It's February, and love is in the air — and onstage at Lyric, where two romances will warm up Chicago this month. From Bellini's dazzling bel canto feast I Puritani, to Mozart's glorious battle of the sexes Così fan tutte, in this issue you'll learn more from the artists behind the virtuosic singing. We'll also preview upcoming special events including famed tenor Piotr Beczała in Recital, our star-studded Bernstein Concert, the much-anticipated premiere of contemporary American opera Fellow Travelers, and a newly-commissioned February song cycle starring Puritani star Lawrence Brownlee. There's so much exciting music on deck for the next two months — we look forward to seeing you at Lyric!
Così fan tutte is returning to Lyric for the first time in more than a decade. A dazzling international cast – as gifted dramatically as they are musically – will shine forth in John Cox’s enchanting production.
Two uniquely exciting events will grace the Lyric Opera House stage in just a few weeks! The thrills begin on February 25 with the return to Lyric of the spectacular Polish tenor Piotr Beczała and continue in March with the music of the incomparable Leonard Bernstein.
Brilliant bel canto singing and Olympic sports have more in common than you might think. We asked members of Lyric’s I Puritani team two questions to illustrate that point. Here’s what they had to say.
This February and March Lyric Unlimited — Lyric’s department dedicated to education, community engagement, and new artistic initiatives — will present two compelling Chicago premieres. Cycles of My Being and Fellow Travelers, which both examine important and timely issues, are sure to leave audiences clamoring for more.
In March, Lyric presents a hauntingly original twist on a timeless tale with a brand-new production of Gounod's Faust. The creative team has imagined an alternate reality that expands and reconfigures three-dimensional collages to fill the stage. This new approach to the Faust legend will be like nothing you’ve ever seen at Lyric.
If you told your friends you sang under the lights at Lyric Opera of Chicago, would they believe you? Well, now’s your chance to shock them all! Choir! Choir! Choir!, the international music phenomenon that’s got everyone talking, is back at Lyric by popular demand for a second engagement.
Congratulations to Mary Ladish Selander, Lyric’s Chief Development Officer, recipient of the 2018 Association of Fundraising Professionals Chicago Chapter Benjamin Franklin Award.
Lyric Notes is part of the Innovation Initiative made possible by Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan.