Houston Grand Opera Appoints Chairs for Key 2026-27 Season Events

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Philanthropists Sylvia Barnes, Jim Trimble, Denise Reyes, Matt Healey, Hallie Vanderhider, Brigitte Kalai, and Farida Abjani to lead the season's major galas.

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Houston Grand Opera has announced the chairs of the company's signature fundraising events of the 2026-27 season. Sylvia Barnes and Jim Trimble will chair fall's Opening Night Dinner for Susannah; Denise Reyes and Matt Healey will chair winter's 39th annual Concert of Arias; and Hallie Vanderhider, Brigitte Kalai, and Farida Abjani will chair spring's Opera Ball, honoring longtime HGO supporters Betty and Jesse Tutor.

“ Houston Grand Opera 's mission of sharing great art with our city would not be possible without the generosity and commitment of our supporters, whose care for this company knows no bounds,” says HGO General Director and CEO Khori Dastoor. “The open-hearted Houstonians leading this season's major fundraising events are sharing their resources, time, and creativity in service of bringing world-class opera to the Wortham stage, nurturing tomorrow's great artists, and ensuring everyone in our city can experience the transformative power of the arts. We are so grateful to Sylvia and Jim, Denise and Matt, Hallie, Brigitte, and Farida for their incredible dedication to this company. And it is our honor to celebrate Betty and Jesse for their decades of extraordinary generosity to HGO and Houston.”

HGO will launch its 2026-27 season on Friday, October 23, 2026, with the opening night of Carlisle Floyd's American masterpiece Susannah, followed by a black-tie dinner on Ray C. Fish Plaza at the Wortham Theater Center. Sylvia Barnes and Jim Trimble, HGO supporters since 2007, will serve as chairs of the celebratory evening.

Barnes and Trimble are the founders and owners of Tanda Resources LLC, a privately held investment company. She has served on the boards of various publicly traded companies and worked at investment banks including Petrie Parkman and Merrill Lynch. He served as Chairman of the Board at Crestone Peak Resources, with additional board roles at Civitas Resources, Callon Petroleum, and Talos Energy. The two are longtime supporters of the Sarah and Ernest Butler Houston Grand Opera Studio.

On Friday, February 26, 2027, HGO will celebrate the future of opera at the 39th annual Concert of Arias, chaired by Denise Reyes and Matt Healey, HGO supporters since 2021. Held in the Wortham Theater Center's Cullen Theater, the prestigious competition brings together exceptional emerging artists from around the world. Following the concert, guests will enjoy a cocktail-attire celebration dinner with the young artists in the Grand Foyer.

Healey serves on the HGO Board of Directors and is Senior Vice President of Finance and Treasury at Cheniere Energy. A devoted fan of German repertoire, he has underwritten HGO productions including Salome, Parsifal, and Tannhäuser. Reyes is an assistant professor of industrial/organizational psychology with a Ph.D. from Rice University. Her research on leadership and training has appeared in the Journal of Applied Psychology and The Leadership Quarterly.

The season's Opera Ball returns to the Wortham Theater Center's Grand Foyer on Saturday, April 3, 2027. Chaired by Hallie Vanderhider, Brigitte Kalai, and Farida Abjani, the evening will feature spectacular dining, entertainment, and dancing inspired by HGO's 2026-27 season.

Vanderhider, an HGO supporter since 2015, serves on the boards of Oil States International and EQT Corporation and is a Certified Public Accountant with extensive experience in energy finance. She supports numerous Houston cultural and civic organizations. Kalai, an HGO supporter since 2019, is a former Texas Children's Hospital pediatric nurse and a founding member of the Houston Methodist Academic Institute's Translational Research Initiative (TRI). She supports organizations benefiting women, children, animals, and people facing medical challenges. Abjani, an HGO supporter since 2016, is CEO and Co-Founder of Aging Gracefully and a former cardiac ICU nurse. Named one of Houston Business Journal Most Admired CEOs, she has chaired galas benefiting numerous Houston nonprofit organizations.

Opera Ball honorees Betty and Jesse Tutor have supported HGO since 1997 and chaired myriad events across Houston, including HGO's 2021 Opening Night Dinner. Betty is a founding member of the Salvation Army Guild and past president of the Houston Symphony League, while Jesse has held leadership roles with the Houston Symphony Society and Endowment. Together, they have made an enduring impact on Houston's cultural and civic community through decades of philanthropic leadership.

Proceeds from HGO's signature fundraising events support the company's mainstage productions, investment in the next generation of opera stars, and wide-ranging education and community programs across Houston. For more information about HGO's 2026-27 signature events, visit HGO.org/Events.

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_Originally reported by [BroadwayWorld](https://www.broadwayworld.com/bwwopera/article/Houston-Grand-Opera-Names-Chairs-for-2026-27-Signature-Events-20260910)._