Omar

October 23. 2026 - October 28. 2026

Friday
10/23/2026
7:00 PM

Tickets

Starting at $99

Sunday
10/25/2026
2:00 PM

Tickets

Starting at $123

  • Audio-described performance
  • ASL-interpreted performance

Wednesday
10/28/2026
7:00 PM

Tickets

Starting at $75

October 23. 2026 - October 28. 2026

Tickets

Where memory is preserved, legacy endures. Omar

Lyric premiere

MacArthur “Genius Grant” recipient Rhiannon Giddens and celebrated co-composer Michael Abels bring their profoundly moving story of the human spirit to Lyric Opera of Chicago.

Inspired by the memoir of 19th-century Islamic scholar Omar ibn Said, this breathtaking work spins a musical narrative of Omar’s capture in West Africa, journey across the Atlantic Ocean, and enslavement in South Carolina, where he confronts his circumstances and challenges his faith through a series of indelible writings.

Director Kaneza Schaal’s austere, impactful presentation foregrounds Giddens and Abels’ Pulitzer Prize-winning score — a tapestry of musical traditions weaving together hymns, spirituals, and bluegrass — to tell a fundamentally American story.

  • Language: Sung in English with projected English titles
  • Running Time: 2 hours 40 minutes, including 1 intermission
  • Location: Lyric Opera House
  • Composers: Rhiannon Giddens and Michael Abels
  • Librettist: Rhiannon Giddens
  • View Full Calendar

Take the Chicago Reads Omar challenge

Take the Chicago Reads Omar challenge

  1. You can read Omar's words.
  2. You can hear scholars discuss his life.
  3. You can learn how his story became an opera.
  4. And you can experience that story onstage.

Discover the extraordinary story of Omar ibn Said, a Muslim scholar from West Africa whose autobiography, written in Arabic in 1831 while he was enslaved in North Carolina, is believed to be the only surviving American slave narrative written in Arabic by an enslaved person in the United States.

READ. WATCH. LEARN. EXPERIENCE OMAR.

Audio

Overture

0:00 /0:00

Thursday, October 22, 6:00 p.m.

Gen Z Opera Insights on Omar

Gen Z Opera Insights on Omar

Be captivated by this exploration of history, reclamation, and artistic innovation as we unpack the profound legacy behind Omar. This unique, peer-led round table discussion brings together a dynamic panel of Gen-Z scholars and artists, moderated by Anthony Danté Jones with panelist from the Black Arts Consortium. Together, they will delve into the literary and historical preservation of Omar Ibn Said’s 1831 manuscript, for a captivating exploration of history, reclamation, and artistic innovation. Engage with the next generation of opera artists and fans.

LEARN MORE

POST-SHOW SUNDAY, OCTOBER 25

Artist Talkback

Artist Talkback

You are invited to a post-show discussion immediately after the performance on Sunday, October 25, led by ethnomusicologist Adam Zanolini, Ph.D along with some of the artists of Omar. Hear directly from members of the cast and creative team about bringing history to life, the power of faith, and what it means to be an artist in America. Bring your questions for the artists, and meet us directly after the performance on the mainfloor.

October 20 - October 28, 2026

The Art of Culture

The Art of Culture

During the run of Omar experience work by African sculpture artist, Stephen “Sayo” Olalekan. Olalekan’s work physically demonstrates the tension between external and internal identity, between ease and tension, as you can see in his piece Resonance with The Inner Man on display along with representation of additional pieces in the Rice Grand Foyer.

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Pre-Opera Talk

Speaker: Adam Zanolini

Join us in the Ardis Krainik Theatre one hour before your opera performance begins for a free, 30-minute preview talk discussing that day’s production.

Seating is unreserved, but a ticket for that day’s performance is required. Talks begin one hour before each performance and doors open approximately 15 minutes before the start of the talks.

Pre-opera talks are supported by Raynette and Ned Boshell.

Articles

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Director's note: Kaneza Schaal on "Omar"

The opera we share with you tonight touches the bones of our country. Whether we are the first generation in our family to sleep on this soil, whether our family has been sleeping on this soil for many generations, or whether this soil birthed our ancestors, this story has built all of our lives. The story of Omar ibn Said — a Fulani man, forced to the United States and enslaved, literate before being stolen from his home in West Africa, and author of his own autobiography.
Read More

Rhiannon Giddens: Making the past sing

Singer, instrumentalist, composer, scholar, and storyteller, Rhiannon Giddens has built a career around a deceptively simple idea: that the history of music is richer, stranger, and more inclusive than the stories we have traditionally been told.
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Get to Know: Giddens/Abels's "Omar"

Inspired by the life of Omar ibn Said, "Omar" by Rhiannon Giddens and Michael Abels traces a harrowing journey from West Africa to enslavement in America, set to a Pulitzer Prize-winning tapestry of spirituals and bluegrass. Learn more about this contemporary work before its Lyric premiere.
Read More

A trio of trios for 2026/27

From American classics to timeless love stories and larger-than-life legends, Lyric's 2026/27 Season has something for everyone. Explore our Trio of Trios and discover three themed collections of performances that showcase the very best of the season.
Read More

Sponsors

Lyric’s presentation of Rhiannon Giddens and Michael Abels’s Omar is generously sponsored by the Pritzker Foundation and Pritzker Traubert Foundation.

Artists

  • Issachah Savage

    Issachah Savage

    Omar

  • Kearstin Piper Brown

    Kearstin Piper Brown

    Julie

  • Zoie Reams

    Zoie Reams

    Fatima

  • Kyle Ketelsen

    Kyle Ketelsen

    Johnson/Owen

  • Briana Hunter

    Briana Hunter *

    Katie Ellen / The Caller

  • Daniel Luis Espinal

    Daniel Luis Espinal ***

    Auctioneer & Taylor

  • Camille Robles

    Camille Robles ***

    Eliza

  • Matthew Dexter

    Matthew Dexter ***

    Abdul & Abe

  • Cameo Humes

    Cameo Humes

    Amadou, Man#1, & Laborer Man #1

  • Nicholas LaGesse

    Nicholas LaGesse

    Olufemi/Renty/Laborer Man #2

  • Rocky Sellers

    Rocky Sellers

    Suleiman/John

  • Kazem Abdullah

    Kazem Abdullah

    Conductor

  • Kaneza Schaal

    Kaneza Schaal *

    Director

  • Michael Black

    Michael Black

    Chorus Director


Amy Rubin*
Set Designer

Micheline Russell-Brown* & April M. Hickman*
Original Costume Designers

Charlese Antoinette Jones*
Costume Designer

Pablo Santiago*
Lighting Designer

Joshua Higgason*
Projection Designer


* Lyric debut
*** Ryan Opera Center Ensemble

Program book

Go inside this production of Omar with engaging articles, notes from the director, a complete plot synopsis, artist bios, and more.

Download program book

Credits

Omar is co-commissioned by Lyric Opera of Chicago, Spoleto Festival USA, Carolina Performing Arts, San Francisco Opera, LA Opera, Boston Lyric Opera, and Detroit Opera.

Photos: Cory Weaver/LA Opera