A holiday reopening

Houston's Rothko Chapel sets reopening date after Hurricane Beryl closure

One of Houston's most-loved and important cultural landmarks is set to reopen on Tuesday, December 17. Damaged during Hurricane Beryl, the Rothko Chapel will resume providing Houstonians with a space to pause and reflect this holiday season.

The Chapel will be open from 10 am to 5 pm Tuesday through Sunday from December 17 through 22, and from 10 am to 5 pm December 24 through January 5, 2025. Chapel hours on December 25 and January 1 will be noon to 5 pm.

The octagonal chapel features 14 black panels painted by renowned artist Mark Rothko. It attracts visitors from around the world, who come to the space to meditate and take in Rothko's art. Beryl's heavy rains and gale-force winds resulted in leakage through the Chapel’s roof. Part of the ceiling and several walls had water damage, and four of Mark Rothko’s panels were also affected following the storm.

Whitten & Proctor Fine Art Conservation, one of the country’s premier art-conservation firms, led the analysis and assessment to restore the chapel. The water-streaked walls and ceiling have been repaired and repainted. Damaged panels are now undergoing careful restoration off-site. They will be returned to the chapel once the work is complete.

"Since the storm, our focus has been on the complete repair of the building, the restoration of the damaged panels, and on the reopening of the Chapel so the public once again has access to this beloved space for contemplation and meditation,” Rothko Chapel executive director David Leslie said in a statement. “Getting to this point has been a true community effort involving an amazing team of art conservators, scientists, art handlers, volunteers, community partners, and Chapel staff, and we are very excited to reopen in time for the holidays.”

Following the damage left in Beryl’s wake, the chapel hosted a number of fall programs at off-site locations.The first program slated for 2025 is the chapel’s annual MLK Observance, "Sick of War: Discussing Health Impacts of US Militarism.” That will be hosted in the chapel on January 15, 2025.

Earlier this year, the Rothko Chapel announced an extensive expansion campaign, Opening Spaces. The $42 million project will add new buildings just north of the existing Chapel on the other side of Sul Ross St.

Photo by Elizabeth Felicella

The Rothko Chapel reopens December 17, 2024.

rothko chapel openings visual-art hurricane beryl

Emerging talent

Houston Grand Opera's 'Concert of Arias' showcases rising star singers

Winners of the 2024 Concert of Arias on stage at Houston Grand Opera

Photo by Michael Bishop, courtesy Houston Grand Opera

Winners from the 36th Eleanor McCollum Competition for Young Singers. Concert of Arias is one of Houston Grand Opera's most-loved traditions. It affords cash prizes to the winners and determines placement in HGO's Sarah and Ernest Butler Houston Grand Opera Studio program.

Houston audiences can hear seven emerging opera singers from around the globe at Houston Grand Opera’s upcoming 37th Eleanor McCollum Competition for Young Singers. The annual audience favorite, also known as Concert of Arias, is Friday, January 17 at the Wortham Theater Center at 7 pm.

Prior to the performance, the seven finalists spent a week immersing themselves in HGO’s culture and collaborating with its music staff. Each finalist will sing two arias, accompanied by the HGO Orchestra, conducted by Maestro James Gaffigan. They are competing for cash prizes and placement in HGO’s prestigious Sarah and Ernest Butler Houston Grand Opera Studio, one of the country’s top residency programs for emerging opera talent.

The winners will take home $25,000 for first place, $15,000 for second place, $10,000 for third place, and $5,000 for the Audience Choice Award. Each non-placing finalist will receive $3,500, with one of them selected for the $2,000 Ana María Martínez Encouragement Award.

The finalists are:

Lauren Carroll, a soprano from Bettendorf, Iowa who earned her Master of Music degree from Rice University and her Bachelor of Music degree from Drake University.
Daria Lupu a soprano from Romania who is a member of the Experimental Studio in Musical Performing Arts “Ludovic Spiess” at the Bucharest National Opera.
Alexis Seminario, a soprano who is currently a Young Artist with Palm Beach Opera and a 2020 alumna of HGO’s Young Artists Vocal Academy. She holds a Master of Music degree from Bard College Conservatory.
Meg Brilleslyper, a mezzo-soprano and 2022 alumna of HGO’s Young Artists Vocal Academy who is pursuing her Master of Music degree at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music.
Luke Norvell, a tenor from Tacoma, Washington who is a fourth-year resident artist at Academy of Vocal Art and has a Bachelor of Music degree from the Master’s University.
Luka Tsevelidze, a tenor from Georgia and student at the Tbilisi State Conservatoire who made his operatic debut as Tamino in The Magic Flute with the Tbilisi State Conservatoire Opera Studio.
Geonho Lee, a baritone from South Korea who holds a bachelor’s degree in Vocal Performance from Seoul National University and was a 2024 semifinalist in the renowned Operalia Competition. He is currently pursuing advanced studies at the University of Music and Theatre Munich.

Tickets are sold out, but people can watch a live stream of the performance, interviews with the singers, and more on HGO's YouTube channel.

houston grand opera performing-arts