People
Board of Directors
Houston Grand Opera Board of Directors 2021–22
Officers
Allyn Risley, Chair of the Board
Janet Langford Carrig, Senior Chair; Houston Grand Opera Endowment, Inc. Chair Emeritus
James W. Crownover, Chair Emeritus of the Board
Lynn Wyatt, Vice Chair of the Board
Members at Large
Richard E. Agee, Finance Committee Vice Chair
Thomas Ajamie
Robin Angly, Community and Learning Committee Vice Chair
John S. Arnoldy *
Christopher V. Bacon, Secretary; General Counsel
Michelle Beale, Governance Committee Chair
Astley Blair, Audit Committee Chair
Albert Chao
Louise Chapman
Mathilda Cochran, Community and Learning Committee Chair
Albert O. Cornelison Jr. *
Khori Dastoor
David B. Duthu *
Frederic Dyen
Warren A. Ellsworth IV, M.D., Studio Committee Vice Chair
Benjamin Fink, Finance Committee Vice Chair
Michaela Greenan, Audit Committee Vice Chair
Dr. Ellen R. Gritz
Robert C. Hunter *
Richard Husseini
José M. Ivo, Philanthropy Committee Vice Chair
Myrtle Jones
Marianne Kah, Houston Grand Opera Endowment, Inc Vice Chair
Yolanda Knull, Houston Grand Opera Endowment, Inc. Chair
David LePori, Governance Committee Vice Chair
Claire Liu, Finance Committee Chair
Gabriel Loperena, Philanthropy Committee Chair
Richard A. Lydecker Jr.
Beth Madison *
Paul Marsden
Sid Moorhead
Sara Morgan
Terrylin G. Neale, Houston Grand Opera Endowment, Inc. Secretary; Treasurer
Ward Pennebaker, Marketing and Communications Committee Chair
Cynthia Petrello
Gloria M. Portela
Matthew L. Ringel
Kelly Brunetti Rose
Glen A. Rosenbaum
Jack A. Roth, M.D., Studio Committee Chair
Manolo Sánchez
Harlan C. Stai
John G. Turner*
Alfredo Vilas
Margaret Alkek Williams
* Senior Director
Administration & Staff
ADVISOR
Ana María Martínez, Artistic Advisor
EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP GROUP
Richard Bado, Director of Artistic Planning/Chorus Director *
Sarah and Ernest Butler Chorus Director Chair
Molly Dill, Chief Operating Officer *
Elizabeth Greer, Chief Financial Officer
Gregory S. Robertson, Chief Philanthropy Officer *
SENIOR MANAGEMENT TEAM
Kristen E. Burke, Director of Production *
Natalie Barron, Associate Director of Marketing and Communications
Deborah Hirsch, Senior Director of Philanthropy *
Michael Hornsby, Director of Information Technology
Scott Ipsen, Director of Patron Experience*
Daniel James, Associate Director of Artistic Planning
David Krohn, Director of Philanthropy
Alisa Magallón, Interim Director of Community & Learning
Brian Speck, Director of HGO Studio*
OFFICE OF THE GENERAL DIRECTOR
Mary Elsey, Chief of Staff to the General Director and CEO
Miriam Green, Assistant to the Artistic and Music Director
Amber Sheppard, Governance Manager
ARTISTIC
Chris Abide, Rehearsal Coordinator
Lyanne Alvarado, Artist Services Coordinator
Richard S. Brown, Orchestra Personnel Manager *
Emilia Covault, Music Administrator
Joel Goodloe, Manager of Rehearsal Planning & Artist Services
Carolyne Hall, Associate Manager of Rehearsal Planning & Artist Services
Eun Sun Kim, Principal Guest Conductor
Kirill Kuzmin, Head of Music Staff
Mark C. Lear, Associate Artistic Administrator *
Joshua Luty, Music Librarian
Benjamin Manis, Resident Conductor
Kevin J. Miller, Assistant Conductor
Peter Pasztor, Principal Coach *
Karen Reeves, Children's Chorus Director *
Madeline Slettedahl, Assistant Conductor
AUDIENCES
Chelsea Crouse, Creative Manager
Jessica Gonzalez, Marketing Manager
Maricruz Kwon, Digital Content Coordinator
Catherine Matusow, Associate Director of Communications
Joel Nott, Customer Care Center Specialist
Candace Pittman, Digital Marketing Manager
Christopher Robinson, Graphic Designer
Alan Sellar, Videographer
Charlotte Weschler, Customer Care Center Manager
THE GENEVIEVE P. DEMME ARCHIVES AND RESOURCE CENTER
Brian Mitchell, Archivist *
COMMUNITY & LEARNING
Jennifer Bowman, Director of Community & Learning
Sonia Hamer, Programs Coordinator
Jeremy Johnson, Dramaturg & Manager of New Works and Community Engagement
Chelsea Lerner, Programs Manager
Karen Mata, Operations Manager
Lisa Vickers, Bauer Family High School Voice Studio Manager
FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION
Natalie Burrows, Director of Business Intelligence
Christian Davis, Human Resources Generalist
Ariel Ehrman, Business Intelligence Manager
Luis Franco, Office Services Coordinator *
Denise Fruge, Accounts Payable Administrator *
Matt Gonzales, Database Administrator *
Vicky Hernandez, Business Intelligence Coordinator
Chasity Hopkins, Accounting Manager
Ty Jones, Network Administrator
M. Jane Orosco, Business Intelligence Manager *
Denise Simon, Office Administrator *
OPERATIONS
Christopher Staub, Operations Manager*
Megan Morgan, Covid Compliance Manager
PHILANTHROPY
Kelly Finn, Director of Institutional Giving*
Michelle Frankfort, Special Events Operations Manager
Jonathan Guez, Philanthropy Officer
Tessa Larson, Philanthropy Officer
Sarah Long, Associate Director of Philanthropy
Patrick Long-Quian, Philanthropy Associate
Catie Lovett, Donor Event Specialist
Meredith Morse, Operations Manager, Institutional Giving
Kelly Nicholls, Director of Individual Giving
Allison Reeves, Associate Director of Special Events
Brooke Rogers, Director of Special Events
Madeline Sebastian, Philanthropy Officer
TECHNICAL/PRODUCTION
Philip Alfano, Lighting Associate*
Brian August, Stage Manager
Ciara Ayala, Assistant Stage Manager
Bruno Baker, Assistant Director
Katherine Carter, Assistant Director
Audrey Chait, Assistant Director
Michael James Clark, Head of Lighting & Production Media*
Andrew Cloud, Properties Associate*
Norma Cortez, Head of Costumes *
Meg Edwards, Assistant Stage Manger
Caitlin Farley, Assistant Stage Manager
Vince Ferraro, Master Electrician*
Erik Friedman, Assistant Director
Mark Grady, Assistant Electrician/ Light Board Operator
Bridget Green, Wig and Makeup Assistant
Jackson Halphide, Assistant Technical Director
Terry Harper, Technical Director
Eduardo Hawkins, Head of Sound*
Hannah Holthaus, Assistant Stage Manager
John Howard, Head Carpenter
Jennelle John-Lewis, Assistant Stage Manager
Esmeralda De Leon, Costume Coordinator
Christopher Kittrell, Associate Technical Director
Nara Lesser, Costume Production Assistant
Judy Malone-Stein, Wardrobe Supervisor*
Melissa McClung, Technical and Production Administrator
Megan, Properties Design Director *
Kristie Osi, Costume Coordinator
Frances Rabalais, Assistant Director
Colter Schoenfish, Assistant Director
Stephen Sposito, Assistant Director
Dotti Staker, Wig and Makeup Department Head *
Myrna Vallejo, Costume Shop Supervisor *
Sean Waldron, Head of Props
Annie Wheeler, Stage Manager *
HOUSTON GRAND OPERA STUDIO
Jamie Gelfand, Studio Manager
*denotes 10 or more years of service
Orchestra
2021–22 Houston Grand Opera Orchestra
Patrick Summers, Artistic and Music Director
Sarah and Ernst Butler Chair
Violin
Denise Tarrant, Concertmaster
Chloe Kim, Assistant Concertmaster
Natalie Gaynor, Principal, Second Violin
Carrie Kauk, Assistant Principal Second Violin
Hae-a Lee-Barnes
Miriam Belyatsky
Anabel Detrick
Rasa Kalesnykaite
Chavdar Parashkevov
Mary Reed
Erica Robinson
Linda Sanders
Oleg Sulyga
Sylvia VerMeulen
Melissa Williams
Viola
Eliseo Rene Salazar, Principal
Lorento Golofeev, Assistant Principal
Gayle Garcia-Shepard
Erika Lawson
Suzanne LeFevre
Dawson White
Cello
Barrett Sills, Principal
Erika Johnson, Assistant Principal
Ariana Nelson
Wendy Smith-Butler
Steven Wiggs
Double Bass
Dennis Whittaker, Principal
Erik Gronfor, Assistant Principal
Carla Clark
Flute
Henry Williford, Principal
Tyler Martin
Oboe
Elizabeth Priestly Siffert, Principal
Mayu Isom
Clarinet
Sean Krissman, Principal
Eric Chi
Bassoon
Amanda Swain, Principal
Michael Allard
French Horn
Sarah Cranston, Principal
Kimberly Penrod Minson, Second Horn
Spencer Park
Trumpet
Tetsuya Lawson, Principal
Randal Adams
Trombone
Thomas Hulten, Principal
Mark Holley
Bass Trombone
Justin Bain
Tuba
Mark Barton, Principal
Harp
Joan Eidman, Principal
Timpani
Alison Chang, Principal
Percussion
Richard Brown, Principal
Orchestra Personnel Manager
Richard Brown
For audition information, please visit our Employment and Auditions page.
Chorus
2021 - 22 Houston Grand Opera Chorus
Richard Bado, Chorus Master
The Sarah and Ernest Butler Chorus Master
Nathan Abbott
Hayley Abramowitz
Ofelia Adame
Geordie Alexander
Preston Andrews
Maggie Armand
Dennis Arrowsmith
Cody Arthur
Christopher Auchter
Sarah Bannon
Zachary Barba
Alyssa Barnes
Megan Berti
Leslie Biffle
Ashlee Brooke
Steve Buza
Christopher Childress
Patrick Contreras
Esteban Cordero
Robert Dee
Callie Denbigh
Stacia Dunn
Ashley Duplechien
Ashly Evans
Peter Farley
Ami Figg
Don Figg
Albert Garcia
Brian Gibbs
Michelle Girardot
Maurice Goodwin
Dallas Gray
Evelyn Grayson
Tabitha Greene
Suzanne Gregory
Nancy Hall
Sarah Hardin
Lauren Henderson-Turner
Frankie Hickman
Austin Hoeltzel
Julie Hoeltzel
Patty Holley
Audrey Hurley
Jon Janacek
Katherine Jones
Joe Key
Alison King
David Kirkwood
Brianne Kollmorgen
Michael Kollmorgen
Melissa Krueger
Wesley Landry
Sarah Lee
Yoojin Lee
Laura Lisk
Aarianna Longino
Alejandro Magallón
Kathy Manley
Heath Martin
Antonio Martinez
Neal Martinez
Norman Mathews
Byron Mayes
Katherine McDaniel
Jeff Monette
Natasha Monette
Matthew Neumann
Patrick Perez
Abby Powell
Said Pressley
Teresa Procter
Nicholas Rathgeb
Brad Raymond
Gabrielle Reed
Kendall Reimer
Francis Rivera
Hannah Roberts
Emily Robinson
Michael Rodriguez
Kathleen Ruhleder
Johnny Salvesen
Christina Scanlan
Valerie Serice
Kade Smith
Kaitlyn Stavinoha
Rebecca Tann
Lauren Vick
Lisa Vickers
Miles Ward
Jesse Warren
John Weinel
Dalton Woody
Jennifer Wright
Chloe Zimmermann
Supernumeraries
A supernumerary (or “super”) is a non-speaking, non-singing role in an opera, much like an extra in a film.
Houston Grand Opera regularly seeks adult and child supernumeraries for mainstage productions. If you are interested in being considered for supernumerary roles, please send a headshot or current photo, resume, and current height and weight to company@hgo.org.