Lyric Lately

Rossini's The Barber of Seville is an operatic classic. Channel the characters and composer with these delightful cocktail recipes, but don't count on Figaro to get you out of a jam if you overindulge!

Teaching artists are professional performance and creative educators who work closely with Lyric’s Learning & Creative Engagement Department to develop and build curriculum for programs in schools and communities. For programs like Lyric’s Opera Residencies, our teaching artists partner with classroom teachers to create custom learning experiences that support music, arts, and academic learning goals. Get to know Heather Aranyi, Megan Elk, Elise LaBarge, and A.J. Wester, and their many talents! 

Backstage life with Dan Novak, director of The Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center.

Welcome to the latest roundup of opera-streaming opportunities! Featured this week are performances from Glyndebourne, Irish National Opera, Houston Grand Opera, the Metropolitan Opera, Seattle Opera, and Santa Fe Opera. Summer in Chicago may be cooling off, but opera streaming all over the world is heating up.

Put on your ballgown or tux, and roll out your own red carpet for Lyric's new season opener—For the Love of Lyric—a star-studded virtual concert on Sunday, September 13. Audiences can look forward to familiar and revelatory selections from the worlds of opera, Broadway, popular music, and more, streamed free of charge on Lyric's YouTube and Facebook.

Lyric Opera of Chicago announced in 2017 that The Joffrey Ballet would become the resident ballet company at the Lyric Opera House at the start of the 2020/21 Season. While the season isn't starting out quite as planned for either company, we still can’t wait to welcome The Joffrey to Lyric!

We’re still buzzing with excitement over Sunday’s thrilling virtual concert. The passion and musicianship that came through in each of the artists’ incredible performances was palpable, and to see so many fans showing their appreciation in the comments was truly gratifying. In one of many unforgettable moments, baritone and Ryan Opera Center alumnus Will Liverman sang Chicago-based composer Shawn E. Okpebholo’s “Two Black Churches,” which ended with “a shattering climax followed by hushed grief” (Chicago Tribune).

On Sunday, July 26, Lyric and The Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center are excited to bring you a free virtual concert: Lawrence Brownlee and Friends: The Next Chapter. Keep reading to see how you can get the most out of your streaming experience.

It goes without saying that all of the Ensemble artists in The Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center have extraordinary ability. Nowhere is that rigor and greatness more apparent than in the journey of first-year tenor Lunga Eric Hallam, whose five-month journey to move from South Africa to the United States during a global pandemic was nothing short of a miracle—and a true testament of “extraordinary ability.” 

Welcome to another week of opera streaming! For a limited time, you can rewatch the magic of Lyric's incredible July 26 virtual concert, Lawrence Brownlee and Friends: The Next Chapter, which features Ryan Opera Center alumni and current Ensemble members performing works of music selected by the artists themselves.

Also in this week's lineup are productions from Florida Grand Opera, National Polish Opera, The Metropolitan Opera, Des Moines Metro Opera, and a concert series from Sante Fe Opera. From live concerts to opera classics, there's something for every music lover this week!

Through programs like EmpowerYouth!, Opera Residencies in schools across the city, the Youth Opera Council, community events, Student Backstage Tours, Family Day, and Opera in the Neighborhoods—the possibilities for young people to fall in love with the arts at Lyric and through Lyric programs are endless. Just ask Sophia Peterson.

Did you know that July 17 is "World Emoji Day?" Test your operatic knowledge by deciphering these emoji opera titles and flip to reveal the correct answer!

When volunteer musicians were no longer able to visit Northwestern Medicine due to COVID-19, Chicago nonprofit Sharing Notes took their concerts online. Learn more about the experience from Lyric Opera Orchestra musicians Susan Warner, Marie Tachouet, William Cernota, and Lewis and Melissa Kirk.

In this scene, Rosina (Marianne Crebassa) has heard a voice serenading her – it was Lindoro, the young man she loves. She anticipates that he will be hers, and then proclaims that, if anyone interferes, she knows 100 tricks to get her way.

While we're already watching a lot of movies in quarantine, why not also enjoy what we're hearing? Lyric's staff picked some of their favorite movies with beautiful or culturally significant soundtracks to add to your watch and listen lists.

On May 11, the 2020/21 Ensemble of The Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center kicked off their first week of work. Hailing from three different continents, the first-year Ensemble members began the fun process of getting to know each other and the Ryan Opera Center staff, albeit virtually. With language classes and voice lessons and coaching via Zoom, they are already hard at work. Read on to hear from the Ensemble's newest additions and join us in welcoming them to the Lyric Family!

June is Pride Month, and although we aren't able to gather together to celebrate and recognize the history, struggles, and triumphs of the LGBTQ community, you can still celebrate virtually with these special Zoom backgrounds.

EmpowerYouth!: Igniting Creativity through the Arts—an ongoing partnership between Lyric Opera and the Chicago Urban League that immerses 30 high school students each year in the creation of an original production—entered its third year last fall, without any warning of an impending global pandemic. When the spring of 2020 unfolded, both the EmpowerYouth! program creators and student artists made the choice to finish the program, even if it would look a little different than expected.

In this scene Gilda (Rosa Feola), Rigoletto's naive, virginal daughter, dreamily muses on the name of the man with whom she is in love, unaware that it is a false name and that he is not who he pretends to be.

The seducer. The philanderer. The libertine who takes what he wants and lives only for his own pleasure. All three are Don Giovanni, antihero in Mozart's drama of lust and revenge. He's surrounded by memorable characters, including his frustrated servant Leporello and the three women he encounters: fiery Donna Elvira, tormented Donna Anna, and impressionable Zerlina. Filled with thrilling music and drama, including a finale so overpoweringly dramatic that it changed music forever, Don Giovanni is justly celebrated as the perfect opera.

Another week of opera streaming is headed your way! Lyric's magical production of Georges Bizet's The Pearl Fishers headlines Saturday's broadcast series with WFMT. Also featured this week are selections from the Metropolitan Opera's week 15 of opera streaming, and a contemporary opera from Opera Philadelphia's Digital Festival. You'll also have the opportunity to watch "Live with Carnegie Hall: Isabel Leonard."

We may be getting a little stir-crazy at home, but at least we don't have statues coming to life and singing to us like Don Giovanni. This week, enjoy an extended clip from the closing scene of Lyric's 2019 production of Don Giovanni, starring Lucas Meachem in the title role and Mika Kares as the reanimated Commendatore.

In this scene, Marguerite tries on the jewels delivered by Méphistophélès as a gift from Faust and is captivated by how they enhance her beauty, as she sings in the famous aria, the Jewel Song (Ah! je ris de me voir si belle en ce miroir).

In the midst of so much uncertainty, a tale of good and evil can be very refreshing. This week we bring you the famed "Jewel Song" from Gounod's Faust, in which the beautiful Marguerite, sung by Ailyn Pérez, is tempted by gifts from the demon Méphistophélès.

They say a picture's worth a thousand words, and we agree. As Lyric prepared to announce the cancellation of its long-awaited Ring cycle, a few photos were taken of the empty stage, empty streets, and soon-to-be-empty offices of Lyric Opera of Chicago. Here are a few snapshots of Lyric's transition to working from home.

What happens when opera goes pop? There's a grand tradition of opera stars teaming up with pop stars to create memorable collaborations. Here are some exciting examples of what happens when musical genres collide!

In this scene, the King of Siam has just hosted a successful dinner for a group of English diplomats and their wives. The King (Paolo Montalbán) has a moment alone with his children's governess, Anna Leonowens (Kate Baldwin), who attempts to explain certain Western customs. Recalling what it's like for a girl at her first dance, she does a polka on her own, but then the King insists that she teach him to dance with her.

Looking for things to do at home? Many of us are spending much more time with our little ones lately, and we’d love to help you share your love of music with your family while at home. Head to our new Kids Corner for all kinds of music-related activities like word searches, coloring pages, mad-libs, and more! 

In The Barber of Seville, irrepressible Rosina refuses to marry her pompous old guardian. Meanwhile, a bold young count is eager to win Rosina for himself. And who's going to make sure those two finish the opera united? The cleverest character in all of Seville: the barber Figaro, whose services are sought after by everyone for everything (the guy has a lot more talents than just cutting hair). Rossini's music—the aural equivalent of champagne—is the last word in humor, inspiring smiles and laughter on every page of the score, which is what makes Barber the most popular of all operatic comedies.

Here, in act three of Rigoletto, Rigoletto (Quinn Kelsey) and Gilda (Rosa Feola) arrive outside. The Duke's (Matthew Polenzani) voice can be heard from inside, singing "La donna è mobile" ("Woman is fickle"). Sparafucile's sister, Maddalena (Zanda Švēde), has lured him to the house. Rigoletto and Gilda listen from outside as the Duke flirts with Maddalena. Gilda laments that the Duke is unfaithful.

As many of us approach two months under a stay-at-home order, some of us might be longing for some Rossinian hijinks to pass the time. Today's featured excerpt comes from this past season's audience and critical favorite, The Barber of Seville. Count Almaviva, portrayed by tenor Lawrence Brownlee, serenades Rosina while disguised as the poor student Lindoro. We think that this outdoor performance of "Ecco ridente in cielo" fulfills Chicago's current social distancing guidelines, and we hope it adds to your "finding happiness through music" quota for the day!

Are you singing at home? We certainly are. Nothing quite compares to the power of song to lift the spirits. So this week we bring you tenor Matthew Polenzani, a Lyric favorite and alumnus of the Ryan Opera Center, singing one of opera's greatest melodies, "La donna è mobile" from Verdi's Rigoletto. We dare you not to sing along!

If you come to see an opera performance at Lyric, you might notice a small, unobtrusive black box that sticks up slightly from the edge of the stage, positioned just above the orchestra pit. Would you believe that a person actually spends an entire opera in that small space? It's the prompter's box! While the prompter might be hidden from view, it is an incredibly important job. A prompter is the liaison between the conductor in the pit and the singers on stage. Having a prompter is a safety net for singers who have to remember several hours of material, usually in foreign languages.

Porgy and Bess, by composer George Gershwin and librettists Ira Gershwin and Dubois Heward, is one of the most popular American operas of all time. Not only that, its opening aria, "Summertime" is one of the most beloved songs in American music. In 2012, The New York Times reported that "Summertime" had been covered by artists of all genres more than 25,000 times. We can only imagine how much more that number has grown since. Join us as we delve into the rich history of artists covering this American classic.

From everyone here at Lyric, we'd like to wish all of the wonderful moms a very Happy Mother's Day. While there aren't many maternal role models to be found in opera, we all know that the way to any music-loving mom's heart is with an opera-inspired card. Click through to download your own!

We're all adapting to our changed world in different ways. Maybe you've adjusted your workout routine to your living room or turned your kitchen into a home office. For Lyric, it means doing everything we can to bring you the music you love even while you're at home. In honor of the Ring cycle that would have wrapped up on May 3, we bring you this awe-inspiring clip from Das Rheingold, featuring Diana Newman, Annie Rosen, Lindsay Ammann, and Samuel Youn in “Lugt, Schwestern."

Then, take a look back at some of the Legends of Lyric who excelled in German roles, learn about life backstage with Wardrobe, Wigs, and Makeup Director Scott Marr, and delve into the life and career of Lyric favorite Patricia Racette.

For the past three years Madeline Slettedahl was the only pianist Ensemble member of The Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center. Keep reading to see how Madeline continued to work from home while following Chicago's stay at home order.

Mezzo-soprano Kayleigh Decker just completed her second and final year in The Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center. Keep reading to see how Kayleigh has continued to work from home during the ongoing COVID-19 crisis.

In this scene from La traviata, Violetta (Albina Shagimuratova), a courtesan in Paris, gives a party where she's wooed by Alfredo (Giorgio Berrugi). Once she's alone, she laughs off the idea of true love and vows to live for pleasure, even when she hears the voice of Alfredo outside her window.

Sometimes, we long for life's pleasures. The companionship of friends, the joy of good food and wine — who knows this better than Violetta in La traviata?

Here, Elektra's consuming desire to avenge her father Agamemnon's murder has been fulfilled: the murderers — Elektra's mother Klytämnestra and Klytämestra's lover, Aegisth — have been killed by Elektra's brother, Orest. Elektra (Nina Stemme) exults with her sister, Chrysothemis (Elza van den Heever), but after a few moments of dancing in triumph, she falls dead, leaving Chrysothemis despairingly calling for Oretes.

As intense as your favorite Netflix show might be, it doesn't hold a candle to the drama of Elektra. Watch an extended video of Nina Stemme and Elza van den Heever in the final scene of Strauss's violent thriller and be relieved that Elektra is not on your "quaranteam." Then, revisit the legacy of legendary Lyric favorite Richard Tucker, learn about the instruments of the Ring, and get a tap lesson from Lyric leading artists Ryan McKinny and noteable Ryan Opera Center Alum Amanda Majeski.