Lyric Backstage Video: Janai Brugger, Angela Brower, Sing ‘Idomeneo’ Excerpts

In an exclusive backstage performance, WFMT hosted a Facebook live with two of the starring performers of Lyric’s new-to-Chicago presentation of Idomeneo.

Lyric Opera says labor deal reached with striking musicians

A statement released by the music company Saturday night says the agreement would extend through the 2020-21 season, if ratified by members of the Chicago Federation of Musicians, Local 10-208.

Lyric Opera of Chicago Orchestra on strike

The orchestra said on its website and social media accounts, “Over the past 65 years, Chicago’s citizens, civic leaders, and philanthropists built a world-class opera company for a world-class city.”

Lyric Backstage Video: Danielle de Niese Previews ‘La bohème’

Lyric Opera of Chicago’s 2018-19 season opens this weekend with a classic: Puccini’s beloved La bohème.

The Surprising True Origins of Gershwin’s Classic ‘Summertime’

“Summertime” from George Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess is one of the one most popular songs in the Great American Songbook. But did you know that neither the tune to “Summertime” nor the lyrics are by George Gershwin?

Teenagers in Chicago Can Now Attend Live Music, Dance, Theater for Just $5. Here’s How.

From the Chicago Symphony Orchestra to Lyric Opera of Chicago and much more, the Teen Arts Pass is making it easier for young people to have access to Chicago’s many great cultural institutions.

Carl Grapentine’s 10 Favorite Musical Performances During His 32 Years in Chicago

Looking back on his many years experiencing great music in Chicago, Carl shares some of his very favorite performances.

Lyric Invites South and West Side Chicago Students To Tell Their Stories on a Grand Stage

17-year-old Jai Bartley used to think that opera was “really long and boring.” Now, she’s producing and performing in EMPOWER, an original opera set to have its world-premiere performance at Lyric Opera of Chicago.

Lyric Opera of Chicago Announces 2018/19 Season

Today, Lyric Opera of Chicago announced its 2018/19 including special performances by sopranos Anna Netrebko and Renée Fleming.

Tenor Lawrence Brownlee on the Artists Who Have Inspired Him the Most and Why Black Composers Matter

Learn how Lawrence Brownlee, hailed as one of the world’s leading tenors, is developing new works that respond to issues facing men of color today.

Lyric Opera of Chicago Star Janai Brugger Shares Her Favorite Things to Do in Her Hometown

Since the soprano’s career takes her around the country and the world, her time in Chicago between gigs can be limited. But there are four things she has to do whenever she’s back home.

Lyric Opera, Blu Rhythm Collective Honor Slain Chicago Teen Kevin Ambrose with Song, Dance, and Spoken Word

Kevin Ambrose, a theater student at Columbia College, loved to perform ever since he was a child, explained his mother Ebony. “I kind of grew up on Columbia’s campus, because my mom worked there,” Ebony said, “so I also grew up around the arts and always loved it. When it came time for me to have kids, I wanted them …

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.

VIDEO: Learn How to Make Pasta alla Norma With ‘Norma’ Conductor Riccardo Frizza

Vincenzo Bellini’s opera Norma is so beautiful, it has inspired a dish: pasta alla Norma. When conductor and cook Riccardo Frizza led performances of “Norma” in Chicago, he shared his recipe.

This Chicagoan Never Expected To Sing Opera. Now She’s Singing on One of the World’s Largest Stages.

Soprano Whitney Morrison began singing before she could even speak. Through her early years of singing in church, she never thought she would pursue a career in opera. Now, Morrison is one of 12 young artists selected for the 2017/2018 ensemble at Lyric Opera of Chicago’s Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center. The Ryan Opera Center is one …

Be the First to Know Lyric Opera of Chicago’s 2017-18 Line-Up of Operas, Concerts, and More

A new production of Gluck’s Orphée et Eurydice, in partnership with the Joffrey Ballet, and the second installment of Wagner’s Ring, will highlight the 2017-2018 season at Lyric Opera of Chicago.

Video: Renée Fleming’s Best Advice for Young Singers To Succeed in Opera Today

As classical music and opera evolve into the 21st century, so must musicians. Star soprano Renée Fleming explains what every young singer should do.

Lyric, Joffrey Announce First Collaboration with 17/18 Season Opener

John Neumeier, director and chief choreographer of the Hamburg Ballet, directs, choreographs, and designs the production.

Lyric Opera of Chicago Casts TV and Broadway Stars in Upcoming “My Fair Lady”

Lyric Opera of Chicago’s American Musical Initiative has brought four productions to the Civic Opera House. Today, Lyric announced casting for its fifth musical in the series, “My Fair Lady.”

Meet Morgan and Louie, the Adorable, Four-Legged Stars of “The Magic Flute” at Lyric Opera of Chicago

Morgan and Louie get in costume in their dressing room during rehearsals for Lyric Opera of Chicago’s new production of Mozart’s The Magic Flute W.C. Fields, who once said, “Never work with children or animals,” has clearly never met Morgan and Louie, the friendly canine stars of Lyric Opera of Chicago’s new production of The Magic Flute. Director Neil Armfield has set the …

Second City and Lyric Look for the Lighter Side of Wagner with “LONGER! LOUDER! WAGNER!”

The  latest collaboration between Lyric Opera of Chicago and Second City is LONGER! LOUDER! WAGNER!, which runs through Sunday, October 30 at the Civic Opera House. Actor Tim Ryder, who appeared in The Second City Guide to the Opera  (also in collaboration with Lyric), said: “This show tells two stories in parallel: the story of Richard Wagner as he creates the Ring …

Why Mezzo-Soprano Alice Coote Would ‘Die for Music’

A life in opera may seem all glamour and glitter. But, when the curtain falls and audience members leave the opera house, they rarely think of how difficult life can be for a singer.

Bartlett Sher on Shakespeare in the Opera House

“Opera is deeply satisfying in a way that Shakespeare cannot be,” stage director Barlett Sher said backstage at Lyric Opera of Chicago during rehearsals for Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette.

Barbara Gaines, Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s Artistic Director, Shares Her Favorite Theater Music

We spoke with the Chicago theater institution’s founder and artistic director about the music that inspires her.

High Kicks and High Notes in Lyric’s ‘Merry Widow’

Though dance has been an important part of opera production since the genre was born in the late 16th century, dance is not incorporated into modern opera productions as often, perhaps, as it could be or should be.