Houston Grand Opera News

The Dallas Opera, in partnership with the Meadows Museum at Southern Methodist University, is delighted to introduce the first in a series of new programs hosted by Dallas Opera General Director and CEO Keith Cerny and designed to present informed personal perspectives on the arts.

For the first DG Conservatory event of the fall, the Dramatists Guild is thrilled to team up with the writers who created Behind the Music-al, Kyle Ewalt and Michael Ian Walker, today, October 8, 2013, at 6:00 p.m. The event will take place at the Dramatists Guild's New York office, in the Frederick Loewe Room, 1501 Broadway (between 43rd and 44th Streets), Suite 710. This free seminar is opening a limited number of seats to the public and reservations are required.

The Canadian Opera Company has announced that Canadian tenor Ben Heppner, scheduled to sing the title role in the upcoming production of Britten's Peter Grimes, has had to withdraw from the opening night performance on October 5 for health reasons. Mr. Heppner will return to the role for subsequent performances in the COC's production. Four-time Grammy Award-winning American tenor Anthony Dean Griffey will sing the role of Peter Grimes on October 5.

Arguably the greatest opera of the 20th century, Benjamin Britten's Peter Grimes, comes to the Canadian Opera Company this fall for seven performances at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts tonight, October 5 and October 8, 11, 17, 20, 23, 26, 2013. Recognized worldwide as the finest dramatic tenor before the public today, Canadian Ben Heppner returns to the COC in one of his favourite roles as the title character in Britten's gripping opera about an alienated fisherman and the seaside village he struggles to inhabit. Peter Grimes is sung in English with English SURTITLES.

Susan Graham - winner of a Grammy, an Opera News Award, Musical America's Vocalist of the Year, and hailed by the New York Times as 'an artist to treasure' - returns for another compelling season, highlighted by three role debuts. As Houston Grand Opera's 2013-14 Lynn Wyatt Great Artist, she undertakes Prince Orlofsky in the company's first staging of Die Fledermaus in 30 years.

For the first DG Conservatory event of the fall, the Dramatists Guild is thrilled to team up with the writers who created Behind the Music-al, Kyle Ewalt and Michael Ian Walker, on Tuesday, October 8, 2013, at 6:00 p.m. The event will take place at the Dramatists Guild's New York office, in the Frederick Loewe Room, 1501 Broadway (between 43rd and 44th Streets), Suite 710. This free seminar is opening a limited number of seats to the public and reservations are required.

The Canadian Opera Company launches its 2013/2014 season with a new production of one of the world's greatest love stories, La Bohème. Puccini's masterpiece of youthful flirtation, passionate love and heartbreaking tragedy returns to the COC for 12 performances at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts tonight, October 3 and October 6, 9, 12, 16, 18, 19, 22, 25, 27, 29, 30, 2013.

Subscription tickets for the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts 2013/2014 Inaugural Season go on sale on Tuesday, October 1 and are available by visiting www.thewallis.org.

The Collegiate Chorale announced its first concert of the season, Mefistofele, by Arrigo Boito on November 6, 2013 at 8pm at Carnegie Hall, 881 7th Avenue, NYC. Tickets are available at www.carnegiehall.org or by calling CarnegieCharge at 212-247-7800. Single tickets for this concert start at $15. The Collegiate Chorale will hold its Annual Fall Gala immediately following the concert. (For more information or tickets to the Gala, please contact Mariane Lemieux at mlemieux@collegiatechorale.org or 646-435-9052.)

Mezzo Soprano Kate Lindsey, a veteran of the Metropolitan Opera, and Michael Spyres, called 'one of today's finest tenors' by French Opera magazine join the Utah Symphony tonight and tomorrow, September 27 and 28 at Abravanel Hall in Hector Berlioz's dramatic interpretation of Goethe's tale of Faust and his fateful deal with the devil, The Damnation of Faust.

Tony Award-winner and vocalist Audra McDonald is coming to Houston Saturday, Oct. 19, at 8 p.m. in the Brown Theater at the Wortham Theater Center, presented by Society for the Performing Arts. Accompanying her on stage will be Houston native Andy Einhorn.

The Dallas Opera has announced the opening production of their 2013-2014 “By Love Transformed” Season: Georges Bizet's colorful, sensual and passionate 19th century masterpiece, CARMEN, one of the most beloved and popular works in the entire opera canon.

The Georg Solti Accademia and The Juilliard School invite the public to attend an historic evening with one of the classical music world's acclaimed elder statesman, Australian conductor and pianist Richard Bonynge, celebrating the Georg Solti Accademia's 10th Anniversary and first master classes in New York City. Maestro Bonynge leads singers from Juilliard's Ellen and James S. Marcus Institute for Vocal Arts, The public master classes are also the first to be given by Mr. Bonynge in New York City, and the first collaboration between the Accademia and Juilliard.Tickets for this October 9 event are available to the public starting today, September 25, 2013, via the Janet and Leonard Kramer Box Office at Juilliard or via events.juilliard.edu.

Katherine Rohrer, newly appointed School of Music assistant professor of voice, presents her Ohio State debut recital tonight, Monday, September 23, at 8 pm in Weigel Hall Auditorium, 1866 College Rd. The performance will couple traditional repertoire with lesser-known works, including song cycles by Robert Schumann and Louis Aubert. Selections will highlight the passion of love with ultimate personal loss.

As Houston's leading performing arts presenter, Society for the Performing Arts (SPA) has announced its 2013-2014 season filled with music, dance and family entertainment from the world's best artists and companies.

Mezzo Soprano Kate Lindsey, a veteran of the Metropolitan Opera, and Michael Spyres, called “one of today's finest tenors” by French Opera magazine join the Utah Symphony on September 27 and 28 at Abravanel Hall in Hector Berlioz's dramatic interpretation of Goethe's tale of Faust and his fateful deal with the devil, The Damnation of Faust.

The American Theatre Wing (William Ivey Long, Chair; Heather Hitchens, Executive Director) announced today that its annual gala, held last night at the Plaza Hotel, was the most successful in the organization's history, raising nearly $700,000 (besting the previous record, which was set in 2012, by approximately $100,000). All proceeds from the evening will benefit the education and outreach programs of the American Theatre Wing, which include SpringboardNYC, the Theatre Intern Group, the National Theatre Company Grants and the Jonathan Larson Grants, and will also support free access for students, aspiring professionals, and the general public to programming on AmericanTheatreWing.org, including the long running television show "Working in the Theatre."