Chicago Opera Theater (COT) presents the second Discovery Concert of the 2025-26 season. In America’s Embrace: Celebrating Immigrant Composers boasts a wide-ranging program of opera, musical theater and song by composers who fled their native countries and came to America—some as children, others later in life—finding safety, possibility, and a place to create. The composers featured on this program include Kurt Weill, Irving Berlin, Erich Wolfgang Korngold, Igor Stravinsky, Aleksandra Vrebalov, André Previn and others who not only adopted America as their homeland, but also indelibly shaped the course of America’s musical landscape. In America’s Embrace will take place on Sunday, January 18 at 3:00 PM at the Studebaker Theater in the Fine Arts Building, 410 S Michigan. Tickets start at just $25 and are available now at cot.org.
In America’s Embrace is part of the America 250 artistic programming taking place nationwide in 2026 to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States. COT celebrates this milestone by uplifting the profound contributions of immigrant composers and of America’s enduring role as a haven for creative freedom. Laurie Rogers makes her debut with COT as Music Director and Pianist for this special concert, which will feature soprano Tracy Cantin, tenor Jordan Loyd, baritone Schyler Vargas, and bass baritone Alex Soare.
In America’s Embrace is a prelude to COT’s upcoming production of the Chicago premiere of Kurt Weill’s Der Silbersee March 4-8 also at The Studebaker. Premiered in Germany on February 18, 1933, and promptly banned by the recently elected Nazi party, Der Silbersee (The Silverlake) was composer Kurt Weill’s final theatrical work written before he fled to Paris in March 1933 to escape the rising tide of fascism, eventually immigrating to the United States. A groundbreaking work that stands as both a testament to artistic defiance and a timeless reflection of humanity's struggles and hopes, Der Silbersee is a genre-defying masterpiece that blurs the boundaries between opera, operetta, and musical theater, paving the way for the future of music drama. Written in collaboration with dramatist Georg Kaiser, the narrative tells the poignant story of Severin, a destitute man shot while stealing a pineapple, and Olim, the policeman who wounds him but later nurses him back to health as he seeks redemption. At its heart, this deeply human tale asks a question that resonates deeply today: How can we find reconciliation and hope in a fractured world? Tickets for Der Silbersee are also available at cot.org.
“At COT, discovery is at the heart of what we do,” said Chicago Opera Theater General Director Lawrence Edelson. “Our Discovery Concerts create space for Chicagoans to explore music beyond the familiar repertoire and to engage with work that reflects our shared humanity. And at a time when immigrant communities are increasingly under attack, this concert also reminds us that we are, fundamentally, a nation of immigrants—whose artistry, courage, and cultural traditions have shaped the very foundation of who we are.”
About Chicago Opera Theater
Chicago Opera Theater’s mission is to enrich the lives of those who live, work and play in Chicago by bringing rarely produced and contemporary operas to life, supporting gifted emerging artists, and providing hands-on experiences with opera that entertain, empower creativity, and cultivate a lasting and meaningful connection to the arts. Guided by our core values, COT serves Chicago through unique, relevant, and innovative opera experiences that reflect the aspirations of our city — dynamic, inclusive, and forward-thinking — fostering inspiration, dialogue and belonging. Since its founding in 1973, COT has grown from a grassroots community-based company to a national leader in an increasingly vibrant, diverse, and forward-looking art form. COT has staged over 160 operas, including over 90 Chicago premieres and 50 operas by American composers. COT is led by General Director Lawrence Edelson who was appointed in 2023.
Chicago Opera Theater’s 2025/26 season continues with the concert world premiere of Trusted May 30, 2026 – the seventh opera commissioned and developed under the auspices of the Vanguard Initiative.
For more information on Chicago Opera Theater productions, visit chicagooperatheater.org/