The Houston Business Journal Spotlights Incoming Music Director James Gaffigan—and HGO’s Growth

A new Houston Business Journal feature from reporter Janet Miranda, “Houston Grand Opera hires Rice alum as next music director amid strong growth,” credits HGO’s bold artistic vision—and the company’s solid financial foundation—for helping it attract one of the world’s most sought-after conductors, James Gaffigan, as the company’s next Music Director.

“I fell in love with Houston in my early 20s, and I always kind of knew it would have some importance in my life,” Gaffigan tells the HBJ, recalling his time studying conducting at Rice's Shepherd School, attending operas at HGO, and, later, making his American debut here. “I never knew it would come full circle like this.”

The publication describes Gaffigan’s recruitment as part of a broader story of organizational strength. Ticket revenue has climbed 24 percent since pre-pandemic years, total ticket buyers are up 27 percent, and the company’s endowment has nearly doubled since 2020 and is now valued at $129.3 million.

The piece attributes the company's success to a combination of this stability and the company’s mission-driven approach. “We really feel on a mission here at HGO to preserve and elevate human dignity—to ensure that we have access to thought-provoking art and that we are intellectually rigorous but also rooted in community,” HGO's Khori Dastoor tells the publication. Together these factors made a strong case for Gaffigan to seize this opportunity.

As the HBJ notes, HGO’s growth reflects the broader economic power of the arts in Houston—an industry generating more than $1.3 billion in annual activity and supporting over 21,000 local jobs.

Read the full story here (subscription required).