Lyric Opera of Chicago announces its 2026/27 Season — a landmark lineup of seven operas spanning centuries and continents, three unique concerts, two Academy Award–winning films performed with live orchestra, and the much-anticipated return of the Lyric summer musical. Music Director Enrique Mazzola conducts five major works, anchoring a season of exceptional musical breadth with his signature artistry.
From the drawing rooms of 18th-century Vienna to the McCarthy-era American South, from the biblical courts of ancient Jerusalem to the backstreets of Broadway, the 2026/27 Season celebrates the full depth and diversity of the operatic canon while continuing to appeal to new audiences and expand the Lyric experience in every direction. The season also marks a significant new chapter for the company with the appointment of internationally acclaimed soprano Sondra Radvanovsky as Artistic Advisor.
“This season is a celebration of excellence, discovery, and bold storytelling,” says John Mangum, General Director, President & CEO of Lyric Opera of Chicago. “We have assembled one of the most robust and diverse seasons in recent memory — seven operas ranging from Mozart and Verdi classics to the Pulitzer Prize–winning Omar and the beloved American folk opera Susannah. And we are thrilled to bring the Lyric summer musical back to our stage with a spectacular new production of Guys & Dolls. There is something here for everyone, and this season shows how Lyric is evolving opera by pushing the boundaries of the art form through new works, bold reinterpretations, and new audience experiences. Everything we do will be brought to life by extraordinary casts, alongside our magnificent Lyric Opera Orchestra and Chorus.”
Music Director Enrique Mazzola — “Chicago’s maestro-around-town” — will conduct five works next season, an eclectic and wide-ranging portfolio that spans Mozart, Donizetti, Haydn, Massenet, and Verdi. “This is a season of extraordinary musical journeys,” says Maestro Mazzola. “Opening the season with Don Giovanni is deeply meaningful to me — it is one of those operas that has the entire world of opera inside it: comedy, drama, philosophy, and singular musical architecture. And in Verdi’s La traviata, everything is truth. These are works that speak directly to the heart. I am also thrilled that we will be bringing Haydn’s magnificent The Creation to Lyric audiences — a piece that reminds us how music can express awe and beauty in the most direct and universal way. And I cannot wait to share Massenet’s rarely heard gem Hérodiade with Chicago — a score I know deeply, having recorded it in Berlin, and one that deserves to be heard at the highest musical level.”
The season also brings a milestone partnership: the appointment of beloved soprano and “Chicago’s hometown diva” Sondra Radvanovsky as Lyric’s Artistic Advisor for the next five seasons. In addition to a mainstage appearance each season — including a concert with tenor SeokJong Baek in the 2026/27 Season — Radvanovsky will work closely with The Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center through masterclasses, mentorship, and career guidance. “Lyric is my artistic home, and I am honored to deepen that bond in this very special new role,” says Radvanovsky. “Supporting the next generation of singers through the Ryan Opera Center is one of the most meaningful things I can imagine doing. I look forward to sharing everything I have learned on the world’s great stages with these remarkable young artists — and to performing for the Chicago audiences I love so deeply. We have some magnificent surprises in store!”
Lyric Opera of Chicago’s 2026/27 Season opens October 10 with Mozart’s Don Giovanni, running through November 1, 2026 — eight performances that complete Lyric’s exploration of the Mozart/Da Ponte trilogy that began with The Marriage of Figaro and Così fan tutte over the past two seasons. High drama, sharp humor, and an exquisite score intertwine in this thrilling fable of deceit and retribution, conducted by Maestro Mazzola and directed by Chicago theatrical legend Robert Falls. Ryan Opera Center alumnus and Lyric veteran Christian Van Horn stars as the legendary seducer, leading a stellar ensemble that includes the return of Lawrence Brownlee as Don Ottavio and Mané Galoyan as Donna Anna alongside the Lyric debuts of Nina Solodovnikova as Donna Elvira and Tommaso Barea as Leporello. Kyle Ketelsen sings the title role for two performances.
Overlapping with the final performances of Don Giovanni is the Lyric premiere of Rhiannon Giddens and Michael Abels’s Pulitzer Prize–winning opera Omar, playing October 23, 25, and 28, 2026. A Lyric co-commission, Omar is inspired by the memoir of 19th-century Islamic scholar Omar ibn Said — an African Muslim whose diaries preserve a firsthand account of the experiences of those enslaved — and tells a fundamentally American story of survival, faith, and identity. The score weaves together hymns, spirituals, and bluegrass in a tapestry as emotionally direct as it is musically breathtaking. Issachah Savage returns in the title role of Omar alongside Kearstin Piper Brown as Julie and Lyric favorites Zoie Reams as Fatima and Kyle Ketelsen as the two Masters, Johnson and Owen. Conductor Kazem Abdullah, who led Lyric’s world premiere of Proximity, returns to the podium. Director Kaneza Schaal, who helmed the opera’s world premiere, creates a new theatrical presentation exclusively for Lyric in her company debut.
November brings a rich trio of offerings. Donizetti’s sparkling comic masterpiece Don Pasquale returns to Lyric for the first time in more than a decade, for six performances November 12 through 27, 2026. The opera’s vibrant score animates the story of an aging bachelor whose disowned nephew and sharp-witted fiancée orchestrate an elaborate series of dupes and double-crosses — all in the name of true love. Maestro Mazzola conducts this lively Glyndebourne production (which he conducted at its premiere and its subsequent revival) directed by Mariame Clément in her Lyric debut. Misha Kiria makes his Lyric debut in the title role, joined by Ying Fang as the irrepressible Norina, Alberto Robert in his Lyric debut as Ernesto, and Ryan Opera Center alumnus Ian Rucker as Dr. Malatesta.
For two performances only, November 20 and 22, the Lyric Opera Orchestra and Chorus take center stage for Wagner: Myth & Music, an electrifying concert program of overtures and choruses conjuring valiant heroes, ghostly figures, and golden sunrises over majestic mountaintops — the fantastical world of Richard Wagner brought thrillingly to life. Conductor Alexander Soddy — a noted Wagnerian who recently led acclaimed performances of Wagner’s Ring Cycle at La Scala — makes his Lyric debut. At these performances, Lyric will introduce its new David W. & Orit K. Carpenter Concert Shell, a specially designed acoustic shell that will bring audiences an even richer listening experience for Wagner’s thrilling music.
2026 concludes with the return of Movie Nights at Lyric and a spectacular family event: Disney’s Academy Award–winning Encanto in Concert Live to Film on November 28 and 29, with Lin-Manuel Miranda’s beloved songs and Germaine Franco’s score performed live by the Lyric Opera Orchestra. The new year begins with another Movie Nights at Lyric event: Amadeus LIVE on January 15 and 16, 2027, in which the eight-time Academy Award–winning film is accompanied live by the Lyric Opera Orchestra and Chorus — the first time the full Chorus joins the Orchestra for Movie Nights at Lyric. The riveting story of Antonio Salieri’s envy and Mozart’s divine genius unfolds on screen as Lyric’s full musical forces bring the film’s extraordinary music to glorious life.
The new year continues with Haydn’s awe-inspiring oratorio The Creation on January 22 and 23, 2027, conducted by Maestro Mazzola with the Lyric Opera Orchestra and Chorus and three star soloists: Erin Morley in her Lyric debut, Ryan Opera Center alumnus David Portillo, and Michael Sumuel. Featuring an English libretto drawn from Genesis, the Psalms, and Milton’s Paradise Lost, Haydn’s astonishing oratorio renders the creation of all things in brilliant musical detail — from humankind to the infinite cosmos itself.
February brings a long-awaited Lyric premiere: Jules Massenet’s rarely performed Hérodiade: An Opera in Concert, February 23 through 28, 2027. Massenet’s grand French opera treatment of the story of Salome — inspired by Gustave Flaubert’s literary retelling — combines the grandeur of French opera with moments of extraordinary intimacy. Maestro Mazzola, who conducted and recorded the opera at the Deutsche Oper Berlin, leads a score rich with haunting choral chants, sultry dances, and vivid evocations of first-century Jerusalem. An all-star cast of soloists — including Clémentine Margaine, Federica Lombardi, Igor Golovatenko, and Piero Pretti in his Lyric debut — brings this rarely heard gem to life alongside the video designs of Greg Emetaz.
In March, Richard Strauss’s witty and vocally spectacular Ariadne auf Naxos returns in John Cox’s beloved production for six performances, March 11 through 26, 2027. The opera pits classical melodrama against commedia dell’arte in a brilliantly self-referential collision of high and low art, featuring the Lyric debut of Leah Hawkins as Ariadne/Prima Donna alongside Erin Morley as Zerbinetta, Samantha Hankey as the Composer, and Russell Thomas in his role debut as Bacchus/Tenor. Conductor Oksana Lyniv makes her Lyric debut leading the Lyric Opera Orchestra through one of Strauss’s most beautiful scores.
Running concurrently and extending deep into April is one of opera’s most beloved masterworks: Verdi’s La traviata, March 24 through April 25, 2027, in an expansive 11-performance run. Few operas speak as directly to the human heart as La traviata — and few conductors know Verdi's score more intimately than Maestro Mazzola, who leads this revival of Arin Arbus’s production with a fresh ensemble of debut artists, including Yaritza Véliz as Violetta Valéry, Liparit Avetisyan as Alfredo Germont, and Amartuvshin Enkhbat as Giorgio Germont. Tess Jackson conducts the final four performances in her Lyric debut.
April also brings Carlisle Floyd’s iconic American opera Susannah to the Lyric stage for the first time since 2002, for five performances April 11 through 23, 2027. Conducted by Daniela Candillari and directed by acclaimed soprano Patricia Racette — herself a legendary interpreter of the title role — this Appalachian fable of innocence on trial moves at a brisk cinematic pace. Gabriella Reyes stars as Susannah alongside the Lyric debuts of Ryan Speedo Green as Olin Blitch and Matthew Cairns as Sam. Notably, Susannah holds a special place in Lyric history as the opera in which both Renée Fleming and Sondra Radvanovsky made their Lyric debuts.
The spring opera season concludes with Sondra Radvanovsky & SeokJong Baek in Concert on April 30 and May 2, 2027 — an evening of showstopping arias and duets by opera’s leading composers featuring the Lyric Opera Orchestra conducted by Riccardo Frizza, and the first mainstage appearance of Ms. Radvanovsky in her new role as Lyric’s newly appointed Artistic Advisor.
The season culminates in a landmark occasion: the return of the Lyric summer musical for the first time in four seasons. Frank Loesser’s Guys & Dolls — an irresistible fable of gamblers, showgirls, and the Salvation Army — runs June 4 through 20, 2027, for 19 performances. The production heralds the return of the creative trio who made Lyric’s production of West Side Story such a smash hit in recent seasons: director Francesca Zambello, conductor James Lowe, and choreographer Joshua Bergasse. Lyric is the only venue in the Chicagoland area where audiences can experience a beloved classic from the Great American Songbook with a full, live orchestra — and Lyric musicals are big: big chorus, big orchestra, top talent from across the country, and spectacular sets. Further casting details will be announced soon.
Continuing Year-Round Programs at Lyric
The 2026/27 Season will be enriched by the ongoing contributions of The Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center, Lyric’s world-class artist-development program. Members of the Ryan Opera Center Ensemble will appear in a variety of onstage roles throughout the season. The program’s distinguished alumni — among them J’Nai Bridges, Quinn Kelsey, Will Liverman, Amanda Majeski, Matthew Polenzani, and Christian Van Horn —have gone on to grace the world’s greatest stages, a testament to the extraordinary talent the Ryan Opera Center has nurtured for more than five decades.
Ryan Opera Center artists and members of the Lyric Opera Orchestra come together at the start of the new season with one of the city’s most anticipated free events: Sunday in the Park with Lyric, an annual concert conducted by Maestro Mazzola at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion at Millennium Park, to be held Sunday, August 23, 2026. The Ryan Opera Center Final Auditions, at which more than 20 finalists among the world’s finest emerging artists audition for a spot in the Ryan Opera Center’s 2027/28 Ensemble, will be held Sunday, October 4, 2026. Rising Stars in Concert, the program’s annual free showcase of its current Ensemble with the Lyric Opera Orchestra, will be held Saturday, January 9, 2027.
Lyric Unlimited, the company’s Learning & Civic Engagement division, is dedicated to education and community initiatives that connect Lyric to the city of Chicago through collaborative programming. One of Lyric Unlimited’s most popular events for Chicago families — Explore Your Lyric, a day of fun and adventure for all ages at the Lyric Opera House — is set for Sunday, April 18, 2027.
Lyric Unlimited’s Opera in the Neighborhoods program also returns in the 2026/27 Season with both school and public performances of an opera for young audiences. Earth to Kenzie, a Lyric co-commission composed by Frances Pollock with a libretto by Jessica Murphy Moo, tells the story of Kenzie, a fifth grader who finds refuge in the world of video games when her family must move into a shelter. Opera in the Neighborhoods performances reach more than 7,000 students and their families each season through Lyric’s longstanding annual tours that include both school-based and public performances.
Lyric’s Choral Fest returns for a third edition in the 2026/27 Season, bringing nearly 200 Chicago Public School students to rehearse and perform on the Lyric Opera House stage. Led by Chorus Director Michael Black, Choral Fest is the culminating event of Lyric’s High School Choir Residency, which provides year-round support from Lyric teaching artists to school choral programs across the city. For many students, stepping onto one of the world’s great opera stages is a transformative experience — and a vivid reminder of what the art form can mean to a new generation of Chicagoans.
“All year long — whether on the stage with our world-class performances, backstage with our renowned artist-training programs and topflight design shops, or out in the community in classrooms, parks, and other spaces around the city — Lyric is the cultural hub for all of Chicago,” says Mangum. “We look forward to continuing to bring Chicago audiences together to see and hear universal stories told through the singular power of live music and the human voice.”
For more information on Lyric’s 2026/27 Season,
visit lyricopera.org/newseason
Lyric Opera of Chicago's 2026/27 Season Schedule
- October 10–November 1, 2026: Don Giovanni
- October 23–28, 2026: Omar
- November 12–27, 2026: Don Pasquale
- November 20 & 22, 2026: Wagner: Myth & Music
- November 28 & 29, 2026: Movie Nights at Lyric: Disney's Encanto in Concert Live to Film
- January 15 & 16, 2027: Movie Nights at Lyric: Amadeus LIVE
- January 22 & 23, 2027: Haydn's The Creation
- February 23–28, 2027: Hérodiade: An Opera in Concert
- March 11-26, 2027: Ariadne auf Naxos
- March 24–April 25, 2027: La traviata
- April 11–23, 2027: Susannah
- April 30 & May 2, 2027: Sondra Radvanovsky & SeokJong Baek in Concert
- June 4–20, 2027: Guys & Dolls
Lyric’s 2026/27 Season is presented by the Robert and Penelope Steiner Family Foundation.
Lyric Opera of Chicago thanks its Official Airline, United Airlines, and acknowledges support from the Illinois Arts Council.
Don Giovanni
Mozart
October 10, 13, 15, 18m, 21m, 24, 30; November 1m, 2026
Sung in Italian with projected English titles
The path to damnation never sounded so sweet.
The 2026/27 Season kicks off with a thrilling fable of deceit and retribution. Under the baton of Music Director Enrique Mazzola, sharp humor, high drama, and an exquisite score intertwine in the story of a charismatic seducer whose unrepentant lustfulness brings about a most spectacular demise.
Singing with a voice that can “shake the heavens” (Opera Today), bass-baritone and Lyric veteran Christian Van Horn stars as one of opera’s most infamous anti-heroes, crowning a stellar cast.
Director Robert Falls’s instant-classic take on this morality tale for the ages offers an expansive and hard-hitting Don Giovanni sure to satisfy anyone with a wicked taste for drama.
Don Giovanni: Christian Van Horn**, Kyle Ketelsen (10/30, 11/1m)
Donna Anna: Mané Galoyan
Donna Elvira: Nina Solodovnikova*
Don Ottavio: Lawrence Brownlee
Leporello: Tommaso Barea*
Zerlina: Anna El-Khashem*
Masetto: Christopher Humbert, Jr.**
Commendatore: David Leigh*
Conductor: Enrique Mazzola
Director: Robert Falls
Set Designer: Walt Spangler
Costume Designer: Ana Kuzmanic
Lighting Designer: Duane Schuler
Chorus Director: Michael Black
Choreographer: August Tye
* Lyric Opera of Chicago debut
** Ryan Opera Center alumnus
Lyric’s presentation of Mozart’s Don Giovanni is generously made possible by The Negaunee Foundation, Lisbeth Stiffel, Julie & Roger Baskes, Marlys A. Beider, Randy L. & Melvin R.* Berlin, and Bulley & Andrews. *deceased
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.
* * *
Omar
Rhiannon Giddens & Michael Abels
Lyric premiere
October 23, 25m, 28, 2026
Sung in English with projected English titles
Where memory is preserved, legacy endures.
MacArthur “Genius Grant” recipient Rhiannon Giddens and celebrated co-composer Michael Abels deliver a profoundly moving story about the strength of the human spirit.
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’s Pulitzer Prize-winning score — a tapestry of musical traditions weaving together hymns, spirituals, and bluegrass — to tell a fundamentally American story.
Omar: Issachah Savage
Julie: Kearstin Piper Brown
Fatima: Zoie Reams
Johnson/Owen: Kyle Ketelsen
Katie Ellen/The Caller: Briana Hunter*
Conductor: Kazem Abdullah
Director: Kaneza Schaal*
Chorus Director: Michael Black
* Lyric Opera of Chicago debut
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.
* * *
Don Pasquale
Donizetti
November 12, 15m, 18m, 21, 24, 27, 2026
Sung in Italian with projected English titles
Can young love triumph over old money?
Immerse yourself in the rococo grandeur of 19th-century Rome in this fizzy comedy of errors, returning to the Lyric stage for the first time in more than a decade with a vivid, period production directed by Mariame Clément.
Donizetti’s lively score animates the story of the aging bachelor Don Pasquale, whose disowned nephew enlists his wry fiancée and the Don’s long-suffering doctor to orchestrate a complex series of dupes and double-crosses in a bid to reclaim his uncle’s inheritance — all in the name of true love.
Music Director Enrique Mazzola conducts this good-natured touchstone of the comic opera repertoire.
Don Pasquale: Misha Kiria*
Norina: Ying Fang
Ernesto: Alberto Robert*
Dr. Malatesta: Ian Rucker**
Conductor: Enrique Mazzola
Director: Mariame Clément*
Designer: Julia Hansen*
Lighting Designer: Bernd Purkrabek*
Chorus Director: Michael Black
* Lyric Opera of Chicago debut
** Ryan Opera Center alumnus
Don Pasquale is a Glyndebourne production.
Lyric’s presentation of Donizetti’s Don Pasquale is generously made possible by Josef & Margot Lakonishok and ITW.
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.
* * *
Wagner: Myth & Music
November 20 & 22m, 2026
Sung in German with projected English titles
Choral splendor and orchestral might share the stage for just two performances.
Valiant heroes on quests for divine glory. Ghostly figures doomed to wander the earth seeking revenge. Bloody battles between men and immortals, and golden sunrises over majestic mountaintops.
These are just a few of the fantastical images conjured by the powerful and vividly expressive music of Richard Wagner, whose jaw-dropping operas have supplied some of the most memorable themes in history and redefined the art of musical storytelling for all time.
For two performances only, join the Lyric Opera Orchestra and Chorus in concert for an enthralling program of overtures and choruses showcasing Wagner’s most stirring music.
Conductor: Alexander Soddy*
Chorus Director: Michael Black
* Lyric Opera of Chicago debut
Lyric’s presentation of Wagner: Myth & Music is generously made possible by Orit K. Carpenter, in loving memory of David W. Carpenter.
* * *
Movie Nights at Lyric
Movie Nights at Lyric return with two acclaimed and beloved movies accompanied by the lush sound of the Lyric Opera Orchestra — and, for the first time ever with Amadeus, the power of the Lyric Opera Chorus. It’s the perfect introduction to a live performance for fans of all ages.
* * *
Disney’s Encanto in Concert Live to Film
November 28 & 29m, 2026
Performed with Spanish subtitles
Join us to experience Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Encanto, winner of the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature and multiple Grammy Awards, on a big screen, performed with live orchestra. You’ll meet the Madrigals, an extraordinary family living in a magical house in the mountains of Colombia. When Mirabel, the only ordinary Madrigal, discovers that the magic surrounding their home is in danger, she may be her family’s last hope. Featuring original songs by Lin-Manuel Miranda with a score by Germaine Franco, this will be an unforgettable event for your whole family. Rated PG.
Conductor: Gonzalo Farias
Presentation licensed by Disney ConcertsⓇ. All rights reserved.
* * *
Amadeus LIVE
January 15 & 16m, 2027
Performed with English subtitles
Don’t miss the chance to see the sumptuous period epic Amadeus on the big screen with Mozart’s celebrated works performed live by the Lyric Opera Orchestra and Chorus. Winner of eight Academy Awards including Best Picture, the film tells the riveting story of composer Antonio Salieri and the envy that consumes him upon discovering that the divine musical gifts he has so longed for all of his life have been bestowed on a bawdy, impish young composer, Mozart. Salieri’s envy fuels his plot to destroy the man, while he finds himself unable to resist the genius of his music. Rated PG.
Conductor: Brett Mitchell*
* Lyric Opera of Chicago debut
* * *
Haydn’s The Creation
Lyric premiere
January 22 & 23, 2027
Sung in English with projected English titles
An awe-inspiring masterpiece presented at a cosmic scale.
Music Director Enrique Mazzola conducts the Lyric Opera Orchestra and Chorus and star soloists in this musical retelling of the ultimate origin story.
Featuring an English libretto that weaves together the most poetic passages from Genesis and Psalms with excerpts from Milton’s Paradise Lost, Haydn’s astonishing oratorio renders the creation of all things in brilliant musical detail — from beasts of the earth and humankind to the infinite cosmos itself.
This richly hued and imaginative portrayal of one of life’s greatest mysteries promises to resonate with those who listen with an open heart and a curious mind.
Soloists: Erin Morley*, David Portillo**, and Michael Sumuel
Conductor: Enrique Mazzola
Chorus Director: Michael Black
* Lyric Opera of Chicago debut
** Ryan Opera Center alumnus
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.
* * *
Hérodiade: An Opera in Concert
Massenet
Lyric premiere
February 23, 25, 28m, 2027
Sung in French with projected English titles
A scandalous yet soulful feast for the ears.
A rarely heard gem of French grand opera receives its long-awaited first performance at Lyric. Jules Massenet’s take on the Biblical story of Salome, inspired by Gustave Flaubert’s literary retelling, brings a surprisingly introspective flair to this dark drama of jealousy and obsession.
Music Director Enrique Mazzola leads a concert production that highlights a lush score filled with haunting choral chants, sultry dances, and Hollywood-esque evocations of first-century Jerusalem.
A quintet of all-star soloists explore Hérodiade’s richly complex characters through an abundance of soaring arias, from Salomé’s “Il est doux, il est bon” to Hérode’s “Vision fugitive.”
Hérodiade: Clémentine Margaine
Salomé: Federica Lombardi
Jean: Piero Pretti*
Hérode: Igor Golovatenko
Phanuel: Le Bu*
Conductor: Enrique Mazzola
Video Designer: Greg Emetaz
Chorus Director: Michael Black
* Lyric Opera of Chicago debut
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.
* * *
Ariadne auf Naxos
Richard Strauss
March 11, 14m, 17m, 20, 23, 26, 2027
Sung in German with projected English titles
A bona-fide smackdown between classical melodrama and commedia dell’arte.
Picture it: The fateful premiere of a very serious opera. A colorful cast of very unserious comedians. An unlikely set of circumstances that lands them both on stage… at the same time. What could possibly go wrong?
John Cox’s acclaimed production of this brilliantly self-referential opera-within-
an-opera offers a peek behind the curtain at the kaleidoscope of personalities that turn mere stagecraft into high (or low!) art.
Ariadne auf Naxos is playful in conceit, but the music is no joke — Richard Strauss’s score is packed with high-octane vocalism and unexpected dramatic twists that promise to dazzle and delight at every turn.
Ariadne/Prima Donna: Leah Hawkins*
Zerbinetta: Erin Morley
Composer: Samantha Hankey
Bacchus/Tenor: Russell Thomas
Music Master: Zachary Nelson
Dancing Master: Barry Banks
Harlekin: Finn Sagal**
Naiad: Emilie Kealani*
Echo: Meryl Dominguez*
Brighella: Zhengyi Bai
Scaramuccio: Travon D. Walker**
Conductor: Oksana Lyniv*
Original Director: John Cox
Revival Director: Bruno Ravella
Set and Costume Designer: Robert Perdziola
Lighting Designer: Duane Schuler
* Lyric Opera of Chicago debut
** Ryan Opera Center alumnus
Lyric’s presentation of Strauss’s Ariadne auf Naxos is generously made possible by Patricia A. Kenney & Gregory J. O’Leary.
* * *
La traviata
Verdi
March 24, 27, 31m; April 4m, 7, 10, 13, 16, 19, 22, 25m, 2027
Sung in Italian with projected English titles
The heart wants what it wants… but what does it really want?
Violetta Valéry has enjoyed a life of beauty and decadence, complete with everything she could ever want — that is, until she meets Alfredo, whose idealistic romanticism wins her over. But as Violetta contemplates what remains of her life, she must make the ultimate choice: accept love’s tender embrace, or remain free forever.
This beloved Lyric production sets Verdi’s sumptuous music against the florid glamour of 19th-century France, bringing these captivating characters and their tragic tale to life.
Prepare to be moved by this masterwork of melody and melancholy conducted by Music Director Enrique Mazzola, whether you’ve heard it a hundred times or never before.
Violetta Valéry: Yaritza Véliz*
Alfredo Germont: Liparit Avetisyan*
Giorgio Germont: Amartuvshin Enkhbat*, Kidon Choi* (4/22)
Conductor: Enrique Mazzola, Tess Jackson* (4/16, 19, 22, 25m)
Original Director: Arin Arbus
Revival Director: Tara Faircloth
Set Designer: Riccardo Hernandez
Costume Designer: Cait O’Connor
Lighting Designer: Marcus Doshi
Chorus Director: Michael Black
Choreographer: Austin McCormick
* Lyric Opera of Chicago debut
La traviata is a co-production of Lyric Opera of Chicago, Houston Grand Opera, and Canadian Opera Company.
Lyric’s presentation of Verdi’s La traviata is generously made possible by Lisbeth Stiffel and Invenergy.
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.
* * *
Susannah
Carlisle Floyd
April 11m, 14m, 17, 20, 23, 2027
Sung in English with projected English titles
When innocence goes on trial, who is the judge?
Gabriella Reyes stars in Carlisle Floyd’s apocryphal Appalachian fable, presented at Lyric for the first time since 2002.
In small-town Tennessee, young Susannah’s beauty and gentleness earn her admiration from some — and envy from others. But in this devout community where modesty is tantamount to holiness, rumors of Susannah’s impropriety threaten more than just her humble reputation.
With a taut, visceral libretto sung in English and a score that infuses lush orchestration with flavors of Broadway and American folk music, this modern masterpiece is as raw and gripping today as when it premiered more than five decades ago.
Susannah: Gabriella Reyes
Olin Blitch: Ryan Speedo Green*
Sam: Matthew Cairns*
Little Bat: Frederick Ballentine*
Mrs. McLean: Catherine Martin
Elder McLean: Wayne Tigges**
Elder Gleaton: Travon D. Walker**
Elder Hayes: Nathan Bowles*
Conductor: Daniela Candillari
Director: Patricia Racette
Set & Video Designer: Erhard Rom
Costume Designer: Michael Yeargan
Lighting Designer: Eric Southern*
Chorus Director: Michael Black
Choreographer: Noelle Kayser
* Lyric Opera of Chicago debut
** Ryan Opera Center alumnus
Scenery for Susannah originated with San Francisco Opera and is owned by Houston Grand Opera. Costumes are from a co-production of Lyric Opera of Chicago and Houston Grand Opera made possible by generous gifts from Abbott Laboratories to Lyric Opera of Chicago and from Philip Morris Companies, Inc. to Houston Grand Opera as sponsor to its Opera New World program.
* * *
Sondra Radvanovsky & SeokJong Baek in Concert
April 30 & May 2, 2027
Sung in Italian with projected English titles
Opera’s most memorable melodies, sung by two of its biggest stars.
Two of the great voices of our time join forces at Lyric for a captivating performance of showstopping arias and heart-melting duets.
Sondra Radvanovsky, hailed as “one of the most profoundly moving opera artists on the planet” (OperaWire), brings her radiant soprano to illuminate melodies from Italian masterworks opposite SeokJong Baek, whose “ravishing tone” (Newcity) and daring artistry prove why he’s the first choice for some of the most legendary roles in the genre.
Conductor Riccardo Frizza leads the Lyric Opera Orchestra in all its splendor to accompany these superstars in the indelible works by Puccini, Verdi, and more.
Soloists: Sondra Radvanovsky, SeokJong Baek
Conductor: Riccardo Frizza
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The return of the Lyric summer musical
Guys & Dolls
A Musical Fable of Broadway
Based on a Story and Characters of Damon Runyon
Music and Lyrics by Frank Loesser | Book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows
Lyric premiere
June 4–20, 2027 | 19 Performances
Hustle and heart go toe-to-toe in this classic Broadway musical.
After four years away, the Lyric summer musical returns to our stage in grand fashion with Guys & Dolls. Hailed as “the perfect musical comedy,” this brassy musical inspired by the short stories of Damon Runyon follows its cast of ne’er-do-wells from the seedy, shadowy side of New York City to the sweltering streets of Havana and back as they look to win big — on their gambling wagers and in love alike — and find a different kind of redemption along the way.
Experience the splendor of Frank Loesser’s classic Broadway score, featuring beloved numbers “Sit Down, You're Rockin’ the Boat,” “I’ve Never Been in Love Before,” “Luck Be a Lady,” and the famed title song, performed by an all-star cast and the lush sound of the Lyric Opera Orchestra.
This acclaimed new production reunites the creative trio behind Lyric’s beloved West Side Story — director Francesca Zambello, conductor James Lowe, and choreographer Joshua Bergasse — in what promises to be another landmark musical event. Casting details will be announced soon.
Conductor: James Lowe
Director: Francesca Zambello
Set Designer: Walt Spangler
Costume Designer: Constance Hoffman
Sound Designer: Andrew Harper
Chorus Director: Michael Black
Choreographer: Joshua Bergasse
Production originally produced and created by Shakespeare Theatre Company, Washington, D.C.
Guys & Dolls is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI. www.mtishows.com.
About Lyric
Lyric Opera of Chicago is committed to redefining what it means to experience great opera. The company is driven to deliver consistently excellent artistry through innovative, relevant, celebratory programming that engages and energizes new and traditional audiences.
Under the leadership of General Director, President & CEO John Mangum and Music Director Enrique Mazzola, Lyric is dedicated to reflecting, and drawing strength from, the diversity of Chicago. Lyric offers, through innovation, collaboration, and evolving learning opportunities, ever-more exciting, accessible, and thought-provoking audience and community experiences. We also stand committed to training the artists of the future, through The Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center; and to becoming increasingly diverse across our audiences, staff, programming, and artists — magnifying the welcoming pull of our art form, our company, and our city.
Through the timeless power of voice, the splendor of a great orchestra and chorus, theater, dance, design, and truly magnificent stagecraft, Lyric is devoted to immersing audiences in worlds both familiar and unexpected, creating shared experiences that resonate long after the curtain comes down.
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For more information, visit lyricopera.org.