HOUSTON GRAND OPERA AND SID MOORHEAD, CHAIRMAN WELCOME YOU TO THE TAMARA WILSON, LIVESTREAM HOST E. LOREN MEEKER, GUEST JUDGE FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2021 AT 7 P.M. BROADCAST LIVE FROM THE WORTHAM THEATER CENTER TEXT TO VOTE TEXT TO GIVE Text to vote for the Audience Choice Award. On page Support these remarkable artists who represent 9, you will see a number associated with each finalist. the future of opera. Text the number listed next to the finalist’s name to 713-538-2304 and your vote will be recorded. One Text HGO to 61094 to invest in the next generation vote per phone number will be registered. of soul-stirring inspiration on our stage! 2 WELCOME TO CONCERT OF ARIAS 2021 SID MOORHEAD Chairman A multi-generation Texan, Sid Moorhead is the owner of in HGO’s Overture group and Laureate Society, and he serves Moorhead’s Blueberry Farm, the first commercial blueberry on the company’s Special Events committee. farm in Texas. The farm, which has been in the Moorhead family for three generations, sits on 28 acres in Conroe and Sid was a computer analyst before taking over the family boasts over 9,000 blueberry plants. It is open seasonally, from business and embracing the art of berry farming. He loves to the end of May through mid-July, when people from far and travel—especially to Europe—and has joined the HGO Patrons wide (including many fellow opera-lovers and HGO staffers) visit on trips to Italy and Vienna. to pick berries. “It’s wonderful. You’re your own boss and you get to meet a lot of wonderful people,” Sid told the Houston Chronicle when interviewed for a story about the farm. “I enjoy getting to talk and visit with the people the most.” The same is true when this opera lover comes downtown to enjoy an evening at the TEXT TO GIVE Wortham. Join Sid in supporting these remarkable artists who Sid has been an HGO subscriber since the 2010-11 season, a represent the future of opera. Trustee since 2016, and a member of the Board of Directors since early 2019. Generous of spirit and always eager to be of Text HGO to 61094 to invest in the next generation of service to HGO, Sid immediately agreed to join the Board after soul-stirring inspiration on our stage! being invited. His sole request was getting the chance to snap a quick selfie while holding HGO’s Tony Award. Sid is also active 3 UNDERWRITERS 2021 2020–21 CONCERT OF ARIAS HELDENCIRCLE A mighty corps of outstanding character who believe in the power of great art, encouraging and supporting the stars of tomorrow, despite the hardship of today. PRESENTER Sid Moorhead, Concert of Arias Chairman Novum Energy Louise Chapman Petrello Family Foundation Estate of Eleanor Searle McCollum Jill and Allyn Risley Glen A. Rosenbaum AWARDS PRESENTER Houston Methodist CHORUS Official Healthcare Provider for Houston Grand Opera Dr. Saúl and Ursula Balagura Janice H. Barrow BACKSTAGE LIVE PRESENTED BY Zane and Brady Carruth Frost Bank Molly and Jim Crownover Norton Rose Fulbright STAR Kathleen Moore and Steve Homer Judy and Richard Agee Tokio Marine HCC A Friend of HGO United Airlines Claire Liu and Joseph G. Greenberg Official Airline for Houston Grand Opera Laura and Brad McWilliams Vinson & Elkins LLP Winstead PC DIRECTOR Janet and John Carrig MAESTRO John G. Turner and Jerry G. Fischer Robin Angly and Miles Smith Michelle Beale and Richard H. Anderson IMPRESARIO Susan and Dr. Michael Bloome Drs. Rachel and Warren A. Ellsworth IV Efraín Z. Corzo and Andrew Bowen Sandy and Lee Godfrey FINALIST TRAVEL & ACCOMMODATIONS Drs. Elizabeth Grimm and Jack A. Roth UNDERWRITTEN BY Dr. Ellen R. Gritz and Milton D. Rosenau Jr. Michelle Beale and Richard H. Anderson Gloria M. Portela and Richard E. Evans Dr. Ellen R. Gritz and Milton D. Rosenau Jr. Dr. Elizabeth Travis and Jerry Hyde Helen Wils and Leonard Goldstein CONDUCTOR Ajamie LLP BB&T Cathy and Randy Crath Judy and David Belanger Kathleen Cross and Richard Stout ConocoPhillips Anna M. Dean Jennifer and Benjamin Fink Jeanette and John DiFilippo Nancy F. Haywood Connie Dyer Elizabeth and Richard Husseini Carol and Bob Hewell Teresa and José Ivo Sharon Ley Lietzow Marianne Kah Susan and Ward Pennebaker Reinnette and Stan Marek Betty and Jess Tutor Kathrine G. McGovern 4 RÉPÉTITEUR Linda and Stephen Bickel Adrienne Randle Bond Robert Noyes Chanon Mathilda Cochran Joanne and David Dorenfeld Kellie Elder and David Halbert Patricia Freeman and Bruce Patterson Carolyn and Ron Galfione Geraldine Gill Lynn Gissel Brenda Harvey-Traylor Ann and Stephen Kaufman Stephanie and Richard Langenstein Carolyn J. Levy Sara and Gabriel Loperena Tracy Maddox and John Serpe Muffy and Mike McLanahan Lexie and Dr. Bill Mitch Sara and Bill Morgan Charlene and Chuck Nickson Hinda Simon Barbara and Louis Sklar Rhonda and Donald Sweeney Marietta Voglis Penny and John Wright Rini and Edward Ziegler SOLOIST Meg Boulware Linda and Lester Burgess Gwyneth Campbell Sarah and Sam Cooper Lee Huber Michelle Klinger and Ru Flanagan Dorothy McCaine Terrylin G. Neale Dr. Barbara Tilley Ann and Karl Tornyos Dean Walker Christa M. Cooper FROSCH Maureen and Mel Hetzel Kirk Hickey Iris McWilliams Patterson & Sheridan LLP DonNell and Tom Rushing 5 CONCERT OF ARIAS PATRICK SUMMERS Diego Opera as Mimì in their production of La bohème, for HGO Artistic and Music Director, the world’s first-ever drive-in opera production. She also gave Judge a series of virtual performances, including a “Living Room Margaret Alkek Williams Chair Recital” for Los Angeles Opera and a Spanish-themed program entitled “Pasíon Latina,” alongside pianist Craig Terry, for Lyric Patrick Summers was named Opera of Chicago. Planned engagements during the winter artistic and music director of HGO and spring of 2021 include her first-ever performances in in 2011 after having served as the the title role of Tosca at Opera Philadelphia and then again company’s music director since 1998. Some highlights of at Cincinnati Opera, and Cio-Cio San in Madama Butterfly at his work at HGO include conducting the company’s first-ever Opernhaus Zürich; she also had been set to perform Donna complete cycle of Wagner’s Ring and its first performances Elvira in Don Giovanni at Los Angeles Opera, but that was of the Verdi Requiem; collaborating on the world premieres of canceled. Martínez’s career highlights include Cio-Cio San and Tarik O’Regan’s The Phoenix, André Previn’s Brief Encounter, Musetta in La bohème at the Metropolitan Opera; the title role Christopher Theofanidis’s The Refuge, Jake Heggie’s It’s a in Rusalka at the Glyndebourne Festival and Teatro Colón in Wonderful Life, The End of the Affair, and Three Decembers, Buenos Aires; the title role in Luisa Miller and the Countess Carlisle Floyd’s Cold Sassy Tree and Prince of Players, and in Le nozze di Figaro at the Bayerische Staatsoper; Violetta in Tod Machover’s Resurrection; leading the American premiere La traviata, Donna Elvira, and Cio-Cio San at the Royal Opera of Weinberg’s Holocaust opera The Passenger, both at HGO House Covent Garden; Donna Elvira at San Francisco Opera; and on tour to the Lincoln Center Festival; and nurturing the Nedda in I Pagliacci, Tatyana in Eugene Onegin, Marguerite in careers of such artists as Christine Goerke, Ailyn Perez, Joyce Faust, Fiordiligi in Così fan tutte, and Rusalka at Lyric Opera of DiDonato, Ana María Martínez, Ryan McKinny, Tamara Wilson, Chicago; Elisabetta in Don Carlo, Amelia in Simon Boccanegra, Albina Shagimuratova, Anthony Roth Costanzo, Norman Mimì, Violetta, Nedda, and the title role in Carmen at Los Reinhardt, Jamie Barton, and Dimitri Pittas. Maestro Summers Angeles Opera; and her major roles with HGO. Orchestral has enjoyed a long association with San Francisco Opera highlights include performances with the Berlin Philharmonic, (SFO) and was honored in 2015 with the San Francisco Opera New York Philharmonic, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Medal. His work with SFO includes conducting Jake Heggie’s Filharmonica della Scala, Puerto Rico Symphony, Seoul Moby-Dick, which was recorded and telecast on PBS’s Great Philharmonic, Tchaikovsky Symphony in Moscow, the Sinfônica Performances. In 2017, he was awarded an honorary Doctor Brasileira, and the BBC Symphony. of Music degree by Indiana University. He was recently named artistic director of the Aspen Music Festival’s opera program E. LOREN MEEKER alongside Renée Fleming. During the 2019–20 season at Guest Judge HGO, he conducted Saul and Aida. Other recent engagements included Dead Man Walking at the Israeli Opera. E. Loren Meeker has served as General & Artistic Director of ANA MARÍA MARTÍNEZ OPERA San Antonio since 2019. HGO Artistic Advisor, Judge Meeker co-directed Vinkensport and directed The Impresario for the HGO Grammy Award–winning soprano Digital series. She made her HGO mainstage directorial debut Ana María Martínez is considered with The Pearl Fishers in 2019. Also for HGO, she served as one of the foremost sopranos of associate director of Florencia en el Amazonas (2019), The her time, with an international Marriage of Figaro (2011), and Show Boat (2013); assistant career that spans the world’s director of The Queen of Spades (2010); and choreographer most important opera houses and concert halls. HGO’s first- and assistant director for The Marriage of Figaro (2005) and ever artistic advisor, Martínez has a storied history with the Don Giovanni (2006). Other HGO projects as director include company, performing roles including Cio-Cio San in Madama a special production of Trial by Jury at the 1910 Harris County Butterfly (2010), the title role in Carmen (2014), Marguerite Courthouse (2013), HGO Studio Showcase 2013–14, and in Faust (2016), and Florencia in Florencia en el Amazonas HGOco world premieres of A Way Home (2010), From My (2019).