First Sundays at 7:00 pm
Members of Lyric Opera of Chicago’s professional artist-development program perform.
The Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center prepares emerging artists for careers in opera by providing unique, comprehensive training and experience. Established in 1974 as the professional artist-development program for Lyric Opera of Chicago, the Ryan Opera Center has been recognized as one of the premier programs of its kind in the world for nearly five decades.
The radio series features Ensemble members in recital throughout the year, showcasing a wide variety of repertoire. Each program in the 2022/23 season also includes one or more selections by composers of color. To find out more about the Ryan Opera Center visit: lyricopera.org/ryanoperacenter
Soprano Kathryn Henry and Pianist Chris Reynolds
April 2, 2023, 7:00 pm
Our recital features first year Ryan Opera Center soprano Kathryn Henry along with third year pianist Chris Reynolds. Together they will perform music from Donizetti’s Anna Bolena and music of American songwriter Gene Sheer. Then, Chris Reynolds will perform one of the most beloved piano works in the repertoire, Modest Mussorgsky’s colorful Pictures at an Exhibition.
Soprano Denis Vélez and pianist Chris Reynolds
March 5, 2023
Opera favorites from Gounod, Mozart, Massenet, and Puccini are featured along with songs by Mexican composers Blas Galindo and Miguel Lerdo de Tejada.
Soprano Kathryn Henry, Baritone Laureano Quant, and Pianists Chris Reynolds and Donald Lee III
February 5, 2023
Two new voices to the Ryan Opera Center.
Soprano Lindsey Reynolds, Bass Wm. Clay Thompson, Pianists Chris Reynolds and Donald Lee III
January 8, 2023
Our recital features some opera favorites from Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette and Faust as well as Verdi‘s Rigoletto. Soprano Lindsey Reynolds will be heard in André Previn’s moving Three Dickinson Songs — which was inspired by the poetry of Emily Dickinson — as well as music from the musical Cabaret. Bass Wm. Clay Thompson will be featured in John Jacob ...
Tenor Ryan Capozzo, Baritone Ian Rucker, Pianist Chris Reynolds
December 4, 2022
An eclectic program of songs exploring the joy and heartbreak of love.
Tenor Lunga Eric Hallam; Pianist Craig Terry
November 6, 2022
Music from Hallam's home country, South Africa, plus works by George Frideric Handel, Gaetano Donizetti, Vincenzo Bellini, and Will Liverman.
Tenor Martin Luther Clark; Pianist Donald Lee III
October 2, 2022
The 2022-23 Ryan Opera Recital Series begins with a program featuring third-year tenor Martin Luther Clark with the opera center's conductor/pianist, Donald Lee III.
Soprano Maria Novella Malfatti; pianists Chris Reynolds and Craig Terry; and clarinetist Susan Warner
September 4, 2022
Soprano Maria Novella Malfatti in a collection of songs by Victor Schertzinger, Charles Lloyd, Jr., Franz Schubert, and Vincenzo Bellini.
Bass Anthony Reed; Pianist Chris Reynolds; and String Bass Ian Hallas
August 7, 2022
Ryan Opera Center bass Anthony Reed along with Chris Reynolds on piano bring us a fascinating program of vocal bass works from the 16th to the 20th century.
Mezzo-Soprano Katherine Beck & Pianist Craig Terry
July 3, 2022
Mezzo-soprano Katherine Beck and pianist Craig Terry perform works of Georg Frideric Handel, Joseph Haydn, Gustav Mahler, Stephen Sondheim, Florence Price, and H. Leslie Adams.
Tenor Lunga Eric Hallam, Bass Anthony Reed, and Pianists Chris Reynolds and Craig Terry
June 5, 2022
Music by Mahler, Tosti, Gluck, and more.
Soprano Maria Novella Malfatti; pianists Chris Reynolds and Craig Terry
May 1, 2022
Soprano Maria Novella Malfatti in a collection of songs by Victor Schertzinger, Charles Lloyd, Jr., Franz Schubert, and Vincenzo Bellini.
Soprano Mathilda Edge and Pianist Chris Reynolds
April 3, 2022
Our recital features third-year Soprano Mathilda Edge with Chris Reynolds on piano. They will be performing works by Daniel Catán, Johannes Brahms, Amy Beach, and Joseph Marx. They will also be performing one of the great vocal works of the 20th century: the lush and richly textured Knoxville: Summer 1915 by Samuel Barber.
Rising Stars in Concert 2022
February 13, 2022
Join us for a showcase performance by The Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center 2021/22 Ensemble with members of the Lyric Opera of Chicago Orchestra conducted by Lyric’s Music Director Enrique Mazzola. This year’s program centers on the music of Romantic-era composer Jacques Offenbach and other French repertoire of the time. Join hosts Lisa Flynn and Roger Pines ...
Mezzo-Soprano Katherine DeYoung, pianist Chris Reynolds, and pianist Donald Lee III
February 6, 2022
The second year ensemble member Chris Reynolds drives the variety of this program, showcasing his formidable skills as both a soloist and collaborative pianist, as well as his penchant for K-pop (Korean popular music). Reynolds accompanies mezzo-soprano Katherine DeYoung in an aria by Richard Wagner, songs of Richard Strauss and Erik Satie, and a jazz standard. Reynolds also will perform ...
Baritone Leroy Davis and Pianist Donald Lee III
January 2, 2022
Our Ryan Opera Center Recital features baritone Leroy Davis with pianist Donald Lee III performing some inspiring spirituals. As well as song cycles by Brahms. Poulenc, and by 20th and 21st century African American composer Robert Owens. We will also hear a selection from the contemporary opera "As One".
Bass Anthony Reed and Pianist Chris Reynolds
December 5, 2021
Ryan Opera Center bass Anthony Reed along with Chris Reynolds on piano bring us a fascinating program of vocal bass works from the 16th to the 20th century.
Mezzo-Soprano Kathleen Felty and Pianist Donald Lee III
November 7, 2021
Third year Ryan Opera Center member, mezzo-soprano Kathleen Felty, and first year pianist Donald Lee II are featured in a program which pairs Russian works of Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, César Cui, and Sergei Rachmaninoff with Latin American works by Federico García Lorca, Manuel Ponce, Daniel Catán, and Astor Piazzolla. We’ll also hear her perform “Urlicht” from Des Knaben Wunderhorn by Mahler ...
Mezzo-Soprano Katherine Beck and Pianist Craig Terry
October 3, 2021
In this program featuring mezzo-soprano Katherine Beck, works of Handel, Haydn, Mahler, Sondheim, and H. Leslie Adams are featured.
Lunga Eric Hallam tenor, Ricardo José Rivera baritone, Chris Reynolds piano
September 5, 2021
Our recital features Lunga Eric Hallam, Ricardo Jose Rivera, and Chris Reynolds. They will be performing baroque music by J.S. Bach and Handel, as well as songs from Italy, South Africa, and the Dominican Republic.
Mezzo-soprano Katherine Beck, tenor Martin Luther Clark, bass Anthony Reed, pianist Chris Reynolds
July 4, 2021
This recital features four members of the Ryan Opera Center: mezzo-soprano Katherine Beck, tenor Martin Luther Clark, bass Anthony Reed, and pianist Chris Reynolds. They will perform music that spans four centuries all about the joy, happiness, and heartache of love. We’ll also hear a cabaret song from Germany regarded today as the first ‘gay anthem’.