Lyric Music & More: February 9

Today, we are thrilled to share the documentary Creating The Factotum with you. In this fascinating short film, you’ll get an inside look at the development of a new opera that expands the boundaries of traditional repertoire in exciting ways. Baritone and Ryan Opera Center alumnus Will Liverman and DJ/recording artist DJ King Rico create a groundbreaking new work inspired by Rossini's The Barber of Seville set in a present-day Black barbershop in Chicago. The Factotum combines operatic singing with hip-hop, barbershop, gospel, funk, neo soul, and R&B music.

Chicago filmmaker Raphael Nash has captured the behind-the-scenes process of creating this new work and brings us backstage to meet the artists, hear from the creators, and feel the energy of a new opera being born. We hope you enjoy the video and we look forward to sharing more with you as Lyric continues to support the project's development.

Then, get ready for Valentine’s Day with some of the best opera couples, see why Enrique Mazzola is excited for Sole e Amore, take an arts and culture tour of Chicago, and watch tenor and Ryan Opera Center alumnus David Portillo sing “La rosa y el sauce” (“The rose and the willow”).

While love and romance is a common theme in opera, there are usually more heartaches than happy endings. Here to break that melancholic trend are our top-10 opera couples who finally got their “happily ever after.”

Meet the couples

Who doesn’t need a little sun and love this month? Join Lyric’s Music Director Designate Enrique Mazzola and members of the Ryan Opera Center 2020/21 Ensemble for an informal, semi-staged exploration of songs by Italian opera composers when Sole e Amore (Sun and Love) premieres on Sunday, February 21 at 6:00pm CT.

Feel the love

Anyone who lives in Chicago will tell you that it is full of world-class cultural institutions. While health restrictions are keeping us at home, these organizations continue to find ways to connect with Chicagoans. Ahead of Valentine’s Day, we’re sharing the love and highlighting some of the things we’re most excited about.

See what’s out there