Lee Hyla, head of the NEC composition department from 1992 to 2007, died this week in Chicago, of pneumonia.

He wrote for Kronos, the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra and many local ensembles and was performed far beyond. He latterly held the chair in music theory and composition at Northwestern University.

Our condolences to Lee’s wife and family.

Houston Grand Opera has announced a three percent audience increase this season and 92 percent capacity sales.

It’s a narrative that contradicts Peter Gelb’s gloom-and-doom line about the inevitable decline of the opera audience and the threat of bankruptcy at the Met.

Houston has also raised $165 million in donations. Full numbers here.