Lyric Opera of Chicago brings together its renowned Orchestra and Chorus for A Wondrous Sound, a concert showcasing some of opera’s most beloved overtures and choral works. Led by Lyric’s Music Director Enrique Mazzola, this special event will take place at the Lyric Opera House on April 16 at 7:00 p.m. and April 19 at 2:00 p.m.
The program features well-known favorites and lesser-heard gems by Puccini, Rossini, Bizet, Wagner, and more. Thoughtfully blending orchestral and choral works, the concert showcases the full range of expressive possibilities for Lyric's world-class ensembles. Maestro Mazzola and Chorus Director Michael Black have shaped a program that reflects their distinct artistry and collaboration.
"Lyric audiences know and love our Orchestra and Chorus from their vital role in every opera we produce," says Mazzola. "This concert is special because it puts them in the spotlight, giving listeners a rare chance to experience the full depth and brilliance of these ensembles outside the context of a staged production."
"For the Lyric Opera Chorus, this is an exciting opportunity to perform a range of music that extends beyond traditional opera," says Black. "Audiences will hear the power and nuance of the chorus in a way that’s different from what they experience in a fully staged performance."
The concert will feature orchestral overtures, including the Carmen overture, alongside choral selections like the Soldiers’ Chorus from Faust and the Humming Chorus from Madama Butterfly. The program will feature selections from Broadway’s golden age, including Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Carousel and Leonard Bernstein’s West Side Story, broadening its appeal to a wider audience.
Pre-concert talks will be led by former Lyric dramaturg Roger Pines, offering context and insight into the repertoire one hour before each performance.
For more information and to purchase tickets, visit lyricopera.org/WondrousSound.
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.