Banner ad
Style+Culture

HGO Studio Soprano Villalón Predicts ‘Renewed Longing for Performance’

Villalón wears a Badgley Mischka dress from Tootsies.

Villalón wears a Badgley Mischka dress from Tootsies.

Soprano Elena Villalón, 22, a 2019 Grand Finals winner of the esteemed Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, has spent the past year making a name for herself as one of the youngest members ever of Houston Grand Opera’s artist development program HGO Studio. In January, the ingenue dazzled in the role of Inès in La favorite, which saw her gracing the stage opposite opera star Jamie Barton. “The cast was really great,” says Villalón of the experience. “Everyone was incredible at their jobs.”

While her on-stage experience will look and feel a little different in the fall — HGO recently announced it is canceling productions through April 2021 due to Covid-19 precautions — she remains optimistic for the future. “It is my hope that the Houston community has a renewed longing for live performance, that audiences will be more present and open, and not take for granted access to the world class art that Houston has to offer.”

Click here to see the full 2020 portfolio.

Villalón wears a Badgley Mischka dress from Tootsies. 

Style
Banner ad
fashion

Seasonal Style — and Houston’s Most Beautiful Bling — Sparkle for the Holidays

In the hopeful last days of a year that can't end too soon, the Yuletide sparkles anew — with festive frocks, and beautiful, giftable bling from Houston's finest jewelers. Photos by Steven Visneau, styling by Todd Ramos, hair and makeup by Edward Sanchez for Edward Sanchez Cosmetics, model Melani Colic for Wallflower Management, shot on location at the Omni Houston Hotel.

Keep Reading Show less
Style
art

A Day in the Life of the Arts 2020

Even in a pandemic, the arts culture of Houston never stops — from movie screenings in the wee hours of the morning, to public art installations that light up the night. Seven photographers capture the everyday wonders of art in the most resilient city in America, over the course of 24 hours on Saturday, Oct. 3.


Keep Reading Show less
Art + Entertainment
Banner ad