Guest Artists

SEASON 2021-2022 GUEST ARTISTS

Reginald Mobley

Particularly noted for his “shimmering voice, a voice which also allows lucid and pure levels” (BachTrack), countertenor Reginald Mobley is highly sought after for baroque, classical and modern repertoire .

Reginald leads a very prolific career in the United States, where he resides . In March 2020, he became the first ever programming consultant for the Handel and Haydn Society following several years of leading H+H in his community-engaging Every Voice concerts . He is a regular guest with Cantata Collective, Musica Angelica, Agave Baroque, Charlotte Bach Akademie, Seraphic Fire, Quodlibet, Pacific Music Works, Bach Collegium San Diego, San Francisco Early Music Society, Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra .

In Europe, his career is expanding; in the UK, he has toured with the Monteverdi Choir and English Baroque Soloists for the last five years, and continues to do so, and has performed with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Academy of Ancient Music and is due to make his debut with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra in June 2022 . He was also invited to perform with the OH! (Orkiestra Historycsna) in Poland and the Vienna Academy in Austria (Musikverein), gave a recital (with a Spiritual programme) at the Musée d’Orsay in Paris, toured with the Freiburger Barockorchester under Kristian Bezuidenhout, Balthasar Neumann Chor & Ensemble and the Bach Society in Stuttgart . Recognized for her unique artistic curiosity in world-class performances spanning the music of Claudio Monteverdi and Johann Adolph Hasse through to Missy Mazzoli and George Benjamin, American Lauren Snouffer is celebrated as one of the most versatile and respected sopranos on the international stage .

Lauren Snouffer

During the current season, Lauren Snouffer makes her debut at the Opéra national du Rhin in the lead role of The Snow Queen, by Hans Abrahamsen, in a new production directed by James Bonas and Grégoire Pont under the baton of Robert Houssart . She returns to Houston Grand Opera for a production by Francesca Zambello of Dialogues des Carmélites conducted by Patrick Summers and bows in no less than two new productions with the Opernhaus Zürich: she is the title role in the world premiere of Girl with a Pearl Earring by composer Stefan Wirth and she performs Argene in Pergolesi’s L’Olimpiade in a new production conducted by Ottavio Dantone . The soprano joins The Dallas Opera for Opera Galas and concertizes with Patrick Dupre Quigley and Seraphic Fire in their performances of Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater. She returns to Mercury Chamber Orchestra for a program of Vivaldi and Handel and appears with Ars Lyrica Houston in fully-staged performances of Purcell’s Dido and Æneas.

Francesca Zambello

Francesca Zambello is an internationally recognized director of opera and theater, as well as the General Director of The Glimmerglass Festival since 2010 and the Artistic Director of The Washington National Opera at the Kennedy Center since 2012 . She has also served as the Artistic Advisor to the San Francisco Opera from 20052011 and as the Artistic Director of the Skylight Theater from 1987-1992 . In her current roles at the Kennedy Center and the Glimmerglass Festival she is responsible for producing 12 productions annually . She has begun major commissioning programs for new works in both companies that have resulted in productions of many large and small-scaled new works . Both companies have thrived financially and increased their national and international profiles as a result of her artistic vision and leadership .

Her American directing debut took place at the Houston Grand Opera with a production of Fidelio . She debuted in Europe at Teatro la Fenice in Venice with Beatrice di Tenda and has since staged new productions at major theaters and opera houses in Europe and the USA . She has worked at over 50 major opera houses including: The Met, La Scala, Lyric Opera of Chicago, The Paris Opera, the Bolshoi, Munich State Opera, Covent Garden and the Australian Opera .