Lyric Family Favorites: December 16

With the year coming to a close, we’re so grateful for subscribers and donors like you. We hope you are enjoying holiday celebrations and the company of loved ones this season. To help brighten your weekend, we bring you a beautiful performance of the traditional carol “The Holly and the Ivy,” performed by Ryan Opera Center soprano Kathryn Henry and pianist Michael Banwarth. You can see the tremendous talents of the entire Ryan Opera Center Ensemble at Rising Stars in Concert on April 13 — save the date!

Plus, watch the film of Lawrence Brownlee & Friends, see Russell Thomas perform “Celeste Aida,” dive into Rossini’s lesser-known music with The Sonata Sessions, and learn more about soprano Whitney Morrison.

You can now watch the filmed concert Lawrence Brownlee & Friends streaming free in its entirety. This concert of vocal excellence features performances by Lawrence Brownlee, Lisette Oropesa, Ronnita Miller, and more, plus never-before-seen interviews with the artists.

Beginning March 9, Enrique Mazzola will conduct Verdi’s grand masterpiece, Aida. For a small taste, watch this video of the Act I aria "Celeste Aida" performed by Russell Thomas, who stars as Radamès, the young warrior who falls in love with the princess Aida.

Rossini’s Cinderella opens January 21, and if you’re looking to get to know some more of the composer’s work, you can watch performances of some of his early string sonatas in Enrique Mazzola’s virtual concert project, The Sonata Sessions, from 2021.

Dig in

Soprano Whitney Morrison got her start here in Chicago, taking voice lessons at South Rich High School and later joined the Ryan Opera Center. She has since taken on major roles at Lyric, including Fire Shut Up in My Bones and Proximity. Learn more about this incredible artist and don’t miss her in Champion.

Get to know her