Lyric Opera 2023-2024 Issue 7 - Aida

29 | Lyric Opera of Chicago I was in Miami one afternoon with a longtime art dealer of mine, Marsea Goldberg. She had just gotten off the phone with Francesca Zambello. Marsea was very excited and told me that the artistic director of the Washington National Opera had expressed interest in meeting with me about a possible collaboration for the opera Aida . All of a sudden, the images of ancient Egypt coming to life onstage enveloped my mind. My past influences that I had seen in books, museums, and in my mind started to unravel visually. The honor and bewilderment that I felt knowing that my symbols had communicated the past and that I was now being asked to participate in Aida were just beyond me. We ventured to Washington, D.C., to meet this ambassador of the arts, Francesca Zambello. I had no experience with opera, but I recalled moments in my childhood when I starred in a few plays and my excitement grew as I realized I was never far off my mark. Having my artwork, much of which is based on the structure of Egyptian hieroglyphics, used for Aida turned my entire concept of my career full circle, marking a milestone in my career and artistic and spiritual development. Designer’s note An unexpected foray into the world of opera by RETNA Scott Suchman / Washington National Opera