Lyric Opera 2024-2025 Issue 4 - Figaro

Lyric Opera of Chicago | 70 Toward a Strong Future A multi-disciplinary performance ensemble that focuses on arts education enrichment, EmpowerYouth! enters its eighth consecutive year of programming this season. Nearly 30 students from schools across Chicagoland meet weekly over the course of the school year to create, compose, write, and produce their own opera presentation, aided by Lyric professionals and teaching artists. “The program gets students to stretch a sociological muscle they may not often get to stretch,” says Anthony Jones, Lyric’s Audience Programs Associate. “They are prompted to create something expressive, and link the expression to where they’re from and to the people around them.” A core beauty of the program is that participants are able to come together and work on a shared project. “School is primarily focused on individual assignments and the occasional quick group project,” Jones reflects, “but EmpowerYouth! is a collaborative endeavor that develops throughout the entire year — inviting students to form meaningful connections with one another and create impactful, long-lasting work.” Over the course of the program, each student-created narrative has taken place in Chicago. While past groups often chose to focus on the city’s rich history, the 2023/24 group wanted to look ahead. Their production, entitled Participants create a brand-new work derived from their own experiences. By Casey Bowman In partnership with the Chicago Urban League, the EmpowerYouth! program helps students create an original production. Jay Towns