CHICAGO (10/16/2025) — Lyric Opera of Chicago today announces that Sylvia Neil, Chair of its Board of Directors, will step down in May 2026. She will be succeeded by Craig C. Martin, a prominent business and philanthropic leader in Chicago, who was elected Chair-Elect during a meeting of Lyric’s Board of Directors on Wednesday, October 15.
Neil will have served as Chair of the world-renowned opera company for six years, beginning in September 2020, and served as Chair-Elect during the 2019/20 Season. She guided the institution through the COVID-19 pandemic, led the search for General Director John Mangum, secured unprecedented five-year labor contracts, and championed an era of unparalleled fundraising that led to celebrated performances and programming. She will become Chair of the Board’s Executive Committee beginning in July 2026.
Martin, a longtime resident of Chicago, will formally assume the role of Board Chair at Lyric’s Annual Meeting on May 20, 2026. He is the Chairman, Americas of elite international law firm Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP, and a trusted advisor to the Fortune 100, wealthy family offices, and private investors, as well as notable business, civic, and political leaders. He joined the Lyric Board of Directors in 2006 and its Executive Committee in 2008 and served as Vice Chair and then Chair of the Nominating and Governance Committee since 2009.
“It has been the honor of a lifetime to serve and champion Lyric, a wonderful gem that stands uniquely in Chicago’s arts community and as a beacon to the field of opera around the world,” says Neil. “There are few organizations quite like Lyric — in the city and the country — and I am proud of the new precedents the Company is setting in bold opera programming and new artistic partnerships. At a time when arts leadership is critically important, I believe that Craig will be an excellent steward for the organization. His leadership, along with the incomparable John Mangum, our General Director, President & CEO, will guide the organization well as Lyric embarks on a bright future as vibrant and secure as ever.”
During his tenure, Martin will help guide Lyric as it marks two historic milestones: the 100th anniversary of the opening of the Lyric Opera House and the 75th anniversary of Lyric Opera of Chicago. This will include expanded programing, with a revival and planned completion of David Pountney’s production of Wagner’s Ring cycle, which was cancelled in 2020 due to the pandemic, beginning in the 2029/30 Season.
An active member of Chicago’s civic community, Martin currently serves on the boards of the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, the Chicago Urban League, the Chicago Council on Global Affairs and the Aspen Institute. During his tenure as Board Chairman of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Chicago, he doubled the board’s size and increased the funding through the Youth of the Year program at Navy Pier, and he is Life Trustee of the organization. In 2015, the board established the Craig C. Martin Award scholarship in his honor. Martin also holds leadership positions in Chicago’s business community, including the Civic Committee, the Commercial Club of Chicago, the Chicago Council on Global Affairs and World Business Chicago.
“I am passionate about preserving and strengthening the vitality of Chicago's great institutions, businesses, and citizens, and I am grateful to have the opportunity to build on Sylvia’s successes at Lyric,” said Martin. “I look forward to continuing to work closely with Lyric as we chart the next century of outstanding art.”
Since the initiation of an ambitious five-year financial strategy in its 2022/23 Season, Lyric has experienced an exceptional post-COVID 19 recovery, with overall operating results exceeding targeted goals for the third consecutive season. In the 2024/25 Season, Lyric sold more than 109,000 tickets, up six percent from the previous season, and increased earned revenue by $1.2 million. Lyric also increased first-time ticket buyers by 38 percent from the previous season.
“We are grateful to Sylvia for her exceptional creative and operational leadership, and for the execution of a financial stability plan that poises Lyric to think big and break new artistic ground moving forward,” says Mangum. “We are excited to welcome Craig, whose vision and commitment to the Chicago arts community make him an ideal fit to lead us in our ambitious direction to engage audiences and build enthusiasm among our growing community of opera lovers.”
Sylvia Neil: Leadership Highlights
A standout among Neil’s many accomplishments: she organized and sponsored The Heroes’ Fund, which raised $10 million to mitigate financial losses at the beginning of the pandemic in 2020, and set the stage for a series of transformational gifts, including a $25 million contribution from longtime supporter and Board of Directors Vice Chair Penelope Steiner.
Under her leadership, Lyric upgraded the Lyric Opera House, increasing accessibility and patron amenities. Neil also oversaw two significant leadership transitions: the hiring of Music Director Enrique Mazzola in 2021 and Mangum in 2024. Also during Neil’s tenure, Lyric negotiated five-year contracts with its unions; extended the Joffrey Ballet's tenure as resident dance company through 2034; and expanded artistic programming beyond mainstage operas, including the upcoming groundbreaking collaboration with Smashing Pumpkins founder Billy Corgan to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Grammy-winning double album Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness.
Outside of her work with Lyric, Neil has a distinguished career in civil liberties advocacy and academia as a lecturer in law at the University of Chicago Law School, where she was former associate dean. She has been a consultant to several nonprofit institutions, including the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago. She also serves as Vice Chair of the Art Institute of Chicago and sits on the boards of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Brandeis University.
