2014 Program Notes, Book 10 35
Wednesday, August 13, 2014
THE Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center
was established in 1974
as the professional artist-development program for Lyric Opera of Chicago. Since its
inception, the Ryan Opera Center has been recognized as one of the premier programs
of its kind in the world. That standing is maintained by providing the finest up-and-
coming singers and pianists with unparalleled training and experience.
Mezzo-soprano
J’nai Bridges
, from Lakewood, Washington,
a third-year Ryan Opera Center member, made her professional
debut in 2008 with Opera North and has since appeared with
Knoxville Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Opera Philadelphia,
Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Illinois Philharmonic, Ravinia
Festival, New Jersey Symphony and Opera Orchestra of
New York. Among Ms. Bridges’ honors are the 2012 Marian
Anderson Award, First Prize in the Leontyne Price Foundation
Competition, an award from the American Opera Society of
Chicago Competition, and the Women’s Voice Fellowship from
the Luminarts Cultural Foundation. During the upcoming season at Lyric she will
appear in
Il Trovatore
and
The Passenger
.
Mezzo-soprano
Julie Anne Miller
is a second-year member
of the Ryan Opera Center. A native of Sacramento, California,
she has appeared as a soloist at Carnegie Hall and with the
Ravinia Festival, Cincinnati Symphony, Sacramento Choral
Society, Townsend Opera and Sacramento Opera. She is winner
of the American Opera Society Competition and Pasadena
Opera Guild Scholarship Competition. Ms. Miller completed
her graduate studies in the inaugural class of Dawn Upshaw’s
program at the Bard College Conservatory of Music and
previously studied at California State University, Sacramento.
She made her debut last season at Lyric Opera in
Otello
and later appeared in
La
Traviata
and
Die Fledermaus
. For the 2014-2015 Lyric season, Julie Anne Miller
performs in
The Passenger
.
Baritone
Anthony Clark Evans
, a native of Owensboro,
Kentucky, a second-year Ryan Opera Center member and a
graduate of Murray State University, was a Grand Finals winner
of the 2012 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. In
2014 he received an award from the American Opera Society
Competition, a Sara Tucker Study Grant, and the Men’s Voice
Fellowship from the Luminarts Cultural Foundation. During the
2013-2014 Lyric Opera season, Mr. Evans performed in
Otello
,
Madama Butterfly
,
La Traviata
and
Rusalka
. He returns to Lyric
next season in
Capriccio
and
Tosca
.
Baritone
Will Liverman
, born in Virginia Beach, Virginia,
is a third-year Ryan Opera Center member. An alumnus of
Juilliard and Wheaton College, he has appeared at Utah Opera,
Opera Philadelphia, Glimmerglass Festival and Brevard Music
Festival. Mr. Liverman recently made his Alice Tully Hall debut
at the New York Festival of Song. Among his accolades are a
2013 Sullivan Foundation Award, 2013 Sara Tucker Study Grant,
Grand Finalist in the 2012 Metropolitan Opera National Council
Auditions, and an award from the American Opera Society of
Chicago Competition. At Lyric he has been featured in
Werther
,
La Bohème
,
Madama Butterfly
,
La Traviata
,
Die Fledermaus
,
Il Barbiere di Siviglia
and
The Family Barber
, and performs in
Capriccio
and
Porgy and Bess
in the 2014-2015
Lyric season.
