ABOUT US
OUR MISSION
I Colori dell'opera means the Colors of Opera. As the Opera community grows and begins to reach out to newer and younger patrons, we believe that if opera is to remain relevant and capture the hearts of our supporters, we need the opera community to reflect the rich cultures that make up our country.
I Colori dell'opera is an opera company comprised of Houston-based professional opera singers in various stages of their career as emerging artists and/or vocal technique instructors. Our purpose is to increase representation of all singers, mainly minorities of the opera community, and to provide more opportunities to perform and connect in our city.
In our outreach, we want to provide a starting point for students in under-supported programs and for students who want to gain valuable stage experience while receiving instruction in vocal techniques. We want to make classical music and opera accessible to every student, especially those who feel that they may not have a pathway in the classical music field to be provided through I Colori Dell'opera's Summer Vocal Institute & Opera Scenes .
MEET THE PEOPLE
Errin Michelle Hatter
Founder &
Executive Director
Errin Michelle Hatter is a soprano from Houston, TX who “accidentally” fell into opera when she first heard a performance of Mon coeur s'ouvre a ta voix performed by one of her voice teachers and became enchanted with choral masterworks while performing in the choirs at University of Houston. She immediately enrolled in an opera workshop and dove into her first solo performances: Lucy in The Telephone (Gian Carlo Menotti) and the soprano soloist in Schubert’s Mass in G.
Her voice has soared over crowds in pop-up concerts with Sing for Hope, a non-profit that donates pianos to low income populated schools and sponsors pop up concerts at pianos places around New York City in the summer and in Midday Music Summer Concerts at Trinity Episcopal Church Midtown . After receiving her master’s degree in vocal performance from the University of St. Thomas in Houston, she was honored to be accepted into the Franco-American Vocal Academy in Salzburg, Austria as die Königin der Nacht in Die Zauberflöte. Since then, her passion in music performance lies in highlighting rarely performed or semi-forgotten 20th century music. Most recently, she highlighted the music of composers Florence Price, Margaret Bond, Joseph Marx, Ned Rorem and Claude Debussy in a Spring Mosaic Concert.
In 2019, she founded the company I Colori dell'opera, a company created to promote representation of people of color in the opera and classical communities through education and performance. Additionally, Errin is dedicated to teaching and introducing classical music to all through her daily positions as a teaching artist at Houston Grand Opera Community & Learning and as Sullivan Middle School’s Assistant Choir Director in Pasadena ISD.
She has recently performed with the Brazosport Symphony Orchestra as a featured soprano soloist in Rutter’s Mass of the Children and will join them for the Winter concert of Vivaldi’s Gloria. She has performed as a soloist with the Piping Rock Singers, at Pilgrim Lutheran Church Meyerland, First United Methodist Church - Westchase, Houston Masterworks Chorus and as an alumni soloist with the University Singers of University of St. Thomas and a staff soprano at Trinity Episcopal Church Midtown in Houston, TX. She has also performed as a chorister with the Houston Ebony Opera Guild & Opera In the Heights She is an alumni member of the Exigence Vocal Ensemble of the Sphinx Organization in Detroit, MI and is currently the liturgy cantor and singer with the praise band at Pilgrim Lutheran Church in Houston, TX.
"I remember thinking that I couldn't perform opera until I started seeing that people who looked like me also enjoyed classical music and opera. Then, I thought 'I can do it, too.' I hope to show the next generation that there are paths for them in this field. That's why I Colori dell'opera is so important." -Errin
James Gooden
Director of Marketing
Praised by the Dallas Morning News as “a great talent with wonderful stage presence and potential,” James Gooden III is a sought-after performer known for his rich, warm vocal tone, world-class musicianship, and commanding stage presence.
He has appeared with renowned ensembles, including I Colori dell’Opera, The Voices of Houston, The Houston Ebony Opera Guild, the Houston Symphony, Fort Worth Opera, Dallas Opera, and the Dallas Symphony. His roles span opera and musical theatre, featuring performances as Don José (Carmen), The Pirate King (The Pirates of Penzance), Joe (Show Boat), and Jim (Big River). He has also performed internationally as an R&B vocalist with Luther Vandross and Al Jarreau.
A Committed Advocate and Leader
Beyond the stage, James is dedicated to advocacy and service through nonprofit leadership. He serves on the National Association of Negro Musicians, Inc. and the Dallas Metroplex Musicians Association, championing Black artists and preserving African American musical heritage. Additionally, he holds advisory roles with Voices of the Resistance, supporting genocide survivors in Rwanda and Uganda, and Race Relations and Diversity – National Crisis Response Team, fostering conversations on race and inclusion.
Education and Training
A Corsicana, Texas, native, James studied at Navarro College under David Timmerman before continuing at the University of North Texas. He has trained with esteemed mentors, including Madeline Saunders, David Sundquist, Gérard Souzay, and Grant Williams.
Kaci Timmons
Board Member
Soprano Kaci Timmons is a graduate of Sam Houston State University with a degree in General Psychology, and a graduate of The University of St. Thomas with a Master of Liberal Arts in Vocal Music. Ms. Timmons has sung with various groups in Houston and abroad, including the Houston CityWide Grassroots Chorus, the Houston Masterworks Chorale, The Phillip Hall Singers, Bach Society Houston, both as a soloist and chorus member, the Opera in the Heights Chorus, and she is a featured soloist as well as chorus member of the Houston Ebony Opera Guild. She most recently was invited to travel to New York to perform at Carnegie Hall as a member of Exigence, the choral equivalent of the Sphinx Organization, an Afro-American/Latinex Orchestral group based in Detroit, Michigan. She has performed several partial opera and oratorio roles, including Despina, (Cosi Fan Tutte), Susanna (The Marriage of Figaro), Serpetta (La Finta Giardinera), Lakme (Lakme), Clara (Porgy and Bess), the Soprano from Handel's Messiah and Filia from Carissimi's Jepthe. Ms. Timmons is currently the Head Choir director at Nelda Sullivan Middle School in Pasadena ISD.