Alexander Soddy

Lyric Opera of Chicago

The Lyric Opera of Chicago 2026/27 Season kicks off with a thrilling fable of deceit and retribution. Under the baton of Music Director Enrique Mazzola, sharp humor, high drama, and an exquisite score intertwine in the story of a charismatic seducer whose unrepentant lustfulness brings about a most spectacular demise.

Singing with a voice that can “shake the heavens” (Opera Today), bass-baritone and Lyric veteran Christian Van Horn stars as one of opera’s most infamous anti-heroes, crowning a stellar cast. 

Don Giovanni

Lyric Opera House

MacArthur “Genius Grant” recipient Rhiannon Giddens and celebrated co-composer Michael Abels bring their profoundly moving story of the human spirit to Lyric Opera of Chicago.

Inspired by the memoir of 19th-century Islamic scholar Omar ibn Said, this breathtaking work spins a musical narrative of Omar’s capture in West Africa, journey across the Atlantic Ocean, and enslavement in South Carolina, where he confronts his circumstances and challenges his faith through a series of indelible writings.

Omar

Immerse yourself in the rococo grandeur of 19th-century Rome in this fizzy comedy of errors, returning to the Lyric Opera of Chicago stage for the first time in more than a decade with a vivid, period production directed by Mariame Clément.

Donizetti’s lively score animates the story of the aging bachelor Don Pasquale, whose disowned nephew enlists his wry fiancée and the Don’s long-suffering doctor to orchestrate a complex series of dupes and double-crosses in a bid to reclaim his uncle’s inheritance — all in the name of true love.

Don Pasquale

Valiant heroes on quests for divine glory. Ghostly figures doomed to wander the earth seeking revenge. Bloody battles between men and immortals, and golden sunrises over majestic mountaintops.

These are just a few of the fantastical images conjured by the powerful and vividly expressive music of Richard Wagner, whose jaw-dropping operas supplied some of the most memorable themes in history and redefined the art of musical storytelling for all time.

Wagner: Myth & Music