Issuu

2026-27

B UT L E R STUDI O

SEPTEMBER 13, 2026 2:30 PM The Wortham Theater Center’s Cullen Theater

HGO’S 2026- 27

SIGNATURE EVENTS

OPENING NIGHT DINNER: SUSANNAH F R I DAY, O C TO B E R 2 3 , 2 0 2 6 SYLVIA BARNES AND JIM TRIMBLE , CHAIRS

CONCERT OF ARIAS F R I DAY, F E B R UA RY 2 6 , 2 0 2 7 DENISE REYES AND MAT T HEALEY, CHAIRS

OPERA BALL S ATU R DAY, A PR I L 3 , 2 0 2 7 HALLIE VANDERHIDER, BRIGIT TE KALAI, FARIDA ABJANI, CHAIRS BET TY AND JESSE TUTOR, HONOREES

VISIT HGO.ORG/EVENTS

WELCOME TO THE 2026 SARAH AND ERNEST BUTLER HOUSTON GRAND OPERA STUDIO SHOWCASE!

oday is Houston Grand Opera’s first official performance of the new season, and we’re thrilled to open it with the dynamic artists of this year’s Sarah and Ernest Butler Houston Grand Opera Studio class. The theme for HGO’s 2026-27 season is Written in the Stars, and that certainly pertains to this afternoon’s program. Opera’s relationship to fate, always so compelling, will be explored in each scene our artists will perform. Their characters will grapple with fate, fight against it, acknowledge it, accept it, and those choices will change their lives forever. The lives of our artists, too, are set to change, and that is thanks to you. At HGO, we take a great deal of care searching the globe for the most promising young opera talents to bring to Houston, where we give them the training and resources they need to reach their full potential. It is only with your support that we can put emerging artists of this caliber in front of you every season. If you attended last year’s Butler Studio Showcase, you may recognize some familiar faces, as seven artists have returned for a second or third year, but it may feel like you’re hearing them for the first time, so far have they advanced in their craft. Joining them are five remarkable new artists, each eager to show you why we selected them for this elite group. Today’s stage director, Paul Curran, is not only one of the most sought-after directors in opera, but also an exceptional teacher, a rare and exciting combination. Paul has crafted a compelling program for you and, in the process, helped our artists develop the technical skills they need for approaching new roles in the future. Joining him in bringing today’s stories to life is Maureen Zoltek, our Butler Studio Music

Director, who has worked with each artist to build a complete and compelling musical world through these incredible scores. The characters in these scenes cannot escape their fates. Our Butler Studio artists are just beginning to discover theirs. We’re thrilled you’re here to support them today, throughout the season ahead, and on their journeys to many more great stages around the world. With gratitude,

Colin Michael Brush Director Sarah and Ernest Butler Houston Grand Opera Studio

BUT L E R STU D IO S HOWCAS E

PROGRAM Wagner – Das Rheingold (1869) Act I, Scene 1: “Weia! Waga! Woge, du Welle” Woglinde Wellgunde Floßhilde Alberich Pianist

Alissa Goretsky Scarlett Jones Lauren Randolph Tzvi Bat Asherah Tzu Kuang Tan

Puccini – La bohème (1896) Act IV: “In un coupè?”

Rodolfo Misael Corralejo Marcello Geonho Lee Schaunard Sam Dhobhany Colline Ziniu Zhao Pianist Maeve Berry Tchaikovsky – Eugene Onegin (1879) Act III: “O! Kak mnye tyazhelo!” Tatyana Onegin Pianist

Alissa Goretsky Geonho Lee Tzu Kuang Tan

INTERMISSION

Mascagni – L’amico Fritz (1891) Act II: “Cherry Duet” Suzel Fritz Pianist

Elizabeth Hanje Luka Tsevelidze Maeve Berry

Verdi – Don Carlo (1867) Act IV, Quartet: “Giustizia, giustizia, Sire!” Elisabetta di Valois Princess Eboli Rodrigo Filippo II Pianist

Elizabeth Hanje Lauren Randolph Geonho Lee Ziniu Zhao Tzu Kuang Tan

Wagner – Der fliegende Holländer (1843) Act II, Duet & Trio: “Wie aus der Ferne” Senta Dutchman Daland Pianist

Scarlett Jones Sam Dhobhany Ziniu Zhao Maeve Berry

The program will last approximately 2 hours and 15 minutes, including one intermission.

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CREATIVE TEAM Director Paul Curran * Host Colin Michael Brush Music Director Maureen Zoltek Lighting Designer Michael James Clark Musical Preparation Peter Pasztor ** Nicholas Roehler Madeline Slettedahl Supertitles Alexa Lietzow HGO debut * Former Butler Studio artist **

PRODUCTION CREDITS

Director of Production Technical Director Stage Manager Head of Costumes Properties Manager Wig and Makeup Design Director

Kristen Burke David Feheley Caitlin Farley Norma Cortez Andrew Cloud Amanda Mitchell

Stage crew personnel provided by IATSE, Local #51. Wardrobe personnel provided by Theatrical Wardrobe Union, IATSE, Local #896. Usher personnel provided by IATSE, Local B-184. LOCAL UNION

USHER UNIT IATSE LOCAL B-184 USHER UNIT HOUSTON TEXAS

With deepest thanks to the members of the Butler Studio Committee, who helped make the Butler Studio Showcase possible: Dr. Warren Ellsworth, chair Robin Angly Michelle Beale Astley Blair Melinda Brunger Patrick Carfizzi Molly Crownover Lynn Des Prez Lynn Gissel Sandy Godfrey Dr. Ellen Gritz Brenda Harvey-Traylor Steve Homer

Marianne Kah Stephanie Larsen Rita Leader Richard Leibman Carolyn J. Levy Tracy Maddox Beth Madison Amy Melton Miguel Miro-Quesada Valerie Miro-Quesada Kathy Moore Charlene Nickson Gloria M. Portela

Allyn Risley Jill Risley Dr. Jack Roth John Serpe Janet Sims Dian Stai Harlan Stai John Turner Bob Wakefield Trey Yates

BUT L E R STU D IO S HOWCAS E 3

WHO’S WHO PAUL CURRAN (SCOTLAND) DIRECTOR Award-winning director Paul Curran makes his HGO debut directing the Butler Studio Showcase. Elsewhere during the 2026-27 season, Curran directs La traviata at Arena di Verona Opera Festival, La clemenza di Tito at Teatro la Fenice, Turandot at the Santa Fe Opera, Carmen at Irish National Opera, Peter Grimes at Teatro San Carlo, and Ariadne auf Naxos at Canadian Opera Company. Previous engagements include Tristan and Isolde at San Francisco Opera, Madame Butterfly at the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk and Tosca at COC, Carmen at Seattle Opera, Die Fledermaus and The Queen of Spades at Grange Festival Opera, and The Bartered Bride at Garsington Opera. Past production highlights include La donna del lago (DVD) at the Metropolitan Opera, The Tsar’s Bride at the Royal Ballet and Opera, Covent Garden, and Tannhäuser at Teatro alla Scala. Curran has worked with important opera companies all over the world and was Artistic Director of the Norwegian National Opera from 2007 to 2012. He has directed productions for Teatro Comunale di Bologna, Opera Philadelphia, Teatro di San Carlo, Staatstheater Stuttgart, Teatro La Fenice, Teatro Comunale di Firenze, the Bolshoi Theatre, New National Theatre Tokyo, Teatro Maestranza Seville, Teatro La Fenice, Teatro Regio Torino, and Savonlinna Opera Festival, among others. His production of Humperdinck’s Königskinder at Teatro San Carlo won the Italian Critics’ Prize, Premio Abbiati. For Hamlet, part of the Clerkenwell Music Series, he worked with designer Vivienne Westwood. MICHAEL JAMES CLARK (UNITED STATES) LIGHTING DESIGNER Michael James Clark is the head of lighting and production media for HGO. During HGO’s 2026-27 mainstage season, he serves as revival lighting designer for Faust. Previ-

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ously for HGO, Clark served on the creative teams for The Barber of the Seville (revival lighting designer, 2026); La bohème (lighting designer, 2025); Cinderella (revival lighting designer, 2024); The Big Swim (lighting designer, 2024), Parsifal (revival lighting designer, 2024); Falstaff (lighting designer, 2023); The Marriage of Figaro, Werther, and Tosca (associate lighting designer, 2022-23 season); The Magic Flute (assistant lighting designer, 2022); the world premiere of The Snowy Day (lighting designer, 2021); Carmen (associate lighting designer, 2021); Aida (revival lighting designer, 2020); mainstage and Miller Outdoor Theatre productions of La bohème (lighting designer, 2018-19); and the world premiere of The Phoenix (lighting designer, 2019). He lit the HGO world premieres of Some Light Emerges (2017), After the Storm (2016), and O Columbia (2015); mainstage productions of Otello (2014); Die Fledermaus, Aida, and Il trovatore (2013); La bohème, La traviata, and The Rape of Lucretia (2012); The Marriage of Figaro (2011); the world premiere of Cruzar la Cara de la Luna (2010); and numerous outdoor productions. Clark also has designed lighting for Teatro La Fenice, San Francisco Opera, the Canadian Opera Company, Stages Repertory Theatre, Theatre Under the Stars, Rice University, and the 2007 Prague Quadrennial. TZVI BAT ASHERAH (UNITED STATES) BASS-BARITONE Dr. Ellen R. Gritz and Mr. Milton D. Rosenau Jr./ Helen Wils and Leonard Goldstein/ Josh and Mindy Davidson/ Elaine Finger Fellow

A first-year Butler Studio artist from Albuquerque, Tzvi Bat Asherah was a finalist in HGO’s 2026 Eleanor McCollum Competition Concert of Arias. During the 2026-27 season, he makes his HGO debut as Speaker in the Family Day production of The Magic Flute and performs as the Notary in Der Rosenkavalier. In summer 2026, Bat Asherah was an Apprentice Singer at The Santa Fe Opera, where he sang the role of

Zaretsky in Eugene Onegin. Other recent roles include Ford in Falstaff at the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University and Plutone in Monteverdi’s Orfeo and the titular role of Elijah from Mendelssohn’s oratorio at Ars Lyrica. In 2026, Bat Asherah won first place and the People’s Choice Award at the Dallas Opera National Vocal Competition. In 2025, he won Third Prize at the Butler International Opera Competition. Bat Asherah completed his Bachelor of Music degree from the University of New Mexico, where he performed the roles of Figaro in The Marriage of Figaro and Papageno in The Magic Flute. He completed his Master of Music degree at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music. MAEVE BERRY (UNITED STATES) PIANIST/COACH A first-year Butler Studio artist from Pittsburgh, Maeve Berry is a versatile pianist and vocal coach recognized for her work in opera, art song, and contemporary music. In HGO’s 2026-27 season, Berry serves as an Assistant Coach for Faust, The Magic Flute, Family Day for The Magic Flute, and Show Boat. From 2024-26, she was Pittsburgh Opera’s inaugural Resident Artist pianist and coach. Recent engagements include serving on the music staff for two world premieres: Woman with Eyes Closed (2025) by Jennifer Higdon and Time to Act (2026) by Laura Kaminsky, both with Pittsburgh Opera. Berry has served on the music staff at the Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera and at The Glimmerglass Festival’s Resident Artists program. While deeply engaged in opera, she is equally devoted to art song repertoire. As an active song recitalist, Berry has performed at leading summer programs including the Cincinnati Song Initiative Fellowship of the Song, Franz-SchubertInstitut, Songfest, Toronto Summer Music Festival, and Source Song Festival. Berry earned her Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the Eastman School of Music.

MISAEL CORRALEJO (MEXICO) TENOR Alejandra and Héctor Torres/ Cody and Kelly Nicholson/ Michelle Beale and Dick Anderson Fellow

A first-year Butler Studio artist from León, Mexico, Misael Corralejo was the secondplace and Audience Choice winner at HGO’s 2026 Eleanor McCollum Competition Concert of Arias. He makes his HGO debut in the 2026-27 season as Tamino in Family Day for The Magic Flute, and also performs as the Animal Vendor in Der Rosenkavalier. In the summer of 2026, he was a part of the Voice Residency program at the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence. Corralejo was in the Mexico Opera Studio (MOS) from 2024-26, where he performed as Rinuccio in Gianni Schicchi and as Lauro in Paso del Norte. In 2025, he was invited to the Bel Canto Institute in San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, was named a finalist in the 2025 Carlo Morelli National Vocal Competition, and won the Encouragement Award at the Denver Region of the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition. In 2024, he won second prize and was a semifinalist in the zarzuela category at the 2024 Carlo Morelli National Vocal Competition, and was a semifinalist and special guest at the 2024 San Miguel Opera Competition. SAM DHOBHANY (UNITED STATES) BASS-BARITONE Dian and Harlan Stai Fellow

A third-year Butler Studio artist from Brooklyn, New York, Sam Dhobhany received the Ana María Martínez Encouragement Award at HGO’s 2024 Eleanor McCollum Competition Concert of Arias, and he is a 2022 alumnus of HGO’s Young Artist Vocal Academy. In HGO’s 2026-27 season, Dhobhany performs the roles of Wagner in Faust, First Priest/Second Armored Man in mainstage and Family Day performances of The Magic Flute, and Police Commissioner in Der Rosenkavalier. Previously at HGO, Dhobhany sang the roles of the Undertaker in Porgy and Bess, the BUT L E R STU D IO S HOWCAS E 5

Notary in Gianni Schicchi (Il trittico), British Major in Silent Night, George Milton in the Butler Studio production of Of Mice and Men, Sergeant in The Barber of Seville, Alidoro in Family Day for Cinderella, and Terry in Breaking the Waves. In 2026, Dhobhany was an Emerging Artist at the International Meistersinger Akademie. In 2025, he performed the roles of Zuniga in Carmen and Bartolo in The Marriage of Figaro at Wolf Trap Opera, where he served as a Studio Artist in 2021. In 2024, Dhobhany sang the role of Angelotti in Tosca with Dayton Opera. He was a 2023 and 2024 Apprentice Singer with Santa Fe Opera, where he performed Un Médecin in Pelléas et Mélisande and Marchese d’Obigny in La traviata. Dhobhany was the second-place winner of the 2025 Rocky Mountain Region of The Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition. He holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Vocal Performance from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. ALISSA GORETSKY (UNITED STATES) SOPRANO Gloria M. Portela/ Susan Bloome/ James M. Trimble and Sylvia Barnes Fellow

A third-year Butler Studio artist from Los Angeles, Alissa Goretsky was the third-place winner of HGO’s 2024 Eleanor McCollum Competition Concert of Arias. In the 2026-27 season, she sings the roles of Pamina in Family Day for The Magic Flute and the Milliner in Der Rosenkavalier. Goretsky returned to The Santa Fe Opera in 2026, where she debuted as Kate Pinkerton in Madame Butterfly. Previous roles for HGO include Young Lover in Il tabarro and Nursing Sister in Suor Angelica, both part of Il trittico; Dew Fairy in Hansel and Gretel; Gretel in Family Day for Hansel and Gretel; Curley’s Wife in the Butler Studio production of Of Mice and Men; Berta in The Barber of Seville; and Clorinda in Cinderella. She made her operatic debut as Gismonda in Ottone at Caroline H. Hume Concert Hall under the baton of Corey Jameson in 2019. In 2024, she performed the role of Ma Zegner in Missy Mazzoli’s Proving Up, also at Caroline Hume

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Hall. Goretsky is a National Winner of the 2025 Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition. She holds both Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. ELIZABETH HANJE (UNITED STATES) SOPRANO Ms. Marty Dudley/ Diane Marcinek Fellow

Third-year Butler Studio artist Elizabeth Hanje, a Tanzanian-American soprano from Vestavia Hills, Alabama, was the first-place winner at HGO’s 2024 Eleanor McCollum Competition Concert of Arias and is a 2022 alumna of HGO’s Young Artist Vocal Academy. During HGO’s 2026-27 season, Hanje sings the roles of the Mrs. Gleaton in Susannah, Priestess in Aida, Second Lady in mainstage and Family Day performances of The Magic Flute, and a Noble Orphan in Der Rosenkavalier. Previously for HGO, Hanje performed the roles of Strawberry Woman in Porgy and Bess, First Alms Sister in Suor Angelica (Il trittico), Madeleine Audebert in Silent Night, Gertrude in Family Day for Hansel and Gretel, and Ines in Il trovatore. In summer 2026, she was a part of the Voice Residency at Festival d’Aix-en-Provence. Previously, Hanje has served as an Apprentice Singer at The Santa Fe Opera (2025), a Young Artist at Merola Opera Program (2024), and an Apprentice Artist with Des Moines Metro Opera (2023). In 2022, she performed the role of Lyra in Alice Tierney in her debut with Opera Columbus. SCARLETT JONES (UNITED KINGDOM) SOPRANO Daniel and Ximena Sessler/ Drs. Ian and Patricia Butler/ Kathleen Moore and Steven Homer Fellow

A first-year Butler Studio artist from Ruthin, Wales, Scarlett Jones was the first-place winner at HGO’s 2026 Concert of Arias. She makes her HGO debut in the 2026-27 season as Mrs. Hayes in Susannah. Other roles this season include First Lady in mainstage and Family Day performances of The Magic Flute and a Noble Orphan in Der Rosenka-

valier. In summer 2026, Jones was an Apprentice Singer with The Santa Fe Opera. While at The Juilliard School, Jones performed as Gertrude in Hansel and Gretel and covered Miss Jessel in Britten’s The Turn of the Screw. She also covered Ariadne in Ariadne auf Naxos with Dramatic Voices Berlin. At Trinity Laban Conservatoire, she performed the title role in Errollyn Wallen’s Dido’s Ghost, Waltraute in Wagner’s Die Walküre, and Wellgunde in Götterdämmerung with the school’s Postgraduate Opera Scenes program. Jones holds a Bachelor of Music degree from Trinity Laban Conservatoire in London, and a Master of Music degree from The Juilliard School, where she was a recipient of the prestigious Kovner Fellowship and Higley Scholarship. GEONHO LEE (SOUTH KOREA) BARITONE Mr. and Mrs. James W. Crownover/ Dr. and Mrs. Miguel Miro-Quesada/ Dr. John Serpe and Tracy Maddox Fellow

A second-year Butler Studio artist from Busan, South Korea, Geonho Lee won first place and the Audience Choice Award at HGO’s 2025 Eleanor McCollum Competition Concert of Arias. In HGO’s 2026-27 season, Lee will sing the role of Papageno in the company’s Family Day production of The Magic Flute. Last season, he performed the roles of Marco in Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi (Il trittico), Peter in Family Day for Hansel and Gretel, Slim in the Butler Studio production of Of Mice and Men, and Fiorello in The Barber of Seville. Lee was a 2024 semifinalist in the renowned Operalia Competition. He was an active member of the August Everding Academy and won a prestigious scholarship from the Bühnenverein. He holds a Bachelor of Vocal Performance degree from Seoul National University and a Master of Music degree from the University of Music and Theatre Munich. LAUREN RANDOLPH (UNITED STATES) MEZZO-SOPRANO Liz Schwarze/ Dr. Laura E. Sulak and Dr. Richard W. Brown Fellow

A first-year Butler Studio Artist from Chicago, Lauren Randolph was the thirdplace winner at HGO’s 2026 Eleanor McCollum Competition Concert of Arias. She makes her HGO debut in the 2026-27 season as Third Lady in mainstage and Family Day performances of The Magic Flute, and will also sing the role of a Noble Orphan in Der Rosenkavalier. In 2025, Randolph was recognized as a National Finalist in The Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition. Randolph’s recent operatic performances include Madame de Croissy in Dialogues of the Carmelites and Mistress Quickly in Falstaff with Juilliard Opera and Grimgerde in Die Walküre and Third Lady in The Magic Flute with The Santa Fe Opera. Randolph recently performed as the Soprano 2 soloist in Matthew Aucoin and Peter Sellars’s Music for New Bodies with the American Modern Opera Company. In 2023, she debuted with the Chicago Symphony Chorus and Civic Orchestra as the alto soloist in Bach’s Cantatas Nos. 40 and 110. She has performed as the mezzosoprano soloist in the Duruflé Requiem, and as the alto soloist in J.S. Bach’s cantata “Ihr werdet weinen und heulen” and Easter Oratorio, Johann Schelle’s “Gott, sende dein Licht,” and Mozart’s Requiem. In December 2025, she made her Carnegie Hall debut as the alto soloist in Handel’s Messiah with the Cecilia Chorus of New York. Randolph holds a Master of Music degree from The Juilliard School, where she was a recipient of the prestigious Kovner Fellowship. LUKA TSEVELIDZE (GEORGIA) TENOR Donna and Ken Barrow/ Barbara and Pat McCelvey/ Irina and Andrey Polunin/ Ms. Rita Leader/ Jill A. Schaar and George Caflisch Fellow

A second-year Butler Studio artist from Tbilisi, Georgia, Luka Tsevelidze won second place at HGO’s 2025 Eleanor McCollum Competition Concert of Arias. In HGO’s 2026-27 season, Tsevelidze performs the roles of Elder Gleaton in Susannah, Messenger in Aida, Second Priest/First Armored Man in mainstage and Family BUT L E R STU D IO S HOWCAS E 7

Day performances of The Magic Flute, and Faninal’s Majordomo in Der Rosenkavalier. He made his HGO debut as the Ballad Singer in the Butler Studio production of Of Mice and Men in the 2025-26 season. In summer 2026, Tsevelidze was an Apprentice Artist at Des Moines Metro Opera, where he sang the role of the Ballad Singer in Of Mice and Men. He made his operatic debut as Tamino in The Magic Flute with the Tbilisi State Conservatoire Opera Studio. He also performed as Alfredo (Act III) in La traviata at the Tbilisi Opera and Ballet Theater, as Nemorino in scenes from The Elixir of Love, and as Malkhaz in Daisi. In 2024, Tsevelidze performed in a concert in Kassel, Germany, and in 2023 he performed in a Laureate Concert in Prague. Tsevelidze pursued his Bachelor of Music degree from Tbilisi State Conservatoire. TZU KUANG TAN (MALAYSIA) PIANIST/COACH Melinda and Bill Brunger Fellow

Tzu Kuang Tan is a secondyear Butler Studio artist from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. For HGO’s 2026-27 season, he serves as an assistant coach for Susannah, The Magic Flute, Family Day for The Magic Flute, and Der Rosenkavalier. Last season, he served as assistant coach for Porgy and Bess, Silent Night, the Butler Studio production of Of Mice and Men, and Messiah. In summer 2026, Tan was a Coaching Fellow at Wolf Trap Opera. In 2025, he was a Young Artist with the Merola Opera Program, where he played and coached Rossini’s Count Ory, served as one of the pianists for the “Grand Night of Singing – An American Song Fest,” and was a rehearsal pianist for the Schwabacher Summer Concert. Performance highlights include a 2023 song recital with Joanne Evans at the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara, after being named winner of the Marilyn Horne Song Competition in 2022. Tan was a 2024 participant in Renée Fleming’s Carnegie Hall Song Studio, during which he made his Carnegie Hall debut in Zankel Hall with Ruby Dibble. He was previously a pianist/ coach at the Butler Opera Center at the

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University of Texas at Austin. Tan pursued a Doctoral of Musical Arts degree at UT Austin and holds degrees from the University of Michigan and the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory in Singapore. ZINIU ZHAO (CHINA) BASS Carolyn J. Levy/ Dr. Peter Chang and Hon. Theresa Chang and Friends Fellow

A third-year Butler Studio artist from Shandong, China, Ziniu Zhao was the secondplace winner at HGO’s 2024 Eleanor McCollum Competition Concert of Arias. In HGO’s 2026-27 season, Zhao sings the roles of Elder Ott in Susannah and Sarastro in Family Day for The Magic Flute. Past roles at HGO include Maestro Spinellocchio in Gianni Schicchi (Il trittico), the French General in Silent Night, Candy in the Butler Studio production of Of Mice and Men, Don Magnifico in Family Day for Cinderella, and Reinmar von Zweter in Tannhäuser. In summer 2026, Zhao was a Filene Artist at Wolf Trap Opera, where he sang the role of Don Magnifico in Cinderella. In 2025, he was a winner of the San Francisco District in the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition and sang Leporello in a concert version of Don Giovanni at the National Centre for Performing Arts in Beijing. Zhao was a member of the Opera Talent Training Program of the China National Arts Foundation and has won several prestigious awards, including first prize at the Colorado International Music Competition, the Rossini Singing Award at the Fiorenza Cedolins Opera Competition in Italy, and the Maria Callas Award at the Vincerò International Opera Competition, also in Italy. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, where his operatic roles included Don Pasquale (title role), Colline in La bohème, and Don Alfonso in Così fan tutte.

SARAH AND ERNEST BUTLER HOUSTON GRAND OPERA STUDIO FACULTY & STAFF Colin Michael Brush, Director

Enrica Vagliani Gray, Italian Instructor

Sponsored by Christopher Bacon and Craig Miller, Mr. Jack Bell, Mr. Eliodoro Castillo and Dr. Eric McLaughlin, and Lynn Gissel