2026 concert to be presented by HGO in partnership with The Fort Bend Church
Event to celebrate two milestones: the centennial of Black History Month and the 250th anniversary of the United States
HOUSTON—Dec. 10, 2025—Houston Grand Opera (HGO) is proud to announce the seventh annual Giving Voice concert, presented this year through a newly formed partnership with The Fort Bend Church (TFBC). The event will be held on Friday, Feb. 20, at 7:30 p.m. at the church campus in Sugar Land, Texas. Tickets will go on sale at HGO.org/GivingVoice starting Dec. 12.
HGO’s Giving Voice concert series began in 2019, when internationally celebrated tenor Lawrence Brownlee set out to create a platform that would honor Black voices in opera. This year’s event will mark both the centennial of Black History Month and the 250th anniversary of the United States with a program of arias and songs performed by a group of outstanding operatic soloists and ensembles.
“Giving Voice is such a special night of joy and community,” says Khori Dastoor, Houston Grand Opera General Director and CEO. “We launched this annual celebration with Larry Brownlee to shine a light on the extraordinary beauty and power that Black artists bring to our stages each season. The concert also creates meaningful opportunities for HGO to connect with audiences across the Houston region, in spaces beyond the Wortham Theater Center. We are thrilled to begin a new partnership with The Fort Bend Church for this year’s Giving Voice, and grateful to be welcomed into their spiritual home.”
“Hosting Giving Voice at The Fort Bend Church is an extraordinary blessing,” says Reverend Byron C. Stevenson, Senior Pastor and Founder of The Fort Bend Church. “As we commemorate the centennial of Black History Month and approach the 250th anniversary of our nation, this concert provides a powerful opportunity to honor the enduring legacy of Black artistry. It also allows us to celebrate the hope, resilience, and God-given gifts that continue to shape our future. We are grateful to partner with Houston Grand Opera in welcoming our community for a night of inspiration, unity, and praise.”
Soloists performing at Giving Voice include stunning mezzo-soprano J’Nai Bridges, who performed the role of Lucinda in HGO’s 2023 world-premiere opera Intelligence, which has been nominated for a 2026 GRAMMY Award for Best Opera Recording; revered baritone Donnie Ray Albert, whose many roles at HGO include Porgy in the company’s iconic 1976 production of Porgy and Bess and Lord Capulet in Romeo and Juliet in 2022; sought-after bass-baritone Michael Sumuel, whose recent HGO roles include Porgy in the company’s record-breaking fall 2025 production of Porgy and Bess and Sharpless in another blockbuster, Madame Butterfly in 2024; and Tyler Martin, an award-winning flutist and member of the HGO Orchestra.
Also performing as soloists are three remarkable singers who are current members of HGO’s Butler Studio program for young artists: soprano Elizabeth Hanje, tenor Demetrious Sampson, Jr., and bass-baritone Sam Dhobhany. Joining the soloists is the esteemed Kevin J. Miller on piano.
The concert will feature performances from The Fort Bend Church Music Ministry; Voices of Houston, a choral ensemble dedicated to the performance and practice of the Negro Spiritual; the Houston Ebony Opera Guild, which showcases African American choral/opera singers from around the nation; and the renowned HGO Chorus.
Conducting throughout the evening will be Keith Eason, Minister of Music for The Fort Bend Church; Christopher Carter, Founder and Artistic Director of Voices of Houston; and Gregory D. McDaniel, Artistic Director of the Houston Ebony Opera Guild.
The evening will be emceed by Emmy and Gracie Award-winning journalist Linda Lorelle, former anchor of the evening news at KPRC, who now serves as CEO and Executive Producer of Linda Lorelle Media, a multimedia production and communications firm.
Tickets to Giving Voice will be available for purchase starting Dec. 12. The price of admission is $10 before Feb. 6 and $20 afterward. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit HGO.org/GivingVoice or call the Box Office at 713-228-6737.
The Fort Bend Church is located at 1900 Eldridge Rd., Sugar Land, TX 77478.
