American Opera Company News

CHICAGO – To open its 61st season, Lyric Opera of Chicago presents Mozart's joyous comedy The Marriage of Figaro, conducted by Henrik Nánási in a glamorous new production from renowned director Barbara Gaines, founder and artistic director of Chicago Shakespeare Theater. The Marriage of Figaro is Gaines' first non-Shakespearean opera, following her acclaimed operatic debut staging Verdi's Macbeth at Lyric in 2010.

Lyric Opera of Chicago presents Rossini's delightful Cinderella in a new-to-Chicago production this fall. It opens on Sunday, October 4 with eight performances through Friday, October 30. Performance dates are Oct. 7, 10, 13, 17, 23, 26 at 7:30pm; and Oct 4 and 30 at 2pm.

The management of Lyric Opera of Chicago and the Chicago Federation of Musicians Local 10-208 are pleased to announce that they have reached a tentative agreement on a new 3-year contract for members of the Lyric Orchestra. The terms of the agreement are confidential, pending ratification by the Lyric musicians and the Lyric Board of Directors. 

CHICAGO – To open its 61st season, Lyric Opera of Chicago presents Mozart's joyous comedy The Marriage of Figaro, conducted by Henrik Nánási in a glamorous new production from renowned director Barbara Gaines, founder and artistic director of Chicago Shakespeare Theater. The Marriage of Figaro is Gaines' first non-Shakespearean opera, following her acclaimed operatic debut staging Verdi's Macbeth at Lyric in 2010.

Lyric Unlimited presents the world premiere of Second Nature, a new opera for youth from the acclaimed composer/librettist Matthew Aucoin, at Café Brauer at Lincoln Park Zoo (2021 N. Stockton Dr., Chicago). Four world-premiere performances will take place today, August 19 at 10am and 12pm, and tomorrow, August 20 at 4pm and 6pm.

Houston, August 17, 2015—Houston Grand Opera's (HGO) 2015–16 season showcases the vibrant and diverse artistic mix that marks HGO as a leading 21st-century American opera company: Wagner's Siegfried, the third installment of La Fura dels Baus's imaginative Ring cycle featuring a new generation of Wagnerians; the world premiere of Prince of Players by eminent American composer Carlisle Floyd, the Lynn Wyatt Great Artist for 2015–16; Dvoák's fairy tale rarity Rusalka; a holiday revival of family favorite The Little Prince from the award-winning composer Rachel Portman and librettist Nicholas Wright; a new production of The Marriage of Figaro; a new-to-Houston Eugene Onegin; a beloved core production, Tosca; and the Houston debut of Broadway sensation Rob Ashford's take on the classic musical Carousel. Through its community collaboration program HGOco, the company will present two additional world premieres: O Columbia, a chamber opera by composer Gregory Spears and librettist Royce Vavrek that examines the past, present, and future of the American spirit of exploration; and The Root of the Wind is Water, a chamber opera by composer David Hanlon and librettist Stephanie Fleischmann about the impact of hurricanes on the Texas Gulf coast.

It's the biggest night of the year as The Dallas Opera presents FIRST NIGHT -- the extraordinary kick-off of the 2015-2016 “SEEKING THE HUMAN ELEMENT” Season.

DALLAS, July 27, 2015 – It's the biggest night of the year as The Dallas Operapresents FIRST NIGHT—the extraordinary kick-off of the 2015-2016 “SEEKING THE HUMAN ELEMENT” Season. 

Lyric Unlimited presents the world premiere of Second Nature, a new opera for youth from the acclaimed composer/librettist Matthew Aucoin, at Café Brauer at Lincoln Park Zoo (2021 N. Stockton Dr., Chicago).

Continuing every Saturday through July 11, The Lyric Opera Broadcasts of the 2014-15 Lyric Opera of Chicago season will be rebroadcast internationally by The WFMT Radio Network and heard locally on 98.7WFMT.

CHICAGO - American mezzo-soprano J'nai Bridges is one of 20 international finalists for the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World 2015 competition. Bridges, a third-year member of The Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center at Lyric Opera of Chicago, is currently portraying Vlasta in Lyric's mainstage premiere of Mieczys?aw Weinberg's The Passenger.

General director Anthony Freud announced today that Lyric Opera of Chicago has extended its agreement with world-famous soprano Renee Fleming to serve as its creative consultant for the next two years.

International conductor Ramon Tebar will make his official debut as Principal Guest Conductor of Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia earlier than the previously announced 2015-2016 season. He replaces on short notice the venerable conductor Nicola Luisotti, who as Music Director of San Francisco Opera, has had to regretfully cancel his last two performances for artistic contingency reasons with the opera house.

Beginning on Saturday, May 16, and continuing every Saturday through July 11, The Lyric Opera Broadcasts of the 2014-15 Lyric Opera of Chicago season will be rebroadcast internationally by The WFMT Radio Network and heard locally on 98.7WFMT.

Anthony Freud, general director of Lyric Opera of Chicago, announced that David T. Ormesher, a current member of Lyric's Board of Directors, Executive Committee, Finance Committee, and chairman of the Innovation Committee, was unanimously elected at today's Board of Directors meeting as Lyric's president-elect.

Carousel is the third Rodgers and Hammerstein musical to be presented as part of Lyric's American Musical Theater Initiative. The King and I and South Pacific follow in the 2015-16 and 2016-17 seasons, respectively. Past productions were Oklahoma! in the 2012-13 season and The Sound of Music in the 2013-14 season. Carousel runs Friday, April 10 through Sunday, May 3, 2015 (26 performances, including one preview and one student matinee) at the Civic Opera House, 20 N. Wacker Dr., Chicago. Tickets start at $29, and are available at lyricopera.org/carousel or at 312-827-5600. The official press opening for Carousel is Saturday, April 11 at 7pm. Check out photos of the cast in rehearsal below!

Lyric Opera of Chicago is proud to present the all-new exhibition 'Creating Carousel' at the Civic Opera House. It opens tonight, April 10, coinciding with the preview matinee performance of Lyric's new production of Carousel. The exhibition, on the lower level of the Civic Opera House, will be open for all performances of Carousel through May 3. It is free to performance ticketholders.

Lyric Opera of Chicago's new production of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Carousel runs tonight, April 10 to May 3 at the Civic Opera House (opening night April 11).

Lyric Opera of Chicago is proud to present the all-new exhibition “Creating Carousel” at the Civic Opera House. It opens on today, April 10, coinciding with the preview matinee performance of Lyric's new production of Carousel. The exhibition, on the lower level of the Civic Opera House, will be open for all performances of Carousel through May 3. It is free to performance ticketholders.

The Old Opera House Theatre Company presents THE GREAT AMERICAN TRAILER PARK MUSICAL with music & lyrics by David Nehls and book by Betsy Kelso. Directed by David Porterfield with musical direction by Alison Shafer.