finalist in the Fritz and Lavinia Jensen Foundation Competition, McCammon Voice Competition, and Dallas Opera Competition. She is the recipient of the Catherine Filene Shouse Education Fund Career Grant from Wolf Trap Opera, Santa Fe Opera’s Donald Gramm Memorial Award and Anna Case MacKay Award, the Shoshana Foundation Richard F. Gold Career Grant, the Central City Opera John Moriarty Award, and the Aspen Music Festival New Horizon Fellowship.

R EGI NA L D SM IT H , JR .

(U N ITED STATES) BARITONE— PE TER

Previously at HGO, Butler Studio alumnus Reginald Smith, Jr. performed the title role in Falstaff (2023); Pascoe in The Wreckers (2022); Amonasro in Aida (2020); Bonze in Madame Butterfly; Speaker of the Temple, Priest, and Armored Man in outdoor performances of The Magic Flute, and Speaker in selected mainstage performances of The Magic Flute (all 2015); Dancaïre in Carmen and Marullo in Rigoletto (2014); and Blind in Die Fledermaus (2013). He appeared with the company in Giving Voice in 2020 and 2025 and gave a Live from the Cullen recital with Richard Bado for HGO Digital in 2021.

This season's engagements include the Pirate King in The Pirates of Penzance at Seattle Opera and Tonio in Pagliacci at Minnesota Opera. In the 2024-25 season, Smith’s roles included Amonasro in Aida with Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Porgy in Porgy and Bess with Washington National Opera, Scarpia in Tosca at the New Orleans Opera and New Mexico Philharmonic, and Alfio in Cavalleria Rusticana with the Sacramento Philharmonic. Smith performed as a featured soloist in concerts with the New Jersey Symphony, the Phoenix Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, the Memphis Symphony, and in a solo recital at the Fine Arts Center in Greenville, South Carolina. The Grammy and Emmy-winning baritone was the 2021 U.S. representative at the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World Competition and a Grand Finals winner of the 2015 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. He received a 2015 Sarah Tucker Study Grant and a 2016 Career Grant from the Sullivan Foundation.

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M EG A N M I K A I LOV NA SA M A R I N (U N ITED STATES) MEZ ZO -SOPR ANO — SANDMAN

This season at HGO, Butler Studio and YAVA alumna Megan Mikailovna Samarin also performs as the Sandman in HGO’s Family Day presentation of Hansel and Gretel. Previously at HGO, Samarin performed as Carla Mae in the world premiere of A House Without A Christmas Tree (2017); Sextus in Julius Cesar (2017); Second Secretary in Nixon in China (2017); Siebel in Faust (2016); Lady Meresvale/Mistress Revels in the world premiere of Prince of Players (2016); Third Water Nymph in Rusalka (2016); Olga in Eugene Onegin (2015); Johanna in Sweeney Todd (2015); and Second Lady in The Magic Flute (2015, Miller Outdoor Theatre). She has performed with the New York Philharmonic in Mozart’s Requiem, the Lexington Philharmonic in Rodrigo’s Retablo de Navidad, and at OPERA America’s Emerging Artist Recital Series in New York City. Notable operatic roles include Siebel in Faust at San Antonio Opera; Cherubino in The Marriage of Figaro at Aspen Music Festival; and Idamante in Idomeneo at Wolf Trap Opera. Samarin is a recipient of a Sara Tucker Study Grant, a Shoshana Foundation Richard F. Gold Career Grant, and Second Prize in the Gerda Lissner Foundation International Vocal Competition. She holds a bachelor’s degree from the Manhattan School of Music and is a fellowship recipient of the Aspen Music Festival.

A L ISSA GOR ETSK Y (U N ITED STATES) SOPR ANO — DEW FAIRY

Gloria M. Portela/ Susan Bloome/ James M. Trimble and Sylvia Barnes Fellow

A second-year Butler Studio artist from Los Angeles, Alissa Goretsky was the third-place winner of HGO’s 2024 Eleanor McCollum Competition Concert of Arias. Other roles in her 2025-26 season at HGO include Young Lover and The Nursing Sister in Il trittico; Gretel in Family Day Hansel and Gretel; Curley’s Wife in Of Mice and Men; and Berta in The Barber of Seville. Goretsky was a 2025 Apprentice Singer for Santa Fe Opera, where she covered the role of Mimì in La bohème and Helmwige in Die Walküre.

During the 2024-25 season, she made her HGO debut as Clorinda in Cinderella and performed the role again for the company’s English-language Family Day production.

She made her operatic debut as Gismonda in Ottone at Caroline H. Hume Concert Hall under the baton of Corey Jameson in 2019. In March 2024, she performed the role of Ma Zegner in Missy Mazzoli’s Proving Up, also at Caroline Hume Hall. Goretsky is a National Winner of the 2025 Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition. She holds both Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.

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British and German troops fraternize on Christmas Day 1914.

AN Y R A N I D R O A EXTR EXPERIENCE IR ED A SE FI RE TH AT IN SP CE I AR W D RL O TH E W PE R A D KE VI N PU T S ’ S O AN L EL PB AM C K M AR SI LE N T N IG H T.

ications Manager ucation and Commun Ed e nc die Au , gin da

By Joe Ca

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WINTER 2026

I

magine yourself as a Scottish soldier along the Western Front in December 1914. This was supposed to be a swift and easy war for Britain.

The trenches you helped to dig were only temporary shelters, you’re told, and your army will soon be pushing the “Huns” out of France and Belgium. But it has become clear that allied Franco-British forces are at a stalemate with Germany. By year’s end, you’re worn down by the deplorable conditions of trench warfare.

There wasn’t a single Christmas truce—it’s more accurate to speak of the Christmas truces. They ran the gamut from simple “We won’t shoot if you don’t” ceasefires to full-blown enemy fraternization in no man’s land. As shown in Silent Night, during these “mix-and-mingle” truces, German and British soldiers exchanged cigarettes, shared bottles of wine, and commiserated about the war. Many Germans had worked as cabbies or waiters in Britain and spoke excellent English.

Suddenly, on Christmas Eve, something unexpected happens: across no man’s land, you spot a little lit Christmas tree at the edge of the German trench.

You can hear singing and laughter. One of the Jerries calls out to you, “You no shoot, ve no shoot!” “Aye, Fritz!,” you shout back. This is a welcome opportunity to walk about without worrying whether a German sniper has his rifle set on your skull.

Scottish troops in France in 1916.

Finally, all is calm— that is, until your regimental bagpipers start blaring “Auld Lang Syne.” But it’s preferable to the sound of whizzing bullets. And it reminds you of home.

But how were such truces even possible? It’s difficult today to imagine Russians and Ukrainians taking a pause from fighting to drink a glass of vodka together. In her book on the truces, The Christmas Truce: Myth, Memory, and the First World War, historian Terri Blom Crocker discusses the unique circumstances that set the stage for Christmas 1914.

At least 55 British regiments were involved in spontaneous Christmas ceasefires with the Germans. The French, who were defending their native soil, were less inclined to participate. And unlike the events depicted in Kevin Puts and Mark Campbell’s opera Silent Night, there were no points on the Western Front where British, French, and German troops could call a triple truce. But an opera isn’t a History Channel documentary—artists are allowed some poetic license in service of an engaging drama.

One of the primary factors is what Crocker refers to as the soldiers’ “professionalism.” In other words, the army was their career. Most of the Brits and Germans on the Western Front were simply carrying out orders and held no personal animosity toward their enemy.

“They didn’t feel obliged to hate any of the guys on the other side,” says Crocker. “They were in there because somebody said, ‘We’re at war, and it’s therefore your job to fight people.’”

“And of course, there was the issue of familiarity,” adds Crocker, “where people could actually hear the other side talking. They would call back to each other at night. It didn’t mean that they weren’t serious about fighting. But it meant that they did perceive the people on the other side as human.”

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This shared humanity was coupled with the shared misery of trench warfare—a grueling new style of combat that soldiers weren’t yet accustomed to. “They’re sitting around, they’re cold, they’re muddy,” says Crocker. As the troops sing about in one of their Silent Night choruses, sleep was a welcome respite from this existence—but a rare one.

“You mostly just leaned up against another soldier, wrapped a blanket around you, and hoped for the best,” says Crocker. “There were no beds.”

But more so than the fatigue and anxiety of trench warfare, it was sheer boredom that wore soldiers down. “The main reason I think the Christmas truce turned out to be such a big deal,” contends Crocker, “was that it was such a wonderful break to the routine, and they really welcomed that.”

never knew, as we lay you down miles away from home, you will not be forgotten.”

But there was also time for celebration. In Silent Night, music becomes the catalyst for the truce— German tenor Nikolaus Sprink breaks the ice by singing to the allied troops across no man’s land. The Brits, whose concept of Christmas was largely borrowed from the Germans, would have recognized many of the carols their enemies were singing, and vice versa.

Beyond music-making, the men sometimes kicked a soccer ball about amongst their comrades. Contrary to legend, German-vs.-British matches were exceedingly rare and mostly rumored.

For Crocker, who worked as a litigation paralegal before pursuing history, it’s imperative that we dispel persistent myths that have arisen WWI-era Christmas postcard depicting a German soldier writing home. around the truce. “I only trust hard evidence,” she explains.

“To me, that’s a letter I’m holding in my hand.” The following excerpts from British soldiers’ letters— many of which were reprinted in newspapers back The truces also provided an opportunity to bury on the home front—offer a patchwork account of the dead, whose twisted corpses were constantly the Christmas ceasefires, told from the point of visible in no man’s land. Crocker explains that these view of the men who participated. were typically the bodies of men from regiments that had been stationed previously. For the revised While individual experiences differ, the letterversion of Silent Night presented by HGO, Puts and writers almost universally agree on one point: the Campbell added a new chorus in which the three truces were “extraordinary,” a word that, along platoons lay their departed countrymen to rest. In with its many synonyms, crops up in correspontheir respective languages, they sing the same dence again and again. humble eulogy: “I promise you, my friend who I

FURTHER READING Terri Blom Corcker, The Christmas Truce: Myth, Memory, and the First World War Mike Hill, ed., Christmas Truce by the Men Who Took Part: Letters from the 1914 Ceasefire on the Western Front 58

WINTER 2026

THE 1914 CHRISTMAS TRUCES IN LETTERS FRATERNIZATION “On Christmas Day we heard the words ‘Happy Christmas’ being called out, whereupon we wrote up on a board ‘Glückliches Weihnachten!’ There was no firing and so by degrees each side began gradually showing more of themselves.” —2nd Lt. Wilbert Berthold Paton Spencer “Finally, they climbed out of their trenches into the open! … And after a bit we also scrambled out of our trenches, and for an hour both sides walked about in the space between the two lines of trenches, talking and laughing, swapping baccy and cigarettes, biscuits, etc. They were quite friendly and genuine.”

—Capt. Ted Rolleston Palmer Berryman “Scots and Huns [i.e.

Germans] were fraternizing in the most genuine possible manner. Every sort of souvenir was exchanged, addresses given and received, photos of families shown, etc.”

—Capt. Sir Edward Hamilton Westrow Hulse “Some of [the Germans] seemed to have no personal animosity against England and said they would be jolly glad when the war was over.

Turner took some snaps with his pocket camera, copies of which I hope you will eventually see.” —Pvt. Malcolm Howard Grigg

“Near where we were standing, a dead German who had been brought in by some of the English was being buried, and a German officer after reading a short service in German, during which both English and Germans uncovered, said, ‘We thank our English friends for bringing in our dead.’”

—Malcolm Howard Grigg

MUSIC “On Christmas Eve the Germans lined their trenches with lights and had several Christmas trees all lit up. Of course we stopped firing, and both sides sang carols.”

—2nd Lt. John Wedderburn-Maxwell “A German [officer]…started his fellows off on some marching tune. When they had done, I set the note for ‘The Boys of Bonnie Scotland, where the heather and the bluebells grow,’ and so we went on, singing everything from ‘Good King Wenceslas’ down to the ordinary Tommies’ song, and ended up with ‘Auld Lang Syne,’ which we all, English, Scots, Irish, Prussian, Württembergers, etc., joined in.” —Edward Hamilton Westrow Hulse “We have had our [bag] pipes playing all day and everyone has been wandering about in the open unmolested.”

—2nd Lt. Alfred Dougan Chater

EXTRAORDINARY SILENT NIGHT “Later in the day I fed about 50 sparrows outside my dug-out, which shows how complete the silence and quiet was. … It is the first time, day or night, that we have heard no guns, or rifle-firing.”

—Edward Hamilton Westrow Hulse

BURYING THE DEAD “This episode was the sadder side of Christmas Day, but it was a great thing being able to collect [the dead], as their relations, to whom of course they had been reported missing, will be put out of suspense and hoping that they are prisoners.” —Edward Hamilton Westrow Hulse “I won’t describe the sights I saw and which I shall never forget. We buried the dead as they were. Then back to the trenches with the feeling of hatred growing stronger after what we had just seen.”

—Wilbert Berthold Paton Spencer

“It was a very weird Christmas Day.” —Wilbert Berthold Paton Spencer “We have had the most extraordinary experience of our lives.”

—Pvt. Herbert “Jack” Chappell “Must tell you the most wonderful thing of the war, I should say.”

—John Wedderburn-Maxwell “It was absolutely astounding, and if I had seen it on a cinematograph film I should have sworn that it was faked!”

—Edward Hamilton Westrow Hulse “Apart from the wet, cold, and lack of sleep which one has to get used to, I have quite enjoyed our three days up and wouldn’t have missed it for anything.”

—Malcolm Howard Grigg 

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O PE N I N G N I G HT: PO RGY & B E S S FRIDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2025 Houston Grand Opera launched its 2025–26 season in grand style with a captivating production of Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess, directed by Francesca Zambello. The opera featured an outstanding cast led by Angel Blue, Michael Sumuel, Blake Denson, Demetrious Sampson, Jr., Latonia Moore, Raven McMillon, and Donnie Ray Albert, with Maestro James Gaffigan conducting the HGO Orchestra.

Following the performance, more than 450 guests gathered on Fish Plaza for a seated dinner chaired by Dina Alsowayel and Tony Chase. The elegant evening raised more than $690,000 in support of HGO’s mission to enrich Houston’s diverse community through the art of opera. Décor by The Events Company transformed the plaza into a stunning outdoor setting, perfectly complementing a multi-course menu by City Kitchen Catering.

During dinner, HGO General Director and CEO Khori Dastoor expressed gratitude to the company’s supporters and celebrated Astley Blair’s appointment as Board Chair.

The evening culminated in a warm ovation as Summers introduced the cast and creative team of Porgy and Bess, marking a powerful beginning to the season’s theme: The Light We Hold.

Chairs Dina Alsowayel and Tony Chase and their guests

Cheryl and Mike Clancy

John and Mary Olga Warren

Photography by Emily Jaschke and Michelle Watson/Catchlight Group

Claire Liu, Patrick Summers, Astley Blair, Khori Dastoor

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Richard and Elizabeth Husseini

Rebekka and Damon Chargois

Lori Harrington, Alecia Harris, Melanie Smith, Zoe Cadore

Lynn Gissel and Susan Bloome

E V E N T S

Matt Healey and Denise Reyes

David and Kelly Rose, Katrina Jackiewicz and Nicholas Peacock

Margaret Alkek Williams and David Wuthritch

James and Marta Gaffigan

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Alfredo and Marcia Vilas

Cynthia and Tony Petrello

Myrtle Jones, Nedra Jones, and Lisa Modica

Kellie and Robert Collier, Marty Dudley

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La'Shelle Allen, Astley Blair, Allyn and Jill Risley

Sarah Lee, Demetrious Sampson, Jr., Teresa Procter, Yin Yiu

Sylvia Barnes and Jim Trimble

José and Teresa Ivo

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L AU R E ATE S O C I E T Y R EC ITA L OCTOBER 12, 2025 Houston Grand Opera’s Laureate Society members kicked off the 2025-26 season with an afternoon recital at the Briar Club, featuring performances by bass-baritone and Butler Studio alumnus Michael Sumuel, who this fall gave a star turn as Porgy in Porgy and Bess, and two current Butler Studio artists: tenor Michael McDermott and baritone Geonho Lee. Made possible through an extraordinary legacy gift from Jackson Hicks, the event was a celebration of HGO’s future, bringing together rising stars of the art form with the devoted patrons who sustain its legacy. After the program—a mix of operatic arias, German Lieder, and contemporary works—the guests enjoyed an elegant dinner. Reserved exclusively for Laureate Society members—opera lovers who have included HGO in their estate plans—this cherished annual event provides a rare opportunity to experience the voices of tomorrow in an intimate setting. For information on HGO’s Laureate Society, contact Amanda Neiter at ANeiter@HGO.org or 713-546-0216.

Photography by Katy Anderson

Lori Harrington, Alecia Harris, William and Martalisa Tsai, Luján Stasevicius, Constance Rose-Edwards and Mauricio Perillo

Dick Anderson and Michelle Beale

Peter Weston and Ziniu Zhao

Michael Sumuel

Shawn Roth and Stephen Kaufman

Charlotte Jones and Len Trombetta

Mark Kelly and Winston Chambers

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Velveteen Rabbit The

HOPS AG A I N

HGO RE VIVE S A COMPAN YCOMMI SSIONED WORLD -PREMIERE OPER A FOR CHILDREN .

By Ashlyn Killian, Communications Coordinator

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Once upon a time, every one of us had a doll or stuffed animal that we wished would come to life like Toy Story. Margery Williams's 1922 picture book The Velveteen Rabbit tells just such a story. In it, a plush bunny wishes for nothing more than to become real.

In 2004, composer Mary Carol Warwick and librettist Kate Pogue adapted the book into a new opera—HGO’s 29th world premiere— that would appeal to children’s imaginations. Now, two decades later, the company is reviving The Velveteen Rabbit as part of its traveling Opera to Go! program for students and families, bringing the tale’s lovely music and hopeful message to students and families across the Houston area.

“The Velveteen Rabbit is a tender, magical story that has touched hearts for generations,” said HGO General Director and CEO Khori Dastoor. “With its beautiful score, this sweet opera teaches enduring lessons of belonging, and what it means to have a place in someone’s heart.”

The opera shares the touching story of a sweet stuffed rabbit that is loved by his owner but starts to feel neglected when shinier, newer toys steal the young child’s affection. After the bunny sees the boy through an illness, he’s left behind as contaminated. But because the boy loves him, a fairy makes him real. At the end of the story, he and the boy hug, and then the Velveteen Rabbit hops off into the forest.

When Opera Cues reached Warwick and Pogue to chat about HGO reviving the opera, they expressed delight that two decades on, their creation will find new life on various stages throughout the community. For both, our conversation brought back a flood of cherished memories.

Warwick and Pogue were both students of the legendary American composer Carlisle Floyd, co-founder of HGO’s Butler Studio and a professor at the University of Houston. Floyd was unusual for an opera composer in that he wrote both the music and the texts for his works.

From their mentor, Warwick and Pogue learned the value of a solid libretto in creating a successful opera.

The creative duo enjoyed a fruitful relationship with

After its 2004 premiere, HGO brought The Velveteen Rabbit back in 2016 (pictured).

Now, audiences can again experience its magic!

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HGO over many years. Warwick was a part of ten company-commissioned world premieres, while Pogue was part of six. Three of those works, in addition to The Velveteen Rabbit, were also joint projects between Warwick and Pogue: TEXAS! (1993), Cinderella in Spain (1998), and The Emperor’s New Clothes (2001).

It was Warwick, an animal lover and wildlife rehabilitator, who suggested an operatic adaptation of The Velveteen Rabbit. But she credits Pogue’s writing style with helping her understand how a child’s mind works, especially since Pogue had kids of her own and had even authored a few Little Golden Books. “Kate knew what would be appealing, what kids would like,” said Warwick. “And then that gave me a chance to write some fun music.”

Warwick describes her score for The Velveteen Rabbit as “tuneful” and “lush,” with moments of pure entertainment fleshing out the opera to keep children engaged. For example, the pair added new characters including an action figure and a racecar that taunt the rabbit with all the things they can do. Their chorus of “vroom-vroom-vroom” is meant to appeal to kids who might make these kinds of sounds when playing with their Matchbox cars.

Warwick and Pogue have fond memories of taking the show on the road in a Chevy station wagon to schools across Houston. They had to pull out every trick possible to win over children—some of the most brutally honest, toughest critics around. During performances, they carefully observed how their opera was received by young audiences.

“The minute children started to lose attention, we thought, This is the moment that we need to fix because we’re losing the kids here,” said Pogue. “When you have that degree of participation in the planning, the writing, the rehearsing, and the performance of the work—it gradually becomes stronger.”

The pair refined their opera as they went along, gaining fans in students and educators alike. Pogue recalled a

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memory of a teacher who approached her and Warwick after viewing The Velveteen Rabbit and said, “You have really transformed the children’s idea of what opera is.”

Warwick explained that the enduring appeal of this opera lies in the story’s hopeful message. “It’s transformative,” she said. “The world can change while things that seem impossible can come true. Kids have a great imagination, and it really relates to their dreams and hopes for a better world.”

Both creators are excited that HGO is bringing The Velveteen Rabbit back, sharing its timeless lessons of humanity with the Houston community. “Kindness is so appropriate for today and for the world that kids are growing up in,” said Warwick. “That’s what this is all about, a rabbit longs to be human, and he finally achieves that.”

HGO’s Opera to Go! program will tour The Velveteen Rabbit from March through June, 2026. Grades Pre-K-5. Bring the opera to your school or community space!

Contact Community@HGO.org or visit HGO.org/Community.

JOIN US FOR A SPECIAL BUTLER STUDIO PRODUCTION

MAR 13 MAR 15 7:00 PM

2:30 PM

WO RT H A M T H E AT E R CE N T E R ’ S CU L L E N T H E AT ER A Co-Production of Houston Grand Opera, Des Moines Metro Opera, Florida State University, and Lyric Opera of Kansas City

TICKETS START AT $25!

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A MAGIC MOMENT SEE THE ARTIS T S OF THE BUTLER S TUDIO TAKE THE S TAGE IN OF MICE AND MEN —AND WITNE SS TR ANSFORMATION IN MOTION .

By Colin Michael Brush, Butler Studio Director

T

he Butler Studio at Houston Grand Opera is built on a belief that artists grow most meaningfully when they live the work, not just study it. Our artists spend real time strengthening their technique, understanding their instrument, and building dependable habits that support their long-term development. They take voice lessons, refine language skills, and explore dramatic and musical choices with curiosity and intention. Preparing and performing a role on stage, however, is the real moment of alchemy.

Everything the artists have been working on begins to merge into the magic moment that synthesizes all the hard work they have put in. This is also when their growth becomes visible and unmistakable.

Watching artists grow through the process of preparing a full role on stage is extraordinary. When I think about what it means to prepare and perform a major role, I think of Demetrious Sampson, Jr. For those of you who attended our Porgy and Bess production this fall, you saw this process unfold with Demetrious as Sportin’ Life. Watching him prepare that role was remarkable. He stepped into it with imagination, curiosity, and real commitment. He held his own among colleagues with much more experience, not through force but through presence, openness, and joy. The process that transformed him. Preparing the role at that level, with that cast, and with the expectations of the audience and the company surrounding him, reshaped him. He became a more dynamic artist because he lived the work fully. You could see his development in real time throughout the entire process, as he became a deeper artist with each rehearsal and each performance.

When I arrived at HGO to begin my role as Director of the Butler Studio, I was ready to advocate for the return of a dedicated Studio production, something HGO had not presented in 25 years. It felt essential because developing artists learn invaluable lessons from their experiences on stage. Upon my arrival, I quickly learned that General Director Khori Dastoor was ten steps ahead of me and had already planned for the return of just such a production: Carlisle Floyd’s Of Mice and Men in March of 2026. It was clear that we were aligned in our understanding of what these artists needed to grow.

The selection of Of Mice and Men is rooted in the Butler Studio’s founding. In 1977, HGO General Director David Gockley worked closely with

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composer Carlisle Floyd to establish a training program that could support young singers in meaningful ways. Just one year prior, Floyd had joined the faculty at the University of Houston, and that same year, HGO presented the world premiere of his opera Bilby’s Doll. This connection to both the company and the university shaped the early design of the program. The artists studied languages and took classes at the university while rehearsing for performances with the company. They were in an environment where learning and performing flowed naturally together.

Floyd and Gockley believed in an integrated approach, one that allowed technique, academic depth, and stage experience to develop side by side.

Their shared vision set the tone for everything that followed.

Butler Studio artists shining on the mainstage, clockwise from top left: Demetrious Sampson, Jr. as Sportin' Life in Porgy and Bess, Michael McDermott as Rodolfo in La bohème, Elizabeth Hanje as Strawberry Woman in Porgy and Bess, and Alissa Goretsky as Clorinda in Cinderella.

The year 2026 marks what would have been Floyd’s hundredth birthday, further elevating the importance of choosing this opera for the Butler Studio. Floyd’s influence on the artistic life of HGO is significant. His operas helped define the company’s identity, and his centenary adds meaning to this moment. Returning to the Studio production with one of his most powerful works honors his legacy and reconnects the program to the vision he helped create.

In the 1990s, under Studio Director Gayletha Nichols, having a production specifically for the program became an annual tradition. Many of these performances were premieres, which aligned perfectly with the company’s commitment to new American opera. A number of important HGO world premieres, such as Mark Adamo’s Little Women, began as these productions. New work and new talent evolved together, a direct continuation of the foundation Floyd and Gockley established.

Preparation for Of Mice and Men this season has been immersive and intensive. Through our partnership with the Alley Theatre, the artists began by working in acting class with the dramatic play version of the story. This allowed them to explore character, physicality, and relationships; to make discoveries; and to make strong choices about who their characters are before stepping fully into the opera. They have received extensive diction coaching to capture the tone of the language, and musical coachings to inhabit the score. Our goal has been for every artist to leave with a complete understanding of this opera, as well as with a repeatable process for learning any new role musically and dramatically, so they know how to approach each new preparation with confidence and depth.

We invite you to join us on March 13 and 15 in the Cullen Theater for the return of the Butler Studio production, a special weekend during which we will see so much artistic growth take place in real time. This moment honors the vision that Floyd and Gockley imagined and celebrates our artists of today as they move toward a bright future. It welcomes the community to witness what happens when talent, dedication, and opportunity meet. When that alchemy takes place on stage, something extraordinary unfolds, and we cannot wait to share it with you.  Don’t miss HGO’s new production of Carlisle Floyd’s Of Mice and Men, directed by Kristine McIntyre and featuring a cast of Butler Studio artists. Friday, March 13 at 7 p.m.; Sunday, March 15, at 2:30 p.m. The Wortham Theater’s Cullen Theater.

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BUTLER STUDIO ARTISTS 2025 –26 Jenny Choo, Pianist/Coach

Michael McDermott, Tenor

Sam Dhobhany, Bass-Baritone

Shawn Roth, Tenor

Dr. Laura E. Sulak and Dr. Richard W. Brown Fellow Dian and Harlan Stai Fellow

Alissa Goretsky, Soprano

Gloria M. Portela/ Susan Bloome/ James M. Trimble and Sylvia Barnes Fellow

Elizabeth Hanje, Soprano

Ms. Marty Dudley/ Amy and Mark Melton/ Diane Marcinek/ Jeff Stocks and Juan Lopez Fellow

Geonho Lee, Baritone

Mr. and Mrs. James W. Crownover/ Dr. and Mrs. Miguel Miro-Quesada/ Dr. John Serpe and Tracy Maddox Fellow

Michelle Beale and Dick Anderson/ Dr. Ellen R. Gritz and Mr. Milton D. Rosenau Jr. Fellow Melinda and Bill Brunger/ Drs. Liz Grimm and Jack Roth/ Drs. Rachel and Warren A. Ellsworth IV/ Kathleen Moore and Steven Homer/ Sharon Ley Lietzow and Robert Lietzow Fellow

Demetrious Sampson, Jr., Tenor

Luka Tsevelidze, Tenor

Donna and Ken Barrow/ Barbara and Pat McCelvey/ Irina and Andrey Polunin/ Ms. Rita Leader/ Jill A. Schaar and George Caflisch Fellow

Ziniu Zhao, Bass

Carolyn J. Levy/ Jill and Allyn Risley/ Dr. Peter Chang and Hon. Theresa Chang and Friends Fellow

Dr. Dina Alsowayel and Mr. Anthony R. Chase/ Dr. Eric McLaughlin and Mr. Elliot Castillo/ Alejandra and Héctor Torres/ Mr. Trey Yates Fellow

Tzu Kuang Tan, Pianist/Coach Shelly Cyprus Fellow

B U T L E R S T U D I O FAC U LT Y & S TA F F Colin Michael Brush, Director

Sponsored by Christopher Bacon and Craig Miller, Mr. Jack Bell, Lynn Gissel, and Lynn Des Prez

Madeline Slettedahl, Assistant Conductor

Alley Theatre, Acting Instruction

William Woodard, Assistant Conductor

Stephen Neely, Dalcroze Eurhythmics Instructor

Mr. and Mrs. Albert B. Alkek Chair

Nadya Mercado, Butler Studio Intern

Tiffany Soricelli, Finance Instructor

Kiera Krieg, Butler Studio Manager

Christa Gaug, German Instructor

Nino Sanikidze, Russian Diction Coach

Stephen King, Director of Vocal Instruction

Enrica Vagliani Gray, Italian Instructor

Margo Garrett, Guest Coach

Maureen Zoltek, Music Director

Sponsored by Jill and Allyn Risley, Janet Sims, and the James J. Drach Endowment Fund

Peter Pasztor, Principal Coach

Sponsored by the Mr. and Mrs. James A. Elkins Jr. Endowment Fund

Nicholas Roehler, Assistant Conductor

Sponsored by Marsha Montemayor

Neda Zafaranian, English Instructor Brian Connelly, Piano Instructor Mo Zhou, Showcase Director and Guest Acting Faculty

Warren Jones, Guest Coach Hemdi Kfir, Guest Coach Thomas Lausmann, Guest Coach

BUTLER STUDIO SUPPORTERS The Sarah and Ernest Butler Houston Grand Opera Studio is grateful for the underwriting support of Mrs. Estela Hollin-Avery, Ms. Marty Dudley, Ms. Stephanie Larsen, and Mr. and Mrs. Richard J. Langenstein. The Butler Studio is also thankful for the in-kind support of the Texas Voice Center and for the outstanding support of the Magnolia Houston hotel.

Additional support for the Butler Studio is provided by the following funds within the Houston Grand Opera Endowment, Inc.:

The Gordon and Mary Cain Foundation Endowment Fund

Charlotte Howe Memorial Scholarship Fund

Marjorie and Thomas Capshaw Endowment Fund

Elva Lobit Opera Endowment Fund

James J. Drach Endowment Fund

Marian and Speros Martel Foundation Endowment Fund

The Evans and Portela Family Fund

Erin Gregory Neale Endowment Fund

Carol Lynn Lay Fletcher Endowment Fund

Dr. Mary Joan Nish and Patricia Bratsas Endowed Fund

William Randolph Hearst Endowed Scholarship Fund

John M. O’Quinn Foundation Endowed Fund

Jackson D. Hicks Endowment Fund

Shell Lubricants State Company Fund Mary C. Gayler Snook Endowment Fund Tenneco, Inc., Endowment Fund Weston-Cargill Endowed Fund

The Young Artists Vocal Academy (YAVA) is generously supported by Ms. Donna Saurage, Mr. and Mrs. Robert N. Wakefield, Gwyneth Campbell, and David and Norine Gill. Additional in-kind support is generously provided by the Magnolia Houston hotel.

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OUT OF CHAR ACTER

jamie

barton

By Catherine Matusow

W

atch the YouTube video of mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton performing the Witch’s aria from Hansel and Gretel at the 2013 BBC Cardiff Singer of the Year competition. Even over a screen, you’ll be held in awe—both at Barton’s jaw-dropping mastery of Humperdinck’s music, and her sheer wicked joy in singing it.

You’ll also wonder: was there ever a moment of doubt that Barton would dominate the prestigious competition, taking home its top prize and sending her career into the stratosphere?

“I love a witch,” she says. “I love a witch! And the wonderful thing about opera witches is that they are very often the most powerful person on stage. They are very much their own person. Give me an independent, strong woman any day—any, any day.”

While the Witch’s aria has been a competition and audition staple of Barton’s, and she has sung the role in English at both Indiana University and the Aspen Music Festival, she has never performed the full opera in the original German, with a professional company. And so, this moment—when Barton takes the Wortham stage as the opera’s villain—has been a long time coming.

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“I’m so excited,” she says. “I’ve been hoping for this. When the offer came in and it was from HGO, I was like, yes. I don’t know if I have anything on the calendar at that time, but if I do, we need to cancel it!” Read on to hear more from Barton on this iconic role and her extraordinary career.

Take us back to the beginning of your relationship with Humperdinck’s opera.

Well, my story with the Witch goes all the way back to grad school at Indiana University. In fact, it was her aria that really got me singing above the staff, which, hilariously, is something I specialize in now. My tessitura sits a little bit lower than a lot of mezzos who sing really, really high, like the Joyce DiDonatos, the Isabel Leonards. I was scared of singing anything above the top of the staff, and my voice teacher at the time, Brian Horne, said, “okay, we’ve got to get you out of your head with this. Let’s try an aria that’s going to require you to go there, because there’s a high B-flat at the end of it.” And I ended up just falling in love with it.

How do you approach the character?

When I auditioned for the role at Indiana University, I was crossing every finger I had that they would consider me for the Witch. They ended up

Left: Jamie Barton as Elizabeth, with soprano Janai Brugger as Mary Jane, in HGO's 2023 world premiere, Intelligence. The company's new recording of the opera has been nominated for a 2026 GRAMMY Award for Best Opera Recording!

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casting me, and I got to start delving into the character. My personal interpretation of her is very heavily indebted to Mad Madam Mim from The Sword in the Stone, the witch in the Disney movie from way back. It’s so chaotic.

The evil is there, but it’s kind of comedic-chaotic. I loved getting to sing something that wasn’t the typical queen or love interest. I get to be completely out-of-the-box and do whatever I want to.

influences on Hansel and Gretel, and Humperdinck was my entrance into Wagner in many ways. It’s that expression of the German text, especially—very Wagnerian. And funnily enough, the first Wagner that I ever did was at HGO, in the Butler Studio Showcase. HGO was also the first place that really gave me my start in the Ring cycle—the first place that hired me as Fricka. So my Wagner journey is very entwined with HGO.

Patrick Summers has said there is no opera more beautiful than this one.

Tell us more about your time with the Butler Studio.

I fully agree. It doesn’t matter if you’re a child or you’re a hundred. It’s paced so beautifully. Humperdinck did an incredible job with the orchestration.

And it’s catchy! The tunes that come from this, you’ll walk out humming. So if somebody’s says, “I want to go see my first opera,” Hansel and Gretel is always one of my first suggestions. It is delightful—the very essence of that word. I love it so much, and I love hearing that Patrick loves it too.

I never in a million years thought that I would place in the Concert of Arias or get invited to join the program. And then it happened. Coming to HGO was absolutely the right step. I needed to come down to Houston and, just, bake a little bit extra. So it was two years of me getting to do exactly that, and I made vocal leaps and bounds in that time. And the connections that I still have with the house—these are still the people that I turn to. Patrick Summers has been a mentor of mine since that time. Even in my early days, before Cardiff, when I was still trying to get a foothold in this career, he was sending me encouragement. HGO is not just a company where I work. It is a family.

You are one of the leading Wagnerians in all of opera. Did singing Humperdinck help prepare you for that?

Humperdinck and Wagner had a real relationship. Wagner was a mentor of his. So there are a lot of Wagnerian

Among your many Houston roles, you originated Elizabeth Van Lew in Jake Heggie’s Intelligence , HGO’s world premiere from 2023. And now the company’s in-house label has a new recording out. What has that experience meant to you?

Years before the show opened, Jake and I were sitting at a café in San Francisco, and he told me about the story of Elizabeth Van Lew and Mary Jane Bowser. I had never heard this piece of American history. And he said, “so I’m writing the opera, and HGO is doing it, and I want you to be Elizabeth.”

And I damn near cried. To have one of my favorite composers say, “I want to write an opera and for you to sing one of the leads”—it’s a gift to this day.

Intelligence was challenging. The story ended up being a little bit different than I thought it was going to be. In the end, Elizabeth’s not a hero. She is a woman with a lot of learning to do, and I ended up connecting with her through that. I think that is part of her humanity. We are all on learning journeys, and we can try our best and still fall short.

Can you trace your journey to opera for our audience?

very close-knit community. My grandparents and also my great aunt and uncle would host what they would call “pickin’s and grinnin’s”—when everybody brings their instruments, maybe people bring some potluck, all the kids are running around, and everybody who plays is usually in the living room, and they’re just jamming together, going through the hymnal or something like that, but it’s all bluegrass instruments. I was the nerd kid who was inside, not running around outside, trying to figure out, how do they know what to play? How do they know what harmony to sing? So many questions.

None of my family are professional musicians. I’m the first one. The virtuosic nature of bluegrass absolutely relates to the compositional and virtuosic nature of classical music.

That’s 1000% a thing. But really, it was the love of music—whether it be bluegrass or classic rock or, later, musical theater—all of these little inroads brought me to, eventually, classical music, which I fell in love with listening to NPR at night. And it was the openness to experiencing different kinds of music that led me down the path of curiosity, to where I am now.

Why is it important to you to use your voice not only on stage, but also to advocate for causes you believe in?

Because I come from the working poor, I’ve had to reckon with myself, as to whether I wanted to go forward with being an opera singer, or get out of this and go do social justice or advocacy work. In the end, I came to the realization that I had a platform—that people literally wanted to listen to my voice.

And so I made an agreement with myself, that if I were to continue in this career that I love very, very much, then I was absolutely going to be using my voice, not only on stage but off stage, for what I believed in.

And what I believe in is empowerment.

I believe in people finding and loving exactly who they are without shame.

And that can go for a myriad of different subjects, whether it’s fatphobia or queer culture or income disparity. If I have an opportunity to help guide someone toward believing in themselves and loving themselves, then I’ve done a better job than I could do in any opera on any stage. So that is part of what I joyously get to call my job. 

I grew up in the middle of nowhere, in a Georgia valley. It was this very small,

“Give me an independent, strong woman any day−−any, any day.”

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I M PR ESA R IOS

CI RCLE

The Impresarios Circle is Houston Grand Opera’s premier donor recognition society. These vanguard supporters who provide annual support of at least $100,000 are instrumental to HGO’s success. For information, please contact Deborah Hirsch, chief philanthropy officer, at 713-546-0259 or DHirsch@HGO.org.

JUDY AND RICHARD AGEE

THE BROWN FOUNDATION, INC.

Robin Angly, Chair

HGO subscribers for more than two decades, Judy and Dick are ardent believers in the power of storytelling through words and music. They partnered with the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston Inner-City Catholic Schools to expand student access to HGO Community & Learning programs. Judy and Dick, the founder and chairman of Wapiti Energy LLC and Bayou Well Holdings Company LLC, also support mainstage productions. Dick is a member of the HGO Board of Directors.

The Brown Foundation, Inc., established in 1951 by Herman and Margarett Root Brown and George R. and Alice Pratt Brown, has been a treasured partner of HGO since 1984. Based in Houston, the Foundation distributes funds principally for education, community service, and the arts, especially the visual and performing arts. HGO is tremendously grateful for The Brown Foundation’s leadership support, which has been critical to the company’s unprecedented growth and success in recent years.

THE STANFORD AND JOAN ALEXANDER FOUNDATION

The Carol Franc Buck Foundation has generously supported HGO since 1986. Carol was an avid adventurer and supporter of the arts, and she fondly remembered going to the San Francisco Opera with her mother as a child. Since her passing in 2022, the Foundation has continued her vision of supporting the arts across the United States, with a special emphasis on Wagner’s operas. The Foundation supported HGO's brand-new production of Wagner's Tannhäuser in the 2024-25 season and continues their commitment to new productions this year with support of Silent Night.

THE CAROL FRANC BUCK FOUNDATION

The Stanford and Joan Alexander Foundation has been a steadfast supporter of HGO for more than two decades. The Foundation's deep commitment to Houston’s community is exemplified by their support of public programs such as Giving Voice and HGO’s summer opera camps, which expand access to the arts for young people and families across the city. In addition to championing these vital community initiatives, the Foundation has helped make possible HGO’s world-class productions, ensuring that opera remains accessible and inspiring for all Houstonians.

SARAH AND ERNEST BUTLER ROBIN ANGLY AND MILES SMITH

HGO subscribers Robin and Miles joined the Founders Council in 2010. The company is honored to have Robin as a senior member of the HGO Board of Directors and a member of HGO’s Laureate Society.

The couple is familiar with the view from the HGO stage as well—both are former singers in the HGO Chorus. Robin and Miles have been donors to HGO signature events, the Young Artists Vocal Academy, and HGO’s Ring cycle, as well as Community & Learning Initiatives. They are charter members of the Impresarios Circle and generously underwrite a mainstage production each season.

ASTLEY BLAIR

An HGO subscriber for over 20 years, Astley is the current Chair of the HGO Board of Directors. He is currently the CFO of the Marine Well Containment Company, and his experience is built on years of technical education with the Association of Accounting Technicians. Active throughout Houston, Astley gives his time to Houston Food Bank, United Way, and initiatives to support STEM education. He is the past chairman of the Center for Houston’s Future and a board member of the Houston Airport System Development Corporation. Astley is an enthusiastic supporter of HGO signature events and chaired the Opening Night Dinner for the 2014-15 season.

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HGO subscribers for over 35 years, Sarah and Ernest made the largest gift to HGO in company history in 2023, creating a new fund within the HGO Endowment valued at $22 million and becoming the naming partner for the Sarah and Ernest Butler Houston Grand Opera Studio. They are also the lead underwriters for the company’s digital artistic programming and have generously endowed three chairs at HGO: those of HGO Artistic and Music Director Patrick Summers, Chorus Director Richard Bado, and HGO Orchestra Concertmaster Denise Tarrant. Ernest and Sarah reside in Austin and are longtime supporters of Ballet Austin, Austin Opera, Austin Symphony Orchestra, the Texas Cultural Trust, and the University of Texas Butler School of Music, which has carried their name since 2008. Sarah and Ernest are world travelers, and they never miss an opportunity to see opera in the cities they visit.

JANET AND JOHN CARRIG

Janet and John have been HGO supporters and subscribers since 2007. Both worked at ConocoPhillips before retiring, Janet as Senior Vice President and John as President and Chief Operating Officer.

Active members of their community, Janet and John serve on many boards including the advisory board of the National Association of Corporate Directors, the Council of Overseers for the Jesse H. Jones Graduate School

I MPRE S ARI O S of Business at Rice University, and The Alley Theater in Houston. Janet also serves as Chair Emeritus on the HGO Board of Directors and Chair Emeritus on the HGO Endowment’s Board of Directors. The company is grateful to Janet and John for helping underwrite our 2025-26 season.

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serves on the Butler Studio Committee. She also serves on the Advisory Board of The Shepherd Society at Rice University and the Houston Ballet Board of Trustees (past Executive Committee and Ballet Ball chair). In addition to chairing both Concert of Arias and Opening Night Dinner, Molly and Jim have been honorees at both events.

ANNE AND ALBERT CHAO

Anne and Albert have been subscribers and supporters of HGO for over 20 years.

While serving as Executive Chairman of the Board of Westlake Corporation, Albert finds time for numerous cultural causes including serving on the board of Rice University and the Asia Society Texas Center. He is a member of the HGO Board of Directors and was the co-chair of Inspiring Performance—The Campaign for Houston Grand Opera. Over the years, the Chaos have sponsored HGO signature events, the Butler Studio, Song of Houston, and mainstage productions. The couple has also supported the HGO Endowment. In April 2023, they chaired the Opera Ball.

LOUISE G. CHAPMAN

Louise Chapman of Corpus Christi, Texas, a longtime supporter of HGO, is a member of the HGO Board of Directors.

Louise’s late husband, John O. Chapman, was a South Texas agricultural businessman and philanthropist. In addition to HGO, the Chapmans have supported numerous organizations in health, education, and the arts, including Texas A&M University, the Corpus Christi Symphony, and the Art Museum of South Texas.

CONOCOPHILLIPS

For over 40 years, ConocoPhillips has supported various programs at HGO, from signature events to mainstage productions, including a long-standing tradition of supporting HGO’s season-opening operas. In 2009, the company gave a major multi-year grant to establish ConocoPhillips New Initiatives, a far-reaching program that allows the Opera to develop new and innovative education and community collaboration programs. Kelly Rose, general counsel and SVP, serves on the HGO Board of Directors.

THE CULLEN FOUNDATION

For more than three decades, The Cullen Foundation has been a vital member of the HGO family. Established in 1947, the Foundation has a long history of giving generously to education, health care, and the arts in Texas, primarily in the Greater Houston area.

HGO is grateful for the Foundation’s longstanding leadership support of HGO’s season activities.

THE CULLEN TRUST FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS

The Cullen Trust for the Performing Arts has been a lead underwriter of HGO’s mainstage season for nearly 30 years.

The Trust was established from assets of The Cullen Foundation to specifically benefit Texas performing arts institutions, particularly those within the Greater Houston area. The Cullen Trust has provided lead support for memorable productions including HGO’s Family Opera Series and, most recently, has funded an expansion of partnerships with MacGregor Park and other Third Ward organizations. HGO is grateful to the Trust for their many years of steadfast support.

MS. MARTY DUDLEY

Ms. Marty Dudley became a lover of HGO when she started subscribing and attending HGO signature events in 2023.

A member of the HGO Board of Directors, Marty currently serves as the vice president and secretary of the Dudley Family Foundation and believes deeply in funding research and education at Houston Methodist Hospital, Inova Health System, and Purdue University, to name a few. Her profound love of education and young artists make Marty a wonderful supporter of the Butler Studio. This season, Marty is underwriting second-year Butler Studio artist and 2024 First Prize Concert of Arias winner Elizabeth Hanje.

THE ELKINS FOUNDATION

MOLLY AND JIM CROWNOVER

Molly and Jim have been HGO subscribers for over 30 years and are members of the Impresarios Circle and Laureate Society. Jim has been a member of HGO’s Board of Directors since 1987, including service as chairman from 2016-18 and on the Executive, Governance, Development, and Finance Committees. In 1998, Jim retired from a 30-year career with McKinsey & Company, Inc. and has served on myriad corporate and non-profit boards including Rice University (past board chair), United Way (past campaign chair), and most recently as M.D. Anderson Foundation President. Molly

This year marks the 25th anniversary of HGO’s partnership with The Elkins Foundation. Each year since 1956, The Elkins Foundation has contributed to numerous organizations serving Houston and the Greater Gulf Coast. They are guided by a belief that a community’s strength lies in the vision of its people and the health of its institutions. The Elkins Foundation’s support for HGO’s Community & Learning programs makes it possible for thousands of children across greater Houston to experience the transformative power of opera and the arts. The Foundation also supports HGO’s thrilling musical theater series, introducing families and newcomers to the magic of HGO.

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FROST BANK

Frost Bank has supported HGO for over a decade, helping bring to life some of the world’s most treasured operas as well as sponsoring one of the company’s most beloved events, the Patrons Circle Recital. Since Frost’s founding in 1868, the bank has invested in the communities it serves through hard work, customer service, and support of the arts, education, economic development, and health and human services. Michelle Huth, Executive Vice President, serves on the HGO Corporate Council.

WILLIAM RANDOLPH HEARST FOUNDATION

The William Randolph Hearst Foundation is a national philanthropic resource for organizations working in the fields of culture, education, health, and social services. The Foundation identifies and funds outstanding nonprofits to ensure that people of all backgrounds in the United States have the opportunity to build healthy, productive, and inspiring lives.

A dedicated supporter of HGO’s Community & Learning initiatives, the Foundation helps Houstonians of all ages to explore, engage, and learn through the inspiring art of opera.

JOE AND MARIANNE GEAGEA

Joe and Marianne have been supporters and subscribers of HGO since 2022. After a distinguished 40-year career with the Chevron Corporation, Joe retired in June 2022 as Executive Vice President and Senior Advisor to Chevron’s Chairman and CEO. Joe and Marianne love all manner of art and support institutions such as the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston and the Houston Ballet where Marianne serves on the board of trustees. Joe has been on the HGO board of trustees for three years and is currently leading our strategic planning committee.

DRS. LIZ GRIMM AND JACK ROTH

HGO subscribers since the 2013-14 season, Liz and Jack have both committed themselves to cancer research and patient care through their work at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. Jack is a member of the HGO Board of Directors and served as Butler Studio Committee Chair. Liz and Jack were generous underwriters of the company’s historic, first-ever Ring cycle and lead supporters of its German repertoire, including Elektra. Additionally, Liz and Jack chaired the 2018 Opera Ball and the 2022 Concert of Arias.

MATT HEALEY

Matt Healey serves on the HGO Board of Directors. He is Senior Vice President, Finance and Treasury, at Cheniere Energy, responsible for budgeting, capital planning, forecasting, and capital raising. He also owns El Segundo Swim Club, a full-service bar and swimming pool in the historic Second Ward. Matt became a huge fan of HGO the moment the curtains opened on the water tank Rhinemaidens in Das Rheingold in 2014. Although he has seen the Ring cycle in Chicago, New York, and San Francisco, the HGO production is by far his favorite. A passionate fan of German repertoire, he underwrote Salome in the 2022-23 season, Parsifal in the 2023-24 season and Tannhäuser in the 2024-25 season.

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H-E-B

For over 115 years, H-E-B has contributed to worthy causes throughout Texas and Mexico, a tradition proudly maintained today. And for over 20 years, H-E-B has been a lead supporter of HGO’s arts education programs for Houston area students. H-E-B’s partnership helps over 145,000 young people experience the magic of opera each season. Always celebrating Houston’s cultural diversity, H-E-B supports thrilling programming like HGO’s Giving Voice concert and various Community & Learning initiatives.

CITY OF HOUSTON / HOUSTON ARTS ALLIANCE

Houston Arts Alliance partners with HGO to bring operatic excellence to Houston. A subsidiary of the City of Houston, Houston Arts Alliance works to implement the City of Houston’s vision, values, and goals for its arts grantmaking and civic art investments. HGO is also grateful to Houston Arts Alliance for their civic leadership and generous support.

HOUSTON GRAND OPERA ENDOWMENT, INC.

Established and incorporated in 1982, the Houston Grand Opera Endowment (HGOE) is a vital financial management tool that ensures HGO has a reliable, regular source of income.

Today, the Endowment contains over 50 named funds, both unrestricted and restricted, and annually distributes 4.5 percent of the Endowment’s average market value to HGO, making it the company’s largest single annual funder. The HGOE Board is led by Marianne Kah. HOUSTON METHODIST

For over ten years, Houston Grand Opera has partnered with Houston Methodist, the official health care provider for HGO. Houston Methodist’s Center for Performing Arts Medicine (CPAM) is the only center of its kind in the country, comprising a specialized group of more than 100 physicians working collaboratively to address the specific demands placed upon performing artists. In addition to the first-rate medical care CPAM provides HGO artists, Houston Methodist also generously supports HGO’s mainstage season and partners frequently on Community

I MPRE S ARI O S & Learning collaborations. HGO is fortunate to have Dr. Warren Ellsworth and Dr. Apurva Thekdi serve as Houston Methodist’s corporate trustees.

HUMPHREYS FOUNDATION

Based in Liberty, Texas, the Humphreys Foundation has been a major underwriter of HGO’s mainstage season since 1980.

Geraldine Davis Humphreys (d. 1961), a member of the pioneer Hardin family of Liberty, Texas, bequeathed her estate to Humphreys Foundation, which was formally established in 1959. The Foundation provides support for performing arts in Texas and college scholarship funding for students in the arts. Linda Bertman, Louis Paine, and Jeff Paine serve as trustees of Humphreys Foundation. The Foundation is a lead supporter of HGO’s musical theater series, including last season’s critically accalimed production of West Side Story.

ELIZABETH AND RICHARD HUSSEINI

We like to think that HGO helped “set the stage” for Elizabeth and Richard Husseini’s love story. When a set malfunction at the end of the first act of HGO’s The Flying Dutchman forced Maestro to re-start the opera from the top, the two seatmates bonded in their shared delight that they got to hear more Wagner! The two got engaged one year later (at HGO, of course). Richard is a tax partner at Kirkland & Ellis, a generous HGO corporate supporter, and a member of both the HGO Board of Directors and the HGO Endowment Board.

Elizabeth retired from Baker Botts as a corporate and securities partner and devotes her attention to family and community matters, including Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, Preservation Houston, the Junior League, and River Oaks Baptist School, which the Husseinis’ two sons attend. Enthusiastic supporters of the young artists and alumni of the Butler Studio, the couple chaired the 2019 Concert of Arias. True to their love of Wagner, the Husseinis generously underwrote last season's production of Tannhäuser.

CLAIRE LIU AND JOE GREENBERG

Claire and Joe have subscribed to HGO for many seasons and are members of HGO’s Founders Council for Artistic Excellence.

Claire, a current member and former Chair of the HGO Board of Directors, serves a Senior Chair of the Board and Chair of the Governance Committee. She is retired from LyondellBassell Industries, where she led the corporate finance team, and was formerly a managing director with Bank of America. Joe is founder and CEO of Alta Resources, L.L.C., a private company involved in the development of shale oil and gas resources in North America. Claire and Joe support many organizations, with particular emphasis on educational organizations including YES Prep and Beatrice Mayes Charter School. An avid runner, Claire has completed marathons in all 50 states.

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MARIANNE KAH

Marianne Kah has been a dedicated supporter of HGO since 2009. After a distinguished 25-year career as Chief Economist at ConocoPhillips, she now lives in Santa Fe with her husband Jeff, where she also serves on the Santa Fe Opera Board. As an advisor or board member to both educational and publicly traded entities, Kah brings her strategic expertise to HGO as Chair of the Endowment Board and member of the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors. Her commitment to advancing the art form is evident in her five-year pledge to support contemporary works at HGO, including this season's Silent Night.

M. D. ANDERSON FOUNDATION

The M. D. Anderson Foundation has provided general operating support to HGO for more than 30 years, as well as several innovative investments to advance HGO’s digital infrastructure. The Foundation was established in 1936 by Monroe Dunaway Anderson, whose company, Anderson, Clayton and Co., was the world’s largest cotton merchant.

While the Foundation started the Texas Medical Center and was instrumental in bringing to it one of the premier cancer centers in the world, the Foundation’s trustees also looked to improve the wellness of communities through the arts. HGO is privileged to have such a longstanding and committed partner in enhancing the quality of life for all Houstonians.

BETH MADISON

Beth has been an HGO subscriber for more than two decades. HGO has had the honor of her support since 2004. Past chair of the HGO Board of Directors, she is a senior director of the HGO Board of Directors, serves on the Butler Studio Committee, and is an active member of HGO’s Founders Council. She was the honoree at the 2017 Concert of Arias.

Beth generously supports the Butler Studio, signature events, and mainstage operas. She has been inducted into the Greater Houston Women’s Hall of Fame and serves on the University of Houston System Board of Regents.

LAURA MCWILLIAMS

A devoted HGO subscriber for over 35 years, Laura McWilliams has long been a passionate advocate for the company, a joy she shared until recently with her late husband, Brad. A longtime Trustee, Laura previously served on the HGO Finance Committee and chaired the Annual Fund Drive, and currently serves on the Laureate Society Council. Laura and Brad’s generosity has touched nearly every area of the company, including its signature events—they chaired the 32nd Annual Concert of Arias in 2020.

Most recently, they created the McWilliams Fund for Artistic Excellence to underwrite HGO’s mainstage operas for the 2022-23, 2023-24, and 2024-25 seasons. Brad’s commitment to HGO was deeply felt, and his presence will be profoundly missed.

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SARA AND BILL MORGAN

Sara and Bill have been supporting HGO since 2002. Sara is a co-founder of the Houston Center for Contemporary Craft, where she currently serves on the board.

Bill is a co-founder of the Kinder Morgan companies and the retired vice chairman and president of Kinder Morgan, Inc., and Kinder Morgan Energy Partners, LP. The Morgans support Community & Learning initiatives, HGO’s signature events, and mainstage productions. HGO is thrilled to have Sara serve on the HGO Board of Directors and as a member and past chair of the Community & Learning Committee.

NABORS INDUSTRIES

Nabors Industries is a leading provider of advanced technology for the energy industry. The company owns and operates one of the largest land-based drilling rig fleets and is a provider in numerous international markets. By leveraging its core competencies, Nabors aims to innovate the future of energy and enable the transition to a lower carbon world. HGO is grateful to Nabors, and Tony and Cynthia Petrello, for generously supporting HGO’s first and second annual Family Day productions.

TERRYLIN NEALE

Terrylin has dedicated over five decades to volunteer fundraising in Houston, approaching each cause with passion and strategic vision. Her transformational impact on HGO began in 1976 when she joined the board, serving as chair from 1983 to 1985. She was instrumental in raising funds to build the Wortham Theater Center, and she established the HGO Endowment, which today holds over $125 million in assets.

Terrylin has participated in every fundraising campaign since then, helping HGO become one of the nation’s top opera companies.

NOVUM ENERGY/ MARCIA AND ALFREDO VILAS

Alfredo Vilas is a passionate lover of opera, serves on the HGO Board of Directors, and together with his wife Marcia chaired HGO’s unforgettable “Cielito Lindo” Opera Ball in 2019. Vilas is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Novum Energy, a global supplier and logistics group of companies founded in 2011 with its original operations focused on Latin America. Novum Energy has been a leading corporate sponsor of HGO for more than a decade, and this year, the Vilases, Novum Energy, and the Novum Foundation will expand their partnership to support HGO’s Latin American initiatives.

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SAROFIM FOUNDATION

Established by Fayez Sarofim, Sarofim Foundation was created in gratitude for the opportunities that this country and Houston provided him as an emigrant from his native Egypt. The Foundation has had a significant, lasting impact on Houston and beyond, particularly in education, healthcare, and the arts. HGO is grateful to the Sarofim Foundation for its continued dedication to the arts and the unique power of opera.

SHELL USA, INC.

Shell USA, Inc. is a leader in the Houston arts community, supporting HGO for over 40 years. Shell USA, Inc.’s leadership support makes opera more accessible across Houston through HGO's community programs that integrate the arts with STEM-based discovery. HGO is honored to have Selda Gunsel, Chief Technology Officer and Executive Vice President of Technology for Shell globally, as a member of the HGO Board of Directors.

DIAN AND HARLAN STAI

Harlan, a member of the HGO Board of Directors, and Dian are charter members of HGO’s Founders Council for Artistic Excellence. Their leadership support has touched every part of HGO, including mainstage productions, the Butler Studio, the HGO Endowment, and signature events. The Stais have also sponsored Butler Studio artists, and they host annual recitals featuring Butler Studio artists at Mansefeldt, their renowned Fredericksburg ranch. HGO was privileged to recognize Dian and Harlan as the honorees of Opening Night 2008, as well as the 2014 Concert of Arias and the 2025 Opera Ball.

TEXAS COMMISSION ON THE ARTS

The mission of the Texas Commission on the Arts (TCA) is to advance our state economically and culturally by investing in creative projects and programs.

TCA supports a diverse and innovative arts community in the state, throughout the nation, and internationally by providing resources to enhance economic development, arts education, cultural tourism, and artist sustainability initiatives. Over the years, TCA has provided invaluable support to many HGO projects, including mainstage productions (like this season’s Porgy and Bess) and a wide array of Community & Learning initiatives.

ISABEL AND IGNACIO TORRAS

Isabel and Ignacio “Nacho” Torras are proud supporters of HGO. After coming to Houston in 1989, Nacho launched Tricon Energy in 1996 and grew it into the leading multinational commodities trading platform it is today. Inspired by their love for Spanish food, they own and operate Houston

I MPRE S ARI O S restaurants MAD, Rocambolesc, and BCN Taste & Tradition, which was recently awarded a Michelin star. They are generous supporters of the arts, academic research, and initiatives for the inclusion of neurodiverse people. At HGO, they chaired the 2024 “Mirror” Opera Ball and supported the inclusion of a neurodiverse performer in last winter’s La bohème, among other projects.

JOHN G. TURNER & JERRY G. FISCHER

John and Jerry, based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, travel around the world to experience the best that opera has to offer. HGO subscribers and donors for over a decade, the couple’s leadership support of Wagner’s Ring cycle (2014-17) was the largest gift ever made to the company for a single production. John, a shareholder at Turner Industries Group, is a senior member of the HGO Board of Directors and past chair of the Butler Studio Committee. Jerry is a board member of Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra. In recent years, John and Jerry have supported HGO mainstage productions, the Butler Studio, and signature events. They are members of the Founders Council for Artistic Excellence, and John is a member of the Laureate Society. During the 2025-26 season, John and Jerry will be chairing Opera Ball.

VEER VASISHTA

Veer Vasishta is a passionate lover of opera and a proud member of the HGO Board of Directors and Impresarios Circle.

Following his education in mechanical engineering and a successful career in finance, Veer co-founded a technology firm based in Montreal, Canada, with staff in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, the U.K., and Asia. He trained as a classical guitarist after a short time playing violin and in a rock band in high school. Veer began attending HGO performances as soon as he arrived in Houston.

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including through HGO’s partnership with YES Prep Public Schools, where students benefit from attending dedicated performances. HGO is grateful to Vitol for underwriting Opera Ball in 2022, 2023, and 2024.

MARGARET ALKEK WILLIAMS

Margaret, a longtime singer, possesses a deep affinity for all music, and especially opera, and has supported HGO for over 30 years. Currently, Margaret continues her parents’ legacy as chairman of their foundation, where her son Charles A. Williams serves as president. HGO is humbled by Margaret’s incredible generosity and dedication to the company, both as an individual donor and through her family’s foundation. She has endowed the Margaret Alkek Williams Chair, held by HGO General Director Khori Dastoor, and is a member of HGO’s Laureate Society. A valued member of the HGO Board of Directors, Margaret was the honoree of the 2009 Opera Ball and chairman of the 2014 Ball. She also generously chaired the 2018 Hurricane Harvey benefit concert, HGO and Plácido: Coming Home! Last season, Margaret chaired the most successful Opera Ball in HGO's history.

THE WORTHAM FOUNDATION, INC.

In the 1980s, the Wortham Foundation contributed $20 million to lead the capital campaign for the Wortham Theater Center, guided by businessman Gus S. Wortham’s early recognition of the vital role of the arts in making Houston an appealing place to live and work. During their lifetimes, Gus and his wife, Lyndall, were dedicated to improving the lives of Houstonians. The Foundation continues to support HGO through the Wortham Foundation Permanent Endowment and generous annual operating support. This leadership support has been vital to the Opera’s growth and commitment to excellence.

VINSON & ELKINS LLP

HGO has been privileged to have the support of international law firm Vinson & Elkins LLP for 40 years. For more than 100 years, Vinson & Elkins LLP has been deeply committed to empowering the communities in which it serves. The firm has enriched the cultural vibrancy of Houston by supporting HGO through in-kind legal services and contributions to signature events and mainstage productions, including last season’s production of Puccini’s La bohème.

VITOL

Established in 2006, The Vitol Foundation was created to make a difference in people’s lives. For the past three years, Vitol has made that difference through its support of HGO’s Community & Learning programs. Vitol’s commitment to education gives children in the greater Houston area the opportunity to experience the magic of opera no matter their background, HGO.ORG

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SU PPORT

A N N UA L S U P P O R T Houston Grand Opera Trustees and Patrons Circle members support the O ­ pera with annual donations of $10,000 or $5,000, respectively, and make possible the incredible work of HGO. Trustees and Patrons enjoy many benefits at the Opera, including Masterson Green Room privileges during performance intermissions, behind-the-scenes experiences, personalized ticket service, two tickets to all open dress rehearsals, Opera Guild membership, a discount on Opera Guild B ­ outique purchases, and much more. For information on joining as a Trustee or Patron, please contact Stephen Beaudoin at SBeaudoin@HGO.org.

CHAIR, DONOR EN G AG EM EN T CO M M I T T EE Ms. Gwyneth Campbell, Co-Chair, Donor Engagement Committee Mauricio Perillo Co-Chair, Donor Engagement Committee T R U S T EE — $ 1 0 , 0 0 0 O R MORE Chris and Michelle Angelides Surpik Angelini Blanche S. and Robert C. Bast, Jr., MD Dr. Gudrun H. Becker Mr. and Mrs. James Becker Drs. Robert S. and Nancy Benjamin Stephanie and Dom Beveridge Nancy and Walt Bratic

Joanne and David Dorenfeld

Mr. and Mrs. Tony Massoud

Mr. and Mrs. Yuichi Watanabe

Mr. James Dorough-Lewis and Mr. Jacob Carr

Mary Marquardsen

Mr. and Mrs. Jay Watkins

Mr. R. Davis Maxey

Mr. and Mrs. K.C. Weiner

Dorothy McCaine

Dr. Courtney Williams

Ms. Janice McNeil

Loretta and Lawrence Williams

Mr. Bob Ellis Ms. Mary Foster Mr. John E. Frantz Caroline Freeman

Chadd Mikulin and Amanda Lenertz

Trish Freeman and Bruce Patterson

Dr. Indira Mysorekar Mills and Dr. Jason Mills

Mr. and Mrs. C. Clifford Wright, Jr.

Gina and Scott Gaille

Dr. and Mrs. William E. Mitch

Mr. and Mrs. John W. Wright

Dr. and Mrs. David P. Gill

Diane K. Morales

Rini and Edward Ziegler

Mrs. Geraldine C. Gill

Kelly and Cody Nicholson

Nina and Michael Zilkha

Nancy Glass, M.D. and John Belmont, M.D.

Geoffry H. Oshman

3 Anonymous

Mr. Wesley Goble Sandy Godfrey Mrs. Gwynn F. Gorsuch Ms. Dianne L. Gross Ms. Julia Gwaltney Nancy Haywood

Susan and Edward Osterberg Dr. Selda Gunsel and Mr. Don Pferdehirt Mr. Mark Poag and Dr. Mary Poag Dr. Angela Rechichi-Apollo Carol F. Relihan Mr. Todd Reppert

Dr. Janet Bruner

Doug Hirsch and Maureen Semple-Hirsch

Mollie and Wayne Brunetti

Ann Hightower

Mr. and Mrs. Walter Ritchie

Mr. and Mrs. Lester P. Burgess

Dr. Patricia Holmes

Mr. and Mrs. Jeremy Rosen

Mrs. Carol Butler

Alan and Ellen Holzberg

Adel and Jason Sander

Mr. Robert Caballero

Lee M. Huber

Judy Sauer

Ms. Gwyneth Campbell

Dr. Alexandra Ikeguchi

Mrs. Helen P. Shaffer

Patricia and Jess Carnes

Linda Katz

Mr. Robert N. Chanon

Ann and Stephen Kaufman

Merrill Shields and Ray Thomasson

Mr. and Mrs. Robert L. Clarke

Mr. and Mrs. George B. Kelly

Mr. and Mrs. Robert Collier

Ms. Carey Kirkpatrick

Dr. Laurence Corash and Ms. Michele Corash

Mr. Mark Klitzke and Dr. Angela Chen

Julie and Bert Cornelison

Mr. and Mrs. William H. Knull III

Mr. Robert L. Cook and Mrs. Giovanna Imperia

Mr. and Mrs. Frederick Kolb

Jayne and Peter Davis Ms. Sasha Davis Anna M. Dean Dr. Elaine DeCanio Dr. and Mrs. Roupen Dekmezian Ms. Elisabeth DeWitts Valerie and Tracy Dieterich Jeanette and John DiFilippo Dr. William F. Donovan

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Ann Koster Elizabeth and Bill Kroger Mrs. Connie Kwan-Wong Mr. and Mrs. Randall B. Lake Mr. Alejandro Langarica Alfred W. Lasher III Dr. and Mrs. Ernst Leiss Mr. and Ms. Frank Liu Mr. Ransom C. Lummis + Mrs. Isabel S. Lummis Ms. Michele Malloy

Mr. and Mrs. David S. Wolff

Ed Rinehart

Ms. Janet Sims Diana Strassmann and Jeffrey Smisek Mr. and Mrs. George Sneed Mr. and Mrs. Aaron J. Stai Bruce Stein Kathy and Richard Stout Mrs. Carolyn Taub Mr. Minas and Dr. Jennifer Tektiridis Mr. and Mrs. Robert B. Trainer, Jr. Dr. David Tweardy and Dr. Ruth Falik Mr. and Mrs. John Untereker Ms. Kristine Vikmanis and Mr. Denny Creighton Mr. and Mrs. Robert N. Wakefield

YO U N G T R U S T EE — $ 5 , 0 0 0 O R MORE Emily Bivona and Ryan Manser Meredith and Joseph Gomez Ms. Ellen Liu and Ms. Ilana Walder-Biesanz Emily and Adrian Melendez Mr. Andrew Pappas Drs. Mauricio Perillo and Luján Stasevicius Dr. Nico Roussel and Ms. Teresa Procter Mr. Parashar Saika and Ms. Lori Harrington Jennifer Salcich Melanie Smith Mr. Michael Steeves Mrs. Stella Tang and Mr. Steven Tang Dr. Yin Yiu 1 Anonymous N AT I O N A L T R U S T EE — $ 5 , 0 0 0 O R MORE Ms. Alissa Adkins, Corpus Christi, TX Ms. Jacqueline S. Akins, San Antonio, TX Mr. Murray Beard, Cordova, TN Jorge Bernal and Andrea Maher, Bogota, Colombia

ANNUAL Dr. Dennis Berthold and Dr. Pamela Matthews, College Station, TX Mr. Richard E. Boner and Ms. Susan Pryor, Austin, TX Mr. Tom Burley and Mr. Michael Arellano, Philadelphia, PA Mrs. Carol W. Byrd, Wetumka, OK Mr. and Mrs. Cabrera Franklin, TN Dr. Raymond Chinn, San Diego, CA Mr. Bryce Cotner, Austin, TX

Ms. Wanda A. Reynolds, Austin, TX Michelle and Chuck Ritter, Kansas City, MO James and Nathanael Rosenheim, College Station, TX Mr. Bruce Ross, Los Angeles, CA Mr. and Mrs. Bob Ryan, San Francisco, CA Alexander Sanger, New York, NY Donna Saurage, Baton Rouge, LA

Mrs. John R. Castano Drs. Danuta and Ranjit Chacko Dr. Beth Chambers and Mr. J. Michael Chambers

Deborah and Michael Hirsch

Mr. and Mrs. Richard T. Clark

Rosalie and William M. Hitchcock

Janet Clark

Dr. Holly Holmes

Dr. and Mrs. J. Michael Condit

Mr. and Mrs. John H. Homier

Dr. Nancy I. Cook

Dr. and Mrs. Gabriel N. Hortobagyi

Mr. and Mrs. Sam Cooper Jodi and Michael Cortez

Mr. Jerre van den Bent, Dallas, TX

Mr. John Egbert and Mrs. Kathy Beck

Jack Firestone, Miami, FL

Charlie and Arienne Williams, Dallas, TX

Dr. Patricia Eifel

Mr. Charles Hanes, San Jose, CA Brian Hencey and Charles Ross Jr., Austin, TX Edward and Patricia Hymson, San Francisco, CA Mr. and Mrs. Geoffrey S. Kay, Austin, TX

David Woodcock, College Station, TX Drs. Edward Yeh and Hui-Ming Chang Little Rock, AR

Ms. Jacquelyn M. Abbott

Mrs. Judy Kay, Dallas, TX

Mr. W. Kendall Adam

Ms. Masami Kojima, Arlington, VA

Mrs. Nancy C. Allen

Dr. and Mrs. Morton Leonard Jr., Galveston, TX Paul and Judy Lerwick, Asheville, NC Cathleen C. and Jerome M. Loving, Bryan, TX Barbara and Camp Matens, Baton Rogue, LA Mr. Kenton McDonald, Corpus Christi, TX Judy Miner, San Francisco, CA Mr. Juan Moreno, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia Ms. Heidi Munzinger and Mr. John Shott, Coronado, CA Mr. John P. Muth, Wimberly, TX Dr. James F. Nelson and Mr. Yong Zhang, San Antonio, TX

Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Dubrowski Mrs. Eliza Duncan

Kellie Elder and David Halbert Mrs. James A. Elkins III Parrish N. Erwin Jr. Ms. Thea M. Fabio and Mr. Richard Merrill Ms. Ann L. Faget

PAT R O N S CIRCLE—$5 ,000 OR MORE

Alfredo Tijerina and JP Anderson Shaza and Mark Anderson Dr. Tom Anderson Dr. Julia Andrieni and Dr. Robert Phillips Mr. and Mrs. Robert J. Ardell Mr. Neely Atkinson Heather and Richard Avant Nancy and Paul Balmert Mr. William Bartlett H. M. F. Beaudoin Family Foundation Dr. and Mrs. Joel M. Berman Mr. and Mrs. Stanley C. Beyer Mr. and Mrs. Stephen D. Bickel Dr. Joan Hacken Bitar Dr. Pamela Blake Dr. Jerry L. Bohannon

Ms. Claire O’Malley, San Antonio, TX

Mr. Al Brende and Mrs. Ann Bayless

Mr. and Mrs. Don Patterson San Francisco, CA

Mr. Chester Brooke and Dr. Nancy Poindexter

Matilda Perkins, Santa Fe, NM

Joan M. C. Bull, M.D.

Mr. and Mrs. Melvyn Hetzel Pam Higgins

Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Evans, Coldspring, TX Mr. Raymond Goldstein and Ms. Jane T. Welch, San Antonio, TX

Mr. and Mrs. A. John Harper III

Dr. Cindy Childress and Mr. Jack Charles

Mr. and Mrs. Larry Dooley

In memory of Mrs. Ora Lee Seale

Mr. Frank Harmon III and The Honorable Melinda Harmon

Alejandra Chamorro

Mrs. Carolyn A. Seale and Mrs. Carol Lee Klose, San Antonio, TX

Dr. Thomas S. DeNapoli and Mr. Mark Walker, San Antonio, TX

S U PPO RT

Mr. Brian Faulkner and Ms. Jackie Macha

Dr. Kevin Hude Ms. Heather Hughes Mr. and Mrs. Paul Jacob Mr. and Mrs. Malick Jamal Mr. David Jaqua and Mr. John Drewer Ms. Joan Jeffrey Mr. and Mrs. Basil Joffe Dr. Susan John and Mr. Darrell John Charlotte Jones Mrs. Robert J. Kauffman Mr. Anthony K. Mr. and Mrs. Hugh Rice Kelly Mr. and Mrs. Albert Kidd

Mary Ann and Larry Faulkner

Mr. Lannis E. Kirkland

Ms. Vicki Schmid Faulkner

Ms. Rie Kojima Angeli

Ms. Ursula Felmet

Dr. and Mrs. Lary R. Kupor

Ms. Jianwei Feng and Mr. Yujing Li

Mr. Kenny Kurtzman

Mr. and Mrs. Dennis Fish Wanda and Roger Fowler Cece and Michael Fowler Mr. and Mrs. William B. Freeman Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Scott J. Garber Mr. Mauro Garcia-Altieri Dr. Layne O. Gentry Dr. Eugenia George Mr. and Mrs. Damian Gill Rhoda Goldberg Mr. Thomas K. Golden and Mrs. Susan Baker Golden Mary Frances Gonzalez Sue Goott Dr. and Mrs. David Y. Graham Michaela and Nicholas Greenan Ms. Dianne Halford Mr. and Mrs. Thomas C. Halsey Mrs. Mary Hankey

Dr. Helen W. Lane Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Le Mr. Richard Leibman Ms. Eileen Louvier Mr. Glenn Lowenstein Ms. Lynn Luster Mr. and Mrs. Paul A. Lynn Ms. Cora Sue Mach Mark and Juliet Markovich Mr. Rob Mason and Mr. James Olsen Dr. and Mrs. Malcolm Mazow Shawna and Wynn McCloskey Gillian and Michael McCord Mimi Reed McGehee Elizabeth and Keith McPherson Mr. Bob McLaughlin Kay and Larry Medford Mrs. Anne C. Mendelsohn Terry and Hal Meyer Mr. Steve Morang

HGO.ORG

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Ms. Shannon Morrison

Mr. and Mrs. Tym Tombar

Tara and Liam McElhiney

Ms. Linda C. Murray

Fiona Toth

Mr. and Mrs. Michael Nassif

Dr. Elizabeth Travis and Mr. Jerry Hyde

Mr. Stephen Miranda and Mr. Blake Mudd

Erik B. Nelson and Terry R. Brandhorst

Mr. Alvin Tucker

Mrs. Bobbie Newman

Gregoria and Frances Vallejo

Ms. Geri Noel

Mr. and Mrs. Larry Veselka

Ms. Lisa L. Ng

Greg Vetter and Irene Kosturakis

Drs. John and Karen Oldham Jean Palmer Mrs. Maria Papadopoulos Carl and Julie Pascoe Mr. David Peavy and Dr. Stephen McCauley Linda Peterson Mr. and Mrs. Jerod Pierce Mr. and Mrs. Harry C. Pinson Mr. and Mrs. Elvin B. Pippert Jr. The Radoff Family Ms. Judith Raines Ms. Deree Reagan Dr. David Reininger and Ms. Laura Lee Jones Serge Ribot Mr. Robert Richter Jr. Mrs. Carol Ritter Kate and Greg Robertson Drs. Alejandro and Lynn Rosas Dr. and Mrs. Franklin Rose Mrs. Shirley Rose Dr. and Mrs. Sean Rosenbaum Dr. and Mrs. Steve Rosenbaum Mr. David D. Schein and Ms. Karen Somer Drs. Daniel and Ximena Sessler

Mr. Per A. Staunstrup and Ms. Joan Bruun Richard P. Steele and Mary McKerall Drs. Adaani E. Frost and Wadi N. Suki Ellen Susman Ms. Karen Tell

Ms. Nicole Rennalls Ms. Constance Rose-Edwards

Geoffrey Walker and Ann Kennedy

Mr. Justin Rowinsky and Ms. Catarina Saraiva

Diane and Raymond Wallace

Emily Schultz and Pavel Blinchik

Mr. and Mrs. John Wallace Jesse Weir Ms. Pippa Wiley Randa Duncan Williams and Charles Williams Ms. Jane L. Williams Nancy and Sid Williams Geraldina and Scott Wise Ms. Debra Witges Dr. Randall Wolf Ms. Cyvia Wolff Crystal Wreden Mr. and Ms. Min Zheng John L. Zipprich II 6 Anonymous YO U N G PAT R O N S — $2, 500 OR MORE Mr. Robert Anderson Sarah and Steve Bond Mr. and Mrs. Christian Carrion

Ms. Karen Ding Mr. and Mrs. Earl Flowers Mr. Albert Garcia Jr. Ms. Roya Gordon Taryn and Lauren Gore Mr. and Mrs. Christopher Hanno Alecia Harris Ms. Kathleen Henry Lauren and Birk Hutchens Ms. Sabrina Kesler Alexander (Sasha) Klebnikov

Ms. Susan L. Thompson

Mr. Brett Lutz and Mrs. Elizabeth Lutz

Mr. and Mrs. Charles Tobias

Rachael and Daniel MacLeod

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Ms. Morgan A. Pfeil

Mr. and Mrs. M. C. “Bill” Walker III

Dr. Mhair Dekmezian

Dr. and Mrs. C. Richard Stasney

Renee Palisi

Ms. Vera D. Vujicic

Mr. and Mrs. Charles Shearouse

Kris and Chris Sonneborn

Ms. Aprill Nelson

Ms. Shaniese Posey

Mr. Michael Daus

Ms. Diana Skerl

Madeline Nassif Lucas and Jonathan Lucas

Ms. Marie-Louise S. Viada

Mr. and Mrs. Dayo Seton

Hinda Simon

Mr. and Mrs. Paul Muri

Mr. Jake D. Stefano Ms. Gabriella Tantillo

Ms. Gabriella M. Guerra, San Antonio, TX Mr. Brian Hackfeld, Dallas, TX Pam Hall and James Duerr, San Antonio, TX Mr. Mark Jacobs, Dallas, TX Ms. Gail Jarratt, San Antonio, TX Ms. Alison D. Kennamer and Joyce Kennamer, Brownsville, TX Jeff and Gail Kodosky, Austin, TX Wendy Lee-Graham, West Sussex, United Kingdom Mr. and Mrs. Spencer Mehrens, Longview, TX Ms. Chris Miller and Mr. Gary Glaser, Fort Worth, TX

Mr. Jeff Taylor

Kristin and Peter Muessig, Amherst, NH

Joshua and Rebekah Wilkinson

Mr. William Nicholas, Georgetown, TX

Mr. and Mrs. Jamie Yarbrough

John and Elizabeth Nielsen-Gammon, College Station, TX

Mr. Kenneth Young and Mrs. Emmelie Young N AT I O N A L PAT R O N S — $2, 500 OR MORE Ms. Cynthia Akagi and Mr. Tom Akagi, Madison, WI Yoko and Tom Arthur, Santa Fe, NM Mr. Murray Beard, Cordova, TN Kathy Boyle and James Parsons, Dallas, TX Tom and Kay Brahaney, Midland, TX Dr. Bernd U. Budelmann, Galveston, TX Ms. Marion Cameron-Gray, Chicago, IL Ms. Louise Cantwell, San Antonio, TX Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Carvelli, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia Mr. and Mrs. Terry Cloudman, Boulder, CO Hon. Griffin Collie, Dallas, TX Mr. Arthur A. Crais Jr., New Orleans, LA David Edelstein, Carbondale, CO Ms. Susan English and Mr. Michael Kalkstein, Los Gatos, CA Dr. and Mrs. Marvin A. Fishman, NM Dr. Wm. David George, Austin, TX

Grace Noyes, New York, NY James Parsons and Kathy Boyle, Dallas, TX Mr. James R. Rogers, College Station, TX Mr. Victor E. Serrato, Pharr, TX Ms. Alice Simkins, San Antonio, TX Ms. Lori Summa, Lancaster, NH Dr. David N. Tobey and Dr. Michelle Berger, Austin, TX Mr. Tom Turnbull and Mr. Darrell Smith, Eunice, LA Heide Walker, San Antonio, TX Jacqueline and Kirk Weaver, Washington, D.C. Martin R. Wing, Oklahoma City, OK

ANNUAL

S U PPO RT

HGO DONORS Houston Grand Opera appreciates all individuals who contribute to the company’s success. Support in any amount is received most gratefully. Our donors share a dedication to supporting the arts in our community, and the generosity of these individuals makes it possible for HGO to sustain world-class opera in the Houston area. For information on becoming a Houston Grand Opera donor, please contact Stephen Beaudoin at SBeaudoin@HGO.org.

A S S O C I AT E PAT R O N S — $2,000 OR MORE

Ms. Maria C. (Macky) Osorio

Dr. James E. Griffin III and Dr. Margo Denke

Ms. Cecilia Aguilar

Suzanne Page-Pryde and Arthur Pryde

Mr. and Mrs. V. G. Beghini

Mr. Rick Pleczko

Mr. and Mrs. David Guenther

Ms. Sonja Bruzauskas and Mr. Houston Haymon

Ms. Felecia Powell-Williams

Mr. and Mrs. Philip Gunnels

Kenneth T. Chin

Dr. and Mrs. Florante A. Quiocho

Mr. Donald Hang

Vicki Clepper

Mr. and Mrs. Risher Randall

Mr. Jerry Conry

Mr. Edgar Rincon

Ms. Joyce Cramer

Ms. Jo Ann W. Schaffer

Mr. John Dazey

Christopher B. Schulze, M.D.

Ms. Linnet Frazier Deily

Ms. Elizabeth D. Williams

Elena Delauney

Ms. Sandy Xu

Peggy DeMarsh

Bin Yu

Mr. and Mrs. Blake Eskew

Drs. William and Huda Yahya Zoghbi

Travis Fenstermaker Monica Fulton Dr. Alice Gates and Dr. Wayne Wilner Susan Giannatonio and Bruce Winquist Mr. Michael Gillin and Ms. Pamela Newberry Mr. David Gockley Ruzena Gordon Dr. and Mrs. Carlos R. Hamilton, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Michael F. Henderek

3 Anonymous CO N T R I B U T I N G FEL LOWS — $ 1 , 0 0 0 O R MORE Mrs. Linda Alexander Mr. and Mrs. Neil Ken Alexander Dr. Robert E. Anderson Mr. Robert K. Arnett Jr. Ms. Dorothy B. Autin and Mr. Daniel Coleman

Mr. and Mrs. Ira Gruber

Mr. and Mrs. Cordell Haymon Dr. Ralph J. Herring Dr. Janice L. Hewitt Kay and Michael W. Hilliard Mr. Edward L. Hoffman Deronica Horn Mr. Brian Horrigan Greg Ingram

Mr. and Mrs. John Lattin

Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Stoddard

Mr. Marshall Lerner

Mr. Leon Strieder

Dr. Robyn T. Lincoln

Mr. Kiyoshi Tamagawa and Mr. Bill Dick

Mr. Robert Lorio Mr. and Mrs. Oscar Y. Lui Ms. Nancy Manderson

Mr. and Mrs. James Collins

Mr. James L. McNett Jody Meraz Mr. Nicolo Messana Mr. and Mrs. Gerald Moynier Mr. and Mrs. Marvin H. Mueller

Mr. Peter J. Wender

Mrs. Theresa L. Meyer Mr. and Mrs. Mike Newman

Mr. Rawley Penick and Mrs. Meredith L. Hathorn

Mr. and Mrs. Eugene Goldgar

Mr. Albert T. Walko

Keith and Shawntell McWilliams

Mr. and Mrs. Warren Dean

Mr. and Mrs. Kirk Girouard

Mr. Arie Vernes

J. M. Weltzien

Barbara Paull

Mr. Enrico R. Giannetti

Dr. and Mrs. Lieven J. Van Riet

Dr. Jackie Ward

Mr. and Mrs. Hiram Davis

Mr. Blake Frere

Ms. Donna Van Fleet

Mr. and Mrs. Ernie McWilliams

Mr. Carl R. Cunningham

Israel and Pearl Fogiel

Ann Tornyos

Dr. Gilda McFail

Mr. Eugene Nosal and Mrs. Grace Phillips

Mr. and Mrs. Peter J. Ferenz

Ms. Joan M. Shack

Ms. Linda F. Sonier

Mr. and Mrs. Richard A. Jackson

Dr. Mary Fae McKay

Dr. Paul E. Setzler

Mr. Cooper Smith

Dr. Claude Cech

Mrs. Barbara Mayer

Ms. Valerie Serice

Dr. Milton and Gail Klein

Dr. Alan J. Hurwitz

Dr. John Edwards

Ms. Lynda G. Seaman

Len Slusser

Clayton Cannon

Ana María Martínez

Mr. Alan Schmitz

Lynda and Frank Kelly

Mr. Steven Jay Hooker

Mr. and Mrs. J. Stephen Marks

Kenneth and Deborah Scianna

Rachel Keen

Ms. Jessica Burton

Dr. Robert Louis

Mr. Frederick Schacknies

Mr. Herbert Simons

Mr. Stanley A. Hoffberger

Mr. George Crow

Kathleen and Jed Sazama

Dr. Ruth Simmons

Onalee and Dr. Michael C. McEwen

Ms. Nadine Littles

Alan J. Savada

Mr. and Mrs. John Jordan

Mrs. Deborah S. Bautch

Lynn Lamkin

Dr. Mo & Mrs. Brigitte Saidi

The Jewels

Ms. Susan Hirtz

Mr. Arthur A. Crais Jr.

Sharon Ruhly

Mr. Nick Shumway and Mr. Robert Mayott

Dr. and Mrs. Moshe H. Maor

Mr. John Keville

Mr. Jack Rooker

Mr. Francisco J. Izaguirre

Dr. Carlos Bacino

Mr. and Mrs. Larry Corona

Mr. William K. Rice

Mrs. Dolores Wilkenfeld Kay Wilson Mr. Tim Wright Robert and Michele Yekovich 3 Anonymous

Mr. and Mrs. Dennis Phillips Susie and Jim Pokorski Ms. Helen B. Preddy Dr. Eamonn Quigley Ms. Sina Raouf Mr. and Mrs. William Rawl Mr. and Mrs. Richard Reynolds HGO.ORG

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CO R P O R AT E , F O U N DAT I O N , A N D G OV E R N M E N T S U P P O R T E R S Houston Grand Opera’s corporate, foundation, and government partners make it possible for HGO to create and share great art with our community. We are incredibly proud to work with these organizations and grateful for all they do. For information on joining HGO’s valued team of corporate and foundation supporters, please contact Gabriella Wise Smith, assistant director of institutional partnerships, at GWiseSmith@HGO.org.

CORPORATE, FOUNDATIONS, GOVERNMENT HOUSTON GRAND OPERA CORPORATE COUNCIL Thomas R. Ajamie, Ajamie L.L.P. J. Scott Arnoldy, Triten Corporation Astley Blair, Marine Well Containment Company Meg Boulware, Boulware & Valoir Albert Chao, Westlake Corporation Adam Cook, Tokio Marine HCC Joshua Davidson, Baker Botts L.L.P. Nick Deshi, Latham & Watkins Susan R. Eisenberg, Kirkland & Ellis L.L.P. Warren Ellsworth, MD, Houston Methodist

Apurva Thekdi, MD, Houston Methodist

UNDERWRITERS—$25,000 OR MORE

FOUNDATIONS AND GOVERNMENT AGENCIES

Ignacio Torras, Tricon Energy

Abrahams Oriental Rugs and Home Furnishings

PREMIER GUARANTOR— $1,000,000 OR MORE

ALTO

Houston Grand Opera Endowment Inc. †

Alfredo Vilas, Novum Energy CORPORATE SUPPORTERS

City Kitchen Catering

GUARANTORS—$100,000 OR MORE

The Events Company

ConocoPhillips † Frost Bank † H-E-B †

SPONSORS—$15,000 OR MORE

Houston Methodist †*

Kirksey Gregg Productions

Nabors Industries

Magnolia Hotel Houston

Novum Energy † Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. †* Vitol, Inc. GRAND UNDERWRITERS— $50,000 OR MORE Ajamie L.L.P. Bank of America †

Richard Husseini, Kirkland & Ellis L.L.P.

Nana Booker and Booker · Lowe Gallery

Michelle Huth, Frost Bank

Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo™ †

Bill Kroger, Baker Botts L.L.P. Bryant Lee, Latham & Watkins David LePori, Frost Bank Bryce Lindner, Bank of America Claire Liu, LyondellBasell (Retired) Craig Miller, Frost Bank Kristin Muessig, Vitol, Inc. Ward Pennebaker, Pennebaker Anthony Petrello, Nabors Industries Gloria M. Portela, Seyfarth Shaw L.L.P. Allyn Risley, GTT North America Susan Rivera, Tokio Marine HCC Kelly Rose, ConocoPhillips Silvia Salle, Bank of America Susan Saurage-Altenloh, Saurauge Marketing Research

Kirkland & Ellis L.L.P. Shell USA, Inc. † UNDERWRITERS—$25,000 OR MORE Baker Botts L.L.P. Boulware & Valoir Latham & Watkins Tokio Marine HCC Westlake Corporation SPONSOR—$10,000 OR MORE Infosys

WINTER 2026

PRINCIPAL GUARANTORS— $500,000 OR MORE The Brown Foundation, Inc. †

Elegant Events and Catering by Michael

Anonymous

Medallion Global Wine Group

GRAND GUARANTORS— $250,000 OR MORE

BENEFACTORS—$5,000 OR MORE The Corinthian at Franklin Lofts David Peck The Lancaster Hotel Masterson Design/ Mariquita Masterson

The Alkek and Williams Foundation † The Cullen Trust for the Performing Arts † Humphreys Foundation † Sarofim Foundation Anonymous

Shaftel Diamond Co.

GUARANTORS—$100,000 OR MORE

MEMBERS—$1,000 OR MORE

Joan and Stanford Alexander Family Fund

Brasserie du Parc Connie Kwan-Wong/ CWK Collection Inc. Dar Schafer Art Elliott Marketing Group

M.D. Anderson Foundation † Carol Franc Buck Foundation † The Elkins Foundation

Ellsworth Plastic Surgery

William Randolph Hearst Foundation

Gittings Portraiture

Dr. M. Lee Pearce Foundation

Glade Cultural Center

Texas Commission on the Arts †

Hayden Lasher

USI Insurance Services

Chef Ashley James La Colombe d’Or Hotel

GRAND UNDERWRITER— $50,000 OR MORE

The Wortham Foundation, Inc. †

City of Houston through Houston Arts Alliance †

The Hotel ZaZa

IN-KIND CONTRIBUTORS TO OPERATIONS AND SPECIAL EVENTS

Ting Tsung and Wei Fong Chao Foundation

CO-SPONSORS—$7,500 OR MORE

MEMBER—$1,000 OR MORE

The Houston Chronicle

84

Jackson & Company Catering

The Cullen Foundation †

Las Terrazas Resort & Residences Lavandula Design Mayfield Piano Service Shoocha Photography

GRAND UNDERWRITERS— $50,000 OR MORE Mellon Foundation † The Powell Foundation † UNDERWRITERS—$25,000 OR MORE Ruth and Ted Bauer Family Foundation †

ANNUAL Cockrell Family Fund

CULTURAL PARTNERS

Hewlett-Packard Company

John P. McGovern Foundation †

Consulate General of Italy in Houston

IBM Corporation

Vivian L. Smith Foundation Samuels Family Foundation Stedman West Foundation † Sterling-Turner Foundation † SPONSORS—$10,000 OR MORE Albert & Ethel Herzstein Charitable Foundation National Endowment for the Arts William E. and Natoma Pyle Harvey Charitable Trust MEMBERS—$1,000 OR MORE City of Houston through the Miller Theatre Advisory Board † Aaron Copland Fund for Music George and Mary Josephine Hamman Foundation † Houston Saengerbund The Nathan J. Klein Fund OPERA America †

Italian Cultural Institute in Los Angeles * Contribution includes in-kind support † Ten or more years of consecutive support

S U PPO RT

Illinois Tools Works Inc. LyondellBasell Chemical Company Macquarie Microsoft Employee Giving Nintendo of America Quantlab Financial, LLC Salesforce

CORPORATE MATCHING

Shell USA, Inc. Foundation

Baker Hughes Foundation

The Boeing Company

Bank of America Charitable Foundation

Union Pacific

BP Foundation

Williams Companies

Chevron Humankind CITGO Petroleum Coca-Cola North America ConocoPhillips Encana EOG Resources, Inc. EQT Foundation ExxonMobil Foundation Fannie Mae

HGO.ORG

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L AU R E AT E S O C I E T Y

Craig Miller, Chair

The Laureate Society comprises individuals who have helped ensure the future of Houston Grand Opera by remembering the Opera in their wills, retirement plans, trusts, or other types of estate plans. The Laureate Society does not require a minimum amount to become a member. Planned estate gifts to the Houston Grand Opera Endowment can be used to support general or specific Opera programs. Houston Grand Opera is deeply grateful to these individuals. Their generosity and foresight enable the Opera to maintain its growth and stability, thus enriching the lives of future generations. For information regarding charitable estate gift planning and how it might positively impact you, your loved ones, and ­Houston Grand Opera, please contact Amanda Neiter, director of legacy giving, at 713-546-0216 or ANeiter@HGO.org.

Ms. Gwyneth Campbell

Mr. Michael B. George

Ms. Charlotte Jones

Ms. Gerry Aitken

Roxi Cargill and Peter Weston, M.D.

Dr. Wm. David George

Thomas M. Jones and Pamela S. Higgins

Margaret Alkek Williams

Jess and Patricia Carnes

Mr. William J. Altenloh and Dr. Susan Saurage-Altenloh

Ms. Janet Langford Carrig

Margery Anderson

Ms. Nada Chandler

LAUREATE SOCIETY MEMBERS

Robin Angly and Miles Smith Bill A. Arning and Aaron Skolnick Christopher Bacon and Craig Miller

Sylvia J. Carroll Mr. Robert N. Chanon Ms. Virginia Ann Clark Mathilda Cochran Mr. William E. Colburn

Mary Frances Gonzalez and Ross I. Jackson

Mr. Efraín Z. Corzo and Mr. Andrew Bowen

Dr. Lynn Lamkin

Dr. Nichols Grimes

Mr. and Mrs. James W. Crownover

Dr. Ellen R. Gritz and

Ms. Michele LaNoue and Mr. Gerald Seidl

Shelly Cyprus Mr. Karl Dahm Dr. Lida Dahm Mr. Darrin Davis Ms. Sasha Davis

Mr. Milton D. Rosenau Jr. Mr. Jas A. Gundry Mr. Claudio Gutierrez Mr. and Mrs. William Haase Dr. Linda L. Hart

Nancy Haywood

Mr. and Mrs. Karl R. Loos Mrs. Marilyn Lummis

Susan Ross Black

Ms. Elisabeth DeWitts

Teresita and Michael Hernandez

Ms. Susan Bloome

Jane H. Egner

Dr. Ralph J. Herring

Jerry L. Bohannon

Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Evans

Mr. and Mrs. Robert C. Hewell

Dr. and Mrs. Jules H. Bohnn

Ms. Thea M. Fabio and Mr. Richard Merrill

Pam Higgins

Mr. Richard S. Brown Mr. Logan D. Browning Dr. Bernd U. Budelmann Mr. Richard H. Buffett Mr. Tom Burley and Mr. Michael Arellano Mr. Ralph Byle 86

WINTER 2026

Mr. Michael Linkins

Virola Jane Long

Ian Derrer and Daniel James

Myra Brown

Sharon Ley Lietzow and Robert Lietzow

Mrs. Brenda Harvey-Traylor

Larissa Bither

Catherine Brock

Mr. and Mrs. W. H. Liesner

Ellen Liu and Ilana Walder-Beisanz

Peggy DeMarsh

Ms. Ann L. Faget

Carolyn J. Levy

Ms. Janet Hassinger

Dr. Joan Hacken Bitar

Mr. and Mrs. Harry W. Bristol

Ms. Virginia E. Kiser

Dr. Helen Lane

Ms. Anna M. Dean

Ms. Lynda Bowman

Mr. Anthony K.

Claire Liu and Joe Greenberg

Mr. and Mrs. Stanley C. Beyer

Adrienne Randle Bond

Charles Dennis and Steve Kelley

Mr. and Mrs. Donald Graubart

Mr. James Barton

Dr. James A. Belli and Dr. Patricia Eifel

Leonard A. Goldstein and Helen B. Wils

Ann and Stephen Kaufman

Mrs. Christa M. Cooper

Mr. William Bartlett

Mrs. Natalie Beller

Rhoda Goldberg

Mrs. Robert J. Kauffman

David Krohn

Mr. Jim O. Connell

Jack Bell

Mr. David Gockley

Ms. Marianne Kah

Ann Koster

Dr. Saúl and Ursula Balagura

Marcheta Leighton-Beasley

Mr. Wesley Goble

Cynthia J. Johnson

Mr. and Mrs. Fred Gott

Mr. and Mrs. Paul L. Comstock

Michelle Beale and Dick Anderson

Lynn Gissel

Jon Kevin Gossett

Gilbert Baker

Mr. Lary Dewain Barton

Dr. and Mrs. David P. Gill

Mr. Edward L. Hoffman

Dr. Jo Wilkinson Lyday Mr. and Mrs. Paul A. Lynn David Maib Mrs. Rosemary Malbin Dr. Brian Malechuk and Mr. Kevin Melgaard

Ms. Vicki Schmid Faulkner

Gary Hollingsworth and Ken Hyde

Mrs. Thomas Fauntleroy

Alan and Ellen Holzberg

Jack Firestone

Mr. Frank Hood

Emily Bivona and Ryan Manser

Julie Fischer

Ms. Ami J. Hooper

Mrs. J. Landis Martin

Nancy Fischer

Lee M. Huber

Ms. B. Lynn Mathre

Mr. Bruce Ford

Robert and Kitty Hunter

Ms. Nancy Wynne Mattison

Dr. Donna Fox

Greg Ingram

Dr. and Mrs. Malcolm Mazow

Dr. Alice Gates and Dr. Wayne Wilner

José and Teresa Ivo

Mrs. Dorothy McCaine

Brian James

Mrs. Sarah McCollum

Spencer A. Jeffries and Kim Kim Hawkins

Deirdre McDowell

Dr. Layne O. Gentry

Ms. Michele Malloy

Muffy McLanahan

Susan and Edward Osterberg

Ms. Wanda Schaffner

Fiona Toth

Mr. Allen McReynolds

Mrs. Joan D. Osterweil

Mr. Chris Schilling

Mr. and Mrs. William Tsai

Ms. Maryellen McSweeney

Mr. and Mrs. Richard A. Percoco

Kenneth and Deborah Scianna

Mr. John G. Turner and Mr. Jerry G. Fischer

Mauricio Perillo, PhD and Luján Stasevicius, PhD

Mr. and Mrs. Charles Senuta

Mr. and Mrs. Paul Turner

Mrs. Helen P. Shaffer

Mr. and Mrs. Jesse B. Tutor

Ms. Sue A. Shirley-Howard

Birgitt van Wijk

Hinda Simon

Mr. and Mrs. Alfredo Vilas

Mr. Herbert Simons

Mrs. Rons Voogt

Ms. Susan Simpson

James and Mary Waggoner

Ms. Janet Sims

Dean Walker

Mr. Joseph Sims and Ms. Janis Doty

Mr. William V. Walker

Mr. and Mrs. D. Bradley McWilliams Christianne Melanson and Durwin Sharp

Sara M. Peterson

Mr. and Mrs. Robert Menzie

Mark and Nancy Picus

Ms. Georgette M. Michko

Mr. and Mrs. Harry C. Pinson

Drs. Indira and Jason Mills

Susie and Jim Pokorski

Ms. Suzanne Mimnaugh

Gloria M. Portela

Kathleen Moore and Steven Homer

Suzanne Page-Pryde and Arthur Pryde

Sid Moorhead

Dr. Angela Rechichi-Apollo

Diane K. Morales

Mr. Todd Reppert

Juan R. Morales

Conrad and Charlaine Reynolds

Mr. and Mrs. Sidney S. Moran Mr. and Mrs. Marvin H. Mueller Heidi Munzinger and John Shott

Stephen Skaggs and Jay Kleine Colden A. Snow Ms. Linda F. Sonier

Ms. Wanda A. Reynolds

Dian and Harlan Stai

Ed and Janet Rinehart

Ms. Darla Y. Stange

Gregory S. Robertson

Shirley Warshaw Mr. Gordon D. Watson Ms. Rebecca Weaver Mr. Jesse Weir Mr. Geoffrey Westergaard Pippa Wiley Ms. Jane L. Williams

Ms. Linda C. Murray

Edward N. Robinson

Dr. and Mrs. C. Richard Stasney

Terrylin G. Neale

Mrs. Shirley Rose

Jake D. Stefano

Dr. Fabian Worthing

Erik B. Nelson and Terry R. Brandhorst

Constance Rose-Edwards

Catherine Stevenson

Jo Dee Wright

Mr. John C. Rudder Jr.

Patrick Summers

Lynn Wyatt

Mrs. Tassie Nicandros

H. Clifford Rudisill and Ray E. Wilson

Rhonda Sweeney

Alan and Frank York

Beverly and Staman Ogilvie

Mr. and Mrs. Tom Rushing

Susan Tan

Mr. and Mrs. Mark Yzaguirre

Geoffry H. Oshman

Dr. Mo & Mrs. Brigitte Saidi

Mrs. Carolyn Taub

Mrs. Lorena Zavala

Ms. Maria C. (Macky) Osorio

Mr. and Mrs. Terrell F. Sanders

Mr. Quentin Thigpen and Ms. Amy Psaris

John L. Zipprich II

Mrs. Bobbie Newman

Learn more at cinemahtx.org

Mr. and Mrs. David S. Wolff

23 Anonymous

Houston Cinema Arts Society: Proud Partner of the Houston Grand Opera

HOUSTON FILMMAKER SHOWCASE HGO.ORG

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H OU STON GR AND O PE RA E N D OWME N T

Marianne Kah, Chair

The Houston Grand Opera Endowment, Inc., is a separate nonprofit organization that invests contributions to earn income for the benefit of Houston Grand Opera Association. The Endowment Board works with CAPTRUST, an independent investment counsel, to engage professional investment managers. An endowed fund can be permanently established within the Houston Grand Opera Endowment through a direct contribution or via a planned gift such as a bequest. The fund can be designated for general purposes or specific interests. For a discussion on endowing a fund, please contact Deborah Hirsch, chief philanthropy officer, at 713-546-0259 or DHirsch@HGO.org. HGO acknowledges with deep gratitude the following endowed funds.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Officers Marianne Kah, Chair Mark Poag, Vice Chair Carolyn Galfione, Secretary; Treasurer Yolanda Knull, Senior Chair Tom Rushing, Chair Emeritus Members at Large Thomas R. Ajamie Astley Blair Khori Dastoor Richard Husseini Stephen Kaufman Terrylin Neale Scott Wise GENERAL ENDOWMENT FUNDS Susan Saurage-Altenloh and William Altenloh Endowed Fund The Rudy Avelar Patron Services Fund Barrow Family Endowed Fund Charles T. (Ted) Bauer Memorial Fund Sandra Bernhard Endowed Fund The Stanley and Shirley Beyer Endowed Fund Ronald C. Borschow Endowment Fund Mary Frances Newton Bowers Endowment Fund Pat and Daniel A. Breen Endowment Fund The Brown Foundation Endowment Fund Joan Bruchas and H. Philip Cowdin Endowed Fund Sarah and Ernest Butler Endowment Fund Jane and Robert Cizik Endowment

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Michael and Mathilda Cochran Endowment Fund

Cynthia and Anthony Petrello Endowed Fund

Douglas E. Colin Endowment Fund

Mary Ann Phillips Endowed Fund

The Gerald and Bobbie-Vee Cooney Rudy Avelar Fund

C. Howard Pieper Endowment Fund

The Renee and Benjamin Danziger Endowed Fund

Kitty King Powell Endowment Fund

In loving memory: Gail and Milton Klein Family and Leslie Danziger

Mary Jane Fedder Endowed Fund Linda K. Finger Endowed Fund Robert W. George Endowment Fund Harold Gilliland Endowed Fund The Leonard Goldstein and Helen Wils Fund for the Future Adelma Graham Endowed Fund Frank Greenberg, M.D. Endowment Fund Roberta and Jack Harris Endowed Fund Jackson D. Hicks Endowment Fund General and Mrs. Maurice Hirsch Memorial Opera Fund Ann Holmes Endowed Fund Ira Brown Endowment Fund Elizabeth Rieke and Wayne V. Jones Endowment Fund

Glen Rosenbaum Endowment Fund Rowley Family Endowment Fund The Ruddell Endowment Fund Sue Simpson Schwartz Endowment Fund Shell Lubricants (formerly Pennzoil—Quaker State Company) Fund Dian and Harlan Stai Fund The John and Fanny Stone Endowment Fund

The Lynn Wyatt Great Artist Fund ENDOWED CHAIRS AND FELLOWSHIPS Margaret Alkek Williams Chair: Khori Dastoor, General Director and Chief Executive Officer Mr. and Mrs. James A. Elkins Jr. Endowed Chair: Peter Pasztor Mr. and Mrs. Albert B. Alkek Chair: Maureen Zoltek James A. Elkins Jr. Endowed Visiting Artist Fund ELECTRONIC MEDIA FUNDS The Ford Foundation Endowment Fund

Dorothy Barton Thomas Endowment Fund

SARAH AND ERNEST BUTLER HOUSTON GRAND OPERA STUDIO FUNDS

John G. Turner and Jerry G. Fischer Endowed Fund

Audrey Jones Beck Endowed Fellowship Fund/ Houston Endowment, Inc.

John and Sheila Tweed Endowed Fund

The Gordon and Mary Cain Foundation Endowment Fund

Marietta Voglis Endowed Fund Bonnie Sue Wooldridge Endowment Fund The Wortham Foundation Permanent Endowment Fund

Marjorie and Thomas Capshaw Endowment Fund Houston Grand Opera Guild Endowment Fund James J. Drach Endowment Fund

Leech Family Resilience Fund

PRODUCTION FUNDS

Evans and Portela Family Endowed Chair

Lensky Family Endowed Fund

Edward and Frances Bing Fund

Carol Lynn Lay Fletcher Endowment Fund

Tracey D. Conwell Endowment Fund

William Randolph Hearst Endowed Scholarship Fund

David Gockley Fund for American Opera

Charlotte Howe Memorial Scholarship Fund

The Wagner Fund

Elva Lobit Opera Endowment Fund

PRINCIPAL ARTISTS FUNDS

Marian and Speros Martel Foundation Endowment Fund

Mary R. Lewis Endowed Fund Beth Madison Endowed Fund Frances Marzio Fund for Excellence Franci Neely Endowed Fund Constantine S. Nicandros Endowment Fund Barbara M. Osborne Charitable Trust

Jesse Weir and Roberto Ayala Artist Fund

ANNUAL

S U PPO RT

Laura and Brad McWilliams Endowed Fund Erin Gregory Neale Endowment Fund Dr. Mary Joan Nish and Patricia Bratsas Endowed Fund John M. O’Quinn Foundation Endowed Fellowship Fund Shell Lubricants (formerly Pennzoil—Quaker State Company) Fund Mary C. Gayler Snook Endowment Fund Dian and Harlan Stai Fund Tenneco, Inc. Endowment Fund Weston-Cargill Endowed Fund EDUCATION FUNDS Bauer Family Fund Sandra Bernhard Education Fund Lawrence E. Carlton, M.D., Endowment Fund Beth Crispin Endowment Fund

PRESENTS Mary Carol Warwick and Kate Pogue’s

THE V E LV E T E E N RABBIT Touring March-June 2026. Grades Pre-K-5. Bring the opera to your school or community space!

James J. Drach Endowment Fund Fondren Foundation Fund for Educational Programs David Clark Grant Endowment Fund The Schissler Family Foundation Endowed Fund for Educational Programs OUTREACH FUNDS Guyla Pircher Harris Project Spring Opera Festival Fund Shell Lubricants (formerly Pennzoil—Quaker State Company) Fund CONCERT OF ARIAS Eleanor Searle McCollum Endowment Fund COMMUNITY AND LEARNING Geoffry Hillel Oshman Community and Learning Fund

Contact Community@HGO.org or visit HGO.org/Community.

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JAN. 23, 25, 31, FEB. 4, 8

Performances of Kevin Puts and Mark Campbell’s Silent Night. Wortham Theater Center’s Brown Theater. Ticketholders are invited to Opera Insights lectures, held in the Brown’s Orchestra section 45 minutes prior to each performance. Pre-show and intermission receptions for members of Under 40 Friday and Opening Nights for Young Professionals at the Jan. 23 performance only.

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JAN. 25

Military Appreciation Day, a special day honoring veterans and activeduty service members, at Silent Night.

JAN. 30, FEB. 1, 7, 13, 15

Performances of Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel. Wortham Theater Center’s Brown Theater.

Ticketholders are invited to Opera Insights lectures, held in the Brown’s Orchestra section 45 minutes prior to each performance. Pre-show and intermission receptions for Overture at the Feb. 7 performance only.

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FEB. 6

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Concert of Arias and Dinner: The 38th annual Eleanor McCollum Concert of Arias, an evening of music featuring the most talented emerging artists in opera.

Wortham Theater Center’s Cullen Theater. 7 p.m.

Concert tickets start at $30.

Gala dinner will follow the performance. Drs. Rachel and Warren Ellsworth, chairs. For more info, visit HGO.org/ConcertofArias, or contact Special Events at SpecialEvents@HGO.org or 713-546-0700.

FEB. 12

Student Matinee: HGO hosts an English-language performance of Hansel and Gretel for students grades 6-12 and their chaperones.

Wortham Theater Center’s Brown Theater. 10 a.m. For information, email Community@HGO.org.

FEB. 14

HGO Family Day Presents Hansel and Gretel: A 90-minute, Englishlanguage, relaxedenvironment performance with pre-show and intermission Grand Foyer activities. Wortham Theater Center’s Brown Theater.

11 a.m.

FEB. 20

Giving Voice: HGO’s 7th annual concert celebrates Black artists in opera and song. The Fort Bend Church.

7:30 p.m. Tickets at HGO.org/ GivingVoice.

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MAR. 9

Music! Stories! Opera!: Theater District Open House performance. Lynn Wyatt Square. 1 p.m.

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MAR. 13 & 15

Performances of Carlisle Floyd’s Of Mice and Men, a Butler Studio production honoring the composer’s centenary. Wortham Theater Center’s Cullen Theater. Ticketholders are invited to Opera Insights, held in the theater 45 minutes prior to each performance. Mar. 13 at 7 p.m. and Mar. 15 at 2:30 p.m.

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MAR. TO JUN.

Opera to Go! Presents The Velveteen Rabbit: This year’s touring production for students and families presents the story of a toy rabbit who dreams of being real, with music by Mary Carol Warwick and libretto

by Kate Pogue.

Recommended for children grades 2-8. To book this show at your school, community center, or other venue, email OperaToGo@ HGO.org or visit HGO.org/ OperaToGo.

APR. 11

Opera Ball: Enjoy cocktails, dinner, a silent auction, dancing, and more! 6 p.m.

Wortham Theater Center.

Mr. John G. Turner and Mr. Jerry G. Fischer, chairs.

Patrick Summers, event honoree. For information, visit HGO.org/OperaBall.

APR. 17, 19, 25, 29, MAY 1, 3 6

Performances of Handel’s Messiah (arr. by Mozart).

Wortham Theater Center’s Brown Theater.

Ticketholders are invited to Opera Insights lectures, held in the Brown’s Orchestra section 45 minutes prior to each performance. Pre-show

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and intermission receptions for audience members under 40 years old at Under 40 Friday, May 1 performance only.

discounted for group sales.

For information, email Community@HGO.org.

APR. 19

Post-performance talk: Messiah. HGO’s Khori Dastoor and Patrick Summers in conversation with a special guest.

APR. 24, 26, 30, MAY 2, 6, 8, 10 7

Performances of Rossini’s The Barber of Seville.

Wortham Theater Center’s Brown Theater.

Ticketholders are invited to Opera Insights lectures, held in the Brown’s Orchestra section 45 minutes prior to each performance. Pre-show and intermission receptions for members of Opening Nights for Young Professionals at the Apr. 24 performance only and Overture at the Apr. 30 performance only.

APR. 28

High School Night: Bring your students to HGO for Rossini’s comical and mischievous The Barber of Seville. Tickets are

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APR. 30

Pride Night, a celebration of Houston’s LGBTQIA+ community, at The Barber of Seville.

MAY 4

Patrons Circle Recital: HGO presents a private recital for Patron Circle Members.

6 p.m. The Junior League of Houston.

MAY 8

Noche de Ópera, a celebration of Houston’s Latinx community, at The Barber of Seville.

THROUGHOUT THE 2025-26 SEASON Storybook Opera: HGO brings children’s books to life through song as teaching artists present an engaging and enjoyable introduction to opera at locations including Levy Park and branches of the Houston Public Library and Harris County Public Library systems.

Grades PK-2. Visit HGO.org for information.

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MAKE IT MEMORABLE

Access more info on visiting the Wortham Theater Center from our friends at Houston First:

OUR G UI D E TO A FANTAST IC OPERATI C EXPE RI EN CE

KNOW B E FO R E YO U G O : VI S I T H G O.O R G

ENJOY THE WORTHAM

Take advantage of the company’s user-friendly one-stop shop for everything HGO. Resources include:

We encourage our guests to make full use of the Wortham Theater Center when they come to the opera. You’re invited to:

Your all-access guide to performances,

on the mainstage and in the community: HGO.org/On-Stage The Backstage Pass blog, for taking a deep dive into the season’s operas, company artists, and more: HGO.org/Backstage-Pass

Relax and reflect: Find a spot in one of the Wortham Theater Center’s Brown or Cullen alcoves, or another area in the concourse—now with expanded seating!

from parking options, to hotel recommendations, to FAQs, and more: HGO.org/Plan-Your-Visit

Explore our Stories to Stage Gallery: Don’t miss the chance to learn more about HGO’s winter operas, with history displays, behind-the-scenes looks at productions, and more. Now on view in the Grand Foyer East Wing.

HGO’s Customer Care Center,

Browse the merchandise: Volunteers

including performance information, ticket assistance, and more: HGO.org/Contact-Us

from the HGO Guild operate a gift and souvenir boutique in the Grand Foyer.

P lan Your Visit information,

S oak in the scene over lunch or dinner:

And much more!

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Make sure to build in time to enjoy the Wortham before the show—and get to your seats. Late seating may take place at designated moments

Food services are available prior to each

during each act’s first 20 minutes, either in an alternate location in the theater or, in some cases, a TV viewing area in the Grand Foyer. Latecomers may take their ticketed seats after the next intermission.

Have a bite in the lobby, not in the theater, but do enjoy a drink at your seat—just make sure it’s in a special container from the bar.

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performance in the Grand Foyer. For something quick, find parfait kits, naan sandwiches, and much more at the Grab N Go station.

Have a drink: The lobby bars are open before each performance and during intermission. Don’t forget—premium wine selections are available in the center bar of the Grand Foyer. And don’t miss Happy Half Hour— guests receive $2 off all beer, wine, and cocktails at all bars for the first 30 minutes the theater is open (each bar begins service 90 minutes before performance time).

Pro-tip: Pre-order beverages for intermission at any of the bars when you arrive at the theater, and your drinks will be waiting for you!

Dine at the Founders Salon: Enjoy a prix-fixe, seasonally inspired menu.

Reservations are required, with a priority reservation window open for Patrons Circle members up to 72 hours before the performance date. Reservations then open to full-season subscribers. To reserve, call 713-533-9318 or email Cafe@ElegantEventsByMichael.com.

Attend a free Opera Insights lecture:

Brush up on the day’s opera during one of HGO's popular pre-show talks from HGO Artistic and Music Director Patrick Summers. Join us on the Orchestra level of the Brown Auditorium 45 minutes before curtain time.

Enjoy music from solo instrumental artists including Gilbert Sedeño: Tunes

fill the lobby both before each show and during intermission.

Unwrap candies and cough drops before curtain, and remain popular with your peers!

Silence or turn off your phone and other devices such as smart watches, then put them away. You’ll avoid blinding lights, distracting noises, and vexing your neighbors.

Save conversation for intermission or after the show.

You can break down the performance with your neighbor at the break!

Bring the young arts lover in your life to the opera.

Just remember: disruptors, however cute, should be escorted to the lobby.

More info at HGO.org/Plan-Your Visit

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H O U S T O N

G R A N D

Khori Dastoor General Director and CEO Margaret Alkek Williams Chair Patrick Summers Artistic and Music Director * EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP GROUP Richard Bado, Chief Artistic Officer/ Chorus Director * Jennifer Bowman, Director of Community and Learning Kristen E. Burke, Director of Production * Jennifer Davenport, Chief Marketing and Experience Officer Elizabeth Greer, Chief Financial Officer Deborah Hirsch, Chief Philanthropy Officer * OFFICE OF THE GENERAL DIRECTOR Mary Elsey, Associate Director of Board Relations and Executive Hospitality Audrey Hurley, Executive Assistant to the General Director and CEO Monica Thakkar, Director of Strategic Initiatives Joel Thompson, Composer-in-Residence ARTISTIC Colin Michael Brush, Director of the Butler Studio Nico Chona, Music Administrator and Orchestra Personnel Manager Jonathan Friend, Casting Consultant Joel Goodloe, Director of Artistic Operations Matthew Kalmans, Rehearsal Coordinator Kiera Krieg, Butler Studio Manager Mark C. Lear, Associate Artistic Administrator * Alexa Lietzow, Artistic & Music Coordinator Nadya Mercado, Butler Studio Intern Reagan Nattinger, Artist Services Coordinator Lucas Nguyen, Music Librarian Peter Pasztor, Principal Coach * Karen Reeves, Children’s Chorus Director * Nicholas Roehler, Assistant Conductor Jack Ruffer, Rehearsal Planning Administrator Madeline Slettedahl, Assistant Conductor Lisa Vickers, Bauer Family High School Voice Studio Manager

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William Woodard, Assistant Conductor Maureen Zoltek, Head of Music Staff and Butler Studio Music Director Mr. & Mrs. Albert B. Alkek Chair AUDIENCES Vince Balkcom, Jr., Customer Sales and Service Representative Ellen Bergener, Customer Sales and Service Representative Steve Butler, Video Producer Joe Cadagin, Audience Education and Communications Manager Nicholas Chavez, Group Sales Coordinator Chelsea Crouse, Sr. Creative Manager Jessica Gonzalez, Marketing Manager Sofia Heggem, Sr. Guest Experience Coordinator Mary Hierholzer, Digital Marketing Specialist Scott Ipsen, Sr. Director of Patron Experience * Rudy Avelar Chair Rita Jia, Graphic Designer Latrinita Johnson, Customer Sales and Service Specialist Ashlyn Killian, Communications Coordinator Tory Lieberman, Director of Marketing Aaron Marsh, Guest Experience Manager Sam Mathis, Patron Services Manager Catherine Matusow, Director of Communications Matt McKee, Associate Director of Sales and Service Brian Mitchell, Archivist and Content Adminstrator, The Genevieve P. Demme Archives and Resource Center * Michelle Russell, Ticketing & Marketing Data Manager Dorian Valenzuela, Digital Content Manager COMMUNITY AND LEARNING Fernando Barajas, Administrative Manager Emily Haas, Programs Associate of Community and Learning Dr. Kiana Day Williams, Associate Director of Community & Learning FINANCE AND OPERATIONS Amanda Burton, Accounts Payable Administrator Christian Davis, Associate Director of Human Resources

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S TA F F

Ariel Ehrman, Business Intelligence Manager Luis Franco, Office Services Coordinator * Matt Gonzales, Associate Director of Information Systems * George Heathco, Operations Projects Manager Chasity Hopkins, Accounting Manager Sam Lee, Information Technology Support Manager Elia Medina, Payroll Administrator Noorwali Punjwani, Controller Sarah Saulsbery, Accounts Payable Administrator Denise Simon, Human Resources Coordinator * Christopher Staub, Director of Operations & Institutional Projects * Grace Tsai, Manager of Data and Analytics Ahna Walker, Human Resources Generalist Chaedron Wright, Information Technology Assistant Joy Zhou, Director of Information Services PHILANTHROPY Lyanne Alvarado, Philanthropy Officer Stephen Beaudoin, Director of Individual Giving Brooke Caballero, Philanthropy Coordinator Katherine Cunningham, Associate Director of Signature Events Kelly Dolan, Donor Events Specialist Ross S. Griffey, Director of Institutional Partnerships David Krohn, Sr. Director of Philanthropy Tessa Larson, Major Gifts Officer Olivia Lerwick, Philanthropy Writer Ana Llamas, Prospect Researcher and Manager Claire Padien-Havens, Sr. Director of Institutional Partnerships Patrick Long-Quian, Philanthropy Operations Manager Meredith Morse, Assistant Director of Institutional Giving Amanda Neiter, Director of Legacy Giving Allison Reeves, Director of Signature Events Martalisa Tsai, Philanthropy Officer Sarah Wahrmund, Associate Director of Philanthropy

Gabriella Wise Smith, Assistant Director of Institutional Partnerships PRODUCTION Noe Aparicio, Costume Technician Philip Alfano, Lighting Associate & Principal Draftsman * Brian August, Stage Manager Kathleen Belcher, Assistant Director Maya Bowers, Assistant Technical Director Dung Bui, Junior Stitcher Isabella Cabrera, Costume Coordinator Michael James Clark, Head of Lighting & Production Media * Andrew Cloud, Properties Manager * Janine Colletti, Assistant Director Norma Cortez, Costume Director * Eboni Bell Darcy, Assistant Director Meg Edwards, Assistant Stage Manager * Heather Rose Ervin, Wig and Makeup Assistant Caitlin Farley, Assistant Stage Manager Joseph B. Farley, Production Manager David Feheley, Technical Director Vince Ferraro, Head Electrician * Jamie Flowers, Props Shopper Bridget Green, Wig and Makeup Assistant David Heckman, Costume Coordinator Assistant John Howard, Head Carpenter * Esmeralda De Leon, Costume Coordinator * Nara Lesser, Costume Production Assistant * Jae Liburd, Operations Driver Beth Mathis, Assistant Stage Manager Melissa McClung, Technical and Production Administrator Tatyana Miller, Junior Draper Amanda Mitchell, Wig & Makeup Design Director Cam Nguyen, Costume Technician Emma Rocheleau, Assistant Stage Manager Colter Schoenfish, Assistant Director Ian Silverman, Assistant Director Rachel Smith, Assistant Head Electrician and Board Operator Stephanie Smith, Assistant Director Meghan Spear, Assistant Stage Manager Dotti Staker, Principal Wig Maker and Wig Shop Manager * Bryan Stinnet, Assistant Carpenter/Head Flyperson Paully Tran, Sr. First Hand *

H O U S T O N

G R A N D

O P E R A

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S TA F F

Phillip Tyler, Head of Sound Myrna Vallejo, Costume Shop Supervisor * Sean Waldron, Head of Props * Annie Wheeler, Production Stage Manager * Eric Wirfel, Associate Technical Director

*denotes 10 or more years of service

2 0 2 5 /2 0 2 6

S EAS O N

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713.861.5303 www.operaintheheights.org

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WHAT WILL YOUR LEGACY BE?

“

We want to pass on to others what we have so long enjoyed. A legacy gift to HGO—a gift that keeps on giving—will ensure that future generations have the opportunity to attend outstanding performances.”

—Helen Wils, Laureate Society member

Please consider a gift to HGO’s Laureate Society so future generations will continue to experience world-class operatic productions.

For more information about HGO’s Laureate Society, please contact Amanda Neiter at 713-546-0216 or ANeiter@HGO.org.

AMERIC AN PREMIER PRODUC E TION

A PR 1 7 – M AY 3

NEXT ON STAGE! JOIN US FOR OUR SPRING PRODUCTIONS, TICKETS START AT $25

A PR 2 4 – M AY 1 0

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