This program has taken place. Find the event recap and photos here »

Schedule

Friday, February 16, 2024
7:30 p.m. Performance

Saturday, February 17, 2024
2 p.m. Performance

Sunday, February 18, 2024
2 p.m. Performance

Detailed schedule below.

The Big Swim celebrates Lunar New Year with a witty, heartwarming one-act opera suitable for families and opera lovers alike! In this retelling of the Jade Emperor and the Great Race — a fable that sets the order of the 12 animals in the zodiac calendar — the animals learn to put aside fierce competition to instead care for and support one another, side by side.

Commissioned by Houston Grand Opera in partnership with Asia Society Texas, The Big Swim fuses diverse influences into a single, compelling story, intentionally crossing boundaries between traditional and modern, Eastern and Western, and classical and non-classical. The world premiere production — Houston Grand Opera's 76th — is directed by Mo Zhou, and features set and puppet design by Afsaneh Aayani, costume design by Valérie Bart, and lighting design by Michael Clark. Composed by Meilina Tsui and with a libretto by Melisa Tien, The Big Swim is sure to delight guests of all ages!

The work will be presented at Asia Society Texas as part of its Lunar New Year festivities and will be preceded by activities, including shadow puppets and calligraphy demonstrations. An Opera Insights talk — hosted by the director of The Big Swim, Mo Zhou — will begin 45 minutes before the performances on Saturday, February 17, and Sunday, February 18, in the Edward Rudge Allen III Education Center and is free to ticket holders.

Premiere Details

Friday, February 16
6 p.m. Dinner boxes and Lunar New Year desserts available for purchase from Saigon Hustle
6:30 p.m. Pre-show Activities
7:30 p.m. Performance

Saturday, February 17
1 p.m. Pre-show Activities
1:15 p.m. Opera Insights Talk
2 p.m. Performance

Sunday, February 18
1 p.m. Pre-show Activities
1:15 p.m. Opera Insights Talk
2 p.m. Performance

Cast

Meigui Zhang (Rabbit/Horse)
Sun-Ly Pierce (Snake/Sheep)
Alice Chung (Ox/Pig)
Seiyoung Kim (Monkey/Rat)
Joseph Lim (Tiger/Rooster)
Zaikuan Song (Dragon/Dog)

Creative Team

Composer
Meilina Tsui

Librettist
Melisa Tien

Conductor
Eiki Isomura

Director
Mo Zhou

Scenic and Puppet Designer
Afsaneh Aayani

Costume Designer
Valérie Thérese Bart

Lighting Designer
Michael James Clark

Zodiac Circle Founding Donors

Year of the Rat
Anonymous

Year of the Tiger
Chinhui and Eddie Allen
Nancy C. Allen
The Takashima Family
Janae and Ken Tsai

Year of the Rabbit
Anne and Albert Chao
Drs. Julie and Stephen Chen
Kathy and Marty Goossen
Sue and Randy Sim
Michelle and Rishi Varma

Inaugural Donors

Year of the Ram
Kathy and Glen Gondo
Jaewon Kang and Robert Gondo
Madeline and Jae Lee
Janie and Eric Moon

Year of the Monkey
China and Roberto Contreras
Leigh and Reggie Smith

Additional Support
JC and August Al-Uqdah
Teri and Jeff Lee
Y. Ping Sun and David Leebron
Phoebe and Bobby Tudor
Margaret Alkek Williams
The Wong Family
Maria and John Zerr

The Big Swim is a co‐production of Houston Grand Opera and Asia Society Texas.

Performing Arts and Culture programs at Asia Society Texas are presented by Syamal and Susmita Poddar. Major support comes from Nancy C. Allen, Chinhui Juhn and Eddie Allen, The Brown Foundation, Inc., the City of Houston through Houston Arts Alliance, The Clayton Fund, Houston Endowment Inc. Generous funding also provided by The Anchorage Foundation of Texas, The Cullen Trust for the Performing Arts, and Mitsubishi Corporation (Americas), National Endowment for the Arts, Texas Commission on the Arts. Additional support is by the Friends of Asia Society, a dedicated group of individuals and organizations committed to bringing exceptional programming to Asia Society Texas.

Performing Arts and Culture Presenting Sponsors

Syamal and Susmita Poddar

Performing Arts and Culture Program Sponsors

Producing Partner

Piano Sponsored by Kawai Piano Gallery

About Asia Society Texas

Asia Society Texas believes in the strength and beauty of diverse perspectives and people. As an educational institution, we advance cultural exchange by celebrating the vibrant diversity of Asia, inspiring empathy, and fostering a better understanding of our interconnected world. Spanning the fields of arts, business, culture, education, and policy, our programming is rooted in the educational and cultural development of our community — trusting in the power of art, dialogue, and ideas to combat bias and build a more inclusive society.