The Houston Grand Opera, at its Wortham Theater Center, is blending traditional and contemporary opera, as showcased by its performances of Mazzoli's Breaking the Waves and Wagner's Tannhauser. This duality mirrors the companyâs history of innovation since its inception, particularly highlighted during its 1987 opening. With a reputation for championing new American works and adapting through challenges like Hurricane Harvey, the 70-year-old company continues to flourish with increased budgets and a substantial endowment, contrasting with the struggles faced by many other opera companies today.
On a recent morning at the Wortham Theater Center, home of Houston Grand Opera, the orchestra was playing through the intense score of Missy Mazzoli's 2016 opera Breaking the Waves. Led by the conductor Patrick Summers, the players fine-tuned eerie glissando slides and dug into Mazzoli's creaking, scratching effects.
It has been an early adopter of populist innovations like above-the-stage translations and outdoor simulcasts. It has shown resilience, too: Displaced for a season when the Wortham was flooded by Hurricane Harvey in 2017, the company moved to a convention center and didn't miss a performance.
Collection
[
|
...
]