Houston’s cultural elite hit a high note as the Houston Grand Opera orchestrated its much-anticipated 2024–25 season curtain raiser with Verdi’s vengeful Il trovatore. The black-tie gala on October 18 struck a fabulous chord at Wortham Theater Center, ending with a tented soirée on Fish Plaza where opera aficionados and stars mingled.

Under the baton of event chairs Janet Gurwitch and Ron Franklin, opening night ushered 425 attendees, including a chorus of visitors from beyond Houston’s borders, proving the presenter’s global reach.

Under the vision of Stephen Wadsworth, this avant-garde Il trovatore transposed the audience to a pulsating modern Spain, where architecture conversed with vibrant street art. The gritty, almost rock-and-roll sets swept the crowd into the tumultuous love triad that is the heart of Verdi’s opus.

The Events Company set a festive milieu that danced between old-world elegance and modern flair while City Kitchen Catering served a menu that hit all the right notes: a refreshing beet salad with frisée, tender boneless beef short ribs, and a decadent dark chocolate torte.

General director and CEO Khori Dastoor composed a tribute to artistic and music director Patrick Summers to celebrate his transition to Music Director Emeritus in 2026. Honoring board chair Claire Liu, recently lauded by Opera America, Dastoor highlighted her leadership and dedication, a true maestro behind Houston’s operatic ensemble. The event raised $612,000 to amplify HGO’s mission of enriching Houston’s diverse symphony through the timeless art of opera.

Margaret Alkek Williams, Jack Bell, Molly and Jim Crownover, Isabel and Danny David, Tracy and Valerie Dieterich, Warren and Rachel Ellsworth, Liz Grimm and Jack Roth, Jake Heggie, Michelle and Frank Hevrdejs, Elizabeth and Richard Husseini, Teresa and José Ivo, Carey Kirkpatrick, Elizabeth and Bill Kroger, Joe Greenberg, Indira and Jason Mills, Franci Neely, Duyen and Marc Nguyen, Cynthia and Tony Petrello, Kelly and David Rose, Lindy and John Rydman, Monica Karuturi and Kumaran Sathyamoorthy, Diana Skerl and Michael Karakasians, Dian and Harlan Stai, Sylvia Barnes and Jim Trimble, Phoebe and Bobby Tudor, Betty and Jesse Tutor, Hallie Vanderhider,and Ellen and Bob Vladem

  

Photo by Michelle Watson

Lady Stephanie Kimbrell, and Cory McGee with Butler Studio artists, Ani Kushyan, Alissa Goretsky, and Elizabeth Hanje.