Lyric Opera 2025-2026 Issue 6 - Carmina Burana

11 | Lyric Opera of Chicago JASMINE HABERSHAM SOPRANO Previously at Lyric: Ashley/ The Listeners (2024/25). The American soprano debuts this season as Musetta at Austin Opera, returns to Dallas Symphony for their Holiday Pops program, returns to Rochester Philharmonic for Mahler’s Fourth Symphony, debuts with Phoenix Symphony as featured soloist in their Holiday Pops program, and returns to Central City Opera to sing Susanna in Le nozze di Figaro . Habersham’s previous season saw her return to Minnesota Opera as Juliette in Roméo et Juliette . With Chicago Opera Theatre, she originated the lead role of Claudette Colvin in the world premiere of Barnes/Mouton’s She Who Dared . Additionally, she sang Adina in L’elisir d’amore with Florida Grand Opera, and made several debuts on the concert stage — with Kansas City Symphony as soprano soloist in Handel’s Messiah , with Savannah Philharmonic in Beethoven’s 9th Symphony, with Fort Worth Symphony in their Holiday Concert, with Alabama Symphony Orchestra in Knoxville: Summer of 1915 , and with Charleston Opera Theatre for their Serenata Romantica program. Habersham has previously sung Carmina Burana with Virginia Symphony Orchestra and Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. DAVID PORTILLO TENOR Previously at Lyric: 10 roles since 2007/08, most recently Arbace/ Idomeneo (2018/19) and Andres/ Wozzeck (2015-16). Highlights for the American tenor this season include Jupiter in Semele , in a new production at Dutch National Opera by Claus Guth, Frederic in The Pirates of Penzance with Seattle Opera, the title role in Idomeneo with Boston Baroque, and, in concert, Mozart’s Requiem with Manfred Honeck and the San Francisco Symphony, as well as with Jane Glover and the Philadelphia Orchestra. He will also perform in a series of recitals with the Sag Harbor Song Festival and tour with Harry Bicket and The English Concert as Hyllus in Hercules . An alumnus of the Ryan Opera Center, at Lyric Portillo sang Andres/ Wozzeck (2015/16), David/ Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg (2012/13), and Trin/ La Fanciulla del West (2010/11), among other roles. Additional recent highlights include Tamino in The Magic Flute holiday presentation at the Metropolitan Opera; the roles of Natura, Pain, and Furia in La Calisto at Festival d’Aix-en-Provence; Dr. Richardson in Missy Mazzoli’s Breaking the Waves at Houston Grand Opera; Lysander in A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the Seiji Ozawa Matsumoto Festival; Bénédict in Béatrice et Bénédict with Irish National Opera; Bajazet in Handel’s Tamerlano with Haymarket Opera in Chicago; and, in concert, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with the San Antonio Symphony and Septimius in Handel’s Theodora with Dame Jane Glover and Music of the Baroque. Portillo was the winner of the 2024 Sphinx Medal of Excellence. IAN RUCKER BARITONE Previously at Lyric: Five roles since 2022/23, most recently Schaunard/ La Bohème (2024/25) and Foreman/ Jen ˚ufa (2023/24). This season’s highlights for the American baritone include Dandini/ La Cenerentola at Lyric Opera of Kansas City, Count Almaviva/ The Marriage of Figaro at Scottish Opera, and, later this season, Guglielmo in Così fan tutte at Lyric. He recently performed the title role in the world premiere of The Story of Billy Budd at Festival d’Aix-en-Provence, and was a prize winner in the Neue Stimmen vocal competition. At the 2024 Salzburg Festival, Rucker sang the role of Diener IV in Strauss’s Capriccio . While an Ensemble member with the Ryan Opera Center, Rucker sang Man in Bar/ Champion (2023/24), Moralès/ Carmen and Raimbaud/ Le Comte Ory (both 2022/23). He spent a summer at the Aspen Summer Music Festival as a Renée Fleming Artist, and was also an Apprentice Artist with Palm Beach Opera. Competition successes include 1st Prize in Tier II of the James Toland Vocal Arts Competition, 2nd in the young artist tier of the James Alexander Vocal Competition with Mississippi Opera, and encouragement awards in both the Wisconsin and Georgia districts of the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition. Rucker received a bachelor›s degree in Vocal Performance from The University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire and a masters in Vocal Performance at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. UNITING VOICES CHICAGO Previously at Lyric: 16 productions since 2000/01, most recently La Bohème (2024/25) and Proximity (2022/23). Uniting Voices Chicago (Josephine Lee, president and artistic director), formerly Chicago Children’s Choir, is the nation’s preeminent youth choral organization, serving 5,200 students across the city of Chicago. Founded in Hyde Park in direct response to the Civil Rights Movement in 1956, Uniting Voices has grown from one choir into a vast network of in-school and after-school programs driven by one mission: to inspire and change lives through music. Uniting Voices has impacted the lives of more than 100,000 diverse youth throughout its 68-year history. Since its founding, Uniting Voices has focused on building programs that reflect the racial and economic diversity of Chicago. Eighty percent of youth served are from low-moderate income homes, Artist profiles