Chorus Director

Gripping drama, heartfelt emotion, and clever comedy: Il trittico comes to HGO in the company’s first-ever full presentation of Puccini’s masterful trio of one-act operas. Led by acclaimed director James Robinson, the evening begins with Il tabarro, a tale of passion and betrayal set on the Seine, where the lives of a barge captain, his young wife, and her lover intertwine in a tragic crescendo.

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Il trittico

Wortham Theater Center

It’s been 50 years since HGO first presented the Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess, restoring the “folk opera” to its creators’ full original vision in a landmark production that earned HGO both a Tony and a Grammy. Now, audiences have the chance to again experience the cherished American classic that set HGO on its path as a trailblazer, presented in an acclaimed production from director Francesca Zambello.

Porgy and Bess

Wagner’s Tannhäuser receives a highly anticipated new staging from internationally acclaimed director Francesca Zambello—and Houston audiences will be the first to experience her strikingly beautiful production. Lust and love, diametrically opposed forces in the opera’s universe, do battle within the title character’s psyche as the story unfolds. At curtain’s open, Tannhäuser has abandoned his life as a poet who sings of courtly love in favor of the carnal delights of the goddess Venus, spending a rapture-filled year on her magic mountain in the sky. Seeking something more, he renounces her, hoping to find redemption—and a union back home in Germany with his spiritual love Elisabeth. But his epic journey to salvation has been cursed.  

Tannhäuser

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.  

Breaking the Waves

A candle is snuffed, two hands touch in the darkness—and the love story of a poor poet and a young seamstress flares to life, burning until it can burn no more. Since 1896, audiences across the world have felt the powerful pull of Puccini’s heart-wrenching La bohème, with its unforgettable music and irresistible band of bohemians seeking love and life and beauty in belle époque Paris.  

La bohème

Puccini’s beloved Madame Butterfly, with its soaring score and unforgettable tragic story, returns to HGO in a revival of Tony Award-winning director Michael Grandage’s acclaimed production. The opera’s diverse cast will be led by internationally sought-after soprano Ailyn Pérez, who returns to Houston as Cio-Cio-San, the young Japanese girl who marries American naval lieutenant Pinkerton, performed by tenor Yongzhao Yu in his role debut. As the tale unfolds, Cio-Cio-San, abandoned by her husband, raises their son while faithfully waiting for him to return to Japan. When Pinkerton finally reappears, bringing with him a new wife and seeking to take his child back to America, heartbreaking tragedy ensues. The production’s revival, directed by Jordan Braun, stars mezzo-soprano Sun-Ly Pierce as Suzuki, bass-baritone Michael Sumuel as Sharpless, bass William Guanbo Su as the Bonze, and tenor Rodell Rosel as Goro. Maestro Patrick Summers conducts. 

Madame Butterfly

A bale of hay comes to life and plays with a little girl. A headless mannequin holds a lobster on a leash. A confused astronaut wanders amongst a group of choristers while a video of a collapsing glacier plays in the background. These are but a few of the arresting images from Robert Wilson’s mesmerizing vision of the beloved Messiah, composed by Handel and arranged by Mozart.

Chorus Director

Richard Bado

Events

Upcoming events

Apr 17 - May 3, 2026

Messiah · Houston Grand Opera

Past events

Oct 30 - Nov 14, 2025

Il trittico · Houston Grand Opera

Oct 24 - Nov 15, 2025

Porgy and Bess · Houston Grand Opera

Future and recently performed repertoire

Conductor in Porgy and Bess by Gershwin

Houston Grand Opera

About

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