The Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center at Lyric Opera of Chicago, recognized globally as one of the leading artist-development programs for emerging operatic talent, has announced the selection of 11 singers for its 2025/26 Ensemble following Final Auditions held on September 8. The new members of the Ensemble include mezzo-sopranos Alexis Peart and Camille Robles, baritone Sihao Hu, and bass-baritone Benjamin R. Sokol. They will join seven returning Ensemble members: sopranos Adia Evans and Emily Richter, tenors Daniel Espinal and Travon D. Walker, and baritones/bass-baritones Sankara Harouna, Christopher Humbert, Jr., and Finn Sagal.
The rigorous selection process began last winter with over 600 applicants submitting audition recordings. After an extensive review, a select group was invited to live preliminary auditions throughout the spring and summer, culminating in the Final Auditions. These auditions were attended by hundreds of guests, who also had the opportunity to vote for the Audience Favorite Award. This year, the award and a $500 cash prize went to mezzo-soprano Alexis Peart.
LaRob K. Rafael, program host at 98.7WFMT, served as master of ceremonies for the event, which also featured a special performance by tenor Martin Luther Clark, a Ryan Opera Center alumnus. The judging panel included Lyric's Incoming General Director, President & CEO John Mangum, Music Director Enrique Mazzola, Chief Artistic Administration Officer Matthew Ozawa, Vice President of Artistic Planning Andreas Melinat, Director of Artistic Programs Cory Lippiello, and Chorus Director and Head of Music Michael Black. They were joined by Ryan Opera Center Vice President and Director Dan Novak, Music Director Craig Terry, and Director of Vocal Studies Julia Faulkner.
The newly selected Ensemble members will begin their tenure in May 2025, receiving advanced training in various aspects of operatic performance, including voice lessons, language classes, movement and acting instruction, and master classes with some of opera’s most esteemed artists. They will also participate in Lyric’s mainstage season, performing and understudying a range of roles, and perform in Ryan Opera Center concerts and recitals across the Chicago area.
Departing the Ryan Opera Center at the conclusion of the 2024/25 Season are soprano Gemma Nha, mezzo-sopranos Lucy Baker and Sophia Maekawa, and baritone Ian Rucker.
Singers Selected for the 2025/26 Ryan Opera Center Ensemble
SOPRANOS
Adia Evans (Baltimore, Maryland)
Emily Richter (Arlington, Virginia)
MEZZO-SOPRANOS
Alexis Peart (Titusville, New Jersey)
Camille Robles (San Juan, Puerto Rico)
TENORS
Daniel Espinal (Sarasota, Florida)
Travon D. Walker (Hinesville, Georgia)
BARITONES/BASS-BARITONES
Sankara Harouna (Chicago, Illinois)
Sihao Hu (Shenzhen, China)
Christopher Humbert, Jr. (Akron, Ohio)
Finn Sagal (La Cañada Flintridge, California)
Benjamin R. Sokol (Westbury, New York)
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 Lyric's Interim General Director Elizabeth Hurley, Lyric's Executive Leadership Team, 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.
Join us @LyricOpera on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Threads and Facebook. #LongLivePassion
For more information on Lyric's upcoming 2024/25 Season, visit lyricopera.org/newseason.
About Ryan Opera Center
The Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center is Lyric's acclaimed artist-development program that nurtures the talents of some of the most promising operatic artists of each generation. Ryan Opera Center alumni are among the dominant names in opera today. This highly competitive program, established in 1974, is honored to enjoy the support of acclaimed soprano Renée Fleming as Advisor at Large, along with full-time staff Dan Novak (Director), Craig Terry (Music Director), and Julia Faulkner (Director of Vocal Studies).
For more information, visit lyricopera.org/ryanoperacenter.