Houston Business Journal Lauds HGO’s 2023-24 Season Success

Check out HGO’s 2023-24 annual report here!  

Preparations are underway at HGO! Auditions are taking place. Costumes are being sewn. Sets raised. Props created. Opera-star air travel booked. The opening of our 2024-25 season is imminent, and the entire extended HGO family is laser-focused on bringing the magic when the curtains rise.  

But we would be remiss if we didn’t take a moment to enjoy the incredible success of last season, as chronicled in a recent piece in the Houston Business Journal: “Houston Grand Opera sees significant growth despite industry's 'existential crisis.'” 

“When Khori Dastoor first joined the Houston Grand Opera as general director and CEO in January 2022, she said she had a decision to make: manage decline in a responsible way or stress test the opportunity for growth,” author Chandler France wrote. “She chose the latter — and that bet is already paying off.”  

France cited accomplishments including a 13.5% increase in ticket sales over the previous season, a 30.5% increase in ticket revenue, and a 69% increase in first-time opera visitors. He also noted that ticket sales and revenue were out-performing pre-COVID levels while highlighting that the company continues to grow its funding base and endowment, all at a time when the opera industry as a whole is facing a decline in audiences and revenue. 

“We made the decision early on to try to grow first before assuming that we couldn’t,” Dastoor told the publication. “What you’re seeing in these numbers is the result of that early success.” 

The piece cited HGO’s location in a growing city with a robust philanthropic community as part of the reason for its success, alongside its myriad partnerships with organizations throughout the region, year-round programming throughout the community, and move to “implement rapid change” as Dastoor guides the company into the future.  

As we look to 2024-25, all of us at HGO are excited about what the new season holds.