A bit of history, a bit of gossip, a lot of music, and no homework! We are delighted to welcome Buck Ross, founder of the Moores Opera Center at the University of Houston, back to the Italian Cultural & Community Center for an all new lecture series on the history of opera. Those of you who followed our Brief History of Opera course in 2023 will be familiar with Mr. Ross’s witty commentary and impressive knowledge of music history.

This four-week course will focus on the life and works of Giacomo Puccini, composer of some of the most popular operas in the standard repertoire such as La bohème, Tosca, and Madama Butterfly. We will survey all of his operas and explore how they intersected with his personal life.

Whether you’re familiar with Puccini’s work or completely new to the opera world, we welcome you to join us this March for Puccini: His Life and Works.

Schedule

Monday, March 4, 7:00 to 8:30 p.m.

Monday, March 11, 7:00 to 8:30 p.m.

Monday, March 18, 7:00 to 8:30 p.m.

Monday, March 25, 7:00 to 8:30 p.m.

Tickets

$100 ICCC Members | $125 Non-members

Meet Your Instructor

Buck Ross, Professor Emeritus at the University of Houston, was founder and director of the Moores Opera Center for 37 years from 1985-2022 where he produced and directed over 140 operas. Under him the program grew to be one of the largest university opera production programs in the country. Mr. Ross holds the distinction of having directed more operas in Houston than anyone in the history of the city. A longtime student of Italian at the Italian Cultural and Community Center, he has also previously taught several popular opera courses for the ICCC.

Cancellation Policy

Tuition is non-refundable, but we offer tuition credit toward a future group class if you cancel 48 hours in advance of the start of the first class. Tuition credit is valid for six months from the start date of the course. If you cancel less than 48 hours in advance, your tuition payment will be converted into a tax-deductible donation to the Italian Cultural & Community Center. You may cancel by phone at (713) 524-4222 ext. 2.

This program is supported by Humanities Texas, the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. This event is funded in part by the City of Houston through Houston Arts Alliance.

Click here to become a member of the Italian Cultural & Community Center of Houston.