Lyric Opera 2022-2023 Issue 8 - Carmen

39 | Lyric Opera of Chicago experience, guiding students on how to lead a creative life through personal branding and entrepreneurship. The pandemic made partnerships like this feel even more urgent. Moving classes online disrupted music and the arts in tremendous ways. With many students struggling with mental health and attending virtual classes, Nicholas and his student teacher, Colin Cosgrove, sought to engage students with community and purpose. Thus was born “Who Will Carry Me?”, an original song composed by Nicholas in response to COVID-19, growing sentiment toward anti- Blackness, and the trauma of isolation. Once the song was finalized, students and local professional artists (including Aranyi) contributed their vocal, dance, and instrumental abilities, recording videos that became part of the final music video, edited by Nicholas. This stunning piece garnered national attention, receiving praise from Yo-Yo Ma, and opening the doors even further for the students. “Our school experienced many traumas leading up to the lockdown,” says Trevor. “Using music to respond in a thoughtful way while validating and addressing their emotions is extremely important to me, and COVID added a whole new layer to that. This project was all for my students, and I never expected it to reach so far beyond that—ultimately leading to my rst nomination.” Most high schoolers cannot say that they have performed on numerous of Chicago’s very best stages. Thanks to the partnership with Lyric Unlimited, in 2018 Nicholas’ students had the opportunity to sing on the Lyric Opera of Chicago stage for Empower , the cumulation of EmpowerYouth!: Igniting Creativity through the Arts , a community-based program that guides Chicago high school students in creating an original opera. Additionally, they have sung at the Chicago Symphony Center, Millennium Park, the Harris Theater, Wrigley Field, and Ravinia Festival. In addition to the regular, ongoing music education support in the choral classroom, the Residency program features an embedded Opera Discovery Project, a unit of study that includes a eld trip to the Lyric Opera House for a nal dress rehearsal as well as special guest artist in-school visits. Recently, a group of Senn High School music students had the opportunity to attend the dress rehearsal of the world premiere of The Factotum . The show, based on Chicago’s South Side and rich with themes that celebrate community, truly made for a once- in-a-lifetime experience for Senn students. “As an educator, Trevor continually grows and is trying the next big thing, all to improve his classroom and better his students,” said Aranyi. “Any role that Lyric and I can play in helping him pioneer and maximize his work as a creative innovator and an entrepreneur, the greater the impact is for those students.” Learn more about the High School Choir Residency and other Lyric Unlimited programming by visiting www.lyricopera.org/learn-engage/ Kyle Flubacker Aranyi,at left,joined Nicholas and his students for the dress rehearsal of The Factotum at the Harris Theater.