Lyric Opera of Chicago announces chorus auditions for the 2023/24 season

CHICAGO (2/16/2023) – Lyric Opera of Chicago is holding chorus auditions in all voice categories for singers who are prepared for professional careers. Singers of all ethnicities are encouraged to audition.

Audition Schedule

Preliminary Auditions (Chicago):
Chicago auditions will take place at the Lyric Opera House (20 N Wacker Drive, Chicago, IL) on the following dates:

Monday, April 3, 2023 — 3:00-6:00pm
Tuesday, April 4, 2023 — 4:30-7:30pm
Wednesday, April 5, 2023 — 11:00am-1:30pm
Saturday, April 8, 2023 — 11:00am-2:00pm

Preliminary Auditions (New York):
New York auditions will take place at the National Opera Center (330 7th Ave, 7th Floor, New York, NY) on the following date:

Thursday, April 6, 2023 — 11:00am-2:00pm

Applicants must sing a preliminary audition to be considered for a callback audition. Please note that callback auditions are not always requested of singers in consideration for contracts.

Callback Auditions (Chicago):
Saturday, April 8, 2023 — 3:00-6:00pm

Auditions are by invitation only:
Please ensure materials are received no later than 5:00pm CDT on Monday, March 27, 2023. Late applications will not be considered.

For audition consideration, singers must submit:

  • Current résumé
  • Headshot
  • Proof of vaccination (including booster shot, when eligible)
  • Letter that states your first, second, and third preferences of audition dates
  • Contact information for two references of recognized musical authority with whom you have worked. Please ensure your references are notified that Lyric may contact them.

Please email the above to:
[email protected]

Audition Requirements:
Successful applicants are expected to prepare two opera arias that best demonstrate your vocal ability. These arias must be sung in two contrasting languages and must be memorized. Singers may be asked to sight-read. The ability to read and memorize music quickly and accurately is a requirement. You should anticipate an audition lasting no longer than four minutes; please plan your repertoire accordingly.

Lyric Opera of Chicago will furnish an accompanist. You must provide a legible copy of each aria, in the correct key, for the accompanist.

Auditionees must be United States citizens OR possess, at the time of the audition, legal permission to work in the United States of America during the rehearsal and performance period.

Lyric Opera of Chicago employs a professional chorus under an AGMA (American Guild of Musical Artists) contract and pays competitive wages. You do not need to be a union member to audition.

Rehearsal and Performance Period:
The 2023/2024 performance season runs from September 23 through November 26, 2023 and January 21 through April 7, 2024. Rehearsals will begin in August. A full (tentative) schedule of rehearsals and performances will be provided prior to the commencement of rehearsals.

Lyric Opera of Chicago is committed to creating a diverse work environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. Lyric Opera of Chicago does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, gender identity, religion, sexual orientation, age, disability, parental status, veteran status, or any other protected status under applicable laws. We encourage individuals of all backgrounds to apply.

For More Information:
www.lyricopera.org
[email protected]
Lyric Opera audition hotline:
(312) 827-3548

Lyric Opera's Season is presented by

Lyric Opera of Chicago thanks its Official Airline, American Airlines, and acknowledges support from the Illinois Arts Council Agency

About Lyric

About Lyric

Lyric Opera of Chicago is committed to redefining what it means to experience great opera. The company is driven to deliver consistently excellent artistry through innovative, relevant, celebratory programming that engages and energizes new and traditional audiences.

Under the leadership of Interim General Director Elizabeth Hurley, Lyric's Executive Leadership Team, and Music Director Enrique Mazzola, Lyric is dedicated to reflecting, and drawing strength from, the diversity of Chicago. Lyric offers, through innovation, collaboration, and evolving learning opportunities, ever-more exciting, accessible, and thought-provoking audience and community experiences. We also stand committed to training the artists of the future, through The Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center; and to becoming increasingly diverse across our audiences, staff, programming, and artists—magnifying the welcoming pull of our art form, our company, and our city.

Through the timeless power of voice, the splendor of a great orchestra and chorus, theater, dance, design, and truly magnificent stagecraft, Lyric is devoted to immersing audiences in worlds both familiar and unexpected, creating shared experiences that resonate long after the curtain comes down.

Join us @LyricOpera on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Threads and Facebook. #LongLivePassion

For more information on Lyric's upcoming 2024/25 Season, visit lyricopera.org/newseason.