HOUSTON GRAND OPERA ANNOUNCES
ITS 2026-27 SEASON

HGO’S NEW SEASON TO FEATURE SIX OPERAS, INCLUDING TWO AMERICAN MASTERPIECES;
A VERDI CLASSIC; AND BELOVED FAVORITES FROM GOUNOD, MOZART, AND R. STRAUSS

2026-27 SEASON BRINGS A NEW PRODUCTION OF VERDI’S AIDA; A REIMAGINED STAGING
OF FLOYD’S SUSANNAH; AND ACCLAIMED PRODUCTIONS OF GOUNOD’S TRAGIC FAUST, MOZART’S SUBLIME THE MAGIC FLUTE, R. STRAUSS’S SPARKLING DER ROSENKAVALIER, AND KERN’S GROUNDBREAKING SHOW BOAT

HOUSTON—March 25, 2026—Houston Grand Opera (HGO) is proud to announce its 2026-27 season, which includes a visionary new production of Verdi’s adored Aida; a new staging of Carlisle Floyd’s seminal American opera, Susannah; Gounod’s wickedly tragic Faust; Mozart’s brilliantly imaginative The Magic Flute; R. Strauss’s effervescent comedy of manners, Der Rosenkavalier; and Kern’s sweeping American musical, Show Boat. Subscriptions for the 2026-27 season are available to audiences starting today at HGO.org, with single tickets available starting June 16, 2026.

The 2026-27 season will also usher in a new era of leadership at HGO. Joining General Director and CEO Khori Dastoor to guide the company forward is internationally celebrated arts leader and conductor James Gaffigan, who will assume the role of Music Director Designate before becoming Music Director during the 2027-28 season. At the end of the current season, Patrick Summers will become the company’s Music Director Emeritus and holder of the Robert and Jane Cizik Music Director Emeritus Chair.

“We were inspired to choose our theme for next season—written in the stars—because of the luminous stars who will be leading the six extraordinary masterworks we’re planning for our city,” says Dastoor. “These artists, whose names are spoken with reverence in every great house from Vienna to Milan, will shine in grand productions that leave audiences spellbound. This landmark season will mark the return of the brilliant Maestro James Gaffigan to our podium, and to our company, as our new Music Director Designate. We cannot wait to welcome him back, share these monumental works with Houston, and begin our thrilling next chapter.”

“I feel truly fortunate to be joining HGO at such an exciting time for the company, with such a phenomenal season in the works,” says Gaffigan. “Having spent the last decade building my career in Europe, I am overjoyed to return to the city that helped shape me. It feels especially meaningful that my first engagement as a member of this great company will be at the podium for Susannah, a profoundly American work by a composer who enjoyed a long and fruitful relationship with HGO and spent his career mentoring young artists. I look forward to beginning this journey alongside Houston audiences, company supporters, and my new colleagues.”

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, leading to cruel gossip, judgment, and finally, her harrowing assault.

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.

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 Époque 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.

The company’s winter repertoire will launch with Verdi’s Aida, in a visionary new production from director Kaneza Schaal and artist Christopher Myers. 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.

Next, HGO presents Mozart’s The Magic Flute, delightfully reimagined by director/choreographer Renaud Doucet and designer André Barbe for modern audiences. The action now unfolds in a whimsical 19th-century hotel, where a cigar-smoking Queen of the Night leads an underground suffragette movement and chef Sarastro’s kitchen staff guards culinary secrets like sacred Masonic rites. Black-and-white storybook sets, puppetry, and laugh-out-loud visual gags will be brought to life by Mozart’s luminous score, performed with virtuosity by the HGO Chorus and Orchestra and a powerhouse cast.

Tenor Paul Appleby stars as sleepwalking hotel guest 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.

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 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.

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.

In the 1980s, HGO made history of its own by restoring Show Boat to operatic scale—and now, the company is inviting audiences to again experience this treasured classic with 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, 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.

The 2026-27 Season Beyond the Mainstage

Complementing the mainstage season, HGO will engage the Houston community through more programs for students, families, and arts lovers.

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. Subscribers receive complimentary access to this event, with single tickets going on sale with the rest of the 2026-27 season on June 16, 2026.

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. Subscribers enjoy presale access to tickets, which will go on sale to the public on June 16, 2026.

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. Subscribers receive priority access to tickets.

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 Maestro James Gaffigan, to perform two arias each, competing for top honors, cash prizes, and perhaps, an invitation to join the Butler Studio. Subscribers receive priority access to tickets.

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 Student Matinee of Ana María Martínez’s English/Spanish version of The Magic Flute on February 12, 2027, with Show Boat presented in a High School Night performance on May 4, 2027.

This season, HGO is featuring a variety of ticket offerings, from flexible three-opera packages to the full six-opera season. Full subscriptions start as low as $100. Subscriptions and packages for the 2026-27 season are now available at HGO.org. The deadline for subscription renewal is June 4, 2026.

Subscribers to the company’s 2026-27 season will receive a host of benefits, including a 25 percent discount on additional tickets; free tickets to the company’s popular Butler Studio Showcase; a monthly subscriber newsletter; invitations to online and Houston-area events and lectures to enhance their experience at the opera; and access to Opera America’s Opera Passport program, which offers discounted tickets to performances from Lyric Opera of Chicago, San Francisco Opera, and many more companies across the country. Single tickets to all performances, including Family Day, will be available starting June 16, 2026.

As part of HGO’s mission to invite all Houstonians to experience the operatic art form, the company continues to serve audiences through its popular Opening Nights for Young Professionals (ONYP) discounted subscription series; tickets starting at $25 for all productions; discounted single tickets for veterans and active military members, available for 10% off all season; and $25 student tickets to mainstage productions, accessible one month prior to the opening of every performance with a valid student ID.

HGO’s mainstage season will comprise 38 mainstage, 1 family, and 2 student performances of six productions at the Wortham Theater Center’s Brown Theater. Additional details of the upcoming HGO productions are provided below, and more information is available at the company’s website: HGO.org. All repertoire, dates, pricing, productions, and casting are subject to change without notice.

PHOTOS: Photos and video that can be used with coverage of the HGO 2026-27 season announcement news can be found here. All are courtesy of Houston Grand Opera unless otherwise indicated.

About Houston Grand Opera

Houston Grand Opera (HGO) is one of the largest, most innovative, and most highly acclaimed opera companies in the United States. General Director and CEO Khori Dastoor assumed leadership of the organization and responsibility for its strategic vision in 2021. HGO is the only American finalist for Opera Company of the Year in the 2025 International Opera Awards, and the only American company to be nominated three times. In fulfilling its mission to advance the operatic art, to serve the Houston community, and to be a global leader in the future of opera, HGO has led the field in commissioning and producing new works (76 world premieres to date) and in training and nurturing promising young artists and administrators. In 2025, the company launched the Houston Grand Opera record label, enabling it to share American operatic works with a broad international audience. The label’s first release, which captured the 2023 world premiere of company-commissioned opera Intelligence, won the 2026 Grammy Award for Best Opera Recording. HGO contributes to the cultural enrichment of Houston and the nation through a diverse and innovative program of performances, community events, and education projects that reaches the widest possible public. The company’s pioneering Community and Learning initiative has served as a model for other arts organizations. HGO invites all Houstonians to experience superlative opera without the barrier of price through discounted single tickets and subscriptions, subsidized student performances, and free productions.

HGO has toured extensively and has won a Tony, three Grammy awards, and three Emmy awards. It is the only opera company to win all three honors. 

Houston Grand Opera: 2026-27 Season

* Company mainstage debut
# Alternate cast
† Sarah and Ernest Butler Houston Grand Opera Studio artist
‡ Former Butler Studio artist
(Butler Studio artist designations apply to the program’s 2026-27 class; HGO’s announcement of the new season’s members can be found here.)

Floyd: Susannah
Music and libretto by Carlisle Floyd
Performance dates: October 23, 25m, 31, November 6, 8m, 2026
Sung in English with projected English text.

CAST:

Susannah Polk
Angel Blue

Olin Blitch
Rod Gilfry

Sam Polk
Bille Bruley *

Little Bat McLean
Aaron Blake *

Mrs. McLean
Deborah Nansteel *

Elder McLean
Malcolm Mackenzie *

Elder Ott
Ziniu Zhao †

Mrs. Ott
Leia Lensing ‡

Elder Hayes
Martin Luther Clark

Mrs. Hayes
Scarlett Jones *†

Elder Gleaton
Luka Tsevelidze *†

Mrs. Gleaton
Elizabeth Hanje †

CREATIVE TEAM:

Conductor
James Gaffigan

Director
Patricia Racette
Claire Liu and Joe Greenberg Director Chair

Scenic and Projection Designer
Erhard Rom

Costume Designer
Michael Yeargan

Lighting Designer
Eric Southern *

Choreographer
Courtney D. Jones

Chorus Director
Richard Bado ‡

HGO Orchestra
HGO Chorus

By arrangement with Boosey & Hawkes, publisher and copyright owner
A Houston Grand Opera Production

SPONSORS:

Guarantors
Marianne Kah
Laura McWilliams
Terrylin G. Neale
Margaret Alkek Williams

Grand Underwriters
Carlisle Floyd Centennial
ConocoPhillips

Gounod: Faust
Music by Charles Gounod
Libretto by Jules Barbier and Michel Carré
Performance dates: October 30, November 1m, 7, 13, 15m, 2026
Sung in French with projected English translation

CAST: Faust
Matthew Polenzani

Marguerite
Pretty Yende *
Lynn Wyatt Great Artist

Mephistopheles
Ildebrando D'Arcangelo *

Valentin
Sean Michael Plumb

Siebel
Sun-Ly Pierce ‡

Dame Marthe Schwerlein
Deborah Nansteel

Wagner
Sam Dhobhany †

CREATIVE TEAM:

Conductor
Giacomo Sagripanti *

Original Director
David McVicar
Claire Liu and Joe Greenberg Director Chair

Revival Director
Peter Relton *

Scenic Designer
Charles Edwards

Costume Designer
Brigitte Reiffenstuel *

Original Lighting Designer
Paule Constable

Revival Lighting Designer
Michael James Clark

Original Choreographer
Michael Keegan-Dolan

Revival Choreographer
Amit Noy *

Chorus Director
Richard Bado ‡

HGO Orchestra
HGO Chorus

Produced in Association with the Royal Ballet and Opera and Opéra de Monte-Carlo, Opéra de Lille, and Teatro Verdi Trieste

This production was first seen at the Royal Opera House, London on June 11, 2004.

SPONSORS:

Premier Guarantors
Dian and Harlan Stai
The Wortham Foundation, Inc.

Verdi: Aida
Music by Giuseppe Verdi
Libretto by Antonio Ghislanzoni
Performance dates: January 22, 24m, 27, 30, February 3, 5, 7m, 2027
Sung in Italian with projected English translation

CAST:

Aida
Ailyn Pérez
Novum Artist

Radames
Jonathan Tetelman (Jan. 22, 27, 30, Feb. 3, and 7m)
Adam Smith * (Jan. 24m and Feb. 5)

Amneris
Raehann Bryce-Davis

Amonasro
Lucas Meachem

Ramfis
Soloman Howard *

King of Egypt
Grigory Shkarupa *

A Priestess
Elizabeth Hanje †

A Messenger
Luka Tsevelidze †

CREATIVE TEAM:

Conductor
Michele Gamba *

Director
Kaneza Schaal *
Claire Liu and Joe Greenberg Director Chair

Production Conceptual Artist
Christopher Myers *

Scenic Designer
Amy Rubin

Costume Designer
Charlese Antoinette *

Lighting Designer
Pablo Santiago *

Projection/Video Designer
Joshua Higgason *

Chorus Director
Richard Bado ‡

HGO Orchestra
HGO Chorus

A Co-Production of Houston Grand Opera, LA Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, and Opera Philadelphia

SPONSORS:

Premier Guarantor
Houston Grand Opera Endowment, Inc.

Guarantors
Elizabeth and Richard Husseini
Dr. M. Lee Pearce Foundation

Mozart: The Magic Flute
Music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Libretto by Emanuel Schikaneder
Performance dates: January 29, 31m, February 4, 6, 10, 12m (Student Matinee) #, 12, 13m (Family Day) #, 14m, 2027
Sung in German with projected English translation. Student Matinee and Family Day performances will be sung in English and Spanish with an alternate cast (#).

CAST:

Tamino
Paul Appleby
Misael Corralejo *†#

Pamina
Janai Brugger
Alissa Goretsky †#

Papageno
Joshua Hopkins ‡
Geonho Lee †#

Queen of the Night
Aigul Khismatullina *

Sarastro
Grigory Shkarupa
Ziniu Zhao †#

Speaker
Brandon Cedel
Tzvi Bat Asherah *†

Monostatos
Thomas Capobianco *

Papagena
Alicia Gianni ‡

First Lady
Scarlett Jones †

Second Lady
Elizabeth Hanje †

Third Lady
Lauren Randolph †

Two Priests/Armored Men
Luka Tsevelidze †
Sam Dhobhany †

CREATIVE TEAM: Conductor
David Chan *
Josep Gil *#

Director / Choreographer
Renaud Doucet *
Claire Liu and Joe Greenberg Director Chair
Ana María Martínez ‡#

Scenic and Costume Designer
André Barbe *

Puppet Designer
Patrick Martel *

Original Lighting Designer
Guy Simard *

Revival Lighting Designer
Imogen Clarke *

Chorus Director
Richard Bado ‡

HGO Orchestra
HGO Chorus

A Glyndebourne Festival Production

SPONSORS: Premier Guarantor
Dian and Harlan Stai

Principal Guarantor
The Brown Foundation, Inc.

Grand Guarantor
Humphreys Foundation

Guarantor
Janet and John Carrig

R. Strauss: Der Rosenkavalier
Music Richard Strauss
Libretto by Hugo von Hofmannsthal
Performance dates: April 23, 25m, May 1, 5, 7, 2027
Sung in German with projected English translation

CAST:

Marschallin
Tamara Wilson ‡

Octavian
Samantha Hankey *

Sophie
Soraya Mafi *

Baron Ochs
Matthew Rose

Herr von Faninal
Bo Skovhus

Italian Tenor
Galeano Salas *

Marianne Leitmetzerin
Alexandra Loutsion

Annina
Megan Marino

Valzacchi
Rodell Rosel

Attorney
Tzvi Bat Asherah †

Police Commissioner
Sam Dhobhany †

Animal Vendor
Misael Corralejo †

Faninal’s Major Domo
Luka Tsevelidze †

Innkeeper
Martin Luther Clark

Milliner
Alissa Goretsky †

Three Noble Orphans
Scarlett Jones †
Elizabeth Hanje †
Lauren Randolph †

CREATIVE TEAM:

Conductor
Henrik Nánási *

Director
Bruno Ravella
Claire Liu and Joe Greenberg Director Chair

Scenic and Costume Designer
Gary McCann *

Associate Costume Designer
Camille Charara *

Lighting Designer
Malcolm Rippeth *

Chorus Director
Richard Bado ‡

HGO Orchestra
HGO Chorus
HGO Children’s Chorus

Produced in Association with Garsington Opera, Santa Fe Opera, and Irish National Opera

This production was first seen at Garsington Opera in the 2021 season.

SPONSORS:

Premier Guarantor
Dian and Harlan Stai

Guarantor
Drs. Liz Grimm and Jack Roth

Kern/Hammerstein II: Show Boat
Music by Jerome Kern
Book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II
Based on the novel Show Boat by Edna Ferber
Performance dates: April 30, May 2m, 4 (High School Night) #, 6, 8, 9m, 14, 15m #, 15, 16m, 2027
Sung in English with projected English text. High School Night and Saturday matinee performances will be performed with an alternate conductor (#).

CAST:

Magnolia Hawks
Lauren Snouffer ‡

Gaylord Ravenal
Edward Nelson

Julie LaVerne
Isabel Leonard
Novum Artist

Queenie
La’Shelle Q. Allen

Joe
Morris Robinson

CREATIVE TEAM:

Conductor
Patrick Summers
Robert and Jane Cizik Music Director Emeritus Chair<br /> Richard Bado ‡#

Director
Francesca Zambello
Claire Liu and Joe Greenberg Director Chair

Associate Director / Co-Choreographer
Eric Sean Fogel

Scenic Designer
Peter J. Davison

Costume Designer
Paul Tazewell

Lighting Designer
Ken Billington
Sound Designer
Andrew Harper

Co-Choreographer
Eboni Adams

Cultural Consultant
Masi Asare *

Chorus Director
Richard Bado ‡

HGO Orchestra
HGO Chorus

A Co-Production of Houston Grand Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Washington National Opera, and the San Francisco Opera Association

SPONSORS:

Principal Guarantors
Margaret Alkek Williams
The Packard Humanities Institute

Grand Underwriter
The Robert and Jane Cizik Foundation

For more information, please contact Krista Williams or Carla Sacks at Sacks & Co., 212.741.1000.

HGO Media Contact: Catherine Matusow, Houston Grand Opera, 713-546-0293.

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