opera goes digital

Houston Grand Opera showcases talent worldwide with HGO Digital

HGO Digital kicks off with the Studio Showcase.

One of the few positives from the global pandemic is the growing popularity of digital productions from local arts groups, replacing in-person performances nixed during the worldwide pandemic.

An enduring example here in Houston is HGO Digital, the virtual performance arm of Houston Grand Opera launched last year at the height of pandemic cancellations. HGO has announced the return of the program with HGO Digital, the Sarah and Ernest Butler Performance Series, launching December 3 and running into next spring.

The second season of HGO Digital will feature all free performances with two exceptions, Three Decembers and Suite Española II, which will require payment before viewing. Performances will be available for streaming for 30 days after their release. Screening details are available online.

A major highlight of the fall/winter season is the opening night livestream of the world premiere of the opera The Snowy Day, considered a “historic and momentous moment” for the company, per a press release. HGO will premiere the highly anticipated Snowy Day, an opera based on the children’s picture book by Ezra Jack Keats, on December 9, making it accessible to audiences around the world through HGO Digital.

Things kick off with the free screening of the HGO Studio Showcase, running December 3 through January 2, 2022. The show is a recording of the annual event which took place live, but with a limited audience, at the Wortham Theater Center.

Later comes Jake Heggie’s Three Decembers, kicking off December 10 and running through January 9, 2022. Originally commissioned by HGO and based on Terrence McNally’s original script Some Christmas Letters, this chamber opera from composer Jake Heggie and librettist Gene Scheer made its world premiere in Houston in 2008. Expect a touching, witty family drama that unfolds over three decades.

“HGO Digital is a tremendous example of this organization’s commitment to the art form,” said Khori Dastoor, HGO general director and CEO in a statement. “So many people came together to develop a completely new digital season, while following strict safety protocols. And all that hard work paid off – our audience expanded to an international stage, and we were able to make opera accessible to so many who may not have been interested before. We are excited to make digital art a standard part of our season.”

For a complete list of shows, screening dates, and more information, visit HGO Digital.

opera media

untitled art 2026

Prestigious contemporary art fair returns to Houston for 2026

Courtesy of World Red Eye

Untitled Art, the acclaimed contemporary art fair, returns to Houston this October.

A prestigious contemporary art fair is coming back to the Bayou City. Untitled Art, Houston returns this October for its second edition. To mark the occasion and kick off plans, the show commissioned two artist projects that will be unveiled this weekend at the 39th annual Art Car Parade on Saturday, April 11 in downtown Houston.

The art show will be held at the George R. Brown Convention Center October 2 to 4. An invitation-only VIP and Press Preview will take place on Thursday, October 1.

Houston was the organization’s first expansion from its home base in Miami. When the show arrived in the city last fall, it showcased the works of contemporary artists from Houston, other parts of Texas, and around the world.

Houstonians showed lots of enthusiasm for last year’s inaugural fair. The organization reported that several galleries reported six-figure sales and sold-out booths, and leaders from the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, The Menil Collection, and Contemporary Arts Museum Houston were in attendance all weekend.

This year, the show promises to be even more dynamic, with programming that includes live podcast recordings, panel discussions, culinary activations, and artist-led projects with an emphasis on embedding the fair within Houston’s civic and cultural fabric. Show attendees can expect an international roster of galleries alongside collectors, curators, and artists increasingly attuned to Houston’s evolving position as both a cultural gateway to Latin America and a substantial force in the international art scene.

“Houston has proven to be a vital artery for the contemporary art market, blending a deep institutional history with a bold, global future,” Jeffrey Lawson, founder of Untitled Art, said in a statement. “We are thrilled to return and deepen our commitment to the city’s creative community.”

Beyond the exhibits at the show, Untitled Art has made a commitment to helping ensure art and art collecting is accessible to the larger community. Last year, programming events took place all over the the city, with private collection visits, studio tours with artists, and guided engagements at institutions such as the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, The Menil Collection, Contemporary Arts Museum Houston, and Asia Society Texas Center, in collaboration with more than two dozen cultural partners.

This year’s Art Car entry marks the first of its kind for the organization. Untitled Art commissioned collaborations with ascendant emerging Los Angeles-based artists Aryo Toh Djojo and Mario Ayala. Ayala's exhibition Seven Vans is currently on view at the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston.

“Houston continues to assert itself as a cultural capital of the South, and the inaugural edition confirmed that there is a serious and attentive audience invested in contemporary art from local, national, and international dealers alike," said Michael Slenske, director of Untitled Art, Houston.

Information about ticket sales will be available closer to the opening.

Courtesy of World Red Eye

Untitled Art, the acclaimed contemporary art fair, returns to Houston this October.

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