This fall Jake Heggie has operas opening the seasons of two major companies, becoming the first American composer ever to reach this monumental achievement, and the first composer anywhere to do so in over a century. On the historic occasion of HGO’s world premiere of Intelligence—as well as The Metropolitan Opera’s opening of Heggie’s first opera, Dead Man Walking, which premiered in 2000—HGO Artistic and Music Director Patrick Summers and Rice University Shepherd School of Music Professor of Opera and Director of Opera Studies Joshua Winograde sit down with Heggie to discuss his process and his evolving perspective on opera development and composition throughout his three-decade career.

HGO’s 75th world premiere, Intelligence, tells the remarkable story of Americans Mary Jane Bowser and Elizabeth Van Lew and their daring work to supply secret intelligence to the Union during the Civil War. In a conversation moderated by Opera America Equity Consultant Quodesia Johnson and featuring a panel including Librettist Gene Scheer, Director/Choreographer Jawole Willa Jo Zollar, BSNM Director of Exhibitions Cale Carter, Fifth Ward Development Corp. Director of Arts and Culture/Urban Souls Dance Company Artistic Director Harrison Guy, and Houston artist and activist deniz lopez, HGO explores what it means to question existing narratives, uncover the truth, and discern the authenticity of stories we hear, those we don’t hear, and those that are suppressed.