Lyric Opera 2021-2022 Issue 2 The Elixir of Love

Lyric Opera of Chicago | 39 Youth Opera Council members at the 2019 concert,“Stars of Lyric Opera at Millennium Park.” which further ignited everyone’s excitement to resume in-person meetings and events. For Grace Maramba, being part of the Youth Opera Council was truly life changing. “If I had never been a part of the Council, my life would be so different. I am so grateful for the amazing opportunities to speak to professionals at Lyric and to learn about their experiences and contributions to opera. I also loved seeing the operas with my fellow members pre-COVID. Being surrounded by other people my age who enjoyed opera and the arts felt so good, and I loved hearing their thoughts and opinions in our discussions. The Youth Opera Council has changed my life and showed me the amazing music and opera communities.” If Lyric were to poll its audience, one may be surprised to learn how (and when) patrons rst discovered their love of opera. While many members join the Council because they have an interest in the art form, no previous knowledge or experience is required. The only prerequisite is that teens come in with an open mind. For Council member Aine Hynes, joining the YOC is a great way to learn about Lyric and opera in general. She admitted, “I’m not very well versed in opera, so it was cool to learn about it. It was amazing to meet all these great people, and everything was so interesting!” “Something that I appreciated about the Youth Opera Council was that I was able to talk to different people around my age that shared a similar passion and interest in the arts,” said Council member Kesley Frazier. “Everyone was able to voice their own opinions when discussing different topics, such as expanding diversity within opera, making opera more accessible to everyone, getting more people our age interested in opera, and more.” These passionate teens are the future of opera, and that future is bright. Kyle Flubacker Youth Opera Council members were joined by family and friends for a conversation with Don Giovanni star Ben Bliss during the group’s annual event,A Night at the Opera (2019). Members of the Youth Opera Council enjoying a night at the opera. Andrew Ciof If you or someone you know is interested in joining the Youth Opera Council, contact Lyric Unlimited at LyricUnlimited @lyricopera.org . Kyle Flubacker