Lyric Opera 2021-2022 Issue 4 Florencia en el Amazonas

Lyric Opera of Chicago | 42 MARIO ROJAS At Lyric this season: Arcadio/ Florencia en el Amazona s. Previously with Lyric: Eight roles since 2017/18, including Major Domo/ The Queen of Spades (2019/20), Alfredo/ La traviata (2018/19). Like a kid walking into a candy shop, I entered the Lyric Opera House full of dreams with no idea how much my life would change and how much I would learn during my time at the Ryan Opera Center. To this day, it gives me chills to recall that I was given the opportunity to step in and sing Alfredo in La traviata on the same stage that Simoneau, Kraus, Gedda, Araiza, Hadley, Sabbatini, Calleja, Polenzani, Berrugi, and other greats sang the role. I have nothing but gratitude for every lesson learned, every performance sung, every role crafted, and especially for walking through those historic backstage doors every single day! Elizabeth DeShong Alcina LA Opera Patrick Guetti Un ballo in maschera Deutsche Oper Berlin Katherine Lerner Parsifal Landestheater Linz (Austria) Administration Dan Novak Director, The Ryan Opera Center Board Endowed Chair Craig Terry Music Director The Jannotta Family Endowed Chair Julia Faulkner Director of Vocal Studies Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation Renée Fleming Advisor Susanna McNatt Manager Annika Donnen Associate Librarian Faculty Julia Faulkner W. Stephen Smith Vocal Instruction Robert and Ellen Marks Ryan Opera Center Vocal Studies Program Endowment, in memory of Gianna Rolandi Deborah Birnbaum Sir Andrew Davis Renée Fleming Enrique Mazzola Gerald Martin Moore Stefano Sarzani Guest Master Artists Emanuele Andrizzi William C. Billingham Alan Darling Laurann Gilley Celeste Rue Eric Weimer Coaching Staff Irina Feoktistova Julia Savoie Klein Derek Matson Klára Moldová Sharon Peterson Alessandra Visconti Melissa Wittmeier Foreign Language Instruction Omer Ben Seadia Louisa Muller Todd Rhoades Acting and Movement Instruction Orit Carpenter Beth Clayton Performance Psychology Roger Pines Guest Lecturer and Consultant Artistic/Production Personnel Enrique Mazzola Donald Palumbo Conductors Omer Ben Seadia Kristine McIntyre Directors Kristen Barrett Stage Manager PROGRAM STAFF THIS SEASON Ryan Opera Center alumni around the world