Lyric Opera 2023-2024 Issue 7 - Aida

Lyric Opera of Chicago | 30 MICHELLE BRADLEY AIDA Previously at Lyric: Floria Tosca/ Tosca (2021/22). Recent highlights for the American soprano include the title role in Aida and Liù/ Turandot at the Metropolitan Opera, Madame Lidoine/ Dialogues des carmélites at San Francisco Opera, title roles in Tosca and in Aida at San Diego Opera, and the soprano solo in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with the San Francisco Symphony. In 2019, she debuted with the Vienna State Opera as Leonora/ Il trovatore (role debut), while also returning to the Metropolitan Opera for their New Year’s Eve Gala as Liù/ Turandot (Act Two). She also appeared in solo recitals at the Kennedy Center and in San Diego and Philadelphia, and performed Samuel Barber’s Knoxville: Summer of 1915 with the New World Symphony and at Rice University. Future projects include a debut at the Houston Grand Opera. Other notable debuts have included Oper Frankfurt (Leonora/ La forza del destino , new production), the Opéra national de Lorraine and Theater Erfurt (both in Aida ), and the Deutsche Oper Berlin (Verdi Requiem , staged performance). Kathryn Henry is sponsored by Robin Angly & Miles Smith. JAMIE BARTON AMNERIS Previously at Lyric: Six roles since 2011/12, most recently Azucena/ Il trovatore (2018/19) and Giovanna/ Anna Bolena (2014/15). The American mezzo-soprano was named BBC Music Magazine ’s 2020 Personality of the Year, following her iconic performance at the Last Night of the Proms. Career highlights include leading roles at the Met, Royal Opera House Covent Garden, Teatro Real Madrid, Houston Grand Opera, Washington National Opera, Los Angeles Opera, San Francisco Opera, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Bayerische Staatsoper, Santa Fe Opera, and Festival d’Aix-en- Provence, among other houses. At Lyric, she sang Magdalene/ Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg (2012/13) and Dryade/ Ariadne auf Naxos (2011/12). Barton has appeared in concert with the New York Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, and Rotterdam Philharmonic, as well as the symphony orchestras of Atlanta, Baltimore, Dallas, Iceland, London, Prague, Czech Republic, Oulu, Pittsburgh, Toronto, and Valencia, Spain. She is the winner of the International Opera Awards Readers’ Award, Beverly Sills Artist Award, Richard Tucker Award, and both Main and Song Prizes at the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World Competition. Her solo albums are All Who Wander , which received the 2018 BBC Music Magazine Vocal Award, and Unexpected Shadows, nominated for a 2022 Grammy for Best Classical Solo Vocal Album. RUSSELL THOMAS RADAMÈS Previously at Lyric: Six roles since 2016/17, most recently Ernani/ Ernani (2022/23) and Mario Cavaradossi/ Tosca (2021/22). The celebrated American tenor recently made his role debut as Parsifal with Houston Grand Opera, sang his first Don Carlos (five-act version in French) with the Staatsoper Hamburg, debuted at the Opéra national de Paris as Don Alvaro/ La forza del destino , sang his first Calaf/ Turandot with the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, sang Otello at Los Angeles Opera, and sang Canio/ Pagliacci in Lyric’s 2020/21 award-winning film version. The 2019/20 season included Radamès/ Aida (Houston Grand Opera), and his return to the title role/ Otello (Washington National Opera). He also starred in Il trovatore (Bayerische Staatsoper), Idomeneo (Salzburg Festival, in a new Peter Sellars production), Roberto Devereux (San Francisco Opera), and La clemenza di Tito (Metropolitan Opera, LA Opera). Thomas has previously enjoyed success as Beethoven’s Florestan (San Francisco); Bellini’s Pollione (Lyric, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Toronto, Valencia); Verdi’s Stiffelio (Frankfurt); Don Carlo (Met, Washington, Berlin); Gabriele Adorno (London); and Puccini’s Rodolfo (Met). He has been featured with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, New York Philharmonic, and Dallas Symphony Orchestra. Russell Thomas is sponsored by the Guild Board of Directors. REGINALD SMITH, JR. AMONASRO Previously at Lyric: Emile Griffith/ Champion (2023/24) and Uncle Paul/ Fire Shut Up in My Bones (2021/22). The Grammy- and Emmy-winning baritone made his Santa Fe Opera debut in summer 2023 as Scarpia in Tosca , and this season returns to Houston Grand Opera for the title role in Falstaff , and appears in concert with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and at Temple University. Other recent highlights include a return to Houston Grand Opera, debuts with Fort Worth Opera, Opera Hong Kong, and Dallas Opera, and appearances with various orchestras including the San Francisco Symphony and the New Jersey Symphony. He also took part in a United in Song concert with the American Pops Orchestra, televised nationally on PBS, and performed in recitals at Mercer University and the Richard Tucker Music Foundation’s annual gala. Smith is a Grand Finals winner of the 2015 Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition and a graduate of the Houston Grand Opera Studio. Artist profiles Mic elle Bradley i sponsored by Robin Angly & Miles Smith.