Guild
Houston Grand Opera Guild was founded in October 1955 by Mr. and Mrs. William W. Bland, Mrs. Edger Haden, and Mrs. John L. Abercrombie. The mission of the HGO Guild is to promote and support Houston Grand Opera in all its activities. A non-profit organization with over 2,300 volunteer members who perform roles such as backstage tours, hosting artists, educational talks, fund raising events, and operating the Guild Boutique, HGO Guild is committed to fostering and encouraging an active, educated, and increasingly diverse audience to experience grand opera.
Throughout the year, the Guild offers a variety of educational activities introducing opera to school students. Forty five minute presentations have been developed for over 15 operas and include video clips and background notes which help students understand the history of the singers, opera composers and opera librettos. Each year the Houston Grand Opera schedules a High School Night and two Student Matinees from within one of the operas of the HGO season. By providing presentations for classes attending these operas, HGO Guild members help students increase their attention to and enjoyment of the opera. Other popular activities include panel discussions with distinguished speakers as well as awarding scholarships to young artists.
The work by the volunteers is also recognized, and each year the Guild honors volunteers who have made significant contributions to its programs as well as honoring non-members who has made singular contributions to the Guild or to the opera company itself. The Guild’s Board of Directors oversees all the activities as well as manages its finances. Houston Grand Opera has been home to many of the great singers, conductors, directors, and designers since its inception in 1955. The HGO Guild has played an important and instrumental role in making Houston Grand Opera one of the premier opera companies in the world today.
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