Lyric Family Favorites: February 5

With the full force of winter upon us here in Chicago, we hope you are hunkered down and cozy at home. It’s easy to take for granted the comforts of warmth and family, as the great Ralph Vaughan Williams song, “Whither Must I Wander?” poignantly reminds us. With a beautiful bass-register melody sung by Ryan Opera Center Ensemble member Anthony Reed, our narrator longs for “dear days of old” and “faces in the firelight” as he travels on. We hope you enjoy the latest installment of the Ryan Opera Center At Work series, and that this song warms your day as it has ours.

Plus, watch an interview with soprano Ana María Martínez and tenor David Portillo, mark your calendars for Sole e Amore (Sun and Love), watch the new documentary “Creating The Factotum,” and see our opera streaming picks for this week.

Sole e Amore premieres February 21

A blast of Sun and Love in February? Yes, please! Coming soon to your personal screens is an exciting semi-staged virtual program. From the piano, Maestro Mazzola leads members of the Ryan Opera Center Ensemble in a program by beloved Italian composers. Read the Fra Noi preview, and join us for the premiere at 6:00pm CT on Sunday, February 21.

Mark your calendar

What is the process for creating a groundbreaking new work inspired by Rossini's famed The Barber of Seville, with a contemporary story and musical styles that expand the traditional boundaries of opera? Find out in a new documentary from baritone Will Liverman and DJ/recording artist K-Rico in Creating The Factotum—available to stream now!

Get your popcorn

This week watch a brand-new film of Soldier Songs from Opera Philadelphia, stream Mozart’s Così fan tutte from San Francisco Opera, plus more from The Metropolitan Opera and Atlanta Opera.

Pick a stream