Lyric Opera 2024-2025 Issue 2 - Fidelio

Lyric Opera of Chicago | 70 In the House What was your first exposure to opera, and what made you want to become a singer? I attended the Philadelphia High School for the Creative and Performing Arts as a vocal major, and my choral teacher David King loved opera. He would play albums of all the greats (Corelli, Norman, Callas, Bjorling, Flagstad) every morning at 7 a.m. I fell in love with those glorious sounds at 14 years old. The first opera I attended was the final dress rehearsal of Carmen starring Denyce Graves at the then Opera Company of Philadelphia when I was in the 10th grade. I believe I was 15 or 16 years old. That performance changed my life. I knew then that I wanted to become a professional opera singer. How do you describe opera to children and young adults who might not have had any exposure to classical music in schools? I do quite a bit of outreach in my personal life. I regularly visit the classrooms of my friends who The set for Jason and the Argonauts references the classical and the current. Lawrence Agyei This season, soprano Karen Slack will act as an ambassador for the company’s Learning and Civic Engagement division, fostering deeper connections between Lyric and the residents of Chicago. A series of performances and events will showcase her talent, and inspire and connect with audiences across a broad spectrum of the city. Introducing Karen Slack, Lyric Unlimited’s new Artist-in-Residence I knew then that I wanted to become a profe sional opera singer. r i