Lyric Opera of Chicago

As September fades away and October arrives, let’s pause to reflect on the enchanting moments from Lyric Opera of Chicago 2024/25 Season Welcome Back Celebration! 🥂🍾 On Wednesday, September 11, Lyric employees came together in The Daniel F. And Ada L. Rice Grand Foyer to toast our 70th anniversary season. This event not only marked this significant milestone but also honored National Hispanic Heritage Month. Chef Mario Santiago delighted us with a wonderful array of Central and South American flavors, beautifully enhanced by the vibrant floral arrangements from Flores Campo Santo. Being part of the behind-the-scenes action on such a special night was incredibly rewarding! It took lots of hard work to create these unforgettable moments for our organization. I want to extend my heartfelt appreciation to Mandy Hatfield, the People & Culture team, and other collaborators for their invaluable contributions to this celebration. I look forward to celebrating even more milestones with Lyric! Photos by Robert Kusel and Kyle Flubacker #LifeatLyric #peopleandculture #operahouse #employeeexperience #employeeengagement

The curtain has risen on Lyric’s 2024/25 Season — and what a month it’s been! 🌟 From a free concert under the stars in Millennium Park to the thrilling Ryan Opera Center Final Auditions and two critically acclaimed operas, it’s been a whirlwind start to our 70th anniversary season. We couldn’t have done it without our incredible team of staff and artists. Cheers to an exciting season ahead, and a special thanks to May St. Catering in Pilsen and Flores Campo Santo located in Little Village for making our Welcome Back Celebration one to remember. #LifeatLyric #PeopleandCulture #workplaceculturematters (Photos by Robert Kusel and Kyle Flubacker)

Join us on Tuesday, October 8 for In Our Words: The Power of Storytelling, centered on Hispanic and Latine pioneers of change. In honor of this year’s Hispanic Heritage Month theme of Pioneers of Change: Shaping the Future Together, join us for a panel discussion featuring Tony Diaz, Chief Program Officer of After School Matters; Juan Salgado, Chancellor of the City Colleges of Chicago; Denise Yvette Serna, Director of Lyric's Opera in the Neighborhood Production, 𝐹𝑟𝑖𝑑𝑎 𝐾𝑎ℎ𝑙𝑜 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐵𝑟𝑎𝑣𝑒𝑠𝑡 𝐺𝑖𝑟𝑙 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑊𝑜𝑟𝑙𝑑; and Joanna Hernandez, host of WTTW's 𝐶ℎ𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑔𝑜 𝑇𝑜𝑛𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡: 𝐿𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑜 𝑉𝑜𝑖𝑐𝑒𝑠. This panel discussion will encapsulate the spirit of innovation, resilience, and unity that define the Hispanic and Latine experience. It recognizes those who have been trailblazers and game-changers, paving the way for future generations. There will also be a musical performance by Mezzo-Soprano Erin Rosales. 𝟓:𝟎𝟎 │ 𝐏𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐥 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 │ 𝐃𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐞𝐥 𝐅. 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐀𝐝𝐚 𝐋. 𝐑𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐅𝐨𝐲𝐞𝐫 𝟔:𝟑𝟎 │ 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 │ 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐦 𝐁. 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐂𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐡𝐚𝐦 𝐑𝐨𝐨𝐦 *𝐃𝐨𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐧 𝐚𝐭 𝟒:𝟑𝟎 𝐏𝐌. RSVP for this free event by October 6 at https://lnkd.in/gbQw7KP8.

It was such a perfect evening spent with the Ladies of the Lyric on the patio of the Chicago Club. A great tradition and a wonderful way to mingle and create community with new Board Members and old friends!Lyric Opera of Chicago

Professional Audio Designs provided new Meyer Sound UP-4SLIM delay loudspeakers for Lyric Opera of Chicago. Always have a great time working with the talented house crew there. Also its nice to be home for a bit :)

Heading into my second season as Lyric Young Professionals Events Chair (and coming off the high of Sunday's wonderful concert in the park), I wanted to share more broadly what it's all about, why it matters, and extend the invitation to join me this season! The arts are how we tell our stories, share our history, and express our feelings in more ways than textbooks and classrooms can cover. We learn essential human lessons through appreciating art, and Opera is a form that encompasses our senses wholly, transporting us in the process. It has been an honor to serve Lyric Opera of Chicago on the Young Professionals Board (LYP) and help share it with our community! While common media portrayals of Opera might have you thinking it requires extravagant clothes and a stuffy attitude, I challenge you to see for yourself how wrong that is. Sure, I love a reason to dress up, but it's by choice, not a requirement. Here in Chicago, where the art scene is so welcoming, there is a particular focus on its accessibility. As a great example, one of the benefits of LYP is heavily discounted tickets, which ensure that price isn't a barrier to entry. You can learn more about LYP here: https://lnkd.in/gZQgjEtg Come see how stories from over a century ago relate to our lives now and how recent social struggles can be thoughtfully portrayed to diverse audiences, uniting us in the experience. This season is full of opportunities to grow our understanding and enjoy a spectacular show. LYP also hosts a number of open events if you're not quite ready for an Opera, but you're curious to learn more and expand your network! Our "Season Kick-Off" is September 18th at City Winery, where I will share some on how Opera is like Cheese… and what to pair with the season. I hope to see many of you at Lyric and LYP events this season! If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to start a conversation! (hopefully, you can tell this is one of my favorite topics) #opera #youngprofessionals #cheeseandopera

As summer begins to fade each year, I eagerly anticipate "Sunday in the Park with the Lyric," a truly enchanting evening that showcases the rising stars of Lyric Opera of Chicago. Under the stars, with the majestic backdrop of our glorious city of Chicago, music brought joy to nearly 10,000 attendees who filled the seats and lawn to hear select arias from the 2025 season, conducted by Maestro Enrique Mazzola. NBC News' Lee Ann Trotter and Lyric's Artistic Administration Officer, Matthew Ozawa, warmly welcomed the enthusiastic crowd. Pride swelled as a tenor performed "My Kind of Town (Chicago Is)"—a reminder of our great and diverse city. I sat in awe, reflecting on the generosity of philanthropic leaders who have given so much to support the arts. Until next summer, under the stars. #MilleniumPark #ChicagoCulture #TheArts

I guess I'm a legit arts administrator now that I have an official business headshot. Seems like a good way to celebrate the start of my 3rd season with the title...my 13th overall season working with Lyric Opera of Chicago and our inspiring Chicago Public Schools students and teachers. How time flies. Thanks to Kyle Flubacker for the image. (I'm not a graceful headshot taker, so the thanks is genuine.) Thanks to him for also capturing our Elementary Opera Residency professional development workshop with those inspiring teachers. It's going to be a great year.

Lyric Opera of Chicago is pleased to announce that following an international search, John Mangum has been appointed the company’s fifth General Director, President & CEO. Having held significant artistic and executive leadership roles at some of the country’s foremost performing arts organizations — including the Houston Symphony, San Francisco Symphony, New York Philharmonic, and the Los Angeles Philharmonic — we look forward to welcoming him to the Lyric family this fall. “On behalf of the Board, I am thrilled to welcome John Mangum to Lyric Opera of Chicago. John’s very strong credentials as a CEO, as well as his artistic management background and music intellectualism, will bring vision, insight, and a fresh perspective to Lyric.” -Sylvia Neil, Board Chair Learn more about John from The Chicago Sun-Times at bit.ly/46qUFsg.

I moderated a panel of opera artists as a board member at the Lyric Opera of Chicago’s YP All Hands Meeting. It was inspiring to engage in conversation with Chris Humbert Jr., a bass-baritone, and Adia Evans, a soprano. Please join us for Verdi’s Rigoletto which begins on September 14th! #lyricopera #opera #chicago