At its meeting today, the Board of Directors of Houston Grand Opera Association, Inc., extended Anthony Freud's contract as General Director and CEO through July 31, 2015. Freud, formerly the General Director of Welsh National Opera (UK) took the helm at HGO in 2006.
"On behalf of the Board of Directors of the Houston Grand Opera Association, I am very pleased to announce the extension of Anthony Freud's contract," stated Glen Rosenbaum, Chairman since 2009. "It is indicative of the regard in which we hold Anthony, and the trust that the Board, Trustees, and staff all have in his leadership and vision. Anthony is the best in the business, and we are thrilled that he will continue to lead the company." During the last five years, HGO's seasons have been of outstanding quality, highly innovative, and extremely popular. Freud stated, "I want to continue taking the company, the art form and especially the audience on a journey of discovery. We need always to be moving ahead, exploring, breaking new ground, innovating. Needless to say, that carries with it a certain amount of risk. But without risk, there can be no new discoveries, and we fail in our responsibilities to the audience, to the richly diverse city we serve, and to the art itself."
"One of the great delights of my time at HGO has been my close working partnership with our wonderful Music Director Patrick Summers," said Freud. Summers responded, "Anthony is the finest and most supportive artistic collaborator I've had in my career. His integral and rigorous knowledge, his personal and professional integrity, intelligence and strength of character are an anchor to HGO at this important moment in the company's history. I look forward with great joy to continuing our work together."Another highlight of Freud's tenure at Houston Grand Opera has been the establishment of HGOco - a ground-breaking initiative to establish dynamic and evolving relationships with communities throughout the city of Houston, which has reached more than 600,000 people during its first three years of activities. In 2009, its Song of Houston program won the Leading Lights Diversity Award from the National MultiCultural Institute.
On arrival at HGO in 2006, Freud led the creation and implementation of the company's first comprehensive strategic and business plan, which is regarded as a blueprint for a twenty-first-century opera company. Speaking at the company's Annual Meeting in June, 2010, Larry Faulkner, CEO of Houston Endowment, Inc., which is one of the company's most generous supporters, stated, "With a clear focus on excellence, relevance and affordability, Houston Grand Opera is implementing a groundbreaking model for a performing arts company." Under Freud's leadership, the company's fundraising, marketing and audience development activities have been elevated, with the result that the company has raised over sixty million dollars in contributed support in the last thirty-eight months, and increased its subscription audience by thirty-eight percent.
Freud, who is currently serving a second term as Chairman of the Board of Opera America, is a Barrister and holds a law degree from the University of London King's College. He was previously General Director of Welsh National Opera (U.K.) for eleven years, and Executive Producer for Philips Classics. He served as Chairman of Opera Europa, and, for a decade, chaired the jury of the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World Competition. In 2006, he was awarded the honor of Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) by Queen Elizabeth II, and honorary fellowships at both the University of Cardiff and the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. (Full biography follows).
