Lyric Opera 2024-2025 Issue 4 - Figaro

Lyric Opera of Chicago | 8 Welcome, everyone! It is truly an honor to join my colleagues at Lyric Opera of Chicago in welcoming you to this performance of The Marriage of Figaro . This buoyant and colorful production, Lyric’s own, makes for a wonderful start to my tenure as General Director. And I’m not the only one making my debut. In the title role, we welcome rising star baritone Peter Kellner, an ensemble member at the Vienna State Opera. Making her long-awaited Lyric debut, the world-renowned Italian soprano Federica Lombardi joins us as the Countess. And conductor Erina Yashima, who previously held the Sir Georg Solti Conducting Apprenticeship at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, makes her first appearance on our podium. I’m thrilled that Chicago theater legend Barbara Gaines returns to direct her production of Figaro . Lyric also warmly welcomes back soprano Ying Fang, who brings her acclaimed Susanna to our stage after unforgettable appearances as Zerlina in Don Giovanni in 2019 and Pamina in The Magic Flute in 2021. Over the past few weeks I have been absorbing all that this great city has to offer and getting to know this fabled company and all of the people that make it so special including you, our wonderful audience. Thank you so much for being here and for your support of Lyric. JOHN MANGUM President, General Director & CEO, The Women’s Board Endowed Chair Kyle Flubacker Tonight is a special night and the beginning of an exciting new era at Lyric — we welcome John Mangum to the opera house as he officially begins his tenure as Lyric’s fourth General Director, President & CEO. John has helmed some of the nation’s most prestigious classical music organizations, and brings with him a true passion for our art form, tremendous intellectual depth, and an impressive record of stewardship of large arts institutions. The entire Lyric family is thrilled he is here and we look forward to you, our patrons, and the City of Chicago, getting to know him. It is particularly poignant that these performances of our beloved production of The Marriage of Figaro are dedicated to the late great Sir Andrew Davis, longtime music director of Lyric. The production is a stellar gathering of forces as we look back at our acclaimed history and forward to our brilliant future. All of this is made possible by you, our generous patrons. Enjoy the performance! From the General Director and the Chair SYLVIA NEIL Chair of the Board Todd Rosenberg i f i in e ng i , l i , ’ i l Fl c r fth Gen ral Director, rformances of h i n r