Houston Grand Opera Will Present Free Summer Programs for Kids and Families

Houston Grand Opera will present a slate of free summer programs for children, bringing engaging arts experiences to communities across Houston. Led by the company's teaching artists, these family-friendly offerings will include music, interactive storytelling, and hands-on activities that invite young audiences to explore the world of opera and the performing arts.

“With summer around the corner, I know parents like me are looking to get their children out of the house, off screens, and engaged in something active and enriching with their peers,” says HGO General Director and CEO Khori Dastoor. “By bringing this free programming to students in libraries, parks, and other spaces across the city, our HGO team is introducing young people to the magic of storytelling through music. I'm especially excited to inspire the next generation with the Storybook Opera offering World Cup Women, just as the FIFA World Cup comes to Houston. We're looking forward to a summer full of discovery and connection with our city.”

"There is something really meaningful about experiencing live performances in an open, welcoming space, surrounded by community. Levy Park offers free programming year-round, including Storybook Opera with HGO,” says Levy Park Program and Events Manager Cristal Razo. “Free, enriching programming for families is at the heart of everything Levy Park stands for. Giving children and their families access to the arts and making sure cost is never the reason a family misses out is something we care deeply about.”

The company will be offering two programs as part of this initiative. Intended for all ages, Meet an Opera Singer! is an interactive program that invites students to engage with a professional artist, ask questions about their career path, and experience their voice through operatic singing.

Storybook Opera (SBO), intended for grades Pre-K-2, brings children's books to life through song as HGO teaching artists present an engaging and enjoyable introduction to opera for students. This summer's featured books include: 

• Fairy Tales: The Three Little Pigs, the beloved childhood classic
  Fairy Tales: Goldilocks and the Three Bears, a perennial favorite
• The Armadillo's Dream by HGO chorister Dennis Arrowsmith, about an armadillo with opera-star dreams
• Hansel and Gretel by Elisabet Abeya, an adaptation of the classic Brothers Grimm tale
• Opera Cat by Tess Weaver, about a cat and her opera-diva owner  
• World Cup Women by Meg Waters, about the inspiring triumph of Team USA during the 2019 World Cup

HGO's Summer Schedule: Free Programs for Children

Harris County Public Library System

June 8 @ 1 p.m.: Galena Park Branch, SBO/The Three Little Pigs
June 9 @ 2 p.m.: South Houston Branch, SBO/The Armadillo's Dream (bilingual English/Spanish)
June 16 @ 11 a.m.: Atascocita Branch, SBO/The Armadillo's Dream (bilingual English/Spanish)
July 7 @ 10:30 a.m.: Katherine Tyra Branch, Bear Creek, SBO/Opera Cat 
July 13 @ 11 a.m.: Aldine Branch, SBO/Goldilocks and the Three Bears (bilingual English/Spanish)
July 20 @ 10:30 a.m. Barbara Bush Branch, SBO/World Cup Women

Levy Park @ 11 a.m. 

June 6: SBO/Goldilocks and the Three Bears
July 11: SBO/World Cup Women

Bellaire City Library

July 7 @ 10:30 a.m.: SBO/Hansel and Gretel

The Woodlands Children's Museum @ 11 a.m. (free with museum admission)

May 27: Meet an Opera Singer!
July 8: SBO/ World Cup Women 
July 29: Meet an Opera Singer!