Keep opera alive over the summer

Opera at Lyric may pause during the summer months, but there are still plenty of ways to stay connected to the art form — whether you're looking to attend a live performance, enjoy streaming from home, or deepen your appreciation through a great read. Here’s how to keep opera alive all summer long, right here in Chicago and beyond.

Experience live opera around the city

Grammy Award-winning soprano Ana María Martínez returns to Lyric in the 2025/26 Season in two operas — first, as the devious and delightful Despina in Mozart’s Così fan tutte and, later as Catrina in the Lyric premiere of Gabriela Lena Frank and Nilo Cruz’s El último sueño de Frida y Diego. See Martínez this summer in recital at Ravinia Festival on July 30, 2025. Accompanied by pianist Kevin Murphy, Martínez brings her signature emotional depth to a program of classical song in the intimate Bennett Gordon Hall.

Explore the recital and purchase tickets at Ravinia.org

See an all-star array of Ryan Opera Center alumni including Nicole Cabell, Elizabeth DeShong, Emily Fons, Eric Ferring, and David Govertsen in a semi-staged performance of Handel’s Alcina presented by Haymarket Opera Company on August 24.

Learn more and book your tickets at Ravinia.org

The Opera Festival of Chicago returns for its fifth season, running May 9 through June 29, 2025. This year’s lineup includes rarely heard Italian works presented across venues in the city, opening with Montemezzi's The Love of Three Kings at the Athenaeum Theatre.

Learn more and view the full festival lineup

The Grant Park Music Festival is a summer highlight for any classical music fan. Enjoy free seating in the rear seating bowl, on the Great Lawn, and in select areas of the Harris Theater for the season’s top concerts. Get your operatic fix with a program of Bruckner, Bonds, and Brahms on July 10 and 11, starring Lyric favorite Janai Brugger and Ryan Opera Center Ensemble member Sankara Harouna, and Songs of Love and Life featuring Ryan Opera Center alumna J’nai Bridges on August 1 and 2. 

Bruckner, Bonds, Brahms… and Brugger!

Experience Songs of Love and Life

Listen from anywhere with Lyric audio streams

If you're spending summer out of town — or just enjoying some quiet time at home — Lyric’s free audio streaming offers a perfect way to engage with past productions. From riotous comedies like Rossini’s The Barber of Seville to gripping dramas like Tchaikovsky’s The Queen of Spades, there’s something for everyone!

Start streaming from Lyric's audio library

Read the stories behind the operas

For those eager to dive deeper into the themes and texts behind the operas in Lyric's upcoming season, summer is an ideal time to pick up a book.

Euripides’ Medea is the chilling source for Cherubini’s Medea, coming to Lyric this fall. This ancient Greek tragedy explores the limits of grief, revenge, and justice. A translation by Robin Robertson or Philip Vellacott offers a compelling and accessible entry point.

Oscar Wilde’s Salome, which inspired Richard Strauss’s provocative opera of the same name, is a haunting one-act play originally written in French. Look for the English translation by Hedwig Lachmann, which formed the basis for the opera’s libretto.

Looking for more? Check out our full Summer Reading Guide for a curated list inspired by the 2025/26 Season’s most exciting themes.

I'm ready to read!

Celebrate with Lyric this September

Join us on Sunday, September 7, 2025, for our annual Sunday in the Park with Lyric. This free, family-friendly event brings together music lovers from across the city for a concert in Millennium Park, featuring artists from The Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center and the Lyric Opera Orchestra under the baton of Enrique Mazzola.

Save the date and learn more about this special event