Anne M. Edwards elected to Lyric Opera of Chicago Board of Directors

CHICAGO (12/9/25) — Lyric Opera of Chicago announces the election of Anne M. Edwards to its Board of Directors. Edwards was officially elected on Wednesday, October 15, during Lyric’s Board of Directors meeting. As a Certified Public Accountant and former Controller of Lyric Opera of Chicago, Edwards brings decades of financial expertise and a personal connection to the company to her new leadership role.

Edwards began her career with KPMG in Chicago and New York before joining Bank of Boston. Upon returning to Chicago, she served as Controller at Lyric, overseeing financial operations and gaining firsthand experience with the company’s inner workings.

Beyond her professional accomplishments, Edwards has long been an active supporter of the arts and civic life in Chicago. She serves as Vice President for Education on Lyric’s Women’s Board, where she previously chaired Membership, and is a member of the Founders’ Board of Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago. She also contributed her leadership to the most recent campaign for her alma mater, the University of Illinois Gies College of Business.

"Anne Edwards brings a rare combination of professional insight and personal dedication to Lyric," says Sylvia Neil, Board Chair of Lyric Opera of Chicago. "Her long-standing involvement, from her tenure as Controller to her leadership on the Women’s Board, exemplifies the deep commitment that strengthens our organization."

Edwards and her husband, Don, have been Lyric subscribers and donors since 1998. Together, they have supported numerous company productions and initiatives, including Elektra (2018/19 Season), West Side Story (2018/19 Season), and Twilight: Gods (2020/21 Season).

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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 General Director, President & CEO John Mangum 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.

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