Home in the Heights: Opera in the Heights gets its man

After spending more than a year of searching for a replacement for the legendary William Weibel, Opera in the Heights has hired Enrique Carreón-Robledo to be its new artistic director.

The company, which was established in 1996 to provide a platform for emerging operatic talent, is familiar with Carreón-Robledo, after the Mexico City native conducted OH’s production of Don Carlo in January. As artistic director, he will choose repertoire, hear singer auditions, conduct the orchestra, and will be responsible for all artistic decisions in the organization.

“Opera in the Heights is a company of great achievements and enormous potential, a combination that makes it the ideal place to settle as an Artistic Director looking into the future in pursuit of the highest artistic standards,” he said in a statement released by the company. “I embrace its mission and I shall continue, as I have done all through my professional life, to devote my talents, abilities, expertise, and artistic efforts to the discovery and support of outstanding emerging talent. I join the board of directors, staff, and every member of the artistic family in their commitment to bring affordable opera to the greater Houston area.”

Carreón-Robledo, who currently lives in London with his wife Audrey Carreón and will move to Houston in the summer, knows all about living in Texas. He attended the Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes and Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. He continued his undergraduate music education in California, and earned his master’s degree in Music from the University of Mississippi, and then completed doctoral studies at the University of Texas in Austin in Drama (stage directing) and Musical Arts (conducting).

For more information, visit www.operaintheheights.org, e-mail info@operaintheheights.org or call 713-861-5303.

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