Among the canceled 2021 productions are Donizetti’s The Elixir of Love, Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro; and Stravinsky’s The Rake’s Progress, as well as a concert tribute to music director Sir Andrew Davis, who concludes his 20-year tenure at the end of this season.

Lyric Opera of Chicago’s season opens this weekend in truly unprecedented fashion: with a virtual gala.

Ahead of a free livestream this weekend, the star tenor reflected on his colleagues and career in opera and what he thinks classical music organizations should be doing to better represent their communities.

We’re not sure the next time we’ll be able to catch an in-person performance, but luckily, many of Chicago’s hallowed artistic venues are just a click away.

Today, Lyric Opera of Chicago general director, president, and CEO Anthony Freud announced the decision to cancel performances at the Lyric Opera House through December 2020, eliminating the fall opening of the season that was to begin in September. Amidst the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the statement explains, in-person performances will be among the last to return, making “operating on anything …