FIRST LOOK: Carmina Burana

Fortune’s wheel turned at Lyric Opera of Chicago on Friday, November 14, as Carl Orff’s choral masterpiece Carmina Burana thundered into its 2025/26 Season run. In the first of three performances, Music Director Enrique Mazzola marshaled the monumental forces of more than 225 artists — the Lyric Opera Orchestra; the Lyric Opera Chorus led by Chorus Director Michael Black; soloists Jasmine Habersham, David Portillo, and Ian Rucker; and the Uniting Voices Chicago children’s choir under the direction of Josephine Lee.

New photos from opening night

Performance images from November 14 featuring Maestro Mazzola, the Orchestra and Chorus, and Uniting Voices Chicago are now available for press use. Download from Lyric’s online press room here. 

Program highlights

Running just over an hour without intermission, Carmina Burana unites more than 225 artists in a sweeping exploration of fate, fortune, and the fleeting nature of joy and desire. The production features lighting design by Sarah Riffle and projections by Adam Larsen.

Still time to experience it live

Final performance:
• Tuesday, November 18 at 7:00 p.m.

For additional image requests, contact Alana Guggenheim at [email protected].

Read the digital program book of Carmina Burana or visit lyricopera.org/carmina for more information.

 

 

Sponsors

Lyric’s presentation of Orff’s Carmina Burana is generously made possible by Irene D. Pritzker in honor of Michael Black.

Maestro Enrique Mazzola is generously sponsored by Alice & John Butler, H. Gael Neeson, Sylvia Neil & Daniel Fischel, the Robert and Penelope Steiner Family Foundation, Mary Stowell, and the Zell Family Foundation as members of the Enrique Circle.

Lyric Opera of Chicago’s Chorus is generously sponsored by an Anonymous Lead Sponsor.

Lyric Opera's Season is presented by

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

United Airlines
Illinois Arts Council

About Lyric

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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