Misplaced Pages

#829170

42-659: In 1955, the German-born impresario Walter Herbert and Houstonians Elva Lobit, Edward Bing, and Charles Cockrell founded the company. Its inaugural season featured two performances of two operas, Salome (starring Brenda Lewis in the title role) and Madama Butterfly . David Gockley succeeded Walter Herbert as general director in 1972. During Gockley's tenure, the company began regularly commissioning and producing new works, primarily from American composers. Gockley remained as general director until 2005. Anthony Freud succeeded Gockley as general director in 2005, and held

84-509: A four-year series titled East + West . Recent HGOco premieres include Laura Kaminsky and Mark Campbell/Kimberly Reed's Some Light Emerges, about Houston philanthropist and humanitarian Dominique de Menil and her quest to create the Rothko Chapel; Gregory Spears and Royce Vavrek's O Columbia, realized through the collaboration of Houston-based NASA astronauts, scientists, and engineers; and David Hanlon and Stephanie Fleischmann's After

126-483: A large steel structure with moving lights, projection screens for live-feed video and still images, and a big sound system. It was designed for large outdoor venues but could be adapted for other locations. HGO used it several times for outdoor performances in Houston and on tour, and once for an indoor production of Stephen Sondheim's A Little Night Music in 1999. Its last use in Houston was the night of June 8, 2001, in

168-497: A live performance to an audience in another location. (The Royal Opera, Covent Garden, was the only other company at the time to have staged a similar event.) The performance of Rossini's La Cenerentola featuring mezzo-soprano Cecilia Bartoli that was taking place inside the Wortham Theater Center's Brown Theater was projected in real time onto a large screen mounted on the outside of the theater building. The event

210-551: A production of Carmen at Houston's Miller Outdoor Theatre. That night, Tropical Storm Allison struck Houston, where the storm's worst flooding occurred. The two remaining performances in Houston were canceled, although the production went on tour as scheduled on June 15 and 16 to the Mann Center in Philadelphia. The effects of the storm, along with the impact of 9/11 and the collapse of Enron just months afterward, led to

252-660: A series of master classes with legendary Finnish conducting teacher Jorma Panula and continued studies with Bernard Haitink , Neeme Järvi and Valery Gergiev . Educated at the University of Edinburgh , Lowe continued his development as Benjamin Zander Conducting Fellow with the Boston Philharmonic , and has studied with leading conductors in master classes, including Jorma Panula, Neeme Järvi, Bernard Haitink and with Valery Gergiev and

294-562: A temporary space created in an exhibit hall at the George R. Brown Convention Center, after the Wortham Theater Center was closed due to flooding from Hurricane Harvey in August 2017. Leech stood down as managing director of the company in December 2020. In June 2021, the company announced the appointment of Khori Dastoor as its next general director and CEO, effective January 2022. Dastoor

336-727: A two-decade period after relocating in 1976 from Tallahassee, Florida, to accept the M.D. Anderson Professorship at the University of Houston School of Music (now the Moores School of Music). In 1977, he cofounded the Houston Grand Opera Studio, HGO's young artist training program, which was initially a joint program between HGO and the University of Houston, and was an active participant in training Studio artists. The John Adams opera Nixon in China debuted at

378-569: Is a bridge convention advocated by Walter Herbert, based on the idea that a negative response in a variety of situations can be made by making the cheapest possible suit response, e.g. as a response to a forcing two-bid. James Lowe (conductor) James Lowe is an orchestra conductor and current Music Director of the Spokane Symphony in Spokane, WA , beginning in the 2019–2020 season. He assumed his role of Chief Conductor of

420-597: Is the first woman ever named to the posts. The Houston Grand Opera Orchestra consists of 49 part time professional musicians and plays all Houston Grand Opera performances. The orchestra is a member of the Regional Orchestra Players Association and is a per service orchestra. No music director was appointed during the Walter Herbert years (1955–72) until 1971, when longtime assistant conductor and chorus master Charles Rosekrans

462-960: The London Symphony Orchestra . He has worked as Assistant Conductor to Haitink in performances with the Concertgebouw Orchestra in Amsterdam. One of two prizewinners in the Tokyo International Music Competition for Conducting and special prize winner in the Jorma Panula International Competition, he has appeared in performance with the Osaka and Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestras, the Trondheim Symphony Orchestra ,

SECTION 10

#1732791791830

504-1139: The Moscow Chamber Orchestra , the St. Petersburg Academic Symphony Orchestra, the New Japan Philharmonic , the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra , the Hallé Orchestra , the BBC Philharmonic , Scottish Ballet , the orchestra of Welsh National Opera , the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra , and the Edinburgh Contemporary Music Ensemble as well as working with numerous other ensembles in many European countries, South Africa and

546-705: The Prussian Chamber Orchestra for the 2015/16 season. His work as Artistic Director of the Hallé Harmony Youth Orchestra was featured in a four-part documentary shown in the UK on Channel 4 in 2010. A recipient of the Bernard Haitink Fund for Young Talent, Lowe is Principal Conductor of the Edinburgh Contemporary Music Ensemble, Principal Guest Conductor of Music for Everyone, Orchestras Advisor and conductor of

588-639: The Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris and by a number of opera companies in the United States. In addition to commissioning and premiering new works, HGO has played a role in bringing certain existing works to the attention of the opera world. HGO presented a "triumphant" and "groundbreaking" production of Porgy and Bess in 1976 that restored portions of the work that had been cut for previous productions (including some made by composer George Gershwin himself for

630-715: The Wayback Machine ; tenors Bruce Ford , Carroll Freeman and Norman Reinhardt ; baritones Richard Paul Fink , and Scott Hendricks ; bass-baritones Greer Grimsley , Ryan McKinny Archived 2018-06-28 at the Wayback Machine , and Eric Owens ; and bass Eric Halfvarson . Other alumni include HGO Chorus Master Richard Bado, composer/conductor David Hanlon , former Lyric Opera of Kansas City Artistic Director Ward Holmquist, conductor/arranger/composer James Lowe , conductor/pianist Eric Melear , conductor Evan Rogister , and conductor/pianist Craig Terry. The HGO Young Artists Vocal Academy, established in 2011 and administered by

672-681: The Wortham Theater Center in 1987. It was co-commissioned by the Houston Grand Opera, the Brooklyn Academy of Music, Netherlands Opera and the Washington Opera. HGO has commissioned and premiered 15 chamber operas created for children/families. These chamber works are staged and are approximately 45 minutes long. HGO has presented seven American premieres. Among them, the most significant are

714-482: The 1977 Grammy Award for Best Opera Recording. Scott Joplin's Treemonisha , which comprises a variety of musical styles even though it is often called a "ragtime opera," received its first fully staged performances at Houston Grand Opera in 1976 with a score HGO commissioned from ragtime expert Gunther Schuller . Treemonisha also toured to Broadway and was recorded. In 1984, Houston Grand Opera began using supertitles on all non-English productions, becoming one of

756-526: The American premiere in Houston, HGO was also invited to bring the production to the Park Avenue Armory as part of the 2014 Lincoln Center Festival. During the 2017–18 season, HGOco began a web-only series of 15-minute operas titled Star-Cross'd, based on true stories with a Romeo and Juliet theme. The series pilot, "Boundless," by composer Avner Dorman and librettist Stephanie Fleischmann,

798-616: The Eleanor McCollum Competition for Young Singers, was inaugurated in 1989 to help identify a pool of potential international artists for the Studio. Studio alumni include sopranos Jan Grissom, Marquita Lister, Ana María Martínez , Edrie Means, Erie Mills , Albina Shagimuratova , Heidi Stober , Rachel Willis-Sørensen , and Tamara Wilson ; mezzo-sopranos Jamie Barton , Joyce DiDonato , Denyce Graves , Susanne Mentzer , and Marietta Simpson Archived 2017-11-01 at

840-491: The HGO Studio, is a one-week intensive program for undergraduate vocal music students. Participants selected for the program receive training that includes daily voice lessons and coachings as well as classes in characterization, movement, diction, and score preparation. HGOco (see below) offers training to high school juniors and seniors. In 2007, HGO established HGOco, an initiative designed to create partnerships between

882-427: The Houston Grand Opera Studio. Houston Grand Opera's young artist development program, the Houston Grand Opera Studio, was founded in 1977 to help young artists make the transition between their academic training and professional careers. The HGO Studio primarily trains young singers and pianist/coaches but has also trained aspiring conductors in a residency program of up to three years. An annual competition, now called

SECTION 20

#1732791791830

924-573: The New Orleans Opera's La traviata ; but Hollywood apparently interfered with those plans.) At the bridge table in the 1930s, Herbert was one member of the Austria national team led by Paul Stern . The team won four of the first six European teams championships, with Herbert playing in 1933 and 1937. The 1937 field included two teams from the United States and doubled as the first world championship tournament. The Herbert Negative

966-460: The New York premiere in 1935), thus allowing the public to experience the original vision for the work and making it clear that it was indeed an opera. After the Houston premiere, the production, featuring Donnie Ray Albert as Porgy and Clamma Dale as Bess and conducted by John DeMain, toured to Broadway and won a 1977 Tony Award for Most Innovative Production of a Revival. The complete recording won

1008-797: The Senior Orchestra of the National Youth Orchestra of Scotland and held the position of Associate Conductor of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra . Lowe is also Artistic Advisor of the Nottingham Youth Orchestra , with whom he began his orchestral career. Lowe was born in Nottingham . His first venture into the world of music was the study of the viola . He began viola lessons aged 13 and later went on to study

1050-722: The Storm, about the impact that Hurricane Ike and the Great Storm of 1900 had upon Galveston and the Gulf Coast. Song cycles have also been created in cooperation with workers in the Houston Ship Channel, the veterans community, and the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. HGOco also administers: HGO has been commissioning and premiering new works since 1974. These include full-length operas for

1092-458: The USA. In June 2019, Lowe was announced as Music Director for the Spokane Symphony from a pool of five candidates who conducted the orchestra for a "Classics" concert during the 2018-2019 season. He began full-time direction for the orchestra’s 2019-2020 season. Lowe is also active as a teacher of conducting and is undertaking research exploring ways in which orchestras can meaningfully engage with

1134-738: The company and the community. HGOco's first project, the ongoing Song of Houston initiative , creates new works focused on people and groups in Houston—the most culturally diverse city in the United States, according to a report of the Kinder Institute for Urban Research and the Hobby Center for the Study of Texas. For its first commissioned work in 2007, The Refuge, by Christopher Theofanidis and Leah Lax, HGOco identified seven statistically significant immigrant communities in Houston and

1176-771: The creators began interviewing residents of those communities. The libretto was created from the actual words of some of the residents, and the premiere included performances by members from these communities. In 2009, HGOco received the Leading Lights Diversity Award in Arts and Culture from the National MultiCultural Institute (NCMI) for Song of Houston . As of May 2018, HGOco has premiered 22 new works, including eight short chamber operas focusing on various Asian communities in Houston, which were commissioned and premiered during

1218-436: The first opera companies in the United States to do so. HGO was one of the first opera companies in the United States (and possibly the first) to offer descriptive services for patrons with vision loss. It has offered descriptive services since the 1987–88 season, the inaugural season in the Wortham Theater Center. The service is offered free of charge and by request for any performance with 48 hours notice. In 1989, HGO became

1260-400: The first performing arts organization in Houston and the second major U.S. opera company to establish its own archives and resources center. The archives/resource center is named for the late Genevieve P. Demme, a longtime trustee and historian of Houston Grand Opera Association. On November 10, 1995, Houston Grand Opera became the first performing arts company in the United States to simulcast

1302-480: The first staged version of Handel's Rinaldo in 1975 (a concert version had been given in 1972 by the Handel Society of New York), starring Marilyn Horne in the title role and Samuel Ramey as Argante; Rossini's La donna del lago in a new critical edition in 1981, and more recently, Weinberg's The Passenger , a long-suppressed Holocaust opera composed in 1968 and performed by HGO in 2014. Besides presenting

Houston Grand Opera - Misplaced Pages Continue

1344-586: The great singers of his day, and gave many of them their start in the opera world. In April 1948, during Herbert's regime in New Orleans, the young Mario Lanza made one of his very few operatic stage appearances, as Lieutenant Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly ; under Herbert's baton and Armando Agnini 's stage direction. (It was announced in May 1948 that Lanza had accepted the role of Alfredo Germont, in

1386-447: The instrument privately with John White . He then studied music at the University of Edinburgh gaining a First Class Honours degree in music. Lowe's first conducting experience was with the Nottingham Youth Orchestra , with whom he conducted Shostakovich's Symphony No 5 in D minor. Having conducted most of the main ensembles at the University of Edinburgh during his time as a student there Lowe continued his study of conducting in

1428-443: The main stage and chamber works with a community focus or for children/families. The relationship between HGO and composer Carlisle Floyd is the longest ongoing relationship of any composer with an organization. HGO has commissioned five works from Floyd: Bilby's Doll (1976), Willie Stark (1981), The Passion of Jonathan Wade (new version, 1991), Cold Sassy Tree (2000), and Prince of Players (2016). Floyd lived in Houston for

1470-419: The post until 2011. Following Freud's departure, joint leadership was shared between Patrick Summers, who had been music director at HGO since 1998, and Perryn Leech, who joined the company in 2006 and became chief operating officer in 2010. Summers took the titles of artistic director and music director, and Leech became managing director. For the 2017–2018 season, HGO performed at the 'HGO Resilience Theater',

1512-661: The retirement of the Multimedia Modular Stage, which was costly to assemble and disassemble. In the fall of 2000, HGO devised and implemented a system of plasma and projection screens mounted in the Grand Tier and Balcony sections of the larger of the two halls in the Wortham Theater Center. This system—designed to provide close-up views of the action on stage and improve sightlines in the unusually steep Grand Tier and Balcony areas—was called OperaVision and received mixed appraisals from opera patrons. OperaVision

1554-745: Was appointed the first general director of the New Orleans Opera Association, which post he held until 1954. He founded the Houston Grand Opera in 1955, where he remained as both general director and conductor until 1972; and was music director of Opera/South (founded by Sister M. Elise Sisson, SBS) in Jackson, Mississippi . He founded the San Diego Opera in 1965, and was its general director and conductor from 1969 until his death. Herbert worked with most of

1596-616: Was discontinued at the end of the 2004–05 season. Walter Herbert (conductor) Walter Herbert ( né Seligmann; February 18, 1898 – September 14, 1975) was an American conductor and impresario of German birth, and also a world champion at contract bridge . He was born Walter Seligmann in Frankfurt , and studied composition under Arnold Schoenberg in Vienna . He gained experience as conductor in Germany and Switzerland , and

1638-482: Was free to the public. The audience was seated on the Ray C. Fish Plaza outside the theater, which prompted HGO to call the event a Plazacast. HGO held free public Plazacasts each year through the 2004–05 season (HGO's 50th season). In April 2005, the company simulcast both a performance of Gounod's Romeo and Juliet and its 50th anniversary gala concert. In May 1998, Houston Grand Opera unveiled its Multimedia Modular Stage,

1680-713: Was later appointed chief conductor at the Vienna Volksoper (1931–38). His operatic debut was with Carmen , at the Stadttheater Bern in 1925. Shortly before the 1938 Anschluss of Germany and Austria, Herbert visited Japan to introduce modern western classical music to that country. From there he migrated to the United States , and became an American citizen in 1944. Herbert was director of Opera in English ( San Francisco , 1940–43); and in 1943

1722-457: Was named. Later music directors/principal conductors include Chris Nance (1974–77), John DeMain (1977–94), and Vjekoslav Šutej (1994–97). Patrick Summers has been the music director since 1998. With the 2019–20 season, Eun Sun Kim became principal guest conductor, the first female conductor ever to hold the post. The Houston Grand Opera Chorus has been led since 1988 by chorus master Richard Bado, an alumnus of HGO's young artist training program,

Houston Grand Opera - Misplaced Pages Continue

1764-526: Was released online April 20, 2018. Two more episodes are scheduled for release during 2019. In 2010, HGO commissioned and premiered the world's first "mariachi opera", composed by the late José "Pepe" Martínez, the longtime music director of the ensemble Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán , with a libretto by Leonard Foglia. This work, titled Cruzar la Cara de la Luna/To Cross the Face of the Moon, has been performed at

#829170