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Houston Grand Opera officials formally introduced the opera’s next general director who will also serve as the company’s first-ever chief executive officer in the Wortham Center’s Grand Foyer this morning.
Anthony Freud, the general director of the Welsh National Opera, will be Houston Grand Opera’s third general director succeeding David Gockley, who led the HGO for the past 33 years.
Freud officially takes control of the company this March where he’ll face a different fundraising model to that he experienced in Wales. The bulk of financial support for European companies comes from the government. Houston’s opera relies heavily on individual and corporate giving.
Although Freud would not speak in specifics about his artistic vision for the Houston Grand Opera, he says innovation that is specific to this city remains an essential ingredient to the success of the company.