Houston Grand Opera (HGO) was founded in 1955 through the joint efforts of Maestro Walter Herbert and Houston cultural leaders Mrs. Louis G. Lobit and Edward Bing. With a current operating budget of $20 million, the company is based in downtown Houston at the Wortham Theater Center, a 437,500-square-foot (40,650 m) facility.

Regarded as one of the world’s principal commissioners and producers of new operas, HGO has given thirty-nine world premieres and six American premieres since 1973. It has received a Tony Award, two Grammy Awards, two Emmy Awards, and a Grand Prix du Disque — the only opera company in the world to have won all four honors. HGO cultivates a varied repertoire of traditional, rare, contemporary, and new opera.

HGO was among the first companies in the world to use supertitles: starting in 1984, HGO adopted them for all foreign-language operas, later extending the practice to works in English as well. HGO was also the first American opera company, in 1995, to simultaneously project a live performance onto a giant screen outside the theater, dubbing the event a "Plazacast": the public was invited free of charge to Ray C. Fish Plaza, just outside the Wortham Theater Center, to view the simulcast of a sold-out performance of Rossini’s La Cenerentola, starring Cecilia Bartoli.

Houston Grand Opera’s mission is to contribute to the cultural enrichment of Houston and the nation by producing and performing opera; and by creating a diverse, innovative, and balanced program of performances, events, and community and education projects that reach the widest possible public. The HGO Board meets three times each year and is broken into three parts: an Executive Committee, a Board of Governors, and a Board of Trustees. Anthony Freud became HGO's third general director and the company’s first CEO in March 2006. He was general director of Welsh National Opera from 1994 to 2005. At HGO, he heads an executive management team that includes music director Patrick Summers and executive director Ann Owens.

The Houston Grand Opera Studio program, which marked its 30th anniversary in 2007, trains singers and pianist/coaches with extraordinary potential for professional careers in opera. Co-founded in 1977 by David Gockley, HGO’s general director from 1972 to 2005, and composer Carlisle Floyd, the program remains one of the most prestigious artist-in-training programs worldwide. Singers Joyce DiDonato, Bruce Ford, Denyce Graves, Greer Grimsley, Eric Halfvarson, Ana María Martínez, and Susanne Mentzer all attended the HGO Studio before establishing successful careers.

To broaden the company’s presence in the community, HGO in 2007 established HGOco, an initiative designed to break down barriers to the arts by creating opportunities for observation, participation and creation. The “co” in HGOco represents a focus on company, community, connection and collaboration. With the combined resources of the entire company, HGOco extends HGO’s reach through partnerships with kindred organizations. These efforts include all of HGO’s education and community-focused activities. On average, HGO’s education and outreach programs yearly reach more than 175,000 students, families, and community members. HGOco’s touring group, Opera to Go!, presents shortened versions of traditional and new repertoire for more than 50,000 children and families at schools and community centers throughout greater Houston . At the Wortham Theater Center, HGOco offers local elementary, middle, and high school students the opportunity to enjoy mainstage presentations through its Student Matinee and High School Night performances. Training and development for young voices is offered through four programs including the High School Voice Studio, the Children’s Chorus, and Opera Camp. Through Song of Houston, an ongoing project of HGOco, the company partners with community leaders and organizations to offer a series of workshops, projects and events that promote the telling of stories about Houston and Houstonians in words and music. The first new work to result from Song of Houston was "The Refuge," a large-scale piece of musical theater that drew national attention.

HGO reaches more than 5,000,000 people each year through a variety of performances, community activities, special events, broadcasts, and recordings. The company has toured extensively, including trips to Europe and Asia.