Lyric Opera 2022-2023 Issue 8 - Carmen

SO HOW DOES ONE BECOME BOARD CHAIR? I was sitting next to our wonderful former Chair, David Ormesher, at a Lyric gala. He turned to me and said, “You’d be a perfect Board Chair.” I thought that was just a nice compliment. But then he took me to lunch and said he was serious. And here I am! AND THEN THE BOARD VOTED YOU IN—THE FIRST WOMAN IN THAT ROLE. Yes, I’m the rst Chair who is a woman. We should recall, however, that women have had very powerful roles in Lyric’s history—co-founder Carol Fox, and longtime General Director Ardis Krainik, for instance. They established Lyric as one of the great opera companies in the world. Theirs are amazing footsteps to follow. Daniel Fischel,Board Chair Sylvia Neil,President,General Director & CEO Anthony Freud,and Music Director Enrique Mazzola Lyric Opera of Chicago | 12 Bob Kusel By David Zivan Reaching higher Sylvia Neil became Chair of the Board at Lyric—the rst woman ever to hold that position—just before the pandemic began. In the face of those daunting challenges, she got to work.And now she’s helping lead Lyric to new levels of inclusivity and excellence.