a grand new season

Houston Grand Opera raises the curtain on dramatic new season full of rare gems and classics

HGO's season kicks off with the vivid La Traviata.

Photo by Lynn Lane

Opera lovers and the opera-curious are in for a great time during the 2022-2023 season. Houston Grand Opera's lineup includes a brand-new staging of a rare operatic masterpiece and two U.S. premieres, along with the return of a groundbreaking Mariachi opera and fan favorites.

The season kicks off October 21 with La Traviata, Verdi's epic tragedy. Love, passion, jealousy, and rage swirl together in the story of the courtesan Violetta and the romantic Alfredo, whose love for Violetta threatens to bring shame on his family.

Grammy Award-winning soprano Angel Blue makes her HGO debut as Violetta and leading tenor Bryan Hymel sings Alfredo. It's conducted by Matthew Aucoin, also making his HGO debut.

The Wreckers, the company's second opera of the season, is a rarely performed gem, never seen in the U.S. with a a full production by a major opera company. The 1906 opera by composer and activist Dame Ethel Smyth is the story of villagers on England's Cornish coast who eke out their living plundering the ships that slam against the rocky coastline.

When they find someone is warning the ships of their plans, their search to find the traitor threatens to consume the village. Acclaimed Grammy-winning soprano Sasha Cooke is back on the HGO stage as Thirza, along with tenor and HGO Studio alumnus Norman Reinhardt. HGO Artistic Director and Music Director Patrick Summers conducts.

The holiday season ushers in El Milagro del Recuerdo (The Miracle of Remembering), which had its world premiere at HGO in 2019. Laurentino is a bracero worker who crosses the border from the U.S. to Mexico to spend Christmas with his family.

The visit is a prelude to a life-changing decision he and his wife must make. The opera is a heartbreaking and hopeful exploration of the human spirit, blending a love of family and tradition with mariachi. Librettist Leonard Foglia directs the return of the much-loved story.

Up next is the Mozart masterpiece The Marriage of Figaro in a resplendent production by Tony Award-winning director Michael Grandage. Bass Nahuel Di Pierro makes his HGO debut in the title role, with HGO Studio alumna Elena Villalón in the role of Susanna, her first return to the company since completing her Studio training. Studio alumni Nicole Heaston and Lauren Snouffer also appear.

Jules Massenet's psychological drama Werther is back on the HGO stage for the first time since 1979. The story of an obsessive poet chasing after the object of his desire, who is promised to another. Tenor Matthew Polenzani sings the role of Werther with Grammy Award-winning mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard as Charlotte, his obsession. Both are making their HGO debuts.

Puccini's Tosca, one of the most-loved operas of all time opens the company's spring repertory, directed by the critically acclaimed John Caird. HGO Studio alumna Tamara Wilson, whom the New York Times lauded for her "a dramatic voice of thrilling power," makes her role debut as Tosca.

Tenor Jonathan Tetelman makes his HGO debut as Tosca's beloved Cavaradossi and baritone Rod Gilfry sings the villain Scarpia.

Closing the season is Salome, Strauss' dramatic rendering of the Bible story of King Herod and John the Baptist, based on the play by Oscar Wilde. HGO Studio alumni bass-baritone Ryan McKinny (Jokanaan), mezzo-soprano Denyce Graves (Herodias) and tenor Chad Shelton (Herod) are joined onstage by soprano Amanda Majeski in her HGO and role debut.

Other highlights of the season include the family opera Monkey and Francine in the City of Tigers and the Giving Voice concert series, which celebrates diversity in opera artists and seeks to bring diverse audiences to the artform.

“There is so much to look forward to next season,” said HGO general director and CEO Khori Dastoor in a statement. “These operas share universal human stories that allow us to access our own deepest emotions.”

For more information, visit houstongrandopera.org.

openings opera

Get inspired

Noted Houston street artist paints vibrant new mural at downtown venue

Photo courtesy of Hobby Center for the Performing Arts

GONZO247 poses in front of his new mural, "Houston is Inspired" inside Hobby Center

Visitors to the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts can now see an incredible new mural by one of Houston's most iconic street artists.Mario Enrique Figueroa, Jr., known as Gonzo247, debuted his piece, "Houston is Inspired" on Friday, December 12.

“This piece is all about capturing the energy that makes Houston, Houston," said the artist in a statement. "It’s that raw, vibrant hustle — the music, the culture, the stories we’ve been telling for generations. I wanted to create something that pulls people in, gets them hyped for what they’re about to experience. Every color, every shape, every detail is telling a story, a vibe. This ain’t just a mural or a piece of art — it’s a journey. It's about the grind, the growth, and the inspiration we pass on to each other, on and off the stage.”

The piece is called "Houston is Inspired," after the program at Hobby meant to showcase local performers by offering them week-long residencies on a prestigious stage. This season includes CJ Emmons's one-man comedy musical show I'm Freaking Talented; a rhythmic interactive storytelling experience called Our Road Home by Jakari Sherman; and Lavanya Rajagopalan's combination of music, dance and verse, Kāvya: Poetry in Motion. Information about all three shows, including ticket prices and availability, can be found at TheHobbyCenter.org.

The last show (debuting May 1) was a particular inspiration to Gonzo247. Viewers may notice a pair of hands in a traditional Indian dance pose, a direct reference to Rajagopalan's show.

The Houston is Inspired program was launched launched in the 2023-2024 season. In addition to the residency in Zilkha Hall, artists are given a $20,000 stipend for production and marketing costs. It is now a permanent fixture of the Hobby season. Applicants for future seasons can submit here.

Known for his original "Houston is Inspired" mural in downtown's Market Square, Gonzo247 has been an active force in Houston art for 30 years, including producing the video series Aerosol Warfare about the street art scene in the 1990s and 2000s as well as founding the Graffiti and Street Art Museum. He also served as the artist liaison for Meow Wolf's Houston installation. If anyone's visual vision is perfect to welcome audience members to shows highlighting homegrown talent, it's him.

“Art’s all about telling stories, but it ain’t just what you see — it’s what you feel," he said. "This piece speaks to the heart of everything we’re about: culture, rhythm, struggle, and triumph. When you walk into the space, you gotta feel the anticipation, the energy building up. That’s what I wanted to capture — the vibe of the whole city, the passion in the work, and that next-level hunger to rise up and create something fresh. It’s like the beat drops, and everything just connects.”

visual-art downtown mural gonzo247