Chicago Philharmonic to Present Ryan Speedo Green In Concert In October

The Chicago Philharmonic Society will welcome two-time Grammy Award winning bass-baritone Ryan Speedo Green in a concert showcasing selections from opera and musical theater, one night only; Saturday, October 14 at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance. Featuring repertoire from every era of opera and musical theater, Green will make his debut with the dynamic, musician-led orchestra under the baton of Chicago Philharmonic artistic director Scott Speck. Tickets for Chicago Philharmonic presents Ryan Speedo Green go on sale March 2, at 10:00am. Chicago Philharmonic e-newsletter subscribers receive exclusive presale access starting February 27. Learn more at chicagophil.org.

Green has established himself as one of the great bass-baritones in a generation, praised for his rich tone and commanding stage presence. He has made solo appearances with the New York Philharmonic, the Opéra national de Paris, and the LA Philharmonic. Green won his second Grammy Award for the role of Uncle Paul in Terence Blanchard's groundbreaking Fire Shut Up in My Bones at the Met Opera in 2021. He returns to the Met in April 2023 for his first leading role at the company- Emille Griffith, the real-life boxing star at the center of Terence Blanchard's "opera in jazz" Champion. Although the part was originally written for a higher tessitura, Blanchard rewrote much of the music for Green's voice.

"With Speedo, it's not just that he can produce big sound," Blanchard says. "He has a way of expressing himself that's compassionate, while still being powerful. I think the complexity in this role, what makes it hard, is that you have to be strong and powerful and still very vulnerable at the same time. That's a hard thing for some people to pull off, but I know Speedo has the chops to do it."

Working with major artists like Ryan Speedo Green has been Terell Johnson's rule of thumb since he was appointed Chicago Philharmonic's Executive Director in June 2021.

"There are no small concerts for Chicago Philharmonic," says Johnson. "Every event is a catalyst to move our organization forward, to reach new audiences, and to champion the most forward-thinking artists of our time. Ryan Speedo Green is truly one of the finest voices in a generation, and we are honored to present him this fall."

ABOUT THE CHICAGO PHILHARMONIC SOCIETY

Founded by musicians of the Lyric Opera Orchestra in 1989, The Chicago Philharmonic Society is a collaboration of nearly 200 of the highest-level classical musicians in the Midwest. Its orchestra, known as the Chicago Philharmonic, has been called one of the country's finest symphonic orchestras, and its unique chamber music ensembles perform as Chicago Phil Chamber. The brilliance of Chicago Philharmonic Society's structure is in its versatility - curating the best ensemble for each concert from an exceptional pool of musicians, be it classical, jazz, pops, movie concerts, outreach programming, or everything else.

The Illinois Council of Orchestras has awarded Chicago Philharmonic "Orchestra of the Year'' (2018), "Programming of the Year" (2019), "Community Relations of the Year" (2019), "Executive Director of the Year" (2020), and "Conductor of the Year" (2021).

Upcoming concerts include Kishi Bashi: Improvisations on EO9066 at the Harris Theater on April 15, The Batman (2020) Live in Concert at the Auditorium Theatre on May 6, and Chicago Philharmonic x Tank and the Bangas at the Auditorium Theatre on September 30. Find out more about Chicago Philharmonic at chicagophilharmonic.org.

ABOUT Ryan Speedo Green

Grammy Award winning bass-baritone Ryan Speedo Green has quickly established himself as an artist of international demand at the world's leading opera houses. In the 2022 - 2023 season, Green returns to the Metropolitan Opera starring as Emile Griffith in Terrence Blanchard's Champion, conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin and directed by James Robinson. Green also makes his house debut at Opéra national de Paris singing Kurwenal in Tristan und Isolde, conducted by Gustavo Dudamel, and his house debut at Bayerische Staatsoper as Varlaam in Boris Godunov. He also returns to Washington National Opera to sing Ferrando in a new production of Il Trovatore and Orest in a new production of Elektra. Orchestral engagements include Kurwenal in Tristan und Isolde with the LA Philharmonic, his debut with the New York Philharmonic in the world premiere of a piece by Courtney Bryan written for him, Mussorgsky's Songs and Dances of Death at Carnegie Hall with Daniele Rustioni conducting the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, and excerpts from Blanchard's Champion with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra Chamber Ensemble at Carnegie Hall, conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin. Green also appears as a featured artist on the Richard Tucker Gala, and with the Peoria Symphony for Beethoven's Symphony Number 9. This academic season sees Green as an artist in residence with Florida State University, which will include master classes with vocal students and a solo recital.

Honors and awards include National Grand Finals winner of the 2011 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, a 2014 George London Foundation Award, a 2014 Annenberg grant recipient, a 2014 Gerda Lissner Foundation First Prize winner, both the Richard and Sara Tucker Grants from the Richard Tucker Foundation, and a finalist in the Palm Beach Opera Competition. Green was also the first Artist in Residence for the Texas Opera Alliance, where he held masterclasses and community events for Houston Grand Opera, Dallas Opera, Austin Opera, Fort Worth Opera, and Opera San Antonio.

A native of Suffolk, Virginia, Green received a Master of Music degree from Florida State University, a Bachelor of Music degree from the Hartt School of Music, and was a member of the Metropolitan Opera Lindemann Young Artist Development Program. Green currently sits on the Board of Regents at University of Hartford.

To post a comment, you must register and login.