Opera lovers in the audience for the Houston Grand Opera’s magnificent season opening production of Porgy and Bess didn’t know it, but they were hearing HGO’s future. James Gaffigan, the acclaimed conductor of the performance will no longer be called an honored guest to the company and our city; instead, he’ll make the Wortham Center his new home.
HGO announced on Thursday, November 6, that Gaffigan will serve as the fifth music director in its 70-year history, leading the company alongside general director and CEO Khori Dastoor. He replaces Patrick Summers, who announced last year that he would step down as artistic and music director at the end of the 2025-26 season.
When Gaffigan begins his term as music director designate for the 2026-27 season and then assumes the full role of music director in the 2027-28 season, he won’t find Houston an unfamiliar landscape. Though originally from New York, Gaffigan once lived here while earning his master’s degree from the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University.
After his time at Rice, he quickly rose to international superstardom in both symphonic and operatic circles. He has conducted some of the greatest orchestras around the country, including the New York Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, and many others. In Europe he has taken the podium at the London Symphony Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Deutsches Symphonie Orchester Berlin, and more.
In 2011, he made both his HGO and American operatic debut with the company’s production of The Marriage of Figaro. He has also become a very welcome guest conductor for national and international opera houses, including the Metropolitan Opera, Bayerische Staatsoper, Opéra National de Paris, Lyric Opera of Chicago, and more.
For the past several years, he has made a home in Europe serving as the general music director of Komische Oper Berlin, and he recently completed his fourth and final season as music director of the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía in Valencia, Spain.
Even with such a strong global presence, this Rice Owl continues to migrate back to Houston, guest conducting the Houston Symphony several times. Last year, he lead the first-ever performance by the HGO Orchestra at the annual Eleanor McCollum Competition for Young Singers Concert of Arias.
Gaffigan’s ties to Houston are so strong that back in 2011, CultureMap’s own society king and classical music expert, Joel Luks, pondered if Gaffigan might be an excellent candidate for Houston Symphony director upon Han Graf ’s retirement. Luks, who attended the Shepherd School at the same time as Gaffigan, lauded the maestro’s sense of musical timing, charisma, and spirit.
“He seems to understand music-making in a macro level, presenting a cohesive interpretation, while allowing musicians freedom of expression,” described Luks, also noting Gaffigan’s ability to connect with musicians and audiences, alike.
It turns out Luks’s prediction for a musical directorship for Gaffigan was only off by 14 years and about a theater district block, the distance from Jones Hall to the Wortham Center.
“I always knew that the first post I would take in the United States as music director had to be the perfect fit,” Gaffigan said in a statement. “All the boxes needed to be ticked. 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. It is rare to find such a healthy institution, with tremendous potential, and a solid foundation on which to build.”
Gaffigan went on to reminisce that he has admired HGO since his early twenties.
“When walking into the building, I get a sense of community and excitement for our art form and the importance it has in our lives. I feel the same from the people in the greater Houston area. Houstonians want great art. Under Khori Dastoor’s leadership, the company has flourished, and it has become clear to me that the sky is the limit. I can’t wait to return to this city and start our thrilling new chapter together.”
Dastoor sings similar praises for Gaffigan.
“To welcome James Gaffigan back to Houston, and to HGO, as our new music director represents the fulfillment of an ambitious dream,” stated Dastoor. “This fall, Houston audiences have had the incredible opportunity to witness his passion, electric energy, and mind-blowing artistry at the podium. I am overjoyed that today’s leading American conductor — who embodies a new generation of music-making at the highest level — has chosen to invest fully in this company. 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 ascendance as a force in the global opera industry.”
For those wanting to get a taste of that passion and energy Gaffigan will bring to his role as Houston Grand Opera music director, he conducts Porgy and Bess November 7 and 9.
