People of Lyric: Shannan Moore

Hometown
Gary, Indiana

When did you start at Lyric?
August 2021

First opera you saw live?
Macbeth, the 2021/22 Season opener — right after I got to Lyric! I vividly remember being in awe of the chorus.

Favorite opera?
I always say Fire Shut Up in My Bones. It’s contemporary — a real story, about a real person. I prefer works that place us in the now. And the music is really great; it’s one of the only operas that I go back and listen to.

What was your path to Lyric?

I graduated from Columbia College Chicago in spring of 2020, with a degree in Contemporary, Urban, and Popular Music, right when the pandemic happened. Obviously, a lot of in-person gigs were canceled so I took a year to rethink what I wanted in life. I ended up getting a certificate as a social media specialist because that was something I was already doing with a friend’s company right after lockdown started. And I realized it was something that I wanted to do longterm. By the summer of 2021, I was ready to start applying for digital marketing and social media jobs. Lyric was one of the few performing arts companies hiring in similar roles, so they had a lot of bonus points from me.

You studied voice. But you were also in school again when you started at Lyric.

I started my MA program in Critical Ethnic Studies at DePaul, right when I started working here, so I was doing the two at the same time. That took up a lot of my time outside of Lyric.

What does a typical week look like for you?

I do a lot of things across the digital space — mainly with social media and the website. I manage the Ryan Opera Center Facebook page and help with short form video content for TikTok and Instagram Reels on our main Lyric accounts. I also recently started managing our influencer program, which means inviting people to come see our shows and other events throughout the season. On the website side, I play a supporting role wherever I’m needed — updates for the Ryan Opera Center, cropping headshots, content edits on the main pages for our productions, and so on.

What is it like working with influencers?

I have cultivated relationships with them — not that we’re the best of friends, but it’s nice to have conversations with them about Lyric or what they’re doing in the city. A lot of them are really into arts and culture in the city of Chicago, so that’s always a point of connection. It’s always great to see their responses to Lyric, especially those who haven’t seen opera before we invite them.

What would surprise people about your role?

It’s always interesting meeting world-renowned artists who are well-traveled and know their craft very well! During the season, I help a lot with artist interviews and am often in rehearsals and backstage for social media content. When I was at a Millennium Park film series a few weeks ago, they had a feature about avery r. young [the creator of safronia, a Lyric commission] before the movie started. And I immediately thought, “Hey, that’s Chicago’s poet laureate!” I saw one of the safronia workshops.

What else do you do in your spare time?

If I am not listening to music or working, I’m more than likely reading. I’m a co-lead for Lyric Page Turners, our staff book club. And I love live concerts — my favorite performer so far is Beyoncé. She’s fantastic.