HGO Spotlight on: Associate Director of Community and Learning Kiana Day Williams

“I feel like I’m always a teacher,” says Kiana Day Williams, Associate Director of Houston Grand Opera’s Community and Learning department. “I cannot abandon that because my first love is teaching music.”

Born in Jackson, Mississippi, Williams was raised in a musical household—her mother performed in their church’s choir, and her father played the trumpet. They encouraged Williams to pursue music throughout her formative years, when she participated in piano competitions, choir concerts, and band practices. She always knew that music would be in her life, and she found a way to share that passion through teaching.

Williams now reaches far more students than she ever could have as an instructor. In her role as Associate Director of C&L, she oversees programs for students like Create an Opera and Opera to Go!, which help to nurture the arts in communities across Houston.

When did your love of music start? 

Well, if you asked when I was a little girl what I wanted to be when I got older, I would have said a Whitney Houston impersonator. I was convinced I sounded just like her—I did not. I grew up surrounded by music, so it was no surprise my career is in music. My parents were so supportive and are the ones that pushed me to really pursue music. I fell in love with piano in the fourth grade and kept playing during my formative years and through college. It was thanks to years of competing that my undergrad was entirely paid for.

What made you want to work at HGO? 

I went to a teacher job fair at United Way, and I remember seeing this big banner for HGO. I thought, What is Houston Grand Opera doing here at a teacher job fair? I’m here to find a school to work at. Turns out they were looking for an educator who had an understanding of opera to oversee a grant program. They gave me the job description, and I just thought, Oh my God, this is my job. This is for me. I applied and eventually got hired. It was a great experience, but it was a grant-funded position that ended after a year.  

I ended up going back to finish my doctorate in 2018, but I always thought of HGO because I did not see anyone doing community-building the way HGO was—so intentionally. And then this role with C&L opened in 2022. So, I applied, and I’m back again for a second tour of duty. 

How has your experience as a teacher translated to your role at HGO? 

There’s so much crossover. Being a choir director, you have to wear all these hats. You have to be your own finance person, handle all the philanthropy, and all the marketing. You have to be hands-on with so much of it. I feel really privileged to be here because I feel like I’m able to speak the language of both the company and the teachers in the classroom. I get the chance to marry those two worlds in what I do. I will never abandon being an educator. 

What does your day to day look like? 

A morning starts off with me making a list of people that I need to communicate with, checking on what programs we’re currently running, and what programs are about to start. We run quite a few programs in C&L, and oftentimes, they run concurrently. There’s a lot of emailing with different people in the community and schools about where we are with Opera to Go! and Storybook Operas. 

Of all the programs C&L offers, which is your favorite? 

 
I’m going to say Create an Opera. It looks different everywhere it goes, but it always ends up being something neat because the kids own it. They create the lyrics, the libretto, the staging, the costumes, and the scenery. It is always great when we get the testimonies of the teachers saying, like, This child has never been the same since this experience. Those are the things that really make you go, This is why I’m doing what I do. It’s because of the sustainable benefits of creating opera. It’s owned by the children—because it’s only for children. 

Part of what makes these programs great are the teaching artists. We employ very talented music artists and educators to go out and implement this work and represent HGO in the communities and schools. We’ve been blessed this year to have some strong partnerships with large organizations like Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Houston, YES Prep,  KIPP, and Communities in Schools, with whom we developed a fruitful partnership during High School Night last year. 

Aside from youth programs, how does C&L reach the wider Houston community? 

During the 2024 Sound of Music Educational Enrichment Workshop, we were able to bring in a local Holocaust survivor, Ruth Steinfeld, to talk about her experience. The point was to take what audiences were about to see onstage and give them the opportunity to learn more. It was a packed house. To be able to see the people in that space come in and be captivated by what she had to share was beautiful. 

What has been your favorite memory of working here?

My favorite memory is Giving Voice 2023, because that was the first year it was held at Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church. I knew that it was a great program when I had the opportunity to bring my students to Giving Voice in 2020 at the Wortham Theater Center. It was amazing just seeing the melting pot of people who were sitting in those pews and listening to the choir. I’m at Wheeler every Sunday, and don’t get me wrong—we rock that church every Sunday. But to hear those amazing voices singing Roland Carter’s arrangement of “Lift Every Voice and Sing” moved me to tears. 

What do you like to do outside of work? 

When I am not at work, my personal life is my “second shift.” I am a mom of two kids that are my entire world. I enjoy spending time reading, cooking, and coloring with my family. And my kids are becoming more interested in music, so my house is never quiet—my son plays the drums while my daughter is planning to be an international popstar. [laughs] I am happy to support them in their dreams because I was able to pursue mine. 

What do you love about being an educator? 

It’s such a thankless job oftentimes because sometimes you don’t see the progress right away. But having been in this field for so long, I see the fruits of that when I’m on social media and a former student of mine tags me in a viral thread about a teacher that impacted them the most. I feel like that is the reward—when you realize you’re making a difference to people’s lives who are in so many different corners of the world.

For more of the HGO Spotlight Series check out: HGO Spotlight on: Associate Director of Human Resources Christian Davis