Provided/Elmore Public Relations
Janai Brugger performs in Houston Grand Opera’s “Intelligence.”
The Houston Grand Opera on Sunday won its third Grammy Award, and first in more than 35 years, for its recording of the opera “Intelligence.”
The Grammy for best opera recording comes from the 2023 recording of the world premiere run of “Intelligence” at the Wortham Theater Center in Houston. Although the performance was recorded in 2023, it was not released until August 2025, making it eligible for this year’s Grammys.
The opera was composed by Jake Heggie, librettist Gene Scheer and director and choreographer Jawole Willa Jo Zollar. The opera follows two Civil War-era spies played by soprano Janai Brugger and mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton and is based on the true story of Mary Jane Bowser, a Black woman who posed as an illiterate slave to spy on the Confederacy for the Union.
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Houston Grand Opera Director and CEO Khori Dastoor said in a statement the Grammy win represents the “bold creativity, artistic excellence and the power of American opera” that the Houston Grand Opera represents.
“It is a joy to see Jake Heggie, Gene Scheer, and Jawole Willa Jo Zollar’s extraordinary opera recognized at the highest level,” Dastoor said. “This award belongs to our brilliant cast, our virtuosic orchestra, Maestro Kwamé Ryan, and every artist and collaborator who brought this remarkable story to life.”
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Several artists with Houston connections were also among the winners honored Sunday.
Kam Franklin, the lead singer for the Houston soul group The Suffers, was among the artists featured on the album “A Tribute to the King of Zydeco,” which won best regional roots music album.
Darrel Walls, a Houston native, won best gospel album for “Heart of Mine,” and former Lakewood Church worship leader Israel Houghton won best contemporary Christian music album for “Coritos Vol. 1.”
The release of the “Intelligence” opera was the first under the Houston Grand Opera’s new recording label, created in collaboration with the London Symphony Orchestra’s Label LSO Live. The album is available on Apple Music Classical, Amazon Music and Spotify.
According to the Houston Grand Opera, Sunday’s award was the third Grammy for the company. In 1978, the company won best opera recording for Gershwin’s “Porgy and Bess.” In 1989, the Houston Grand Opera won the award for best contemporary composition for the world premiere of “Nixon in China.”