Houston Grand Opera Association Announces Balanced Budgets

At its annual meeting on Wednesday, June 02, 2010 Houston Grand OperaAssociation, Inc. reported on the success of the 2009-10 season, including strong ticket sales andsignificant contributed support. General Director and CEO Anthony Freud, OBE, stated that thecompany expects to end the year on July 31, 2010, with a balanced budget, noting that, "In anextraordinarily difficult and unpredictable economic climate, Houston Grand Opera has advanced ourmission to provide opera of the highest quality to an increasingly broad audience throughout Houstonas well as regionally and nationally. Through prudent and responsible management of our expenses,along with the strong and growing support of a community of enthusiastic and loyal donors, we wereable to produce an exceptional season both on our main stage and in the community."

Freud reminded the Trustees that many U.S. opera companies have had to curtail activity in recent months. By contrast,Houston Grand Opera has maintained its main stage season of six productions, and increased itsactivity in the community significantly.Despite challenging financial times, the company reports more than $19 million dollars hasbeen raised for HGO's Comprehensive Campaign over the last ten months, bringing the total to over $58 million in 34 months.

Houston Grand Opera sold eighty-nine percent (89%) of capacity for the2009-2010 season and achieved $3.6 million in main stage ticket revenues. The subscription audienceaccounted for 63% of seats, compared to 42% just three years ago. "The pace of growth is steady,"said Freud, "and we look at that as a measure of our relevance to the community that we serve."Freud reminded attendees at Wednesday's meeting of the company's important successes in the2009-2010 season. These included the new co-production of Wagner's Lohengrin, which initiated amulti-year cycle of German repertory, and a sold-out run of a new production of Tosca which featuredsoprano Patricia Racette in her first performances of the title role. In addition to the audience thatexperienced HGO's live performances at the Wortham Theater Center, a partnership with the WFMT Radio Network presented six operas from HGO's 2008-2009 season to a national audience of 468,200people listening on 183 radio stations across the country.

The 2009-2010 season also marked Patrick Summers' twelfth season as HGO Music Director,highlighted by his first Lohengrin. "We are fortunate to have in Patrick Summers a conductor withextraordinary mastery of a huge range of repertoire that includes the great masterpieces of pastcenturies and the finest examples of contemporary work," stated Freud. "Patrick has established anddeveloped an outstanding orchestra for Houston Grand Opera and he works closely with HGO'sChorus Master, Richard Bado to maintain the exceptional level of the Houston Grand Opera Chorus -central components of our artistic output that garner acclaim from critics nationally andinternationally."

Summers will conduct all of the operas in the company's continuing Britten cycle andfour of the six operas in the 2010-2011 season. The Nexus Initiative, HGO's audience development program now in its third season, has allowed more than 19,000 first-time or infrequent opera-goers to experience the art form throughout the season through specially-priced tickets and subscriptions, free performances at Miller Outdoor Theatre and Discovery Green, and High School Night, and Student Matinees. "Through the Nexus Initiative, HGO has been able to introduce the excitement of opera to thousands of new audiencemembers of all ages, both at our home in the Wortham Theater Center and in the Houston community," said HGO Board of Directors Chairman Glen Rosenbaum. Freud announced that thecompany would present a Nexus matinee performance of Madame Butterfly on November 7, 2010 for which all seats will be $12.25.

HGOco, the groundbreaking initiative created in 2007 to foster a dynamic relationship betweenHouston Grand Opera and the whole of Houston through creative community collaborations, hasreached over 500,000 individuals since its inception and celebrated many successes this year.HGOco's touring ensemble, Opera to Go!, reached more than 50,000 students with performances offour operas in over 120 schools and community venues.

Opera to Go! gave the world premiere of AWay Home, composed by Ethan Greene with a libretto by Irene Keliher, as part of Song of Houston's Mexico 2010 project. More than 7,300 students attended A Way Home at Miller Outdoor Theatre Overweek-long field study collaboration with Hermann Park which investigated themes of migration and immigration introduced in the opera. (A special grant from Target to HISD middle schools funded transportation to the events at Miller Outdoor Theatre, which allowed many students to see their veryfirst opera.) Song of Houston continues to build unique programs in unique ways in various schools including Neff Elementary, Mark Twain Elementary, Lanier Middle School and Early Challenge Elementary. Student matinees and a special High School Night performance of Donizetti's The Elixir of Love brought an estimated 5500 students from over 115 schools to experience a live opera performance at the Wortham Theater Center, many for the first time.

Teacher Workshops whichprovides access to Houston area teachers to HGO's mainstage dress rehearsals preceded by discussionsof curriculum-related subjects addressed through art reached nearly 400 teachers setting a new recordfor this program.The meeting included a presentation featuring special guest Larry Faulkner, President andCEO of Houston Endowment, Inc. in conversation with Anthony Freud. "With a clear focus onexcellence, relevance and affordability, Houston Grand Opera is implementing a groundbreakingmodel for a performing arts company in the 21 st Century," stated Faulkner.

"We at Houston Endowment are pleased and proud to support an enterprise that is achieving so much and contributingso much to the quality of life in our city."Freud also announced the departure of HGO Executive Director Ann Owens, who is relocatingwith her family to Atlanta, GA after 26 years of service to the organization. Ms. Owens joined theHGO staff in 1984 in the production department as schedule coordinator and technical administrator.She served in the position of artist relations coordinator throughout the transition from Jones Hall tothe Wortham Theater Center. Beginning in 1993, she served as artistic administrator for nearly adecade before becoming producing director in 2002, overseeing the technical, costume, wig/makeup,artistic/music administration, Houston Grand Opera Studio and safety departments. She served asinterim general director in 2005 and was named executive director in 2006. "In her various capacitieswith HGO, Ann's value to our company has been unique and immeasurable," said Freud. "She will be greatly missed."

Freud announced a reorganization of the company's management, with the appointment ofHGO's current Technical Director Perryn Leech as Chief Operating Officer and current Chief Development Officer Greg Robertson as Chief Advancement Officer.Longtime Houston Grand Opera supporters Eileen Hricik, Nan Schissler, and Jean Rowleywere honored by the Trustees with their election as Life Trustees. The Trustees also elected Houston business leaders Steve Fulgham and Alfred W. Lasher III to the Board of Directors

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