The Listeners

March 30. 2025 - April 11. 2025

March 30. 2025 - April 11. 2025

LYRIC PREMIERE The Listeners

Lyric Opera of Chicago presents The Listeners, based on a story by Jordan Tannahill, and expected to be one of the most significant operatic events of the 2024/25 Season. Missy Mazzoli and Royce Vavrek, the renowned composer/librettist team, tell the story of Claire, who is driven nearly mad by an unending, low-frequency hum that she hears. In desperation, she joins a community organization, “The Listeners,” formed to discover the origin of the noise and destroy it. The group becomes frighteningly cult-like, ultimately leading to catastrophic consequences. Lyric’s vocally and dramatically brilliant cast will be conducted by Music Director Enrique Mazzola and directed by one of the most gifted theater artists of her generation, Lileana Blain-Cruz.

Content Advisory: The Listeners includes explicit language and sexual content, along with brief mentions of self-harm and suicide, that may be triggering to some audience members. This production also includes the occasional use of strobing/flashing lights and theatrical gunfire. Recommended for mature audiences.

  • Language: Sung in English with projected English titles
  • Running Time: 2 hours and 30 minutes, including 1 intermission
  • Location: Lyric Opera House

Lyric’s presentation of Missy Mazzoli and Royce Vavrek's The Listeners is generously made possible by the Robert and Penelope Steiner Family Foundation, the Zell Family Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Maestro Enrique Mazzola is generously sponsored by Alice & John Butler, H. Gael Neeson, Sylvia Neil & Daniel Fischel, the Robert and Penelope Steiner Family Foundation, Mary Stowell, and the Zell Family Foundation as members of the Enrique Circle.

Major support for The New Work Fund provided by the Robert and Penelope Steiner Family Foundation and Virginia Tobiason.

Videos

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The music of Mazzoli/Vavrek's The Listeners

Hear from composer Missy Mazzoli as she walks you through some of the sonic and lyrical landscape that audiences will experience in the Lyric Premiere of The Listeners. 

Video generously provided by The Norwegian National Opera & Ballet.

Mazzoli/Vavrek's The Listeners (Trailer)

Missy Mazzoli and Royce Vavrek, the renowned composer/librettist team, tell the story of Claire, who is driven nearly mad by an unending, low-frequency hum that she hears. In desperation, she joins a community organization, “The Listeners,” formed to discover the origin of the noise and destroy it. The group becomes frighteningly cult-like, ultimately leading to catastrophic consequences.

Video generously provided by The Norwegian National Opera & Ballet.

Daniela Mack on "The Listeners" (Mazzoli/Vavrek)

Mezzo-soprano Daniela Mack returns to Lyric as Angela in The Listeners this spring. Hear why new works — like this eerily relevant opera by Missy Mazzoli and Royce Vavrek — spark her creativity.

Nicole Heaston and Kyle Ketelsen on "The Listeners"

Opera singers can find themselves stepping into the shoes of kings, priestesses, and even the devil himself. In Missy Mazzoli and Royce Vavrek's newest opera, The Listeners, the characters feel a bit closer to home.

Soprano Nicole Heaston returns to the role she originated as Claire Devon, a high school teacher, wife, and mother. Opposite her, bass-baritone Kyle Ketelsen finds himself center stage as the enigmatic cult leader, Howard Bard. In this discussion, they share some insights into their characters and what audiences can expect from The Listeners, onstage at Lyric Opera of Chicago for five performances, March 30-April 11.

Lyric Opera of Chicago presents Mazzoli/Vavrek's "The Listeners" // On stage now

Lyric Opera of Chicago presents The Listeners, based on a story by Jordan Tannahill, and expected to be one of the most significant operatic events of the 2024/25 Season. Missy Mazzoli and Royce Vavrek, the renowned composer/librettist team, tell the story of Claire, who is driven nearly mad by an unending, low-frequency hum that she hears. In desperation, she joins a community organization, “The Listeners,” formed to discover the origin of the noise and destroy it. The group becomes frighteningly cult-like, ultimately leading to catastrophic consequences. Lyric’s vocally and dramatically brilliant is conducted by Music Director Enrique Mazzola in an acclaimed production from Lileana Blain-Cruz, directed by Mikhaela Mahony.

Pre-opera talk

Speaker: Dr. Justin Vickers

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.

A recorded version of the Pre-opera talk is available below. 

© 2024/25 Lyric Opera Commentaries. All rights reserved.
The music featured is generously furnished by Warner Classics.

Lyric Opera Commentaries are sponsored by the Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Foundation in memory of their parents.

Saturday, April 5, 2025 6:00-6:45 p.m.

Special pre-opera talk

Special pre-opera talk

Dive deeper into the creation of this new work that has spawned a novel and electrified audiences from all over the world with composer Missy Mazzoli, in a special pre-show conversation with Dr. Justin Vickers. Join us for this special opera lecture to hear directly from the composer of this transfixing new work.

Articles

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by Mikhaela Mahony

An inside look at "The Listeners"

Revival Director Mikhaela Mahony discusses her relationship with Missy Mazzoli and Royce Vavrek's newest opera "The Listeners" and how she's bringing the intense, edge-of-your-seat drama to the stage for its Lyric premiere.
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by Justin Vickers

Longing to Belong

“The Listeners” considers the power of sound itself, and confronts the dangers of following a charismatic leader at all costs. Learn more about this thrilling contemporary opera and what it says about people's quest for community in this article from Dr. Justin Vickers.
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Spotlight on Kyle Ketelsen

In Broadway jargon, the phrase “triple threat” describes a performer who sings, acts, and moves onstage with equal brilliance. American bass-baritone Kyle Ketelsen is opera’s “triple threat.” Give him any role and count on him to sing it superbly. He’ll also act it with immense intelligence, great detail, and total believability while creating a physicality for it that brings the character instantly to life.
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Get to Know Missy Mazzoli

Missy Mazzoli, heralded as a “post-millennial Mozart” (Time Out New York), makes her Lyric debut this season with The Listeners. Whether she's writing for a full orchestra or a string quartet, Mazzoli personifies her music with tonal and atonal sounds, replicating how humans interact in relationships.
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Get to know: Mazzoli/Vavrek's THE LISTENERS

Anticipated to be one of the most significant operatic events of the 2024/25 Season, "The Listeners" will have audiences on the edge of their seats from the first note to the last. Learn more about Missy Mazzoli and Royce Vavrek's cult thriller and see its Lyric premiere, March 30-April 11.
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Artists

  • Nicole Heaston

    Nicole Heaston *

    Claire

  • Kyle Ketelsen

    Kyle Ketelsen

    Howard

  • Jasmine Habersham

    Jasmine Habersham *

    Ashley

  • Daniela Mack

    Daniela Mack

    Angela

  • Jonas Hacker

    Jonas Hacker

    Kyle

  • Zachary Nelson

    Zachary Nelson

    Paul

  • John Moore

    John Moore *

    Dillon

  • Joseph Lim

    Joseph Lim **

    Thom

  • Emily Mwila

    Emily Mwila

    Sina

  • Kelsea Webb

    Kelsea Webb

    Danica

  • Marie Sokolova

    Marie Sokolova

    Emily

  • Corinne Wallace-Crane

    Corinne Wallace-Crane

    Hortense

  • Jared V. Esguerra

    Jared V. Esguerra

    Vince

  • Christopher Filipowicz

    Christopher Filipowicz

    Bram

  • Stephanie Sanchez

    Stephanie Sanchez

    Mrs. Moreno

  • Adia Evans

    Adia Evans ***

    Theresa Alvarez

  • Gemma Nha

    Gemma Nha ***

    Jess

  • Sophia Maekawa

    Sophia Maekawa ***

    Lee Ann

  • Finn Sagal

    Finn Sagal ***

    Policeman

  • Enrique Mazzola

    Enrique Mazzola

    Conductor

  • Lileana Blain-Cruz

    Lileana Blain-Cruz *

    Original Director

  • Mikhaela Mahony

    Mikhaela Mahony *

    Revival Director

  • Adam Rigg

    Adam Rigg

    Set Designer

  • Yi Zhao

    Yi Zhao *

    Lighting Designer

  • Hannah Wasileski

    Hannah Wasileski *

    Video Designer

  • Michael Black

    Michael Black

    Chorus Director and Head of Music

  • Raja Feather Kelly

    Raja Feather Kelly *

    Original Choreographer

Based on the Story by Jordan Tannahill 

 

KAYE VOYCE*
COSTUME DESIGNER

 

ZOE SCOFIELD*
REVIVAL CHOREOGRAPHER



* Lyric debut
** Ryan Opera Center alumnus
*** Ryan Opera Center Ensemble

 

Program book

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

Download program book

Co-commissioned and co-produced by Lyric Opera of Chicago, Norwegian National Opera, and Opera Philadelphia.

Header images: Erik Berg/Norwegian National Opera & Ballet