VISION, INNOVATION, AND LEGACY: INSIDE THE MOORES SCHOOL OF MUSIC OPERA PROGRAM

Visionary Leadership

The program is propelled by the partnership of Artistic Director Kathleen Belcher, and Music Director Jorge Parodi, whose global experience and decades of mentorship shape its artistic direction. 

Parodi, originally from La Pampa, Argentina, trained in piano and conducting in Buenos Aires before shifting to conducting after moving to New York. His career led him to engagements at opera houses and orchestras throughout the Americas, and leadership roles with Gulfshore Opera and Opera Hispánica. At University of Houston he serves as Music Director of the Moores Opera Center, Assistant Professor of Conducting, and Assistant Director of Orchestras, drawn by the school’s legacy and outstanding performance environment. “We have exceptional faculty, excellent facilities, and incredibly talented students,” he says. 

Belcher’s journey began with her early love of storytelling and evolved through years at major opera houses, including the Lyric Opera of Chicago and The Metropolitan Opera. Observing top-tier rehearsals inspired her transition into directing. At the University of Houston, she found rare artistic freedom and strong institutional support. “The faculty are collaborative in ways I haven’t experienced elsewhere,” she notes, allowing her to take creative risks and explore bold repertoire. 

Together, Belcher and Parodi balance musical rigor with imaginative theater-making. Their shared focus is on process — developing students’ artistic instincts and interpretive skills. As Belcher says, “I want students to learn how to think like artists, not just sing the notes.” 

Opera Education in Action  

The Moores Opera Center stands apart for both its scale and its intensity. With a student population of roughly 90, the program mounts three full operas each year, plus additional productions. This unusually high performance volume gives singers, instrumentalists, and conductors abundant, real-world experience.  

Voice students perform with the Moores School Orchestra, work closely with coaches, and gain exposure to repertoire in multiple languages and styles — from contemporary English works to German and Italian operatic traditions.  

Belcher emphasizes the importance of a variation in genre of productions stating, “Students should be exposed to contemporary works, Baroque works, standard repertoire, multiple languages, comedy, tragedy… Over two years, they should at least audition across this spectrum, if not perform in it.”  

Commitment to New Music  

Innovation is woven into the program’s identity. Moores recently premiered Hobson’s Choice, giving students the invaluable experience of working directly with composer Tom Cipullo. For Parodi, the collaboration was exhilarating. “Working with a living composer is exciting because you can ask questions directly, make adjustments, and understand intentions without guessing. Conducting this major world premiere was incredibly fun and fulfilling.”  

Belcher underscores how crucial this work is in preparing students for today’s opera landscape: “With new music being produced so often with professional companies, it’s essential for students to have experience with contemporary vocabulary.”  

This commitment to new work not only broadens student experience, it also positions Moores as a creative incubator shaping the future of the operatic canon.  

The program’s excellence recently earned national recognition: the Moores Opera Center received top honors in the Division VII category of the 2024–2025 National Opera Association’s Opera Production Competition for its production of Suor Angelica and Gianni Schicchi. “The competition looks at the entire production — scenery, costumes, lighting, musical quality, acting — not just singing,” Belcher explains. The award reaffirms what fans of their performances already know: Moores delivers artistry on par with far larger institutions.