Lyric Opera 2025-2026 Issue 11 - safronia

Lyric Opera of Chicago | 6 From the Chair and the General Director Lyric Opera of Chicago has long been at the forefront of new opera, presenting world, North American, and Chicago premieres from leading creators in our field. Our art form is a living one, ideally suited to tell stories from our history and of our times that resonate powerfully with audiences of today. That history continues with avery r. young’s safronia . avery, Chicago’s first Poet Laureate, is an inspiring multidisciplinary artist of exceptional versatility. Not only did he craft the libretto for this work, but he also composed the music, and he will perform in the opera as baar, safronia’s father. Lyric first began working with him five years ago, when he played an integral part in our presentation of Twilight: Gods , a drive- through reimagining of Wagner’s Ring Cycle. It was an ambitious pandemic-era production presented in a Chicago parking garage. avery wrote and performed poetic introductions to the work that framed Wagner’s epic through a distinctly Chicago lens. Everyone involved felt that there should and would be more to come. The work is personal for avery on multiple levels. It’s based on his family’s history, and its music is derived from the music his characters would have been listening to across the sweep of much of the 20th century. avery’s regular band, de deacon board, will perform the score alongside the musicians of the Lyric Opera Orchestra. Paul Byssainthe, Jr., who worked with avery on the orchestrations, conducts in his Lyric debut; he is currently associate music director for Ragtime at the Lincoln Center Theater. Timothy Douglas directs, also in his Lyric debut; his wide experience includes new productions of Champion (Boston Lyric Opera) and Blue (New Orleans Opera). Over our more than seven-decade history, Lyric has been no stranger to bold commissions and world premieres. But there’s no question this production feels special. safronia brings a powerful new voice, and exciting new musical styles, to opera for the first time. We’re delighted and honored that avery wanted to tell his story — a quintessentially Chicago story — here at Lyric, through our art form, opera. JOHN MANGUM General Director, President & CEO, The Women’s Board Endowed Chair SYLVIA NEIL Chair of the Board Welcome to Lyric! Kyle Flubacker