HGO's Concert of Arias Celebrates Rising Stars, Offers Notes of Hope

Priscilla Dickson
HGO's Concert of Arias Celebrates Rising Stars, Offers Notes of Hope

Event chairs Jack Roth and Liz Grimm with first-place winner Navasard Hakobyan

WIDELY KNOWN FOR cultivating and championing young artists, the Houston Grand Opera on Friday hosted its 34th annual Concert of Arias, a vocal competition followed by a seated dinner and celebration of the winners.


A panel of judges — soprano Christine Goerke; HGO’s new general director and CEO ,Khori Dastoor; its music director, Patrick Summers; and its artistic advisor, Ana María Martínez — watched and listened to the talented budding stars from across the globe belt out their best on the Wortham Theater’s Cullen Stage. They awarded cash prizes to four artists, including Armenian baritone Navasard Hakobyan, who took home the grand prize of $10,000.

A livestream version of the showcase was also available, and those who tuned in could even cast their vote for the Online Viewers’ Choice Award, which went to soprano Olivia Smith.

After the conclusion of the competition, a seated dinner was held in the Wortham’s Grand Foyer, which was decked out by The Events Company, who brought in beautiful blooms and spring greens that elicited feelings of hopefulness for a brighter year.

Ana Maria Martinez and Gabriel Attal

Warren and Rachel Ellsworth

Bill Brown and Patricia Holmes

Omar Chaabi, Lulu Tan, Hugh Zhang, Kathy and Marty Goossen

Dreyvon Anderson and Allyson Pritchett

Myrtle Jones and Candice Penelton

Mark Clemens and Anne Tsao

Lindy and John Rydman

Elizabeth and Richard Husseini

Emily Bivona and Ryan Manser

Duke and CC Ensell

Brian McCulloch and Jeremy Garcia

Finalist Tatiana Carlos soprano with Lulu Tan

Parties
Leadership in Action: John Kuykendall Traded Newcaster Dream for Success in Luxury Retail

John Kuykendall, Showroom Manager, Sub-Zero, Wolf and Cove

How did you get to where you are today? Growing up I had envisioned myself as a news anchor, living in NY and enthusiastically saying into the camera “Good Morning America!”. To this day, I am still a news/political junkie. My mother owned fur salons so specialty retail, luxury retail was in my blood through the family business. Eventually, mom shuttered the stores and I was recruited to a large specialty retailer. Over the next 30 years, I was in commissioned sales on the sales floor, became a department manager, worked my way up to buyer and store manager. Although I never became a newscaster, I did live in NYC for a few years. But Texas is home and with aging grandparents, I felt the pull to come back to my roots. A headhunter approached me. I never envisioned myself in the high-end appliance market, but there are so many similarities. Clients want a memorable experience; whether shopping for diamonds and fur or remodeling their kitchen.

Keep Reading Show less

Paella Valenciana at Mi Luna

THOUGH IT'S BEEN in Houston less than a decade, Sof Hospitality has made major inroads with foodies and critics alike. Its concepts include Doris Metropolitan, Hamsa and Badolina Bakery, all of which deliver the rich flavors of Israeli cuisine in complex, photogenic and delicious dishes. Its newest, Októ, opened earlier this year, one of several energetic restaurants to bow in the Montrose Collective, just in time for the holidays.

Keep Reading Show less
Food

Bill Viola’s ‘Ascension,’ on display as part of ‘Living with the Gods’ at MFAH

THE ARTIST WHO ushered in the expressionist movement in the early 20th century was not, in fact, Picasso or Matisse. It was Paul Gauguin, whose career spanned the decades just preceding the turn of the century. The French painter is the subject of the Museum of Fine Arts’ latest exhibit, Gauguin in the World, which was organized by Henri Loyrette (formerly of the Louvre and the Musée d’Orsay, Paris). The show, just one of the museum’s diverse winter season shows, debuted in Australia in June and will be on display through Feb. 16, 2025, at the MFAH, the only U.S. venue for the survey.

Keep Reading Show less
Art + Entertainment