Houston Grand Opera (HGO) is one of the largest, most innovative, and most highly acclaimed opera companies in the United States HGO was the only American finalist for Opera Company of the Year in the 2019 International Opera Awards, and the only American company to be nominated twice. In fulfilling its mission to enrich our diverse community through the art of opera by creating, curating, exploring, and producing outstanding experiences centered around the human voice, HGO has led the field in commissioning and producing new works (74 world premieres to date) and in training and nurturing promising young artists and administrators. The company contributes to the cultural enrichment of Houston and the nation through a diverse and innovative program of performances, community events, and education projects that reaches the widest possible public. HGO’s pioneering Community and Learning initiative has served as a model for other arts organizations
Since 2007, Houston Grand Opera has explored the intersection between the multi-disciplinary art form of opera and the needs of the people HGO serves by providing authentic and enriching experiences through collaborative partnerships with schools, families, community organizations, and curious members of society Initiatives include developing new operatic works that resonate thematically with the Opera’s audiences and, each season, offering popular, accessible programs like the Student Performance Series, Opera to Go!, and Storybook Opera in over 100 schools in Houston and throughout Texas
For more information, please contact community@hgo.org or visit www.hgo.org.
Book Now: Storybook Opera | Grades PK-2
Choose from stories by Deborah D.E.E.P. Mouton and Jorge Tetl Argueta, as well as fan favorites The Armadillo’s Dream and The Snowy Day Storybook Opera brings world-class performers into your classroom to promote music and literacy. Click here for more information: hgo.org/storybook
Bring Opera to Go! to Your Community | Grades 2-8
The 2023/2024 Opera to Go! tours Katie: The Strongest of the Strong beginning on October 3! To bring an Opera to Go! performance to your community center or school, please email OperaToGo@HGO.org.
Music for A While
"I Hate Music!"
from I Hate Music: A cycle of Five Kid Songs for Soprano and Piano
Si mes vers avaient des ailes
Caro Mio Ben
O Love
"Where is Love?" from Oliver!
"Morning Hymn" and "Climb Every Mountain" from The Sound of Music
"The Beauty Is" from Light in the Piazza
"One Hand, One Heart" from West Side Story
"I've Decided to Marry You" from Gentlemen's Guild to Love and Murder
"Anthem" from Chess
Henry Purcell (b 1659)
Leonard Bernstein (b. 1918) Reynaldo Hahn (b. 1874)
Tommaso Giordani (b 1730), arr by Carlos Simon (b. 1986)
Elizabeth Hagenberg (b. 1979)
Lionel Bart (b 1930)
Richard Rogers (b. 1902); Oscar Hammerstein II (b 1895)
Adam Guettel (b. 1964)
Leonard Bernstein (b. 1918); Stephen Sondheim (b 1930)
Steven Lutvak (b. 1959); Robert L. Freeman (b 1957)
Benny Andersson (b. 1946) and Bjorn Ulvaeus (b. 1945); Tim Rice (b. 1944)
"Tale of Sweeney Todd" from Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
"At the End of the Day" and "On My Own" from Les Misérables
"A New World" from Songs for a New World
Stephen Sondheim (b. 1930)
Claude-Michel Schonberg (b 1944); Herbert Kretzer (b. 1925)
Jason Robert Brown (b. 1970)
(Order of songs subject to change)
SONG LIST
"Part of Your World" from The Little Mermaid
"Defying Gravity" from Wicked "Children Will Listen" from Into the Woods
"You Will Be Found" and "History Has Its Eyes on You" from Hamilton
"Journey to the Past" from Anastasia
"Purple Summer" from Spring Awakening
"You Can't Stop the Beat" from Hairspray
"Sunday" from Sunday in the Park with George
Alan Menken (b 1949); Howard Ashman (b. 1950); Glenn Slater (b. 1968)
Steven Schwartz (b 1948)
Stephen Sondheim (b 1930)
Lin-Manuel Miranda (b 1980)
Lynn Ahrens (b. 1948); Stephen Flaherty (b 1960)
Duncan Sheik (b. 1969); Steven Sater (b. 1954)
Mark Shaiman (b 1959); Scott Wittman (b. 1954)
Stephen Sondheim (b 1930)
NOTE
Houston Grand Opera will present The Sound of Music in Spring 2024 Lyric Opera of Chicago closed its season with West Side Story directed by Washington National Opera's Francesca Zambello Seven time Tony Award-nominee Kelli O'Hara recently made her Metropolitan Opera debut in the The Hours alongside opera greats Renée Fleming and Joyce DiDonato The American opera industry continues to redefine what "is" and "isn't" presented in the opera house, and opera singers are bringing their well-honed vocal technique and dramatic skills to an array of music genres
This year's Art Of Opera performance is not a departure from opera; it is a reflection of its evolution By developing a show with the talented team of pianist, director, and entrepreneur Ms Mary Box, and playwright, director, producer, performer, and theater educator Mr Evan Tsitsias, our Creative Campers will continue gaining the tools needed to be well-rounded performers We are excited to see what they created over the last two weeks
None of this would be possible without the support of each Camper's family and friends We THANK YOU for encouraging opera's next generation Enjoy the show!
-Jennifer Bowman, HGO Director of Community & Learning
SYNOPSIS
From the Baroque to Broadway, from the art song to the opera aria! The Art of Opera campers will take the audience on a musical journey through the ages in a fully-devised performance featuring four centuries of classic music
CAST OF CREATIVE CAMPERS
Ethan Bianco
Vittoria Bobbio-Tarco
Paola Carrillo Flores
Elliana Faykus
Dianna Gergley
Sabine Lesniewicz
Elle Miller
Gabriel Magallon
Sophia Mitzner
Lillian Montalvo
Mary Kate Moore
Liam Norton
James Perales
Emma Vogelsgang
Keerthana Tatineni
Madeline Wise
Julia Xiao
CREATE AN OPERA CAMP STAFF
Mary Box
Evan Tsitsias
Rachel Chao
Meg Edwards
Rebecca Walsh
Leah Moody
Music Director
Stage Director
Pianist
Stage Manager
Camp Counselor I
Camp Counselor II
Special Thanks to Megan (HGO Props), David Heckman and Norma Cortez (HGO Costume Shop), and Mark Buller, Amanda Fisher, Amanda Heathco of American Festival for the Arts (AFA)
COMMUNITY AND LEARNING STAFF
Jennifer Bowman
Alisa Magallón
Jeremy Johnson
Kiana Day Williams
Karen Mata
Rovion Reed
Favour Aimufua
George Heathco
Joel Thompson
Dr. Lisa Vickers
Director of Community & Learning
Associate Director of Programming & Engagement
Dramaturg/Associate Director of New Works
Associate Director of School and Educator Engagement
Operations Manager
Production & Projects Manager
Programs Coordinator I
Programs Coordinator II
Composer-in-Residence
Bauer Family High School Voice
Studio Manager
FUNDERS
GUARANTORS
The Brown Foundation, Inc
ConocoPhillips
H-E-B
Mellon Foundation
GRAND UNDERWRITERS
City of Houston through the Miller Advisory Board
Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo
The Powell Foundation
UNDERWRITERS
Ruth and Ted Bauer Family Foundation
SPONSORS
Nana Booker and David Lowe
Lawrence E Carlton, MD, Endowment Fund
The Cockrell Family Fund
James J. Drach Endowment Fund
George and Mary Josephine Hamman Foundation
Houston Grand Opera Guild
William E and Natoma Pyle Harvey Charitable Trust
Texas Commission on the Arts
Union Pacific Foundation