When Houston Grand Opera announced that internationally acclaimed conductor James Gaffigan had been named its next music director, the news resonated far beyond the Wortham Theater Center. For Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music, it marked a powerful homecoming for one of its most distinguished alumni as the school celebrates its 50th anniversary.
Gaffigan, a 2003 graduate of the Shepherd School, becomes only the fifth music director in HGO’s 70-year history. He will begin his term as music director designate during the 2026-27 season and assume the full title the following season, leading the company alongside general director and CEO Khori Dastoor.
“James Gaffigan represents the very best of what the Shepherd School stands for: true artistry and generosity of spirit,” said Matthew Loden, Rice’s Lynette S. Autrey Dean of Music. “Watching his career flourish internationally has been a joy, and seeing him return to Houston to lead one of the world’s great opera companies feels profoundly right.”
“To welcome James Gaffigan back to Houston and to HGO as our new music director represents the fulfillment of an ambitious dream,” Dastoor said. “This fall, Houston audiences have had the incredible opportunity to witness his passion, electric energy and mind-blowing artistry at the podium. His return is both a testament to our city and a reflection of HGO’s ascendance as a force in the global opera industry.”
A New York native, Gaffigan is one of the few American conductors to rise to prominence through the concert halls and opera houses of Europe. He currently serves as general music director of Komische Oper Berlin and music director of the Verbier Festival Junior Orchestra, and he recently concluded four seasons as music director of the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía in Valencia, Spain. His résumé spans leading opera companies and symphony orchestras across the world, including the Metropolitan Opera, Vienna Staatsoper, London Symphony Orchestra and Chicago Symphony Orchestra.
Gaffigan succeeds Patrick Summers, HGO’s longtime artistic and music director, who will step down at the end of the 2025-26 season. Summers, who will continue his association with the company as music director emeritus, also serves as distinguished lecturer in opera studies at the Shepherd School.
“I always knew that the first post I would take in the United States as music director had to be the perfect fit,” Gaffigan said in HGO’s announcement. “As I considered which institution, which city and which community aligned with my dreams and goals for an American institution, I found HGO to be my ideal partner. In my opinion, HGO is the most exciting opera company in the United States.”
For Gaffigan, Houston has always been more than a stop on his professional journey; it’s where his foundation was built. During his time at Rice, he studied under the late Larry Rachleff, who served as director of orchestras at the Shepherd School for more than three decades.
“Larry didn’t let anything slide,” Gaffigan said. “I’ve changed my way of thinking because of him. He was like a father figure to me at a time when I needed a musical father figure. I owe him a lot — not just the career but the kind of person I’ve become because of him.”
Gaffigan also credits the Shepherd School community for shaping his artistic identity.
“I felt a warm embrace not just from the Shepherd School faculty but from the community,” he said. “I fell in love with the people, and that’s what makes coming back so special.”
That return has already begun this fall. Gaffigan is in Houston conducting “Porgy and Bess,” HGO’s revival of the Gershwin’s landmark opera that earned the company both a Tony and a Grammy 50 years ago. The production also reunites him with several other Shepherd School alumni: Michael Sumuel ’09 starring as Porgy, Blake Denson ’20 as Crown, Jonathan Pierce Rhodes ’22 as Mingo and Ardeen Pierre ’18 in the chorus with a featured step-out role.
“Sharing the stage with fellow Shepherd School alumni in ‘Porgy and Bess’ at HGO is a great honor,” Sumuel said. “With a show like ‘Porgy and Bess,’ where community is a seminal theme, it is wonderful to be a part of our smaller Shepherd School family within the cast.”
“It truly is a treat to be around colleagues who share my background,” Rhodes said. “We bring a legacy of community and excellence that you can feel on and off the stage.”
“Performing in ‘Porgy and Bess’ at HGO feels like a full-circle moment,” Pierre said. “Sharing this world-class stage with my fellow Black artists in this production is both a privilege and an immense honor for this Haitian American woman.”
Gaffigan said returning to HGO to lead “Porgy and Bess” feels like coming home in more ways than one.
“Having spent my formative years as a young conductor in Houston studying under Larry Rachleff, I have been in admiration of the company since my early 20s,” Gaffigan said. “When walking into the building, I get a sense of community and excitement for our art form and the importance it has in our lives. I can’t wait to return to this city and start our thrilling new chapter together.”
“Porgy and Bess” runs through Nov. 15 at the Wortham Theater Center. Click here for ticket information.
