Sondra Radvanovsky In Cherubini’s MEDEA Opens Lyric Opera Of Chicago 71st Season

Lyric Opera of Chicago launches its 71st season with the company premiere of Luigi Cherubini’s Medea, opening Saturday, October 11, 2025, at the Lyric Opera House. This monumental production—directed by Sir David McVicar and conducted by Music Director Enrique Mazzola—marks a milestone moment in Lyric’s history, bringing one of opera’s most searing tragedies to life on a grand, cinematic scale.

In her Lyric homecoming, Chicagoland native soprano Sondra Radvanovsky delivers a commanding and emotionally charged performance as the vengeful sorceress Medea. Her portrayal of the woman scorned, betrayed, and driven to unspeakable vengeance has been hailed internationally as one of the definitive interpretations of the role.

Radvanovsky is joined by a cast of celebrated artists with strong Chicago connections. Tenor Matthew Polenzani, an alumnus of Lyric’s Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center, stars as Giasone, Medea’s faithless lover, and mezzo-soprano Zoie Reams appears as Neris, Medea’s devoted confidante. The production also features soprano Elena Villalón in her highly anticipated Lyric debut as Glauce, and the return of bass-baritone Alfred Walker as King Creonte.

Internationally acclaimed director Sir David McVicar, renowned for his visually arresting and psychologically incisive productions, returns to Lyric with a staging of Medea that combines classical grandeur with visceral modernity. Led by Enrique Mazzola and the Lyric Opera Orchestra, this production captures the opera’s electrifying mix of myth, madness, and moral reckoning.

A coproduction of Lyric Opera of Chicago, the Metropolitan Opera, Greek National Opera, and Canadian Opera Company, Medea is performed in Italian with projected English titles. The running time is approximately 2 hours and 45 minutes, including one intermission.

Lyric continues its commitment to accessibility with multiple services available throughout the Medea run. The Sunday, October 26 matinee will feature audio description, a guided touch tour of the set, and SoundShirts for patrons who are deaf or hard of hearing. Braille and large-print programs, high-powered opera glasses, assistive listening devices, and booster seats are available at all performances from the coat checks on the Steiner Parquet (main floor). Full accessibility information can be found at lyricopera.org/accessibility.

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