Single Tickets On Sale For Houston Grand Opera’s 2026-27 Season
The Wortham stage will host SUSANNAH, SHOW BOAT, AIDA, FAUST, THE MAGIC FLUTE, and DER ROSENKAVALIER.
Houston Grand Opera is offering single tickets to the 2026-27 season at HGO.org. Comprised of 38 performances across six productions, HGO's new season includes two American masterworks, Floyd's seminal opera Susannah and Kern and Hammerstein II's sweeping musical Show Boat; a visionary new production of Verdi's adored Aida; and inventive stagings of Gounod's wickedly tragic Faust, Mozart's brilliantly imaginative The Magic Flute, and R. Strauss's effervescent comedy of manners, Der Rosenkavalier.
“Next season's theme, Written in the Stars, celebrates the international stars set to grace the Wortham stage in six sublime masterpieces from the repertoire,” says HGO General Director and CEO Khori Dastoor. “Houstonians will have the extraordinary opportunity to experience their artistry in productions of awe-inspiring scale and grandeur, realized by some of opera's most brilliant minds. Among the season's many highlights is Kaneza Schaal's breathtaking new production of Aida, which will make its anticipated debut in Houston before traveling to other major houses across the country. We cannot wait to share this grand season of great art with our city.”
HGO will open the 2026-27 season with Susannah, continuing the company's centenary celebrations for opera icon Carlisle Floyd. Set in the hills of Tennessee and inspired by Floyd's own roots as a minister's son, the story follows Susannah, a young woman whose life is shattered after she's seen bathing in a creek by church elders. Shared through a genre-blending score infused with revival hymns and Appalachian folksong—and a libretto, also by Floyd, written in colorful regional dialect—the opera will be presented in a new staging from celebrated soprano-turned-director Patricia Racette. Soprano Angel Blue, an international sensation, makes her role debut as the title character, with leading baritone Rod Gilfry as the Reverend Blitch and rising tenors Bille Bruley and Aaron Blake as Sam and Little Bat. Maestro James Gaffigan conducts the opera in his first engagement as HGO's new Music Director Designate. (Oct. 23 to Nov. 8, 2026)
Also part of HGO's fall repertoire is Gounod's Faust, arriving in a dazzling, dance-infused production from visionary director David McVicar. Reimagined as a tormented composer in Belle Epoque Paris, the title character makes a fateful pact with Mephistopheles: his soul in exchange for youth and sensual pleasure. After Faust sets his sights on the pure-hearted Marguerite, his passion leads to her ruin—but also her salvation. Set to one of the most beloved scores in French opera, Faust is full of iconic moments, from the diabolical “Song of the Golden Calf” to Marguerite's glittering “Jewel Song.” Sublime soprano Pretty Yende makes her company debut as Marguerite, joined by tenor Matthew Polenzani as Faust and bass-baritone Ildebrando D'Arcangelo as Mephistopheles. Giacomo Sagripanti, music director of the Tbilisi Opera House, conducts in his HGO debut. (Oct. 30 to Nov. 15, 2026)
The company's winter repertoire will launch with Verdi's Aida, in a visionary new production from director Kaneza Schaal. Inspired by a diverse array of cultures and art forms from across the globe, this staging blooms with colors, flowers, and dance to share the opera's story of love, betrayal, and sacrifice, set to an iconic score that represents the pinnacle of the Romantic Italian style. Radiant soprano Ailyn Pérez returns to HGO as enslaved Ethiopian woman Aida, with leading tenors Jonathan Tetelman and Adam Smith sharing the role as her love, Egyptian military commander Radames; Grammy Award-winning baritone Lucas Meachem in his role debut as Aida's father, Amonasro; and powerful mezzo-soprano Raehann Bryce-Davis as the revenge-bent Amneris. The celebrated Milanese conductor Michele Gamba makes his company debut at the podium. (Jan. 22 to Feb. 7, 2027)
Next, HGO presents Mozart's The Magic Flute, delightfully reimagined by director/choreographer Renaud Doucet and designer André Barbe. The action now unfolds in a whimsical 19th-century hotel, brought to life by black-and-white storybook sets, puppetry, laugh-out-loud visual gags—and Mozart's luminous score, performed with virtuosity by the HGO Orchestra and Chorus and a powerhouse cast. Tenor Paul Appleby stars as Tamino opposite soprano Janai Brugger as Pamina, with baritone Joshua Hopkins as Papageno, soprano Aigul Khismatullina in her HGO debut as the Queen of the Night, and bass Grigory Shkarupa as Sarastro. David Chan—artistic director of the Taipei Music Academy and Festival, principal conductor of The Apollo Orchestra, and a recently appointed professor of violin at Rice University—conducts in his company debut. (Jan. 29 to Feb. 14, 2027)
Spring will bring Richard Strauss's Der Rosenkavalier, presented in a stylish production from director Bruno Ravella. The staging transports the 18th-century comedy of manners into the chic world of 1950s Vienna, where the glamorous Marschallin is having an affair with the young Count Octavian—until his heart is captured by Sophie, the innocent fiancée of the blundering Baron Ochs. What follows is a delicious mix of mistaken identities, romantic awakenings, and bittersweet partings, all set to Strauss's lush, sparkling score, filled with swirling waltzes and opera's most transcendent final trio. Sublime soprano Tamara Wilson makes her role debut as the Marschallin, with bass Matthew Rose reprising his acclaimed Baron Ochs, and two rising stars in their company debuts, mezzo-soprano Samantha Hankey as Octavian and soprano Soraya Mafi as Sophie. Conductor Henrik Nánási makes his HGO debut in this sumptuous staging of Strauss's most beloved opera. (Apr. 23 to May 7, 2027)
HGO will close the mainstage season with Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II's Show Boat, the American musical that, a century ago, made history with its racially integrated cast and bold portrayal of injustice along the Mississippi. Set aboard the floating theater Cotton Blossom, the story traces the intertwined lives of performers navigating decades of love, loss, and prejudice—backed by a sweeping score that's influenced by genres from spirituals to ragtime to jazz. The groundbreaking musical returns to HGO in an acclaimed production by Francesca Zambello, performed by a cast of superstars. Mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard makes her role debut as Julie, with soprano Lauren Snouffer as Magnolia, baritone Edward Nelson as Gaylord Ravenal, and bass Morris Robinson as Joe, whose haunting number, “Ol' Man River,” captures the ceaseless roll of the Mighty Mississippi. Making his first return to HGO in his new role as Music Director Emeritus, Maestro Patrick Summers conducts. (Apr. 30 to May 16, 2027)
HGO will offer a series of themed experiences at the Wortham Theater Center during select mainstage performances of the 2026-27 season. These include Military Appreciation Day (Nov. 8, 2026, Susannah); Noche de Ópera, celebrating Houston's Hispanic and Latin American communities (Feb. 3, 2027, Aida); Pride Night (May 15, 2027, Show Boat); and a series of mixers for Overture, HGO's LGBTQIA+ social group, at Faust (Nov. 7, 2026), The Magic Flute (Feb. 6, 2027), and Show Boat (also Pride Night, May 15, 2027). The company also will host Under 40 Friday evenings for younger audiences featuring $40 tickets for each production, accessible after successful age verification; dates to be announced.
HGO's 2026-27 mainstage season will include two special performances that will allow Houston-area students to experience the magic of opera during a night out at the Wortham Theater Center. The company will host a bilingual English/Spanish Student Matinee performance of The Magic Flute, directed by Ana María Martínez, on February 12, 2027, with Show Boat presented in a High School Night performance on May 4, 2027. Interested educators may contact Nicholas Chavez at 713-980-8676 or Groups@.
Complementing the mainstage season, HGO will engage the Houston community through more programs for students, families, and arts lovers. With the exception of Giving Voice, tickets to these performances will be available alongside single tickets to HGO's mainstage season starting June 16, 2026 at HGO.org.
Launching the new season on September 13, 2026 is a fan-favorite event, HGO's annual Butler Studio Showcase, performed by the exceptional emerging artists training with the Sarah and Ernest Butler Houston Grand Opera Studio. Returning and new members will showcase their talents as they present a selection of fully staged, costumed excerpts from a variety of operatic works.
On February 13, 2027, the company will present its third annual Family Day, following the success of its first two sold-out events. HGO Family Day Presents The Magic Flute will feature a 90-minute, bilingual English/Spanish, relaxed-environment performance of the opera the company is presenting as part of its winter repertoire. Directed by celebrated soprano Ana María Martínez, an HGO favorite, this show is perfect for young guests, complete with kid-centric lobby activities.
February 19, 2027 will bring HGO's eighth annual Giving Voice, a treasured company tradition that highlights the extraordinary artistry and lasting contributions of Black artists in opera and song. Special for 2027, an opera star adored by audiences across the world—the soprano Angel Blue, who also performs the role of Susannah in the fall—will headline the concert. Tickets will be available in January 2027.
On February 26, 2027, HGO will present the 39th annual Concert of Arias, the culminating live round of the Eleanor McCollum Competition for Young Singers. A select group of exceptional emerging artists—chosen through a rigorous international search—will take the stage with the HGO Orchestra, led by HGO Music Director Designate James Gaffigan, to perform two arias each, competing for top honors, cash prizes, and perhaps, an invitation to join the Butler Studio.
