Lighting Designer

Houston finally gets its chance to see Breaking the Waves, the critically acclaimed contemporary opera from sought-after composer-and-librettist team Missy Mazzoli and Royce Vavrek, which made its world premiere in 2016. Adapted from the art film by Lars von Trier, the story transports audiences to 1970s Scotland, where the impressionable young Bess, part of a strict Calvinist community, wins permission to marry an outsider—the offshore oil rigger Jan. After the impatient lovers consummate their union at their own wedding, Bess embarks on a journey of sexual exploration that is tragically interrupted when Jan is paralyzed in an accident, setting off a series of shocking events that culminates in the unthinkable.  

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Breaking the Waves

Wortham Theater Center

Harpist Destiny Muhammad and her stellar trio team up with guitarist Bobby Young (Cherokee Nation) & saxophonist Richard Howell (Cree Nation heritage) to honor the life and work of saxophonist/ vocalist Jim Pepper. A member of The Free Spirits—a late 1960s jazz-rock group—Pepper was of Kaw and Muscogee Creek Native heritage whose lengthy career was inspired by other notable Native jazz artists, including Don Cherry (Choctaw Nation) For this matinee we honor the Native American legacy in jazz music.

Family Matinee w/ Destiny Muhammad Trio + Special Guests

SFJAZZ Center

Annie is an actress, Henry is a playwright, and fiction is the backdrop to life. Hardly a recipe for a faithful marriage, especially when it started as an affair.

But does it matter how it began if what they have is the real thing?

The Real Thing

The Old Vic

Missy Mazzoli and Royce Vavrek’s heart-wrenching opera tells the story of a woman – isolated, trapped in an extreme environment, with no way out – defending her marriage and defying her community of faith. 

Breaking The Waves

Detroit Opera House

Open to families with children. Adults must be accompanied by a child to attend.

Aptly described by KQED as a jazz “Jedi master,” acclaimed saxophonist, composer, and educator Richard Howell has performed and recorded with musical icons such as Etta James, Ray Charles, B.B. King, and Chaka Khan. He takes the stage with his swinging trio in this Novack Concert for Kids.

Novack Concert for Kids: Richard Howell Ensemble

The Culinary Institute of America at Copia

The 100th anniversary of John Coltrane’s birthday has inspired dozens of performances across the Bay Area this year, but no artist is better equipped to evoke the legacy of the saxophone titan and spiritual seeker than Richard Howell. An acclaimed musician, composer and educator, he defines his performances as “Bridge Music,” a jazz pathway that creates sonic connection across obstacles and differences. It’s music that celebrates diversity as it bridges, unites and merges the experience of all listeners, an approach rooted in the spirit of John Coltrane’s “A Love Supreme.” Howell, who spent years on the road with Etta James, also embraces the contradiction of James Brown’s simple yet intricate African-inspired rhythmic concepts and the deep soulfulness of the Isley Brothers. As a saxophonist and vocalist, he has a gift for connecting to multi-generational audiences with an abiding spirituality that invites all listeners to partake. He’s particularly eager to present an afternoon honoring the spirit and music of John Coltrane, he explains. “I’ve had the blessing of a close relationship with his son, Ravi Coltrane, as my son Elé has been part of Ravi’s rhythm section as a drummer for the past seven years. What I’m envisioning is an acoustic jazz quartet – tenor saxophone, acoustic piano, bass and drums – rooted in the Coltrane tradition, but also reflecting the living continuum of that music.”

Lighting Designer

Richard Howell

Events

Upcoming events

Oct 15, 2026

Richard Howell’s John Coltrane Tribute · Yerba Buena Gardens Festival

Past events

Apr 19 - May 4, 2025

Breaking the Waves · Houston Grand Opera

Nov 16, 2024

Family Matinee w/ Destiny Muhammad Trio + Special Guests · San Francisco Jazz

About

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