Sarah and Ernest Butler Chorus Director Chair
Biography
A native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Richard Bado made his professional conducting debut in 1989 leading Houston Grand Opera’s acclaimed production of Show Boat at the newly restored Cairo Opera House in Egypt. Since then, Bado has conducted at Teatro alla Scala, Opéra National de Paris, HGO, New York City Opera, the Aspen Music Festival, Tulsa Opera, the Russian National Orchestra, the Florida Philharmonic, the Montreal Symphony, Wolf Trap Opera, and has conducted the Robert Wilson production of Virgil Thomson’s Four Saints in Three Acts at the Edinburgh Festival. This season, Bado conducts performances of The Nutcracker for Houston Ballet and performances of West Side Story for Houston Grand Opera. An accomplished pianist, Bado has appeared regularly with Renée Fleming in recital. He has also played for Cecilia Bartoli, Frederica von Stade, Susan Graham, Denyce Graves, Marcello Giordani, Ramon Vargas, Samuel Ramey, Jamie Barton, Ryan McKinney, Nicole Heaston, Jack Swanson, and Michael Spyres. Bado—who holds music degrees from the Eastman School of Music, where he received the 2000 Alumni Achievement Award, and West Virginia University—has studied advanced choral conducting with Robert Shaw. He is the Director of Artistic Planning and Chorus Director for HGO, where he received the Silver Rose Award in 2013. He has appeared on A Prairie Home Companion with Garrison Keillor. For 12 years, he was the Director of the Opera Studies Program at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music. Bado has served on the faculty of the Aspen Music Festival and School, the Dolora Zajick Institute for Young Dramatic Voices, the International Vocal School in Moscow, the Texas Music Festival, and has served on the music staff of the Metropolitan Opera, Seattle Opera, the Bolshoi Opera Young Artist Program, Opera Australia, Santa Fe Opera, Opera Theatre of St. Louis, Utah Opera, Chautauqua Opera, and Wolf Trap Opera. He regularly judges for the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions.
Repertoire
Conductor:
SHOW BOAT 1989 (HGO tour: Cairo, Egypt)
CAROUSEL 1989-90, 2015-16
MY FAIR LADY 1990-91
ANNIE GET YOUR GUN 1991-92
SUSANNAH 1995-96
PORGY AND BESS 1995-96 (HGO tour: Tokyo, Japan; Milan, Italy; Paris, France)
FOUR SAINTS IN THREE ACTS 1995-96 (HGO tour: Edinburgh Festival, Scotland)
THE MAGIC FLUTE 1996-97, 2003-04
THE TALES OF HOFFMANN 1998-99
AIDA 1999-2000
COSÌ FAN TUTTE 2000-01
RIGOLETTO 2001-02
LA BOHÈME 2002-03, 2018-19 (Miller Outdoor Theatre and Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion)
THE TWO FACES OF ROMEO AND JULIET 2003-04 (Miller Outdoor Theatre)
MADAME BUTTERFLY 2004-05 (Mainstage and Miller Outdoor Theatre)
MY FAVORITE THINGS: SONGS FROM THE SOUND OF MUSIC 2020-21 (TDECU Stadium)
Chorus Director:
THE ABDUCTION FROM THE SERAGLIO 1987-88, 2007-08, 2016-17
THE MAKING OF THE REPRESENTATIVE FOR PLANET 8 1988-89 (World premiere)
CARMEN 1988-89, 1994-95, 1997-98 (Miller Outdoor Theatre and Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion), 2000-01 (Mainstage, Miller Outdoor Theatre and on tour to Philadelphia, PA), 2005-06, 2013-14 (Mainstage and Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion), 2021-22
THE MARRIAGE OF FIGARO 1988-89, 1990-91, 1997-98, 2005-06 (Mainstage and Miller Outdoor Theatre), 2010-11, 2015-16, 2022-23
SHOW BOAT 1988-89, 2012-13
A MASKED BALL 1988-89, 2007-08
THE DIALOGUES OF THE CARMELITES 1988-89, 2021-22
OTELLO 1988-89, 2014-15
CAROUSEL 1989-90, 2015-16
JULIUS CAESAR 1989-90
NEW YEAR 1989-90 (World premiere)
THE MIKADO 1989-90
DER ROSENKAVALIER 1989-90, 1994-95
RIGOLETTO 1989-90, 1994-95, 2001-02, 2008-09 (Mainstage and Miller Outdoor Theatre), 2013-14, 2019-20
SAMSON AND DELILAH 1989-90, 2001-02
MADAME BUTTERFLY 1989-90, 1993-94, 1997-98, 1998-99 (Miller Outdoor Theatre and Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion), 2004-05 (Mainstage and Miller Outdoor Theatre), 2010-11 (Mainstage and Miller Outdoor Theatre), 2014-15
CAVALLERIA RUSTICANA 1990-91, 2008-09
PAGLIACCI 1990-91, 1999-2000 (Miller Outdoor Theatre, Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, and tour to Philadelphia, PA), 2008-09
FAUST 1990-91, 1996-97, 2006-07, 2016-17
THE PASSION OF JONATHAN WADE 1990-91 (World premiere of new version)
TOSCA 1990-91, 1996-97, 2003-04, 2009-10 (Mainstage and Miller Outdoor Theatre), 2015-16 (Mainstage, Miller Outdoor Theatre, and Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion), 2022-23
THE MAGIC FLUTE 1990-91, 1996-97, 2003-04, 2007-08, 2014-15 (Mainstage, Miller Outdoor Theatre, and Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion), 2021-22
LA CLEMENZA DI TITO 1990-91
DON GIOVANNI 1990-91, 1999-2000, 2006-07, 2018-19
COSÌ FAN TUTTE 1990-91, 2000-01, 2014-15
MARIA DE BUENOS AIRES 1990-91
MY FAIR LADY 1990-91
RUSALKA 1991-92, 2015-16
LA BOHÈME 1991-92, 1995-96, 2002-03, 2007-08, 2012-13 (Mainstage, Miller Outdoor Theatre, and Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion), 2018-19 (Mainstage, Miller Outdoor Theatre, and Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion)
BABES IN TOYLAND 1991-92
IL TROVATORE 1991-92, 2004-05, 2012-13
PARSIFAL 1991-92
DESERT OF ROSES 1991-92 (World premiere)
MEFISTOFELE 1991-92, 1998-99
ANDREA CHÉNIER 1991-92
ANNIE GET YOUR GUN 1991-92
LOHENGRIN 1992-93, 2009-10
THE TALES OF HOFFMANN 1992-93, 1998-99
AIDA 1992-93, 1999-2000, 2006-07, 2013-14, 2019-20
THE BARBER OF SEVILLE 1992-93, 2003-04, 2011-12 (Mainstage and Miller Outdoor Theatre), 2017-18 (Mainstage, Miller Outdoor Theatre, and Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion)
FRIDA 1992-93
ELEKTRA 1993-94, 2017-18
STREET SCENE 1993-94
LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR 1993-94, 2002-03, 2010-11
LA TRAVIATA 1993-94, 1998-99, 2002-03, 2011-12, 2017-18, 2022-23 (Mainstage and Miller Outdoor Theatre)
TURANDOT 1993-94, 2003-04, 2021-22
THE OUTCAST 1993-94 (World premiere)
HARVEY MILK 1994-95 (World premiere)
SONG OF MAJNUN / SAVITRI 1994-95
PORGY AND BESS 1994-95
ATTILA 1994-95
ROMEO AND JULIET 1995-96, 2004-05, 2021-22 (Mainstage and Miller Outdoor Theatre)
CINDERELLA 1995-96, 2006-07
FOUR SAINTS IN THREE ACTS 1995-96
NORMA 1995-96, 2017-18
SUSANNAH 1995-96
FLORENCIA EN EL AMAZONAS 1996-97 (World premiere), 2000-01, 2018-19
BORIS GODUNOV 1996-97, 2005-06
MACBETH 1997-98
BILLY BUDD 1997-98, 2007-08
ARABELLA 1997-98
THE FLYING DUTCHMAN 1998-99, 2018-19
RESURRECTION 1998-99 (World premiere)
THE ELIXIR OF LOVE 1999-2000, 2009-10, 2016-17 (Mainstage, Miller Outdoor Theatre, and Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion)
TRISTAN AND ISOLDE 1999-2000, 2012-13
NABUCCO 1999-2000
KATYA KABANOVA 2000-01
THE TENDER LAND 2000-01
PRINCE IGOR 2000-01
THE CORONATION OF POPPEA 2000-01
DON CARLO 2000-01 / DON CARLOS 2011-12
TANNHÄUSER 2001-02
EUGENE ONEGIN 2001-02, 2015-16
OF MICE AND MEN 2001-02
THE MAKROPOLIS CASE 2001-02
ARIODANTE 2002-03
THE MERRY WIDOW 2002-03
MANON 2002-03
JENUFA 2003-04
SALSIPUEDES 2004-05 (World premiere)
IDOMENEO 2004-05
FALSTAFF 2004-05
HOUSTON GRAND OPERA GOLDEN JUBILEE GALA 2004-05
DON PASQUALE 2005-06
MANON LESCAUT 2005-06
SIMON BOCCANEGRA 2006-07
THE CUNNING LITTLE VIXEN 2006-07
THE DAUGHTER OF THE REGIMENT 2007-08
THE REFUGE 2007-08 (Brown Theater and Miller Outdoor Theatre)
BEATRICE AND BENEDICT 2008-09
CHORUS! 2008-09
THE QUEEN OF SPADES 2009-10
XERXES 2009-10
PETER GRIMES 2010-11
DEAD MAN WALKING 2010-11
FIDELIO 2011-12
MARY STUART 2011-12
THE ITALIAN GIRL IN ALGIERS 2012-13
DIE FLEDERMAUS 2013-14 (Mainstage and Miller Outdoor Theatre)
THE PASSENGER 2013-14 (Mainstage and Park Avenue Armory, NYC)
SWEENEY TODD 2014-15
NIXON IN CHINA 2016-17
VERDI’S REQUIEM MASS 2016-17
GÕTTERDÄMMERUNG 2016-17
THE PEARL FISHERS 2018-19
THE PHOENIX 2018-19 (World premiere)
SAUL 2019-20
LA FAVORITE 2019-20
HANSEL AND GRETEL 2020-21 (Digital)
MY FAVORITE THINGS: SONGS FROM THE SOUND OF MUSIC 2020-21 (TDECU Stadium)
CELBRATING CARLISLE FLOYD 2021-22
THE WRECKERS 2022-23
GIVING VOICE 2022-23
FALSTAFF 2023-24
PARSIFAL 2023-24
MADAME BUTTERFLY 2023-24
HGO recital pianist:
CECILIA BARTOLI PATRON CIRCLE RECITAL 1992-93
MARCELLO GIORDANI PATRON CIRCLE RECITAL 1993-94
RENÉE FLEMING PATRON CIRCLE RECITAL 1994-95, 2002-03
RAMON VARGAS PATRON CIRCLE RECITAL 1996-97
NATHAN GUNN PATRON CIRCLE RECITAL 2000-01
DENYCE GRAVES PATRON CIRCLE RECITAL 2001-02
SUSAN GRAHAM PATRON CIRCLE RECITAL 2004-05
SAMUEL RAMEY PATRON CIRCLE RECITAL 2005-06
REGINALD SMITH, JR. CULLEN LIVE RECITAL 2020-21 (Digital)
JACK SWANSON CULLEN LIVE RECITAL 2020-21 (Digital)
NICOLE HEASTON CULLEN LIVE RECITAL 2020-21 (Digital)
MICHAEL SPYRES PATRON CIRCLE RECITAL 2021-22
Musical Preparation:
THE FLYING DUTCHMAN 1984-85
THE MAGIC FLUTE 1984-85, 2003-04
MADAME BUTTERFLY 1984-85, 1989-90, 1997-98
LA TRAVIATA 1984-85
LA BOHÈME 1985-86
FAUST 1985-86
COUNT ORY 1985-86
ARIADNE AUF NAXOS 1985-86, 1992-93, 2010-11
ANNA BOLENA 1985-86
THE JUNIPER TREE 1985-86
ORPHEUS IN THE UNDERWORLD 1986-87
SALOME 1986-87
FALSTAFF 1986-87
TURANDOT 1986-87
BORIS GODUNOV 1986-87
AIDA 1987-88
THE ABDUCTION FROM THE SERAGLIO 1987-88
LA RONDINE 1987-88
MANON 1987-88
TANNHÄUSER 1987-88
HANSEL AND GRETEL 1988-89, 1989-90
CAROUSEL 1989-90
MY FAIR LADY 1990-91
ANNIE GET YOUR GUN 1991-92
ELEKTRA 1993-94
STREET SCENE 1993-94
TOSCA 1996-97
ARABELLA 1997-98
A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC 1998-99
TRISTAN AND ISOLDE 1999-2000
NABUCCO 1999-2000
CARMEN 2000-01
DON CARLO 2000-01
TANNHAUSER 2001-02
SAMSON AND DELILAH 2001-02
THE MERRY WIDOW 2002-03
IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE 2016-17 (World premiere)
JULIUS CAESAR 2017-18
WEST SIDE STORY 2017-18
Cast:
Butler VINKENSPORT 2020-21 (Digital)