2023-24 Houston Grand Opera Impact Report

2023-24 AT

CELEBRATING AN INCREDIBLE SEASON

“WE AREN’T HAVING DEBATES ABOUT WHETHER CHANGE IS

It has been a phenomenal 2023-24 season, full of extraordinary art, at Houston Grand Opera. When I look back at all this company has achieved thanks to the vision of our incredible supporters, my heart is filled with pride and gratitude.

The artistic and creative talent that converged at the Wortham Theater Center to present grand opera for Houston this season was awe-inspiring. This brilliant group brought the city a blockbuster season, from the critically acclaimed world premiere of Intelligence, to the record-breaking run for Madame Butterfly, to the international arts lovers who traveled in for Parsifal, to the huge influx of new HGO audiences who joined us for The Sound of Music, and far beyond. Put simply, the company’s goals were smashed, and we had to make new ones.

This season has been a testament to the power of HGO’s mission. While other companies were pulling back their programming, we remained steadfast. We doubled down on our mission, seeking to enrich our diverse community through the art of opera by sharing outstanding experiences centered around the human voice. We invested in our core values—artistic excellence, discovery, resilience, and community—and Houstonians answered our call.

We couldn’t have done it without each of you, who believe that great art is worth investing in, because great art can change the world. Thank you for making our city a better place for all.

Khori Dastoor General Director and CEO Margaret Alkek Williams Chair

Dastoor with HGO Artistic and Music

Director Patrick Summers

Cover photos by Melissa Taylor, Lynn Lane, and Michael Bishop

“THE DANCE-CENTERED APPROACH MAY BE UNUSUAL, BUT IT IS A NATURAL FIT AT HOUSTON GRAND FOR DECADES THE COMPANY HAS BEEN KNOWN INNOVATION.” —THE NEW YORK TIMES

“NOT JUST ANOTHER OPERA TO TAKE IN—AN EXPERIENCE TO BE ABSORBED.” —OPERAWIRE

Soprano Janai Brugger made her HGO debut as Mary Jane Bowser.

With music by Jake Heggie, libretto by Gene Scheer, and choreography by Jawole Willa Jo Zollar, Intelligence is a unique fusion of music, words, and dance.

Photos by Lawrence Elizabeth Knox, Michael Bishop, and Melissa Taylor

A YEAR OF EXCELLENCE BEGINS WITH A NEW OPERA

HGO’s incredible season launched with the world premiere of Intelligence , the true story of two women, Mary Jane Bowser and Elizabeth Van Lew, who ran a secret pro-Union spy ring during the Civil War.

119

Number of media mentions for Intelligence , from 50+ publications, including 20+ national and international outlets

963 $3.6 mil+

First-time HGO ticket buyers inspired to see the new opera

In addition to a rousing High School Night for students from 20+ schools (above), HGO held three community events for Intelligence with partner organizations Rice University, Houston Ballet, and the Buffalo Soldiers National Museum (pictured at right).

Amount of contributed funds raised in support of Intelligence —a record for a single HGO production

“GO HGO FOR INVITING SCHOOLS FROM ALL OVER THE CITY FOR FREE. NO ONE PAID A DIME TO COME TO THIS PERFORMANCE. I’M JUST BLOWN AWAY. THIS IS WHAT IT’S ALL

ABOUT.” —world-renowned mezzo-soprano J’Nai Bridges, Lucinda in Intelligence, about the High School Night performance

BRILLIANCE AT THE PODIUM

An elite group of international conductors joined HGO’s Patrick Summers and Richard Bado in leading the 2023-24 mainstage season.

KWAMÉ RYAN

“The true measure of his capabilities was reflected in the exemplary performance of the HGO Orchestra.” —OperaWire INTELLIGENCE

PATRICK SUMMERS

“Masterful.”

—Houston Press FALSTAFF AND MADAME BUTTERFLY:

THE SOUND OF MUSIC

RICHARD BADO

“Maestro Bado’s magnum opus.”

—Khori Dastoor

DAME JANE GLOVER

“The HGO Orchestra gave a spirited performance under Jane Glover.”

—Houston Chronicle

EIKI ISOMURA

“The instrumental sextet, led by conductor Eiki Isomura, added its own current of energy.”

—Texas Classical Review

PARSIFAL

EUN SUN KIM

“She relished the grace, glow, and grandeur of Wagner’s score.”

—Texas Classical Review

Maestro Summers celebrated 25 years with HGO this season!

DON GIOVANNI THE BIG SWIM

This season was Maestro Bado’s 40th year with HGO!

A MAJOR INTERNATIONAL EVENT

Parsifal drew passionate audiences from across the globe to Houston. It was the first U.S. showing of Wagner’s rarely performed masterpiece in 5 years—and its first performance at HGO in 3 decades!

$2.5 mil 95

Cost to produce , covering expenses like the 88-member HGO Orchestra and 78-member Chorus

Total hours of rehearsal time for the 4-hour, 39-minute opera (with 2 intermissions)

SEOUL:

South Korean bass Kwanchul Youn, in demand across the world for his Gurnemanz, made his HGO debut singing the role.

“A STATEMENT. COMPELLING.”

—TEXAS CLASSICAL REVIEW

Tenor Russell Thomas displayed “flawless diction and effortless power” ( Houston Press ) in his role debut as Parsifal.

CHICAGO:

“We loved it so much that we extended our stay in Houston in order to attend another performance.” —one of many operagoers who saw Parsifal more than once

LONDON:

Tony winner John Caird came to Houston to direct his acclaimed Parsifal production.

ORLANDO:

“We traveled from Florida specifically to attend this performance of Parsifal,” shared one audience member, “and our enjoyment of the experience exceeded every expectation.”

Audiences from across the globe came to Parsifal , with tickets purchased at each red dot on the map.

Soprano Elena Pankratova, based in Austria, wowed audiences with “power and velvet” (Houston Press) in her American debut.

by

GRAZ:

Photos

Lynn Lane

A RECORD-BREAKING HIT WITH HOUSTON FAMILIES

The city came out in force to experience the story of the von Trapp family and the novice-nun-turned-governess, Maria, who brings joy and music into their lives. Demand for tickets was so strong, HGO added a ninth show date!

“A MUST-SEE FAMILY EXPERIENCE.”

—

THE HOUSTON CHRONICLE

Mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard made her role debut as Maria, joined by an extraordinary group of young artists as the von Trapp children— cast from among the 450 hopefuls who auditioned for the musical, the most in HGO history!

Photos by Michael Bishop

HGO hosted its first-ever themed experiences for audiences at The Sound of Music during a special Mother’s Day performance, Pride Night, and Military Appreciation Day, where one family went all out!

$2.1 mil

Total ticket sales for The Sound of Music

18,453

Total attendance for The Sound of Music

3,496

New-to-file single-ticket buyers who joined HGO for the show—the most in the last decade

414%

Percentage by which single-ticket revenue for The Sound of Music surpassed HGO’s five-year average per production

Isabel Leonard (Maria) and Alexander Birch Elliott (Captain von Trapp) earned raves.

HGO held a community conversation, The Sound of Music in the 21st Century, featuring Holocaust survivor Ruth Steinfeld (right) and director Francesca Zambello (center right).

A HISTORIC SEASON

HGO’s blockbuster 2023-24 season was one for the record books.

by the

the company’s 2015 presentation of the

by 43% .

Aided

star power of luminous soprano Ailyn Pérez, sales for Madame Butterfly outperformed

opera

Photos by Lawrence Elizabeth Knox, Michelle Watson, and Lynn Lane

8,432

Rank of The Sound of Music among HGO’s list of top-selling productions , by singletickets, since 2010. This season’s Madame Butterfly is #2 on the same list!

New followers across social platforms Facebook, Instagram, X, LinkedIn, and YouTube—an 8.5% increase over last season

76%

Subscriber renewal rate , an 8 percent increase over last season

$4,680,851 $4,859,359 $6,339,703 50,505

2,266

Total media mentions

Sales of Don Giovanni outperformed HGO’s 2019 production of Mozart’s masterpiece by 5% , and the 2013 production by 22%

IN THE CLASSROOM AND THE COMMUNITY

HGO engages the community to meet the needs of students and families, making sure they have enriching art in their lives.

crisis , with the vast majority attending schools with no dedicated fine arts department .

American children (8-12 years) spend an average of 4.75 hours/day in-front of a screen.

Yet Texas students with higher arts-engagement opportunities on average:

• Have 112% higher pass rates on standardized tests

• Are 20% more likely to attend college

• Attend 3 more days of school per year

1. OPERA TO GO!

Votes for women! HGO’s Opera to Go! Katie: The Strongest of the Strong inspired close to 16,000 students with the true story of the strongwoman-turned suffragette Katie Sandwina.

2. OPERA CAMP

HGO’s summer camps build more than just musical skills: “As the camp progressed, I felt my daughter’s confidence was also progressing,” one parent said. “Friendships with her peers were being formed.”

HGO’s workshops for educators and curious minds used opera to tackle questions like “What do we do with historical art that offends?” and offered strategies for facilitating discussion in and outside the classroom. 1 2

3. EDUCATIONAL ENRICHMENT WORKSHOPS

Photos by Melissa Taylor and Michael Bishop

3

5

$1.4 mil

Amount raised at Opera Ball 2024 —and for the first time, all funds will benefit HGO’s community programming!

4. STORYBOOK OPERA

HGO is a regular presence at Levy Park, city and county public libraries, and other spaces, offering ongoing Storybook Opera and Sing! Move! Play! activities for children.

5. HIGH SCHOOL NIGHT

“The students were absolutely enthralled with the performance of Madame Butterfly,” shared Liberty High Band Director Sean Smith, who brought 75 students to High School Night for the opera. “Their reactions to not only the overall show, but to the quality of performance, both vocal and instrumental, were incredible.”

4 OVER THE PAST YEAR, HGO HAD 129,912 HOURS OF IMPACT ON THE LIVES OF 93,427 STUDENTS AND FAMILIES, SHARING ART, INSPIRATION, AND CREATIVITY AT 170 SCHOOLS, LIBRARIES, AND COMMUNITY CENTERS ACROSS THE HOUSTON REGION.

HOUSTON’S FLAGSHIP CULTURAL ORGANIZATION

HGO brought Houston great art all season long, at the Wortham Theater Center and at 170 venues throughout the region .

71

Number of community partner organizations

HGO collaborated with in 2023-24

Wheeler Night at the Opera: this fall, 75 members of Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church came out to see their fellow congregant, baritone Reginald Smith., Jr. (center), give a superb performance as Falstaff.

GIVING VOICE

FALSTAFF

Butler Studio artist Renée Richardson performed the world premiere of Joel Thompson's Dove Songs at Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church.

Photos by Latroya Brooks, Victor Rodriguez, and Deshawn Steele

“HGO is evolving our relationship with space. Because the theater itself isn’t linked to the mission. Our mission is to create experiences for Houstonians interacting with classically trained human voices. That doesn’t necessarily happen only in one place anymore. It happens online. It happens in stadiums. It happens in community centers.”

—Khori Dastoor,

in the Houston Press

This season, HGO launched a new student ticket initiative, allowing students access to any opera for just $20! More than 500 young arts lovers took us up on the offer and joined us at the Wortham.

HOUSTON AUDIENCES SERVED BY HGO THIS SEASON, AT THE WORTHAM AND THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY

28.2 % 19.3% 4.5% 7.4% White

Other

40.6%

Flexing muscles with the Opera to Go! cast at a sensory-friendly performance at the Evelyn Rubenstein Jewish Community Center.

OPERA TO GO! KATIE THE STRONGEST OF THE STRONG

SERVING HOUSTON

HGO’S 76TH WORLD PREMIERE

Meilina Tsui and Melisa Tien’s The Big Swim , a family-friendly Lunar New Year story presented in partnership with Asia Society Texas, enjoyed a sold-out run at AST’s Museum District campus.

“HIGH-SPIRITED SCORE, ACTION-PACKED STAGING, AND VIVID COSTUMES!” —TEXAS CLASSICAL REVIEW

“The most important message is community first.” —Meilina Tsui, composer

THE BIG SWIM

Photos by Lynn Lane, Latroya Brooks, and Katy Anderson

HGO honored mezzo-soprano Marietta Simpson, one of the world’s great interpreters of vocal art, at the fifth . Over 30,000 viewers from across the world tuned in for the event’s livestream!

“PHENOMENAL

SINGERS. PHENOMENAL MUSICIANS. MASTERFUL CONDUCTORS.”

—DR. MARCUS D. COSBY, SENIOR PASTOR, WHEELER AVENUE BAPTIST CHURCH

AN EVENING OF WORLD-CLASS MUSIC

For the second year running, HGO partnered with Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church for Giving Voice . The fifth annual concert, held on International Women’s Day, celebrated Black women in opera and song.

GRAND OPERA AT THE PARK

In the spring, HGO presented two free performances of the opera that captured Houston’s heart this season, Puccini’s Madame Butterfly, at Miller Outdoor Theatre.

Thousands of Houstonians gathered for an evening of transcendent grand opera under the stars.

MILLER OUTDOOR THEATRE

A NEW ERA AT THE BUTLER STUDIO

As HGO steps into a greater leadership role than ever before in the global opera community, the company has committed to expanding the reach of its prestigious training program for young artists.

THE ACCEPTANCE RATE FOR THE SARAH AND ERNEST BUTLER HOUSTON GRAND OPERA STUDIO IS .7%. BY COMPARISON, YALE LAW SCHOOL ACCEPTS 6.9% OF APPLICANTS! MORE THAN 950 HOPEFULS APPLIED TO THE BUTLER STUDIO FOR 2024-25, WITH 7 NEW ARTISTS JOINING 4 RETURNING MEMBERS IN HOUSTON, WHERE THEY WILL HONE THEIR ARTISTRY AS THEY PREPARE FOR HIGH-FLYING CAREERS IN THE FIELD.

A TALENT PIPELINE

HGO’s fostering of young talent starts with its Bauer Family High School Voice Studio program and continues with its Young Artist Vocal Academy for undergraduates. The first-place winner of Concert of Arias 2024, soprano Elizabeth Hanje, trained with YAVA in 2022 and joins the Butler Studio’s new class next season.

OPERA’S BRIGHTEST NEW STARS

Baritone Navasard Hakobyan, pictured performing with mezzo-soprano Ani Kushyan, had a huge year, taking home honors as one of five national winners of the 2024 Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition, as well as third overall and the Zarzuela Prize at the 2024 Operalia Competition. Both Hakobyan and Kushyan will be returning to the Butler Studio next season.

New Butler Studio Director

Colin Michael Brush joined HGO leadership in fall 2023.

SAFEGUARDING OPERA’S FUTURE

During the 2023-24 season, HGO continued to prioritize fiscal stability, with an eye to serving generations of future Houstonians.

$27,546,663

Total fundraising dollars contributed by company supporters in 2023-24

$17,675,672 INDIVIDUALS

including 860 new donors (a record!)

$5,966,887 GOVERNMENT AND FOUNDATIONS

including HGO’s first-ever grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities

As of May, the HGO Endowment is up by 8 percent, to $100,971,280 —and HGO’s Laureate Society saw a 120% season-over-season increase in new members.

$2,783,223 SIGNATURE EVENTS

including the highest-grossing Opening Night in company history, for Intelligence

$1,120,881 CORPORATE SUPPORT

including the generous donations that helped make it possible for HGO to host the city at Miller Outdoor Theatre for Madame Butterfly

Photos by Michael Bishop, Melissa Taylor, and Emily Jaschke

LOOKING AHEAD: A FOCUS ON FAMILIES

Multi-generational programming will continue to be an HGO priority for 2024-25, with a host of performances and initiatives. Highlights include:

HGO FAMILY DAY PRESENTS CINDERELLA

On November 9, 2024, the company will host the first annual HGO Family Day, a special English-language, relaxed-performance matinee showing of Rossini’s Cinderella, directed by superstar mezzo-soprano and mom Isabel Leonard.

MO WILLEMS’S BITE-SIZE OPERAS

The company’s first-ever Opera to Go! double bill for students and families will be presented in a bilingual English and Spanish edition. The show will feature two performances based on children’s books by New York Times-bestselling children’s author Mo Willems, set to music by Grammy-nominated composer Carlos Simon: Slopera! and Don’t Let the Pigeon Sing Up Late!

This report covers the period between August 1, 2023 and May 15, 2024. Financial data represents unaudited amounts.

VERDI IL TROVATORE NEW PRODUCTION!

OCT. 18–NOV. 3

ROSSINI CINDERELLA

OCT. 25–NOV. 9

PUCCINI LA BOHÈME

JAN. 24–FEB. 14

BERNSTEIN / SONDHEIM WEST SIDE STORY

JAN. 31– FEB. 15

ON THE WAY FOR

2024-25

HGO will continue to raise the bar with its thrilling new season.

MAZZOLI / VAVREK BREAKING THE WAVES HOUSTON PREMIERE!

APR. 19–MAY 4

WAGNER TANNHÄUSER NEW CO-PRODUCTION!

APR. 25–MAY 11