Lyric Opera 2025-2026 Issue 12 - Rising Stars

Lyric Opera of Chicago | 14 DAVID ZIVAN Program Book Editor CATHY KIEPURA ROBERT JOHNSON Program Book Designers JESSICA M. PEDROZA, PMP Project Manager Administrative Offices 20 North Wacker Drive, Suite 860 Chicago, IL 60606 lyricopera.org SAMETZ BLACKSTONE ASSOCIATES Visual Direction PMGMA,Inc. 3394 Commercial Avenue Northbrook, IL 60062 pmgma.com Gail McGrath, Publisher & President Sheldon Levin, Finance Rand Brichta, Sales Managers Jill Wettersten, Account Manager You can view this program on your mobile device at www.pmgma.com For advertising information call 847-770-4621. To see our Terms and Conditions relating to advertising orders, visit our website at pmgma. com. All contents copyrighted. All rights reserved. Nothing may be reproduced in any manner without written permission. © 2026 PMGMA, Inc. is a Woman Owned Business. MUSIC DIRECTOR Enrique Mazzola The John D. and Alexandra C. Nichols Endowed Chair MUSIC STAFF Michael Banwarth Kseniia Polstiankina Barrad William C. Billingham Aaron Breid Kyle Dickson Levi Hammer Susan Miller Hult Tess Jackson Keun-A Lee Chi-Yuan Lin ^^ Noah Lindquist * Francesco Milioto Jerad Mosbey Jacob Niemann ^ Stefano Sarzani Madeline Slettedahl Morgan Stevenson Marika Yasuda ORCHESTRA Violin I Robert Hanford, Concertmaster, Mrs. R. Robert Funderburg Endowed Chair Emily Nebel, Assistant Concertmaster Eleanor Bartsch Alexander Belavsky Kathleen Brauer Renée-Paule Gauthier Laura Miller Liba Shacht Heather Wittels Bing Jing Yu Violin II Yin Shen, Principal John Macfarlane, Assistant Principal Injoo Choi ** Diane Duraffourg-Robinson Ann Palen Irene Radetzky John D. Robinson David Volfe Viola Carol Cook, Principal Terri Van Valkinburgh, Assistant Principal Kunjing Dai ** Amy Hess Melissa Trier Kirk Rebecca Swan Cello Calum Cook, Principal Ana Kim, Acting Assistant Principal Mark Brandfonbrener William H. Cernota Walter Preucil String Bass Samuel Shuhan, Acting Principal Collins R. Trier, Acting Assistant Principal Andrew L. W. Anderson Gregory Sarchet Flute Marie Tachouet, Principal Dionne Jackson, Assistant Principal Alyce Johnson Piccolo Alyce Johnson Oboe Paul Lueders, Principal Judith Zunamon Lewis, Assistant Principal English Horn Judith Zunamon Lewis Clarinet Heesoo Kim, Principal Susan Warner, Assistant Principal Bass Clarinet Susan Warner, Acting Bassoon Preman Tilson, Principal Lewis Kirk, Assistant Principal Contrabassoon Lewis Kirk Horn Abigail Black, Principal Fritz Foss, Assistant Principal/Utility (Third Horn ** ) Robert E. Johnson * Samuel Hamzem Neil Kimel Trumpet William Denton, Principal Rebecca Oliverio, Acting Assistant Principal Trombone Jeremy Moeller, Principal Mark Fisher, Assistant Principal Will Baker Bass Trombone Will Baker Tuba Andrew Smith, Principal Timpani Edward Harrison, Principal Percussion Douglas Waddell, Acting Principal Eric Millstein, Acting Assistant Principal Harp Lynn Williams, Principal Librarian John Rosenkrans, Principal Stage Band Contractor Christine Janicki EXTRA MUSICIANS Cristina Buçiu, violin Jennifer Cappelli, violin Christine Chon, violin Karin Gambell, violin Injoo Choi, violin Hana Kim, violin Karl Davies, viola Josef Fischer, viola James Kang, viola Claudia Lasareff-Mironoff, viola Benjamin Fryxell, cello Isidora Nojkovic, cello Nomin Zolzaya, cello Jeremy Attanaseo, bass Issac Polinsky, bass Eliza Bangert, flute/piccolo Janice MacDonald, flute Amy Barwan, oboe Trevor O'Riordan, clarinet Brian Goodwin, horn Dave Inmon, trumpet Matthew Gaunt, tuba Rich Janicki, percussion * On leave,2025/26 Season ** Season Substitute ^ Solti Foundation U.S.Opera Residency ^^ Ryan Opera Center Conductor Orchestra