Lyric Opera 2025-2026 Issue 9 - Così fan tutte

25 | Lyric Opera of Chicago JANE COX LIGHTING DESIGNER Lyric debut Cox won a Tony, a Drama Desk, and the Henry Hewes Design award in 2024 for her lighting for Appropriate , and received three Tony nominations for Macbeth (2022), Jitney (2017) and Machinal (2014). She was awarded the Distinguished Achievement Award from the United States Institute for Theatre Technology in 2025. Recent designs include Fidelio for WNO; Donnacha Dennehy’s Land of Winter with Alarm Will Sound; The Boy and The Weir at the Abbey Theater in Dublin (her hometown); Minor Music at Brooklyn Academy of Music; Teeth The Musical in NYC; and The Marriage of Figaro, Così fan tutte , and Don Giovanni at San Francisco Opera. Upcoming projects include Rocky Horror Picture Show on Broadway. She is a Professor of the Practice and Director of the Program in Theater and Music Theater at Princeton University, where she is also co-director for the Fund for Irish Studies. Jane has been a member of the Monica Bill Barnes Dance Company for more than 20 years. She is a member of Princeton’s CreativeX working with the engineer Naomi Leonard and composer Dan Trueman on Rhythm Bots, a project investigating collective motion and rhythmic connection with robots, and plays traditional Irish flute with the group HUP! Lighting designers are supported by the Mary-Louise and James S.Aagaard Lighting Director Endowed Chair. CHRIS MARAVICH REVIVAL LIGHTING DESIGNER Lyric’s lighting director served in the same position from 2006 to 2012 at San Francisco Opera, where he created lighting for many productions including The Gospel of Mary Magdalene, Così fan tutte, Turandot, Cyrano de Bergerac, Il trittico, Tosca, Simon Boccanegra, Don Giovanni, Nixon in China, and Attila . He has collaborated on the lighting designs for Wozzeck (Finnish National Opera, Grand Théâtre de Genève), Doktor Faust at Staatsoper Stuttgart, Tannhäuser for Greek National Opera, and La fanciulla del West , The Makropulos Case , The Daughter of the Regiment , Il trovatore , Samson et Dalila , and Macbeth for San Francisco Opera. Maravich has also designed lighting for LA Opera, Opera Colorado, San Diego Opera, Opera Santa Barbara, Lyric Opera of Kansas City, Florida Grand Opera, Madison Opera, Cal Performances, and Opera San José. He currently serves as lighting supervisor for The Joffrey Ballet. Chris Maravich is supported by the Mary-Louise and James S.Aagaard Lighting Director Endowed Chair. MICHAEL BLACK CHORUS DIRECTOR The Australian chorus director joined Lyric full time in the 2012/13 Season, after having served as interim director the season before. He was named Head of Music at Lyric, a new position, in the 2023/24 Season. Black was Chorus Director at Opera Australia in Sydney from 2001 to 2013, and has worked in this capacity for such distinguished organizations as the Edinburgh International Festival and Opera Holland Park (London), and, in Australia, the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, the Philharmonia Choir, Motet Choir, the Cantillation chamber choir, and the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. In Chicago, Black became the first chorus director to work with the choruses of Lyric, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and the Grant Park Music Festival, where he served for six seasons, including preparation of The Damnation of Faust chorus and Haydn’s Creation . Last summer, he worked with the Young Artists at Opera Australia and the apprentice singers at the Santa Fe Opera, and he has lectured or given masterclasses at the University of Chicago and Northwestern University. Black has served as chorus director for close to 140 different operas on four continents, and his work has been recorded and/or aired on ABC, BBC, PBS, for many HD productions in movie theaters, and on television. Michael Black is supported by the Howard A. Stotler Chorus Director Endowed Chair. JOHN METZNER WIG & MAKEUP DESIGNER The versatile designer first joined the staff of Lyric for the 2022/23 Season. He has previously collaborated with Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Lookingglass Theatre, and Court Theatre. He served for nine years as Head of Wig and Makeup for Webster University’s Conservatory of Theatre Arts, and designed hair and makeup for more than 50 performances at The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis. Other regional credits include work at The Muny, Great River Shakespeare Festival, and Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, where he designed for The Pirates of Penzance , among many other productions. His advanced training includes wig styling at the Wig Room Training Academy and London School of Wig Making. John Metzner is supported by The Marlys A. Beider Wigmaster and Makeup Designer Endowed Chair.