Dame Jane Glover on Albert Herring

The English conductor returns to Chicago Opera Theater to lead Britten’s comic masterpiece later this month.

In Their Own Words: Inspiring Quotes From Classical Artists and Friends Who Died in 2022

As we reflect on the year gone by, WFMT salutes the contributions of members of the arts community who died this past year.

A Preview of Chicago Opera Theater’s King Roger

COT Music Director Lidiya Yankovskaya joins Oliver to preview Karol Szymanowski’s benchmark opera receiving it’s Chicago premiere this month.

Composer Errollyn Wallen On Embracing Serendipity, Bringing New Viewpoints to Music

“It feels like I’ve been carrying this world with me for a long time.”

COT’s 22-23 Season: ‘Turing’ World Premiere, Britten, Heggie for 50th Anniversary

In this celebratory season, audiences will hear two twentieth-century operas and three world premieres across COT’s full slate of mainstage and special programming.

10 Woman Conductors You Should Know

Though there is a long way still to go, today’s stages are richer because these pioneering conductors are on them.

Jamie Barton: Opera Must “embrace the move towards feminine power”

WFMT talks with the outspoken mezzo-soprano about what it means to take on the role of Carmen, why she’s excited to open the COT season, and how modern-day audiences and artists can best confront the more outdated aspects of Carmen and other beloved operas.

Chicago Opera Theater Announces Live, In-Person 2021-22 Season

From Carmen to Claus, learn what is in store for the next season of Chicago Opera Theater.

How Kamala Sankaram Brings New Audiences, Stories to Opera

“The reach is exponentially larger.”

In Their Own Words: Quotes From Artists and Friends of WFMT Who Died in 2020

2020 was a year of great loss for all; the music world was no exception. As we reflect on the year gone by, WFMT salutes the contributions of artists and friends who died this past year.

COT Pivots to Digital, Expands Season

Chicago Opera Theater has revised its 2020-21 season with digital livestreams and additional performances.

Refuge from Silence: COT, Refugee Orchestra Return to Live Stage

A collaborative performance with Chicago Opera Theater, the Refugee Orchestra Project, and conductor Lidiya Yankovskaya seeks to express the importance of refugee populations in American music and around the world.

Three Chicago Premieres in Chicago Opera Theater’s 2020-21 Season

General director Ashley Magnus maintains that even in troubled times, the company is “moving forward with the belief that opera truly is a living, resilient art form.”

Drawing Hope and Courage from Opera: Dan Shore’s ‘Freedom Ride’

With a story that highlights how far we’ve come and how far we still have to go, Chicago Opera Theater presents the world premiere of Dan Shore’s Freedom Ride, which centers on a pivotal moment in the civil rights struggle.

Video: Ahead of Its Chicago Premiere, Hear an Excerpt From Rachmaninoff’s ‘Aleko’

Two operatic opus ones will have their Chicago premieres this weekend, and they both command a chorus of well over 100. Chicago Opera Theater opens its 2019-20 season with a double bill: Joby Talbot’s Everest and Rachmaninoff’s Aleko.

Recalling Gian Carlo Menotti

In the early 1990s, the famed composer and librettist Gian Carlo Menotti came to Chicago as the guest for a black-tie event for Chicago Opera Theater. Larry Johnson recounts a rare opportunity to spend time with a world-famous musician and composer.

‘I Like to Take on Projects That Terrify Me’: Jake Heggie on Adapting ‘Moby-Dick’ into an Opera

Moby-Dick is a Great American Novel, no doubt. But that fact doesn’t make Herman Melville’s 600+ page opus any less intimidating.

COT Announces 2019-20 Season, Complete Slate of Chicago Premieres

General director Ashley Magnus exclaims that “to ensure that opera stays relevant as a living art form, we must bring contemporary voices, as well as works of international prominence never before seen in Chicago to the stage.”

‘My dream is for Chicago to be at the forefront of new opera’: Meet Ashley Magnus, COT’s New General Director

“Right now, we’re in a golden era of American opera”

VIDEO | Get a sneak peek at Chicago Opera Theater’s Donizetti double bill

Chicago Opera Theater concludes its 2017/18 season with a Donizetti double bill presenting two Chicago premieres: “Il Pigmalione” and “Rita.”

Chicago Opera Theater Announces Three New-to-Chicago Operas for 2018/19 Season

Chicago Opera Theater today announced its 2018/19 season composed of three new-to-Chicago works, continuing the company’s commitment to presenting new and rarely performed operas.

Chicago Opera Theater brings a ‘bloody good’ world premiere to the Windy City with ‘Elizabeth Cree’

COT presents a world-premiere opera, Elizabeth Cree, by the team of composer Kevin Puts and librettist Mark Campbell, who together created the Pulitzer-winning opera Silent Night.

Video: 5 Questions with Conductor Lidiya Yankovskaya

When conductor Lidiya Yankovskaya was recently named the new music director of Chicago Opera Theater, she became the only woman to hold that title with a major American opera company. Get to know Yankovskaya in this video interview.

From 17th Century Spectacle to Contemporary Classics, a First Look at Chicago’s Fall Opera Season

Whether you’re new to opera or consider yourself a connoisseur, there’s something for everyone to enjoy this fall in Chicago. Here are four operas we are excited to see in the coming months.

“Difficult, But Worth It”: Singers Share Their Secrets to Memorizing Opera Scores by Philip Glass

Anyone who’s ever tried to sing or play an instrument knows that hard work and practice are essential to make a performance successful. But performing music from memory presents another challenge. The repetitions Glass uses make memorizing his music particularly difficult.