Lyric Opera of Chicago facts for kids

The outside of the Civic Opera Building, where the opera company performs and has offices.

The Lyric Opera of Chicago is a well-known American opera company. It is located in Chicago, Illinois. The company began in 1954. It was first called 'Lyric Theatre of Chicago'. Carol Fox, Nicola Rescigno, and Lawrence Kelly started it. Their first season featured Maria Callas's American debut. She sang in the opera Norma. Carol Fox changed the company's name in 1956. It became the Lyric Opera of Chicago. The Lyric Opera performs in the Civic Opera Building. The company now owns these spaces.

Opera in Chicago: A Look Back

The very first opera in Chicago was La sonnambula. A traveling opera group performed it on July 29, 1850. Chicago's first opera house opened in 1865. But it was destroyed in the Great Fire of Chicago in 1871. A second opera house, the Chicago Auditorium, opened in 1889.

In 1929, the current Civic Opera House opened. It is located at 20 North Wacker Drive. The Chicago Civic Opera Company faced problems during the Great Depression. The old Auditorium continued to host shows. It closed in 1941.

Different opera companies performed in Chicago over the years. The Chicago Grand Opera Company started in 1910. Other companies followed, like the Chicago Opera Association. The Chicago Civic Opera performed from 1922 to 1932. After some breaks, the Lyric Opera of Chicago was formed in 1954. It has performed almost every year since then.

Lyric Opera's Early Years (1954 to 1980)

Carol Fox was a very important person for the Lyric Opera. She was America's first female opera leader. She was only 28 when she started the first season in 1954. She brought Maria Callas to America for the first time. Callas sang in Norma. This was a very exciting performance. Carol Fox had studied opera singing in Italy. She realized she wanted to bring great artists to Chicago.

Her success was huge. In 1954, the opera season lasted three weeks. By 2007, it was almost six months long! Carol Fox also brought famous dancers to Lyric. These included Rudolf Nureyev, Vera Zorina, and Maria Tallchief. George Balanchine even created dances for the Lyric. Famous conductors like Bruno Bartoletti and Sir Georg Solti also performed there.

Many world-famous singers performed at Lyric Opera. These included Luciano Pavarotti, Birgit Nilsson, Renata Tebaldi, Plácido Domingo, and Joan Sutherland. Anna Moffo also made her American debut at Lyric. Carol Fox was known for bringing the best artists to Chicago. She passed away in 1980.

Who Leads the Lyric Opera Now?

After Carol Fox, Ardis Krainik led the Lyric Opera from 1981 to 1996. The opera house was later named after her. William Mason then served as general director until 2011.

Bruno Bartoletti was a key music director for many years. Sir Andrew Davis became music director in 2000. He retired in June 2021. Now, Enrique Mazzola is Lyric Opera's music director. He is also the principal conductor.

Danny Newman was the company's press agent for a long time. He helped create the idea of selling season tickets. This is now a common way for arts groups to get support. Philip David Morehead was the head of music staff until 2015.

Anthony Freud became the general director in October 2011. He finished his time with the company at the end of the 2023-2024 season. In July 2024, John Mangum was named the new general director. He started in the autumn of 2024. Sylvia Neil became the first woman to chair Lyric's board of directors in September 2020.

What Operas Does Lyric Opera Perform?

Lyric Opera performs many different kinds of operas. They perform classic operas that everyone knows. They also present new and modern works. Some recent new productions include The Great Gatsby and Street Scene. They also performed Sweeney Todd and Doctor Atomic.

Composer William Bolcom wrote an opera for Lyric called A Wedding. It was based on a movie. It premiered during Lyric's 50th anniversary season. In 2015, the company premiered Bel Canto. This opera was written by Jimmy López. It was based on a popular novel.

Lyric's performances used to be broadcast on the radio. They were on the WFMT Radio Network from 1971 to 2001. The broadcasts stopped for a while. But they started again in May 2007. You can now hear them on the WFMT network. This network is also on SiriusXM Radio.

The Civic Opera House

The Ardis Krainik Theatre inside the Civic Opera House.

The Lyric Opera's home is the Civic Opera House. The company rented parts of the building from 1954. After renovations in 1993, they bought those spaces. The building was built in 1929. It has a beautiful Art Deco style inside.

The theater has 3,276 seats. This makes it the second-largest opera house in North America. Only the Metropolitan Opera House in New York City is bigger. In 1996, the inside of the theater was named The Ardis Krainik Theatre. This was to honor Ardis Krainik. She was the former General Director. She helped with the building's renovation.

Joffrey Ballet at the Opera House

In 2017, the Lyric Opera announced something exciting. The Joffrey Ballet planned to move its performances to the Civic Opera House. They moved from the Auditorium Theatre in 2020. This move happened around the time Lyric presented Orfeo ed Euridice. This opera combined music and ballet. The Joffrey Ballet performed in it.

Training Young Singers: The Ryan Opera Center

The Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center is a special program. It helps young singers become professional opera artists. It started in 1974 as the Lyric Opera School. It was later called the Lyric Opera Center for American Artists.

The Ryan Opera Center is one of the best vocal programs in America. Many famous singers have come from this program. Some of them include:

About a dozen young singers are chosen each year. Nearly 400 singers try out! The chosen singers live in Chicago for twelve months. They get advanced training. This includes voice lessons, language coaching, and acting training. They also learn from famous opera artists. The singers perform in concerts around Chicago. During the main opera season, they perform roles on stage. They also learn roles as understudies. They work with top opera singers, conductors, and directors. This helps them become professional artists.

The first director of the program was Lee Schaenen. He led it from 1974 to 1991. Andrew Földi and Richard Pearlman also directed the program. Renowned soprano Gianna Rolandi became director in 2006. The program is now led by Dan Novak. Craig Terry is the music director. Julia Faulkner is the director of vocal studies. Renée Fleming is an advisor.

See also

In Spanish: Ópera lírica de Chicago para niños

• List of museums and cultural institutions in Chicago