Houston Grand Opera News

On the morning of September 22, 2015, in Renfrew County, Ontario, a single man went on a killing spree, brutally murdering three ex-partners in their separate homes. The murders devastated the rural Ottawa Valley community where baritone Joshua Hopkins grew up - his sister, Nathalie Warmerdam, was one of these women.

DACAMERA hosted a surprise wish reveal for Brigham, a 15-year-old Houstonian who is battling leukemia. Brigham, an accomplished bassoonist, has a special passion for music and wished for a handcrafted, top-of-the-line instrument and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to perform with professional musicians.

Houston Grand Opera has announced the winners of this year's Concert of Arias, the 33rd Annual Eleanor McCollum Competition for Young Singers.

In keeping with Opera San José's mission to expand accessibility to its work, the company has announced that through the support of generous donors it is able to extend access to its hit virtual production of Jake Heggie's chamber opera, Three Decembers, now making it available on a pay-what-you-can basis for streaming on demand.

February brings another hearty month of world premiere streaming concerts from DACAMERA and Kaufman Music Center. From Orli Shaham and the Daedalus Quartet to Sullivan Fortner and the teen composers of Luna Composition Lab, there are riches aplenty to help us through the winter months.

Composer Huang Ruo joins American Repertory Theater Terrie and Bradley Bloom Artistic Director Diane Paulus for a conversation about his music, recent projects, and his A.R.T. commission, The Weeping Camel, at A.R.T.’s next virtual Behind the Scenes event Tuesday, February 9 at 7:30PM. 

On Friday, February 19, Houston Grand Opera will present the digital world premiere of Songs for Murdered Sisters. Five years ago, Joshua Hopkins’s life changed forever when his sister Nathalie and two other women were murdered by her ex-boyfriend in a spree that is now considered one of the worst cases of domestic violence in Canadian history.

San Francisco Opera’s weekly, free opera streams continue in February with Wagner’s Lohengrin (February 6–7), Mozart’s Così fan tutte (February 13–14), Puccini’s La Rondine (February 20–21) and Verdi’s Falstaff (February 27–28).

As LA Opera anticipates resuming public performances this fall, the company is continuing to look to its artistic future, welcoming the newest member of its leadership team: opera star Russell Thomas, one of today's most prominent tenors, is joining the company as Artist in Residence.

Pennsylvania Ballet announced today the expansion of its leadership and operations team. David Chambers will succeed interim chief development officer Laura Fredricks, as chief advancement officer and chief campaign officer.

Houston Grand Opera has announced the nine finalists for this year’s Concert of Arias, the 33rd Annual Eleanor McCollum Competition for Young Singers, to be presented live from the Wortham Theater Center on February 5, 2020, at 7 p.m. CT.

The Curtis Opera Theatre announces a new virtual offering entitled Opera OnDemand. Available for free online streaming from January 22 through February 1, 2021, the project features beloved duets from the Italian opera canon. Through months of musical preparation, innovative staging techniques, and state-of-the-art video editing, Curtis's rising opera stars perform in custom virtual sets, united in pairs from their individual locations across the globe.

DACAMERA, a Houston-based presenter of chamber music and jazz concerts, announces its virtual programming lineup for January through March.

On Wednesday, Jan 13 (8:30pm PT) Join actor Jonathan Freeman as he shares behind-the-scenes stories from voicing the villain Jafar in the Aladdin franchise and appearances on Broadway in Disney's Mary Poppins, The Little Mermaid, and Beauty and the Beast.

After the triumphant sold-out concert at the Wortham last year—Giving Voice: Lawrence Brownlee and Friends Sing Opera, Gospel, and Standards—internationally renowned tenor Lawrence Brownlee returns with his co-host, celebrated soprano, HGO Studio alumna, and frequent HGO collaborator Nicole Heaston.

RED BULL THEATER today announced the complete cast for the upcoming benefit reading of The African Company Presents Richard III by Carlyle Brown, directed by Carl Cofield, featuring Clifton Duncan, Edward Gero, Dion Johnstone, Paul Niebanck, Antoinette Robinson, Craig Wallace, and Jessika D. Williams. PLEASE NOTE UPDATED CAST INFORMATION.

Fort Worth Opera will host the fourth Teen Opera Club of Texas event, 'Storytelling, Stage Presence, and Standing Ovations,' on Thursday, January 21, 2021, at 6:30 PM CT. 

Opera Philadelphia starts 2021 by inviting fans to an operatic amuse-bouche featuring Lee Hoiby's delightful one-woman opera, Bon Appétit! 

Victor DeRenzi, Artistic Director and Principal Conductor, and Richard Russell, Executive Director, are pleased to announce the casting for the 2021 Winter and Spring Opera Festivals.

Due to the overwhelming demand this holiday season, Opera San José is extending the run of the hit virtual production of Jake Heggie's chamber opera, Three Decembers through January 31, 2021.