Conductor James Gaffigan Leads The Houston Grand Opera Orchestra's First 'Concert Of Arias' Performance

On Friday, January 17, 2025, American conductor James Gaffigan will lead the Houston Grand Opera Orchestra in the 37th annual, newly reimagined "Concert of Arias" featuring finalists of the Eleanor McCollum Competition for Young Singers. This marks the first-ever performance by the HGO Orchestra in the concert (previously accompanied by piano only), bringing an atmosphere of operatic grandeur to this showcase of next-generation talent. This upcoming collaboration represents a long-awaited return for Gaffigan, a Rice University alumnus and former student of Larry Rachleff, who last conducted the HGO in 2011 for a production of The Marriage of Figaro. Gaffigan's passionate support of music education, exceptional ear for young talent and insight and sensitivity in working with top singers make him a fitting conductor for this concert of rising stars.

"The Concert of Arias is a rare opportunity to learn repertoire at the very last minute, as the competition progresses," Gaffigan commented. "The orchestra and I will learn which arias/excerpts will be performed only days before the concert. It's an exciting event spearheaded by a truly forward-thinking company. Many talented young singers get to work with pianists in recital and audition situations, but rarely a professional orchestra. It will be an exciting experience for the competitors, orchestra musicians, judges and public alike."

The Concert of Arias represents the final round in the Eleanor McCollum Competition, spotlighting a small group of highly talented young artists selected following an extensive international search. Winners receive cash prizes and consideration for an invitation to join the prestigious Sarah and Ernest Butler Houston Grand Opera Studio, which provides comprehensive career development for emerging opera singers. In service to its mission of attracting and investing in the finest young artists worldwide, HGO has tripled this year's total Concert of Arias prize purse.

Praised for his "impassioned leadership" (The Wall Street Journal) and "meticulous presentation" (OperaWire), Gaffigan is among the rare American conductors to achieve top-tier status in Europe. He devotes much of his 2024-2025 season to engagements as head of Komische Oper Berlin and Spain's Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía, though he is highly sought-after as a guest conductor by orchestras across North America and worldwide. In January 2025, he returns to roots in both Houston and San Francisco, where he conducts the San Francisco Symphony, having served for three years as the symphony's Associate Conductor under the legendary Michael Tilson Thomas - a role created expressly for Gaffigan. In his upcoming return, he leads the orchestra in a program highlighting Missy Mazzoli's Sinfonia (for Orbiting Spheres) and featuring violin soloist Ray Chen.

Among his other U.S. highlights this season, Gaffigan returns to the Chicago Symphony Orchestra on May 31, 2025, conducting an "American Road Trip" program featuring works by Dvořák, Bernstein and Gershwin. From June 12 to June 14, 2025, Gaffigan leads the National Symphony Orchestra in three concerts spotlighting film music by classical composers, including Bernstein's soundtrack for On the Waterfront and Nino Rota's music for The Godfather. The first of these concerts features GRAMMY Award-winning violinist James Ehnes in a performance of James Newton Howard's Violin Concerto No. 2, while the second incorporates Michael Abels' work Delights and Dances and the third spotlights Abel Pereira in John Williams' Horn Concerto.

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