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 Houston Based soprano singer who performs regularly as a Chorister with Opera in the Heights and is the Soprano Section leader at Trinity Episcopal Midtown. She is also a member of Exigence Vocal Ensemble of the Sphinx Organization based in Detroit. She earned her Masters of Liberal Arts with Vocal concentration from the University of St. Thomas in Houston, TX. She has taught private voice and piano lessons for 15 years and has also been choir director in public schools for 5 years.
Errin Michelle began I Colori dell'opera because there are still big gaps between true representation in opera that is needed to reach a wider demographic of audiences. This can only be achieved by increasing the presence of minority singers, opening the pathway for future generations through relatable interpretation of opera.
"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
Geoffrey Peterson
Director of Artistic Planning
Geoffrey Peterson is a lyric baritone from Trumansburg, New York. He most recently created the roles of the “Pastor”/“Promotor”/“Walter White” in Houston Grand Opera’s world premier of Marian’s Song. Previous credits include “King Melchior” in Amahl and the Night Visitors, “Corporal” in La Fille du Regiment at Opera in the Heights, “Nosey Parent” in Speed Dating Tonight! with the Taos Opera Institute, and “Luiz” in The Gondoliers with the Houston Gilbert & Sullivan Society of Houston. In the summer of 2021, he will be making his company debut at Opera Theater of St. Louis, in the Gerdine Young Artist Program, where he will perform the the role of “Doctor” in William Grant Still’s Highway 1, U.S.A, and cover several other roles, and perform in scenes programs throughout the season. In September of 2021, he will be making his company debut with Opera Orlando, joining their studio artist program. There, he will be making three Verdi debuts; “Baron Douphol” in La Traviata, “La Rocca” & “Delmonte” in Un Giorno di Regno, and “Marullo” in Rigoletto.
Mr. Peterson has also been active has a teaching artist with Houston Grand Opera’s HGOco program, leading empathy training workshops at the Harris county juvenile detention center & performing “Story book Opera’s”. He has also been a featured performer with their acclaimed Opera to Go program. Credits include “Pavo Picasso” (Strega Nona), “Dulcamara" (The Elixir of Love), and “Isabella”/“The King” (Cinderella in Spain). Mr. Peterson is also a private voice instructor at Springwoods Highschool.
An advocate for social justice through music, he has also been a soloist and ensemble member with community ensembles, including the Houston Ebony Opera Guild, The Dorothy Cotton Jubilee Singers, and the Vitamin L Chorus. In 2021, he returned home to Trumansburg, NY to collaborate with the Trumansburg Conservatory of Fine Arts to curate a black history month concert that highlighted the works of some lesser performed african american composers, including Margaret Bonds, William Grant Still, Moses Hogan, Damien Sneed, Jaqueline B. Hairston, and H. Leslie Adams. Learn more about him here: https://geoffreypetersonbaritone.com/
Andy Horton
Director of Operations
Andy Horton is an arts administrator from Houston, TX. Andy holds degrees in Vocal Performance from Baylor University and Louisiana State University (LSU), where they held a graduate assistantship. Highlights from their time in Louisiana include developing the summer program Opera SOS for Baton Rouge community singers and producing the world premiere of a one-act opera, Lucy Boyd, for which they co-wrote the libretto and starred as the title character. In the summer of 2018, Andy served as the Interim Associate Director of Opéra Louisiane and in 2019, worked as an Administrative Intern with Des Moines Metro Opera.
Andy currently serves as the Community Initiatives Coordinator, maintaining Community Partnerships, and coordinating logistics for Seeking the Human Spirit and Song of Houston events. Most recently, they helped the HGOco team by transitioning the existing "Cultivating Empathy Workshop," developed by Carleen Graham and Alisa Magallón, into a virtual format to expand the reach of HGOco in this unprecedented time.
Outside the opera house, Andy enjoys listening to podcasts, exploring the country through camping and road trips, and cooking new recipes for their family.