Houston Grand Opera Adds Three World Premieres, & More to New Season Roster

Houston, August 17, 2015-Houston Grand Opera's (HGO) 2015-16 season showcases the vibrant and diverse artistic mix that marks HGO as a leading 21st-century American opera company: Wagner's Siegfried, the third installment of La Fura dels Baus's imaginative Ring cycle featuring a new generation of Wagnerians; the world premiere of Prince of Players by eminent American composer Carlisle Floyd, the Lynn Wyatt Great Artist for 2015-16; Dvoák's fairy tale rarity Rusalka; a holiday revival of family favorite The Little Prince from the award-winning composer Rachel Portman and librettist Nicholas Wright; a new production of The Marriage of Figaro; a new-to-Houston Eugene Onegin; a beloved core production, Tosca; and the Houston debut of Broadway sensation Rob Ashford's take on the classic musical Carousel. Through its community collaboration program HGOco, the company will present two additional world premieres: O Columbia, a chamber opera by composer Gregory Spears and librettist Royce Vavrek that examines the past, present, and future of the American spirit of exploration; and The Root of the Wind is Water, a chamber opera by composer David Hanlon and librettist Stephanie Fleischmann about the impact of hurricanes on the Texas Gulf coast.

HGO Artistic and Music Director Patrick Summers notes, "Operas are sometimes built around lofty themes, attempting to illuminate something higher than 'mere' humanity. Excitingly, the entirety of HGO's 2015-16 season is built around idealistic characters engaged in epic and universal human journeys, and through them we connect to our own journeys. The centerpiece of our season, Carlisle Floyd's daring Prince of Players, is about the theater of life itself, and the variously painful and joyous meanings of the word façade."

HGO Managing Director Perryn Leech adds, "The Ring represents the most ambitious of operatic tradition, and Prince of Players honors HGO's great tradition of embracing the new. The Little Prince, which HGO premiered in 2003, is now a beloved family staple, and the two HGOco commissions draw directly on stories that shaped the region. The breadth of this season's offerings will connect with and enrich our community's cultural life from many vantage points."

Details of these upcoming Houston Grand Opera productions are provided below, and more information is available at the company's website: HGO.org.

HGO's first installment of Catalan theater company La Fura dels Baus's visionary Ring cycle was deemed "thoroughly mesmerizing" (Houston Press). As Opera News put it, "The extraordinary quality of this production lies in how effectively it unleashes the potential and profoundest significances of the...story." Along with director Carlus Padrissa's cutting-edge visuals and acrobats in tableaux of human scenery, the ground-breaking cycle also features a stellar cast of rising Wagnerians.

In HGO's third installment of the epic cycle, Siegfried, Scottish bass-baritone Iain Paterson returns to continue his first staged performances as Wotan/The Wanderer, and the fiendishly difficult title role will be sung by American tenor Jay Hunter Morris, whose last-minute portrayal at the Met in 2011, characterized by "admirably clean and clear singing" (New York Times), brought him international accolades. Morris recently gave tour-de-force performances as The Narrator in HGO's world premiere of Iain Bell and Simon Callow's A Christmas Carol. He is joined by Christine Goerke, continuing her first staged U.S. appearances as Brünnhilde. After hearing Goerke sing Strauss in 2013, New Yorker critic Alex Ross proclaimed her "the most potent dramatic soprano to appear at the Met since-well let's not jinx her by naming names." Filipino tenor Rodell Rosel returns as an "appropriately acidic" (Dallas Morning News) Mime.

Patrick Summers, who achieved "exceptionally rich orchestral color" (Opera News) in Das Rheingold, will lead from the pit.

Prince of Players: world premiere by American master composer Carlisle Floyd (March 5-13)

HGO's ties with composer Carlisle Floyd, the Lynn Wyatt Great Artist 2015-16, are among the longest of any opera company and composer in history, spanning nearly 40 years. In 1976, HGO premiered Floyd's Bilby's Doll, the first of four Floyd world premieres by HGO, including Willie Stark (1981), The Passion of Jonathan Wade (new version, 1991), and Cold Sassy Tree (2000). In 1977, Floyd joined HGO General Director David Gockley in co-founding and co-directing the Houston Grand Opera Studio, one of the nation's first professional training programs sponsored by an opera company.

Now HGO is proud to premiere the 89-year-old composer's latest opera, Prince of Players. A chamber opera in two acts, the opera departs from the American subjects that occupied Floyd's previous operatic work. Instead, it is a high-spirited period piece that examines the fluidity of sexuality and gender roles. Prince of Players is based on the play Compleat Female Stage Beauty by Jeffrey Hatcher and tells the story of Edward Kynaston, the last male actor playing female roles in 17th- century England.

The role of Kynaston will be sung by American baritone Ben Edquist, an HGO Studio artist. Armenian soprano Mane Galoyan, also an HGO Studio artist, will sing Margaret Hughes, his dresser. King Charles II will be sung by tenor Chad Shelton, an HGO Studio alumnus who most recently appeared as Froh in HGO's 2014 performances of Das Rheingold. Tenor Joseph Evans, who sang the role of Curley in HGO's production of Carlisle Floyd's Of Mice and Men, will sing Sir Charles Sedley. HGO Studio alumnus Scott Quinn, who HGO audiences will remember as Pirelli in Sweeney Todd earlier this year, will sing Villiers, Duke of Buckingham.

Three members of the creative team will be making their HGO debuts: English director Michael Gieleta has worked extensively in theater as well as at companies such as Santa Fe Opera and Chicago Opera Theater; set designer Shoko Kambara's work has been seen at Opera Philadelphia and The Juilliard School; and costume designer Gregory Gale was recently nominated for Tony Awards for his Broadway work on Cyrano de Bergerac and Rock of Ages. Patrick Summers will conduct.

Rusalka: evocative new-to-Houston production features Houston favorite Ana María Martínez in title role (January 29-February 12)

HGO presents Dvoák's lyrical fairy tale for the first time since 1990, in a production by the Tony and Olivier nominated theater director Melly Still that premiered at Glyndebourne in 2009. That production featured Houston favorite soprano Ana María Martínez (Lynn Wyatt Great Artist 2010-11) as the ill-fated wood nymph Rusalka, a role she

reprised last year at Lyric Opera of Chicago and will also perform at HGO. Critical to the performance is the character's ability to hold the stage after surrendering her power of speech in exchange for becoming human. Opera News declared Martínez's portrayal to be "one of the great soprano performances of the present era" in that house.

The Prince will be sung by the American tenor Brian Jagde in his HGO debut. A winner of the Birgit Nilsson Prize at the Operalia competition, he is an alumnus of San Francisco Opera's Merola and Adler young artist programs. Richard Paul Fink, the Grammy Award-winning HGO Studio alumnus who was last seen at HGO in Lohengrin (2009), will sing Vodník, the Water Goblin. Jeibaba the witch will be sung by mezzo-soprano and HGO Studio alumna Jill Grove, who recently played the role at Lyric Opera of Chicago and New Orleans Opera. Soprano Maida Hundeling, a frequent guest at Prague State Opera, will make her HGO debut in the role of the Foreign Princess.

English director Donna Stirrup is the Revival Director; Rusalka will be conducted by Harry Bicket, chief conductor of Santa Fe Opera and music director of The English Concert.

The Little Prince: revival of popular HGO commission continues cycle of holiday operas (December 4-20)

For the 2003 world premiere production of The Little Prince, commissioned through a generous gift of Kathryn and David Berg in honor of Larry Pfeffer, HGO brought together a stellar creative team: composer Rachel Portman, whose score for the film Emma won an Oscar and who has since penned the scores to Beloved and Belle; British librettist Nicholas Wright, an Olivier Award-winning theater director; and Francesca Zambello, a long-time collaborator with HGO who is now artistic director of Washington National Opera and the Glimmerglass Festival. The sets and costumes were designed by the late Maria Bjørnson of Phantom of the Opera fame. Based on the classic children's story by Antoine de Saint- Exupéry, this appealing work has been called "an enchanting opera that is both faithful to the book and satisfying to the child and adult alike" (Financial Times). The Little Prince returned to HGO in December 2004, and has been performed across the country as well as on BBC television in the U.K.

In this production, newcomers Andy Jones of Houston and Cohle H. Smith of Humble will alternate in the role of The Little Prince. HGO Studio alumnus Joshua Hopkins reprises his 2004 portrayal of The Pilot, in which he displayed a "clarion baritone and an appealing, warm stage presence" (Houston Press). The Snake/Vain Man will be sung by American tenor John Kapusta, who recently played the role at Washington National Opera and will be making his HGO debut. HGO Studio Artist Sofia Selowsky will sing The Fox. Ellen Douglas Schlaefer will be the Revival Director, and HGO's Bradley Moore conducts in his HGO main-stage debut.

The Marriage of Figaro: Michael Grandage's nimble new staging co-produced by HGO; role debut for Lauren Snouffer (January 22-February 7)

In 2012 the multiple-award-winning theater director Michael Grandage created one of only a few operatic projects: a staging of Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro co-produced by HGO and the Glyndebourne Festival. Set in Franco's Spain of the 1960s, the production was hailed for its beauty, with sets and costumes by award-winning designer Christopher Oram, and for affirming "Mozart's comic masterpiece as both of its time and perennially modern" (Sunday Times). HGO is delighted to bring this elegant staging to Houston under the direction of Ian Rutherford, who worked with Grandage and toured the production following its Glyndebourne run.

For this Figaro, HGO Artistic and Music Director Patrick Summers has assembled a cast of rising stars, starting with Glyndebourne's 2013 Figaro, Czech baritone Adam Plachetka, and Count, HGO Studio alumnus Joshua Hopkins. The Guardian noted that "Plachetka's passionate directness offsets....Hopkins's manipulative suavity."

Soprano Ailyn Pérez appears as the Countess, returning to HGO after a moving portrayal of Desdemona in last fall's Otello, singing with "a velvet sheen" (Houston Press). In an unusual approach to Cherubino, the role will be sung by soprano Lauren Snouffer (rather than the usual mezzo-soprano), an HGO Studio alumna who gave a "resplendent" (New

York Times) performance as Agnes in Tanglewood's 2013 concert version of George Benjamin's Written on Skin. This will be a professional role debut. Rising star Heidi Stober, also an HGO Studio alumna, will take the role of Susanna.

Harry Bicket, chief conductor of Santa Fe Opera and music director of The English Concert, will conduct, making his HGO debut.

Eugene Onegin: Houston first for acclaimed Robert Carsen production (October 30-November 13)

Tchaikovsky's beloved work based on the Pushkin verse novel receives elegant period treatment in this minimalist production that Canadian director Robert Carsen created for the Metropolitan Opera, which the New York Times called "beautifultosee." Carsen'svisionwillberealizedbyRevivalDirectorPaulaSuozzi,whodirecteditatLyricOperaof Chicago, and will be making her HGO debut.

As Tatyana, HGO welcomes back American soprano Katie Van Kooten, who sang Mimi in HGO's new production of La Bohème and Elizabeth I in Mary Stuart, both in 2012. Studio alumnus Scott Hendricks, Sharpless in HGO's Madame Butterfly last season, returns as Onegin. Norman Reinhardt, the versatile Studio alumnus who last season sang both Cassio in Otello and Ferrando in Così fan tutte, sings Lensky, and HGO Studio Artist Megan Samarin will sing Olga. Prince Gremin will be sung by Dmitry Belosselskiy, who appeared as Sparafucile in HGO's 2014 Rigoletto.

Michael Hofstetter, whose "artful" conducting of HGO's 2011 Fidelio "captured the color and character of the music" (Houston Chronicle), will conduct.

Tosca: Reprise of "gripping" production (October 23-November 14)

Puccini's Tosca was one of three operas HGO presented during its second season in 1956-57, and the work continues to captivate Houston audiences. In 2010, HGO presented a new production that was hailed by the Houston Chronicle: "From the first chords that explode from the orchestra, Maestro Patrick Summers just about propelling himself out of the pit with them, a gripping sense of urgency drives Houston Grand Opera's potent new production." Next season audiences can again experience the excitement of this Tosca, animated by new and returning stars and creative team.

Soprano Liudmyla Monastyrska, whose portrayal of Aida in her 2013 HGO debut was marked with "power, finesse, and soul" (Houston Chronicle) will sing the fiery Tosca. Siberian tenor Alexey Dolgov will reprise his Cavaradossi, sung at HGO in 2010 with "warm lyricism and...gallant presence" (Houston Chronicle). Polish baritone Andrzej Dobber, who has performed Scarpia at Semperoper Dresden, Berlin State Opera, and Deutsche Oper Berlin, will make his U.S. role debut with these HGO performances.

Canadian director John Caird (Lynn Wyatt Great Artist 2012-13, during which season he directed La bohème at HGO) returns for this revival, along with Maestro Summers in the pit.

Carousel: Rob Ashford's new hit HGO co-production features house debut of Stephanie Blythe (April 22- May 7)

HGO continues celebrating the great American musical with a production of Rodgers & Hammerstein's beloved classic Carousel. Broadway sensation Rob Ashford, who seduced HGO audiences in 2014 with his theatrical, dance-rich Carmen, will direct this HGO co-production with Lyric Opera of Chicago. The Chicago Tribune enthused about the premiere there last spring, calling it "profoundly moving....Ashford's production appears directed with Broadway in mind and, well, New York should be so lucky." The production features evocative sets by Italian artist Paolo Ventura, in his first venture into opera.

Singing Julie Jordan is Andrea Carroll, a 2014 alumna of the HGO Studio who gave a "lovely" portrayal (Washington Post) of Julie at Glimmerglass Opera in 2014. The carousel barker Billy Bigelow will be sung by Australian baritone Duncan Rock, an alumnus of English National Opera's young artist program who will be making his HGO debut.

Soprano Lauren Snouffer, an HGO Studio alumna, makes a second appearance this season (Cherubino in The Marriage of Figaro) as Carrie Pipperidge, Australian tenor Alexander Lewis will sing Enoch Snow, and HGO Studio artist Ben Edquist will take the role of Jigger Craigin.

Making her long-awaited HGO debut as Nettie Fowler is Stephanie Blythe, one of opera's most beloved mezzo- sopranos. Also acclaimed for her tribute to Kate Smith's interpretations of the Great American Songbook, Miss Blythe was seen in Live from Lincoln Center's presentation of Carousel on PBS in 2013.

Carousel will be conducted by Richard Bado, who holds The Sarah and Ernest Butler Chorus Master Chair at HGO.

O Columbia: world premiere by Gregory Spears with libretto by Royce Vavrek (September 23 and 24, 2015 at Revention Music Center (former Bayou Music Center)

O Columbia, a chamber opera in three acts by composer Gregory Spears and librettist Royce Vavrek, examines the past, present, and future of the American spirit of exploration. Each short act, framed by works for chamber vocal ensemble, imagines a conversation that crosses space and time to create a unified story: we ride with Sir Walter Raleigh and a mysterious figure on the bow of his ship heading for the New World; sit with a teenager in her Houston bedroom as she experiences communion and later, heartbreak, with a Columbia Space Shuttle astronaut gliding around the earth; and finally we travel with three astronauts making a one-way journey to the far reaches of the solar system with Lady Columbia waiting at the edge. The work is a celebration of the identity of America's frontier men and women, an ode to America's national mythology. O Columbia is informed by interviews with the NASA community, and will be presented at the Revention Music Center (formerly known as Bayou Music Center) under the auspices of HGOco, the company's community collaboration initiative. For tickets and more information: hgo.org/Columbia

Composer Gregory Spears previously wrote the score for HGOco's The Bricklayer in 2012; his opera Paul's Case, performed at Pittsburgh Opera, Urban Arias, and New York's 2014 Prototype Festival was described as having "blinding brilliance" (New York Observer). Librettist Royce Vavrek wrote the "playful, quick-witted" (Wall Street Journal) libretto to composer Ricky Ian Gordon's score for the opera 27, which premiered at Opera Theatre of Saint Louis in June 2014.

O Columbia will be directed by Kevin Newbury, whose recent projects include Kansas City Choir Boy at the 2014 Prototype Festival and Anna Bolena at Lyric Opera of Chicago. The conductor will be Timothy Myers, who led HGO's world premiere of A Coffin in Egypt in March 2014 and serves as the artistic director and principal conductor of North Carolina Opera.

The Root of the Wind is Water by David Hanlon with libretto by Stephanie Fleischmann (May 2016)

As a massive hurricane hurtles towards the Gulf Coast, a Galvestonian who refuses to leave her home is haunted by storms past. An exploration of resilience, loss, and the power of place, composer David Hanlon's new opera mines the legacy of the Great Storm of 1900 and Hurricane Ike on the region, investigating how natural disasters reshape our psychic terrain. This work, also presented under the auspices of HGOco, is being informed by interviews with Galveston residents and is in development for premiere in May of 2016, with performances in Houston and Galveston.

David Hanlon's 2013 HGOco-commissioned opera Past the Checkpoints, which he also conducted, was described in a Houston Chronicle column as "accessible, relevant, and important." In 2014 HGOco premiered his chamber vocal piece The Ninth November I Was Hiding. Playwright and librettist Stephanie Fleischmann has contributed libretti for the opera The Long Walk, which will premiere at Opera Saratoga in July 2015, and for the klezmer opera The Property for Lyric Opera of Chicago's Lyric Unlimited program. Director Matthew Ozawa directed HGO's 2014 hit production of A Little Night Music. The cast and further details will be announced at a later date.

Subscription tickets for HGO's 2015-16 are now available, and single tickets will go on sale August 31. For further information please visit HGO.org or call 713-228-OPERA (6737). Performances take place at the Wortham Theater Center, Texas Avenue, unless specifically stated otherwise.

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