Houston Grand Opera has revealed the lineup for its 2019–2020 season, including a world premiere, a North American premiere, and two new productions of Verdi staples.
The season will kick off October 18 with director Tomer Zvulun’s new production of Verdi’s Rigoletto, following his staging of The Flying Dutchman in the current season. Brian Mulligan will make his role debut as Rigoletto, with Arturo Chacón-Cruz and Mané Galoyan as Gilda.
The production will run in repertory with the North American premiere of the Handel oratorio Saul, conducted by Patrick Summers. Barrie Kosky’s production, which premiered at the Glyndebourne Festival in 2015, will feature Christopher Purves, Aryeh Nussbaum Cohen, and Pureum Jo.
HGO will then celebrate the holidays with the world premiere of Javier Martínez and Leonard Foglia’s El Milagro del Recuerdo (The Miracle of Remembering), a follow-up to their mariachi opera Cruzar la Cara de la Luna. The opera is set around Christmas in Mexico and explores holiday and family traditions in the country.
The winter will also mark the returns of Jamie Barton and Tamara Wilson, who will take the stage in La Favorite and a new production of Verdi’s Aida, respectively. Lawrence Brownlee will star alongside Barton in the rare Donizetti gem. Phelim McDermott will direct the new Aida, which will feature silk choreography by famed puppeteer Basil Twist.
Rounding out the season is the repertory pairing of Salome, with Lise Lindstrom making her HGO debut in the title role under the baton of Principal Guest Conductor Eun Sun Kim, and Barrie Kosky and Suzanne Andrade’s production of the Mozart favorite The Magic Flute.
HGO will also present a one-night-only concert engagement of Joyce DiDonato’s In War & Peace November 6.
“We are so proud to announce a full season as we recover from the ongoing impacts of Hurricane Harvey,” said Managing Director Perryn Leech in a statement. “As we progress towards full recovery, we are excited to deepen our collaborative partnerships within the city as we continue to tell the stories of the communities that call Houston home.”
For more information, visit HGO.org.
