Starving Artists

Review: A Mild La bohème Leans on the Quality of Its Source Material

Yes, the music is great, but this HGO production lacks the razzle-dazzle that could make it sparkle.

10/29/2018 By Sydney Boyd

Leedle Leedle Leedle Lee

Review: The Flying Dutchman Returns to the Wortham with 'Transcendent Purity'

HGO artists triumph amid an updated staging of the fan-friendly Wagner classic.

10/22/2018 By Sydney Boyd

criss cross

Creative Combinations: Sarah Rothenberg Looks Back at 25 Years with Da Camera

Ahead of the chamber group's season opener, the artistic director lays out the coincidences and quirks of her quarter century at the helm.

09/26/2018 By Sydney Boyd

The Birth of a Butterfly

Review: Cruzar la Cara de la Luna Returns to HGO with its Charm Intact

The 75-minute mariachi opera remains as poignant and prescient as ever.

05/18/2018 By Sydney Boyd

Riot-worthy?

A Three-Dimensional Rite of Spring Comes to Jones Hall

The Houston Symphony teams up with inter-media artist Klaus Obermaier to reimagine Stravinsky's orchestral gem using a dancer and visual projections.

05/15/2018 By Sydney Boyd

Opera

Review: HGO's Norma Tells A Story of Female Empowerment

Houston Grand Opera’s latest performance of the bel canto favorite emphasizes girl power over revenge.

05/01/2018 By Sydney Boyd

You can't dance, You can't jive

Review: HGO's Herky-Jerky West Side Story At Least Shines Musically

To perhaps no one's surprise, opera performers are much better singers than dancers.

04/23/2018 By Sydney Boyd

Uncertainty

This 'Event' Marries Cunningham, Cage, and Johns

Work from a triumvirate of 20th century artistic giants converges on the Menil Collection's Dan Flavin Installation.

03/21/2018 By Sydney Boyd

Seussical, the Opera

Review: The Barber of Seville Takes the Comedy Over the Top

Houston Grand Opera interprets Rossini's classic opera using plenty of color.

01/29/2018 By Sydney Boyd

Tragedy

Review: The Epic Elektra Struggles to Overcome Its Venue

HGO's performance of the ultra-gory opera still feels like squeezing blood from a convention center stone.

01/22/2018 By Sydney Boyd

Inner voices

Kinetic Is Here to Stay

Ahead of "Inner Voices" at MATCH, Houston's conductor-less chamber group talks outlasting the hype.

01/19/2018 By Sydney Boyd

Sweet Spot

After Years of Fumbling, HGO May Have Landed A Holiday Winner

The world premiere of The House Without a Christmas Tree is not complicated, which may be its greatest strength.

12/01/2017 By Sydney Boyd

Action!

Review: Julius Caesar Brings Exceptional Sounds to a Cluttered Stage

Houston Grand Opera treats audiences to a memorably sweet and luxurious performance.

10/30/2017 By Sydney Boyd

Nice Spread

Quirks Aside, La Traviata Proves Convention Hall Opera Can Work

Sure, it's not the Wortham, but HGO continues to put on a show.

10/23/2017 By Sydney Boyd

Freedom Summer

Wadada Leo Smith Brings City-Spanning Civil Rights Masterpiece to Houston

Performed in parts between Austin, Houston, and New Orleans, 'Ten Freedom Summers' considers the psychological impact of a tumultuous decade.

10/10/2017 By Sydney Boyd

Go with the Flow

Aguas da Amazonia Brings a Welcome Flood of Technical Ambition

Aperio, Music of the Americas debuts a new arrangement of the Philip Glass masterpiece.

09/11/2017 By Sydney Boyd

Back from the Dead

If You Care About Jazz in Houston, Don't Miss Charles Mingus Live

After charting the entire album by ear, local musicians will perform the entire Mingus Ah Um live Sunday at Sparrow and the Nest.

08/09/2017 By Sydney Boyd

Get Jazzed

Sister of Jazz Legend Frank Morgan Dishes Ahead of MFAH Jazz on Film Screening

"He was very serious about the things that mattered to him, including drugs, music, everything."

06/07/2017 By Sydney Boyd

Opera

Review: The Abduction from the Seraglio Seals an Excellent Season at Houston Grand Opera

Mozart's classic work concludes the season on a high—and hilarious—note.

05/01/2017 By Sydney Boyd

Preview

Gabriela Lena Frank Shakes Up Classical Music with the World Premiere of Conquest Requiem

Houston Symphony's composer-in-residence puts her own spin on the classic art form.

05/01/2017 By Sydney Boyd