Lyric Opera 2022-2023, Issue 7, Factotum

21 | Lyric Opera of Chicago KEDRICK ARMSTRONG | CONDUCTOR Lyric debut The conductor was recently appointed as Creative Partner and Principal Conductor of the Galesburg Symphony Society/Knox-Galesburg Symphony. Future engagements include the Oakland Symphony, Opera Theater of Saint Louis, Houston Grand Opera, and the world premiere of Irene Britton Smith’s Sinfonietta (1956) with the University of Colorado-Boulder Symphony Orchestra. Armstrong has appeared with the Oakland Symphony, Chicago Opera Theater, Chicago Sinfonietta, DePaul University Opera Theater, and Wheaton College OperaMainstage. He is currently a Porter Research Fellow with the University of Colorado- Boulder’s American Music Research Center, where he’s also pursuing an M.M. in Orchestral Conducting. RAJENDRA RAMOON MAHARAJ | DIRECTOR, CO-BOOK WRITER, & DRAMATURG Lyric debut This season at Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, Maharaj will direct Scott Joplin’s Treemonisha , re-imagined by composer Damien Sneed and librettist Karen Chilton. He is also the stage director and community consultant for Slanted: An American Rock Opera by Simon Tam and Joe X. Jang, Madison Lodge by Tre’von Grif th, and Cook Shack by Del’Shawn Taylor and Samiya Bashir as part of Opera Theatre of Saint Louis’ Inaugural New Works Collective. Last season, he was an assistant director for the world premiere of Fire Shut Up in My Bones at the Metropolitan Opera, and he is a current member of the Met/AGMA Equity & Diversity Committee. Maharaj has previously served as the Associate Artistic Producer at Milwaukee Repertory Theater, Artistic Director of New Freedom Theatre, Producing Artistic Director of American Stage, and Third-Vice President of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People Brooklyn Branch. He has worked on Broadway and Off-Broadway productions and in numerous regional houses. Credits include the Bernard B. Jacobs Theater, Madison Square Garden, Sheen Center, The Public, Second Stage, Soho Playhouse, Classical Theater of Harlem, New Federal Theater, New World Stages, Ensemble Studio Theatre, Portland Stage, Actors Theater of Louisville, Alabama Shakespeare, Signature Theater, Theater Works, Goodman Theatre, Arkansas Repertory Theater, Perseverance, and The Kennedy Center. MARCUS NORRIS | ORCHESTRATOR Lyric debut Dr. Norris was selected as the inaugural Composer-in-Residence for the Chicago Philharmonic for 2021-2024. He earned a commission from Atlanta Opera for winning their inaugural 96-hour Opera Project. He made his Walt Disney Concert Hall debut in 2022 with his piece MERCY as part of the LA Phil’s National Composers Intensive. His violin concerto GLORY opened to three sold- out performances when premiered by the Jackson Symphony Orchestra in 2019 and then was subsequently performed in Guangzhou, China later that year. His dance suite I Tried So Hard for You premiered in Havana in 2018, closely following the Russian String Orchestra premiere of My Idols Are Dead in Moscow. Dr. Norris founded the South Side Symphony in 2020, and with the group he served as Music Director for the 2022 Wearable Art Gala. He composed the score for the 2022 feature lm Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul . starring Regina Hall and Sterling K. Brown, written and directed by Adamma Ebo. He earned his Ph.D. in Music Composition at UCLA. HARLAN PENN | SET DESIGNER Lyric debut Penn’s numerous theater design credits include For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/ When the Rainbow Is Enuf , Blues for an Alabama Sky , On Striver’s Row , Flyin’ West , Dreamgirls , Seven Guitars , Gem of the Ocean , Jitney , Radio Golf , King Hedley II , Chained Dog , Buried Child , and the international tour of Drumline Live . Film and television credits include God Friended Me , For Life , Girls5Eva , The Last O.G. , Saturday Night Live , Raising Kanan , Madame Secretary , Katy Keene , and Roland Martin Un ltered . He has served as an Art Director and Assistant Art Director for productions on Net ix, Hulu, ABC, NBC, Hallmark Movie Channel, CBS, and Turner Broadcasting. He is currently an Assistant Professor of Design at York College in Queens, N.Y. DEVARIO D. SIMMONS | COSTUME DESIGNER Lyric debut The designer’s Broadway credits include Thoughts of a Colored Man . Off Broadway, his work has been seen in Between the Bars , TUMACHO , EMERGENCY! , and P.S. He has been a guest artist at the Metropolitan Opera, Geffen Playhouse, Clarence Brown Theatre, Center Theatre Group, Asolo Rep, The Long Wharf Theatre, Jean’s Playhouse, Syracuse Stage, and Baltimore Center Stage. Other credits include Rustin (Net ix), three seasons of AMC’s television show TURN: Washington’s Spies , two seasons of the PBS television series Mercy Street , and a national touring production of In the Heights . JIYOUN CHANG | LIGHTING DESIGNER Lyric debut The designer’s Broadway credits include Kpop , For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/ When the Rainbow Is Enuf (Tony nomination), and Slave Play (Tony, Drama Desk, and Henry Hewes nominations). Other credits include Merry Wives (Delacorte Theatre), The Far Country (Atlantic Theatre Company), Letters of Suresh (2nd Stage), Bina’s Six Apples (Suzi Bass Award), and Marys Seacole (Henry Hewes nomination). Her work has appeared also at The Public, Roundabout, New York Theatre Workshop, BAM, MCC, Signature, Guggenheim, Berkeley Rep, Cal Shakes (TBA awards nomination), Long Wharf Theatre, Guthrie, The Old Globe, and Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Chang is a recipient of Obie and Falstaff awards. Lighting designers are supported by the Mary-Louise and James S.Aagaard endowment in honor of Duane Schuler.