The secret: a growing reputation among opera-lovers, cemented by a new “Ring” production that begins with “Rheingold” on April 11th, together with heavily discounted tickets for first-time buyers and new works aimed at local groups. Since the 2009-2010 season it has seen its attendances grow by 24%. Between 20 opera attendance dropped by 15%, according to the 2013 Arts Index, and the most recent NEA survey shows that only 2% of Americans go to the opera each year. According to the most recent census, 31% of American residents had attended a sports event in the previous 12 months, whereas only 9% had been to a classical-music event. In fact, getting anybody to attend opera in America is a challenge these days. “Since the end of the oil boom, Houston has become a city of African-Americans and Latinos,” notes Stephen Klineberg, a demographer in the city at Rice University. African-Americans now make up 24% of the population. The proportion of non-Hispanic whites has dropped from 62% to 27%, while Hispanics have grown from 11% to 44%. What’s more, since HGO was founded, the city’s demographic mix has changed dramatically.

Opera may indeed be an old art form, but at 59 years of age HGO is an upstart in a city that is itself younger than Wagner.

Houston grand opera staff