What You Need to Know About Catán's Florencia en el Amazonas

November 13 - November 28 at Lyric Opera of Chicago

CHICAGO, IL (10/20/2021) – Join Lyric Opera of Chicago on a journey down the Amazon with the company premiere of Florencia en el Amazonas, the first Spanish-language work to be presented as part of Lyric's mainstage opera season. Written by Daniel Catán and Marcela Fuentes-Berain, the opera tells the story of a glamorous opera diva on a life-changing journey by boat to her hometown of Manaus, Brazil, where she is to perform at the opera house and hopefully reconnect with her long-lost lover, a butterfly hunter. The romantic and spiritual entanglements of the boat's other passengers combine for an unforgettable story in which the perilous forces of love, magic, and nature collide.

The opera's lush music was composed by the late Daniel Catán, who has been hailed as Mexico's finest composer. Florencia was the first opera in Spanish to be commissioned by an opera company in the United States. Marcela Fuentes-Berain wrote the opera's libretto, suffusing it with the trademark magical realism of her mentor, Gabriel García Márquez.

Conductor Jordan de Souza makes his Lyric debut leading the Lyric Opera Orchestra in interpreting Catán's dreamlike score. He recently completed a four-year term at the Komische Oper Berlin, and next summer will conduct a new production of La bohème at England's prestigious Glyndebourne Festival.

Audience favorite Ana María Martínez returns to Lyric for her 11th mainstage role, following great success in roles as diverse as Cio-Cio-San in Madama Butterfly, Tatiana in Eugene Onegin, and the title role in Rusalka. She portrays the passionate and hopeful Florencia, a performance that earned her tremendous acclaim at Houston Grand Opera in 2019. The soprano has a long history with this opera; in 2001, she sang the role of Rosalba in this production, also in Houston.

Alumni of Lyric's artist-training program—The Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center—take on two key roles in the opera: tenor Mario Rojas sings the role of Arcadio, and baritone Levi Hernandez is Álvaro.

The stellar cast also includes soprano Gabriella Reyes in her Lyric debut as Rosalba, mezzo-soprano Deborah Nansteel as Paula, baritone Ethan Vincent in his Lyric debut as Riolobo, and bass Raymond Aceto as the Captain.

Acclaimed director Francesca Zambello (Lyric's recent productions of Luisa Miller, West Side Story, and Porgy and Bess), who collaborated with Catán and Fuentes-Berain in developing the opera, revisits her world-premiere production on the occasion of its 25th anniversary. She reunites with members of her original creative team and brings in new talents to present a fresh take on this contemporary classic, created especially for Chicago audiences.

Five chances to sail down the Amazon with Florencia: evening performances on November 13, 18, and 26, and matinees on November 21 and 28.

2 hours and 5 minutes, including 1 intermission

Performed in Spanish with projected English texts

For updated information about Lyric's ongoing health and safety protocols visit lyricoepra.org/safety

About Lyric

Lyric Opera of Chicago is where the world sings — and where Chicago comes alive.

Under the leadership of General Director, President & CEO John Mangum and Music Director Enrique Mazzola, Lyric stands at the intersection of artistic excellence and civic purpose, harnessing the full power of opera — voice, orchestra, stagecraft, and story — to illuminate the questions, emotions, and experiences that define us as human beings. Nearly 75 seasons of world-class performances have made Lyric one of the greatest opera companies in the world. What drives us now is what has always driven us: the belief that this art form, at its best, can move people in ways nothing else can.

Lyric is also Chicago’s partner — in its neighborhoods, its schools, and its communities — through education, engagement, and a relentless commitment to making opera accessible, relevant, and irresistible to everyone. At the heart of that commitment is The Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center, which trains the artists who will carry this art form into its future. Every night when the curtain rises, Lyric reminds this city — and the world — why live performance still matters.

Lyric Opera of Chicago doesn’t just present opera, it redefines what opera can be. It’s where Chicago comes to be moved, inspired, and connected.

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Lyric’s premiere of Catán’s Florencia en el Amazonas is generously made possible by

Photo: Cory Weaver/Los Angeles Opera