Celebrating its 50th anniversary season, The Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center, Lyric Opera of Chicago's premier artist-development program, is proud to announce its 2024/25 Ensemble. Dedicated to cultivating exceptional operatic talent, the Ryan Opera Center provides comprehensive training and extensive performance opportunities, including the chance for members to participate in Lyric's mainstage season.
This landmark year, launched on May 6, 2024, introduces nine new Ensemble artists: sopranos Adia Evans, Gemma Nha, and Emily Richter; tenor Daniel Espinal; baritone Sankara Harouna; bass-baritone Finn Sagal; conductor Chi-Yuan Lin; stage director Marinette Gomez; and stage manager Gemma DeCetra. Together with six returning members, they will engage in a rigorous season of professional growth that extends beyond the Lyric Opera House.
Dan Novak, Director of the Ryan Opera Center, reflects on the program's achievements: "It's truly remarkable to look back on the Ryan Opera Center's legacy of nurturing top operatic talent for five decades along with a longstanding commitment to inclusion, diversity, equity, and access. Hundreds of artists have participated in our Ensemble and have had a global impact on our art form's history and evolution—and that impact continues both now and into the future. Our alumni and current Ensemble members grace the world's leading opera stages, plus they play vital roles in Chicago's cultural community through concerts and events across the city. The recent addition of an Ensemble Pianist, Stage Director, Stage Manager, and Conductor demonstrates the Ryan Opera Center's leadership in encompassing the full range of operatic artistry and solidifies its standing as one of the most important artist-development programs in the world."
"We owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to the hundreds of Ryan Opera Center Board members and donors, whose generosity and support over the past five decades have made possible everything the program has accomplished. I'd also like to acknowledge and sincerely thank the brilliant administrators, faculty members and guest artists whose efforts have forged each step of the Ryan Opera Center's development. And, of course, we will always be grateful to Lyric's leadership for their vision, investment and advocacy to create the Opera Center 50 years ago and guide its growth and progress."
Ryan Opera Center Ensemble members, selected annually from hundreds of applicants worldwide, make Chicago home for two to three years. Under the leadership and guidance of Music Director Craig Terry and Director of Vocal Studies Julia Faulkner, they receive high-level training in the broad range of skills needed for performing operatic and song repertoire spanning hundreds of years: vocal technique, musical expression and style, performance practice and tradition, physical characterization, dramaturgical insight and theatrical interpretation, linguistic diction and comprehension, and other key elements. The artists also develop skills related to technology, recording, and the digital artistic landscape. During Lyric's mainstage season, Ensemble members participate as principal artists, understudies, music staff, and production staff, providing tremendously valuable opportunities to work with internationally acclaimed opera talents.
As part of the program's 50th anniversary celebrations, the Ryan Opera Center Ensemble will be featured in three high-profile performances. Set in iconic Chicago venues, they will showcase the extraordinary talents of the Ensemble while celebrating the enduring legacy and vibrant future of the Ryan Opera Center.
Celebratory Events:
- Ryan Opera Center & Civic Orchestra Concert– The public is invited to join the Civic Orchestra of Chicago and members of the Ryan Opera Center for a concert at Chicago's Symphony Center on June 3, 2024, at 7:30 p.m. The performance, featuring selections from Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro, Puccini's La Bohème, and Offenbach's La Grand-Duchesse de Gérolstein, will be conducted by Roberto Kalb. Ticketsare available on a "pay what you wish" basis.
- Sunday in the Park with Lyric– Join Lyric at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park on August 25, 2024 at 7:00 p.m. for a delightful evening of music. This free concert features Ryan Opera Center artists and the Lyric Opera Orchestra, conducted by Music Director Enrique Mazzola. Enjoy selections from the upcoming season in a relaxed outdoor setting. Bring a blanket and snacks for this accessible introduction to opera.
- The Ryan Opera Center hosts its annual Rising Stars in Concert on April 25, 2025 on Lyric's mainstage. This special-edition showcase features the 2024/25 Ensemble with the Lyric Opera Orchestra, conducted by Music Director Enrique Mazzola and directed by Chief Artistic Administration Officer Matthew Ozawa. The concert celebrates 50 incredible years of nurturing the talents of many of opera's brightest stars, and some familiar faces will also be in attendance to pay tribute to the Ryan Opera Center's half-century legacy. Following the concert will be the Ryan Opera Center's 50th Anniversary Gala to raise funds in support of the program's work for the next five decades.
Details about other events taking place during the 2024/25 Season will be announced at a later date.
2024/25 Ensemble of The Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center
Sopranos
Adia Evans (Baltimore, Maryland)
Gemma Nha (Sydney, Australia)
Emily Richter (Arlington, Virginia)
Mezzo-Sopranos
Lucy Baker (Wilmington, North Carolina)
Sophia Maekawa (Kyoto, Japan)
Tenors
Daniel Espinal (Sarasota, Florida)
Travon D. Walker (Hinesville, Georgia)
Baritones
Sankara Harouna (Chicago, Illinois)
Ian Rucker (Oshkosh, Wisconsin)
Bass-Baritones
Christopher Humbert, Jr. (Akron, Ohio)
Finn Sagal (La Cañada Flintridge, California)
Pianist
Michael Banwarth (Dubuque, Iowa)
Conductor
Chi-Yuan Lin (Taoyuan, Taiwan)
Stage Director
Marinette Gomez (Jacksonville, Florida)
Stage Manager
Gemma DeCetra (Madison, Wisconsin)
For more information about the Ryan Opera Center and its 50th anniversary celebrations, please visit lyricopera.org/ryan-opera-center/.
