Lyric Opera 2023-2024 Issue 4 - Jenufa

31 | Lyric Opera of Chicago James Toland Vocal Arts Competition, Young Patronesses of the Opera/Florida Grand Opera Competition, Hal Leonard Art Song Competition, and National Association of Negro Musicians Competition. She will appear at Lyric later this season in Cinderella. Lindsey Reynolds is sponsored by an Anonymous Donor,Fred & Phoebe Boelter, and Donna Van Eekeren & Dale Connelly . LUCY BAKER KAROLKA Lyric debut A first-year mezzo-soprano with the Ryan Opera Center fromWilmington, North Carolina, Baker has performed the title role/ Ariodante , Dorabella/ Così fan tutte , the Hostess/Blitzstein’s Triple-Sec , and Marquise de Merteuil (cover) in Susa’s The Dangerous Liaisons with Curtis Opera Theatre. Previous roles include Cherubino/ Le nozze di Figaro and Hansel/ Hansel and Gretel with DePaul Opera Theatre and Justice Ginsburg (cover) in Wang’s Scalia/Ginsburg with Chautauqua Opera Company. In concert, Baker has appeared with the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society and Chautauqua Symphony, and she sang the national anthem for the Chicago Bulls. She received the Edith Newfield Award from the Musicians Club of Women and first prize in her category from the Chicago Chapter of the NATS competition. A 2022 fellow at Ravinia’s Steans Music Institute, Baker holds a Bachelor of Music from DePaul University and a Master of Music from the Curtis Institute of Music. Lucy Baker is sponsored by Pamela Crutchfield and Ms Gay K.Stanek. SOPHIA MAEKAWA SHEPHERDESS Lyric debut The first-year mezzo-soprano with the Ryan Opera Center from Kyoto, Japan, was a 2022 Santa Fe Opera Apprentice Artist, understudying Rosina/ Il barbiere di Siviglia and Comrade Chin and Shu Fang/ M. Butterfly , and a 2021 Gerdine Young Artist with Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, understudying Kadin/ On the Edge . She recently received her Bachelor of Music degree from the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. While there, the mezzo performed in Ariodante (title role), Albert Herring , and L’enfant et les sortilèges . Other roles in her repertoire include Hermia/ A Midsummer Night’s Dream , Annio/ La clemenza di Tito , Mercédès/ Carmen , Second Woman/ Dido and Aeneas , and Mrs. Nolan/ The Medium . Concert appearances include the Wichita Symphony and Curtis Symphony Orchestra with Yannick Nézet-Séguin. Maekawa was a finalist at the 2022 Opera Grand Rapids Competition and semi-finalist in the 2021 Houston Grand Opera Eleanor McCollum Competition. She will appear at Lyric later this season in Cinderella. Sophia Maekawa is sponsored by David and Janet Fox,Richard W.Shepro and Lindsay E.Roberts, and Mark and Gale Kozloff . KATHERINE D e YOUNG MAYOR’S WIFE Previously at Lyric: Four roles since 2020/21, most recently Mercédès/ Carmen and Sibyl/ Proximity (both 2022/23). The American mezzo-soprano, an alumna of Lyric’s Ryan Opera Center, appeared at Lyric as Giovanna in Ernani (2022/23). This season, she performs as Hansel in Hansel and Gretel with San Antonio Opera, and in concert, she joined Dayton Opera in their season opening concert as Prince Orlofsky in scenes from Die Fledermaus, and Santa Fe Symphony as the alto soloist in Beethoven’s 9th Symphony. Previous seasons have included performances as the Second Lady in Barrie Kosky’s The Magic Flute, and in Lyric’s annual Rising Stars concerts. Other recent highlights include Verdi’s Requiem with Michigan State University. As a member of the Michigan Opera Theatre (now Detroit Opera) Studio program, DeYoung performed the Sandman in Hansel und Gretel, the Old Lady in Candide, The Mother in Amahl and the Night Visitors, and Mae in The Grapes of Wrath . In 2018 and 2019, she was an Apprentice with the Santa Fe Opera. A native of Traverse City, Michigan, DeYoung holds an undergraduate degree in voice from Michigan State University and a Master’s Degree in Voice Performance from the University of Houston where she performed Isabella in L’Italiana in Algeri, Fidalma in The Secret Marriage, Gertrude in Roméo et Juliette, Elizabeth Proctor in The Crucible, and Lady Sneerwell in the world premiere of The School for Scandal. She also performed the title role in Carmen with Opera in the Ozarks. WAYNE TIGGES MAYOR Previously at Lyric: Nine roles since 2002/03, most recently Owen Hart/ Dead Man Walking (2019/20) and Basilio/ The Barber of Seville (2007/08). The bass-baritone, a Ryan Opera Center alumnus, has portrayed Owen Hart/ Dead Man Walking in Washington, Atlanta, and Des Moines. Among his other roles in contemporary works are Sgt. Aaron Marcum/ An American Soldier (world premiere, St. Louis), Howie Albert/ Champion (Washington), Henry Isaacson/ Oscar (Philadelphia), Joe St. George/ Dolores Claiborne (world premiere, San Francisco), Gideon March/ Little Women (Omaha), Blitch/ Susannah (Milwaukee), Willy Wonka/ The Golden Ticket (European premiere, Wexford Festival), Roy Cohn/ Angels in America (New York City), and John Proctor/ The Crucible (Santa Barbara). Other highlights include the title role in Don Giovanni (Costa Mesa, Austin), Escamillo/ Carmen (Glyndebourne), Don Basilio/ The Barber of Seville (Detroit), Wagner’s Dutchman (Atlanta), and Baron Douphol/ La traviata (Los Angeles). Tigges has appeared with the Teatro Regio di Parma Orchestra and the major orchestras of Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, and Cleveland, among many others.