Andrew Davis News

The Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center at Lyric Opera of Chicago celebrates its 40th season with its annual Rising Stars in Concert program Saturday, March 21, at 7:30pm at the Civic Opera House. The talented singers and pianist of the 2014-15 ensemble will perform with members of the Lyric Opera Orchestra in works of Bellini, Berg, Berlioz, Bizet, Debussy, Donizetti, Floyd, Gounod, Handel, Korngold, Mozart, Puccini, Rodgers and Hammerstein, and Rossini. Rising Stars in Concert is offered in celebration of an exceptionally successful year of study and performance for these up-and-coming artists.

Lyric Opera general director Anthony Freud announced that the stage of the Civic Opera House has been named for Kenneth G. Pigott, who served as Lyric's president and CEO from 2011 until his death on February 13.

Lyric Opera of Chicago invites the public to join the Lyric Opera family as we celebrate the life of Kenneth G. Pigott, who served as president and CEO of Lyric Opera of Chicago from 2011 until his death in February 2015.

Lyric Opera of Chicago invites the public to join the Lyric Opera family as we celebrate the life of Kenneth G. Pigott, who served as president and CEO of Lyric Opera of Chicago from 2011 until his death in February 2015.

One of the world's leading 18th-century music specialists, Japan's Masaaki Suzuki, makes his Baltimore Symphony Orchestra (BSO) debut leading the Orchestra in an all-Mozart program, tonight, March 12 at 8 p.m. at The Music Center at Strathmore, and Friday, March 13 at 8 p.m. andSaturday, March 14 at 8 p.m. at the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall. Featuring the composer's Don Giovanni Overture and Violin Concerto No. 5, performed by young German violinist Augustin Hadelich, the concert culminates with Mozart's Mass in C minor, otherwise known as the “Great” Mass. Please see below for complete program details.

Baritone Mark Stone, in his New York Philharmonic debut, will replace Simon Keenlyside, who has withdrawn due to illness, in the performances of the U.S. Premiere of Thomas Ades's Totentanz, led by the composer in his Philharmonic conducting debut, and also featuring mezzo- soprano Christianne Stotijn in her Philharmonic debut. The performances will also feature Beethoven's Symphony No. 1 and Berlioz's Les Francs-juges Overture, tonight, March 12, 2015, at 7:30 p.m.; Friday, March 13 at 7:30 p.m.; and Saturday, March 14 at 8:00 p.m.

Nearly150 students filled the Rollins Studio Theatre at the Long Center Friday morning for an early- and unforgettable- Greater Austin High School Musical Theatre Awards (GAHSMTA) nominations ceremony. Surrounded by eager theatre students, excited teachers and directors, and local Austin media outlets, the GAHSMTA Select Ensemble (in true musical theatre fashion), under the direction of the Long Center's Education and Outreach Director Ginger Morris, performed an impressive Broadway-style opener leading up to the morning's big announcement.

Composer-conductor Thomas Ade?s will make his New York Philharmonic conducting debut leading the U.S. Premiere of his Totentanz, featuring mezzo-soprano Christianne Stotijn and baritone Mark Stone; Beethoven's Symphony No. 1; and Berlioz's Les Francs-juges Overture, Thursday, March 12, 2015, at 7:30 p.m.; Friday, March 13 at 7:30 p.m.; and Saturday, March 14 at 8:00 p.m.

PITTSBURGH – Jeanette Sorrell returns to Heinz Hall as guest conductor and harpsichordist for Bach's Coffeehouse, a BNY Mellon Grand Classics weekend with concerts Friday, March 20 and Sunday, March 22.

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.

The Met's effervescent production of Rossini's classic comedy Il Barbiere di Siviglia featuring some of the most instantly recognizable melodies in all of operareturns to Great Performances at the Met on Sunday, March 22 at 12 p.m.

Lyric Opera of Chicago presents Mieczys?aw Weinberg's powerfully haunting opera, The Passenger, conducted by Sir Andrew Davis in a new-to-Chicago production by David Pountney. It opens on Tuesday, February 24 with six performances through Sunday, March 15. Performance dates are Feb. 24, 28, Mar. 4, and 9 at 7:30pm; and Mar. 12 and 15 at 2pm. The Passenger will be sung in Russian, German, Polish, French, Yiddish, Greek, Czech, and English with projected English translations.

Lyric Unlimited presents the world premiere of The Property, a klezmer opera by composer Wlad Marhulets and librettist Stephanie Fleischmann. It opens tonight, February 25, with five performances through Thursday, March 5. World premiere presentations of The Property are presented in partnership with the Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood Feb. 25, 26, 27, with additional performances at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in suburban Skokie Mar. 4-5.

Anthony Freud, general director of Lyric Opera of Chicago, today announced Memory and Reckoning, a confluence of activities related to the Chicago premiere of Mieczysaw Weinberg's The Passenger, on stage at Lyric tonight, February 24 through March 15. This poignant and gripping 20th-century masterpiece portrays the story of the Holocaust from the perspectives of both victim and perpetrator, and was only recently rediscovered after more than 40 years of suppression.

Lyric Opera general director Anthony Freud announced today that Richard P. Kiphart will become the interim president and CEO of Lyric, until the company's annual meeting and end of its fiscal year this June.

Roberta Lane and Elizabeth Landon will join Lyric Opera of Chicago as the chief financial officer and director of human resources, respectively, the company announced today. Lane's role as chief financial officer is a new position and will play a crucial role in developing and analyzing strategic initiatives for the company.

?Anthony Freud, general director of Lyric Opera of Chicago, today issued the following statement regarding the death of the company's president and CEO, Kenneth G. Pigott.

Audra McDonald has earned Tonys, Grammys and other accolades for her work on stage and screen. Soon, the multitalented performer will add another accomplishment to her extensive resume.

One of the world's leading 18th-century music specialists, Japan's Masaaki Suzuki, makes his Baltimore Symphony Orchestra (BSO) debut leading the Orchestra in an all-Mozart program, Thursday, March 12 at 8 p.m. at The Music Center at Strathmore, and Friday, March 13 at 8 p.m. andSaturday, March 14 at 8 p.m. at the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall. Featuring the composer's Don Giovanni Overture and Violin Concerto No. 5, performed by young German violinist Augustin Hadelich, the concert culminates with Mozart's Mass in C minor, otherwise known as the “Great” Mass. Please see below for complete program details.

Baritone Mark Stone, in his New York Philharmonic debut, will replace Simon Keenlyside, who has withdrawn due to illness, in the performances of the U.S. Premiere of Thomas Ades's Totentanz, led by the composer in his Philharmonic conducting debut, and also featuring mezzo- soprano Christianne Stotijn in her Philharmonic debut. The performances will also feature Beethoven's Symphony No. 1 and Berlioz's Les Francs-juges Overture, Thursday, March 12, 2015, at 7:30 p.m.; Friday, March 13 at 7:30 p.m.; and Saturday, March 14 at 8:00 p.m.