March 06, 2019
Help Us Keep Our Promise of “Ambition”
Lyric Opera of Chicago strives to be the great North American opera company for the twenty-first century. This seems like a lofty vision statement, doesn’t it? How does one measure or even define greatness? Among our nation’s many extraordinary opera houses, how can any one company achieve such a title?
The truth: we have no “end goal.” This goal is not a destination, but an enduring promise of ambition. In a time when many companies are shrinking or making drastic cuts to their productions, Lyric is staying true to this promise — charging forward and reaching higher. With the help of our donors, Lyric has achieved the following:
- Elevated and expanded the notion of what is possible onstage. Lyric presented monumental new productions of Wagner’s Das Rheingold, Berlioz’s Les Troyens, and Mozart’s The Magic Flute. Each featured thrilling stage wizardry made possible by newly-purchased stage equipment funded by our Breaking New Ground campaign.
- Presented our Chicago Voices Concert, which featured a variety of performers celebrating Chicago’s vibrant and diverse vocal music culture.
- Opened the door to the magic of opera for more than 100,000 Chicagoland students annually through our Lyric Unlimited education programs.
- Provided world-class instruction and performance opportunities to 15 burgeoning opera artists through the Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center training program.
Our fiscal year ends on June 30, 2017. Your contribution is crucial to helping Lyric reach the $31.3 million in support we need to finish this season in strong financial standing.