SugarHill Studios Mixes Performances for Houston Grand Opera’s 50th Anniversary Jubilee Gala

(HOUSTON, TEXAS) – May 6th, 2005 – SugarHill’s Senior Engineer Steve Christensen was busy mixing Houston Grand Opera’s 50th Anniversary Star Studded Jubilee Gala that took place at the Wortham Center on April 30th, 2005.  

In celebration of 50 years as one of the world’s premiere operas, the gala featured many of today’s brightest opera stars, including Renée Fleming, Bryn Terfel, and Denyce Graves, plus performances by Houston Ballet star Lauren Anderson, composer Philip Glass, and pop star Sir Elton John. Sir Elton John performed some of his popular hits with the Houston Grand Opera Chorus and Orchestra including Benny and the Jets, Your Song and Rocket Man.

The Gala was conducted by Music Director Patrick Summers and Associate Conductor James Lowe and featured the full Houston Grand Opera Orchestra and Chorus.

Viewers were treated to a live satellite simulcast relay of the remote performance at the Miller Outdoor Theatre in Hermann Park. The Houston Grand Opera Guild and KUHF hosted the simulcast.

 The live performance was recorded and produced by Marlan Barry ; Head Engineer for the Houston Grand Opera for NPR and Albany Records.   Barry has worked closely with Maestro Christoph Eschenbach and many of the world’s leading instrumentalists and operatic voices, in addition to running his own post -production facility, Marlan Barry Audio , in Brooklyn, New York.

Barry explained that the performance was recorded and mixed live on a customized analog Ramsa console (modified by John Windt) and is now adding the final touches to the stereo mix in SugarHill’s Studio A with Christensen . The project will then be mastered at SugarHill’s sister company Essential Sound.

Barry anticipates the completion of the album in summer 2005, where it will be released on DVD only for donors and sponsors of the Houston Grand Opera fund.

Photo attached (from left to right): Marlan Barry and Steve Christensen

For more information on Houston Grand Opera, visit www.houstongrandopera.org
For more information on Marlan Barry, visit www.marlanbarryaudio.com