The Lyric Opera of Chicago’s 2024/2025 season, marks its 70th anniversary with a blend of classic operas and contemporary works, along with special events. Here’s a detailed list of the performances and events scheduled for the season:
Classic Operas
1. Verdi’s “Rigoletto” (Sept. 14 – Oct. 6)
– Conductor: Enrique Mazzola
– Director: Mary Birnbaum (Lyric debut)
– Cast: Igor Golovatenko (Rigoletto), Mané Galoyan (Gilda), Javier Camarena (Duke of Mantua), Soloman Howard (Sparafucile)
2. Beethoven’s “Fidelio” (Sept. 26 – Oct. 10)
– Conductor: Enrique Mazzola
– Director: Matthew Ozawa
– Cast: Elza van den Heever (Leonore), Russell Thomas (Florestan), Brian Mulligan (Pizarro)
3. Mozart’s “The Marriage of Figaro” (Nov. 9-30)
– Conductor: Erina Yashima (Lyric debut)
– Director: Barbara Gaines
– Cast: Peter Kellner (Figaro), Ying Fang (Susanna), Federica Lombardi (Countess Almaviva, Lyric debut), Gordon Bintner (Count Almaviva, Lyric debut), Kayleigh Decker (Cherubino)
4. Puccini’s “La Bohème” (March 15 – April 12, 2025)
– Conductor: Jordan de Souza
– Director: Melanie Bacaling
– Cast: Pene Pati (Rodolfo, Lyric debut), Ailyn Pérez (Mimì), Gabriella Reyes (Musetta), Will Liverman (Marcello), Peixin Chin (Colline)
Contemporary Works
1. “Blue” by Jeanine Tesori and Tazewell Thompson (Nov. 16 – Dec. 1)
– Conductor: Joseph Young
– Director: Tazewell Thompson (both making Lyric debuts)
– Cast: Kenneth Kellogg, Zoie Reams, Norman Garrett
2. “The Listeners” by Missy Mazzoli and Royce Vavrek (March 30 – April 11, 2025)
– Conductor: Enrique Mazzola
– Director: Lileana Blain-Cruz (Lyric debut)
– Cast: Nicole Heaston, Kyle Ketelsen, Jasmine Habersham, Jonas Hacker, Daniela Mack
Special Events
– Gala concert by Patti LuPone (Oct. 4)
– “Sondra Radvanovsky in Concert: The Puccini Heroines” (Feb. 8-16)
– “Lyric in Concert: A Wondrous Sound” (April 16-18, 2025)
– “Rising Stars in Concert” celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Ryan Opera Center (April 25, 2025)
This season not only celebrates the illustrious history of the Lyric Opera but also looks forward to its future with a rich mix of performances that cater to a wide range of tastes. The 2024/2025 season is notably the final one for the retiring Anthony Freud, who is the organization’s general director, president and CEO, marking the end of an era and the anticipation of new leadership.
See The Lyric Opera’s full season here.
