Lyric Music & More: February 8

Have you explored the 2022/23 Season yet? Last week we announced our new season, and we could not be more excited about all that lies ahead. With two newly commissioned world premiere operas, three important mainstage works never before performed at Lyric, plus beloved favorite titles and world-class artists, there’s so much to enjoy. Watch the season trailer and enjoy the thrilling new 2022/23 Season lineup.

Plus, hear Terence Blanchard and Charles M. Blow discuss the origins of the opera Fire Shut Up in My Bones, watch Christian Van Horn and Denyce Graves perform the Toreador Song from Carmen, listen to a WFMT broadcast of Rising Stars in Concert, and fall in love with mezzo-sopranos in five minutes.

Charles M. Blow, author of his best-selling memoir Fire Shut Up in My Bones — the basis for Terence Blanchard’s opera — sits down with the composer to discuss the new work, its origins, and how it has made history.

Listen in

In a performance at the 44th annual Kennedy Center Honors, bass-baritone Christian Van Horn — who will star in Verdi’s Ernani — and mezzo-soprano Denyce Graves perform the fan-favorite Toreador Song from Bizet’s Carmen, which will also be performed in the 2022/23 Season.

Watch now

On Sunday, February 13 at 7pm, tune in to WFMT 98.7 or livestream at wfmt.com to hear Rising Stars in Concert, a delightful, full performance showcasing the talented artists in the Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center Ensemble with the Lyric Opera Orchestra, conducted by Enrique Mazzola.

If you love the sound of the mezzo-soprano voice — from Carmen and Delilah to Cherubino — or if you are interested in learning more about it, this article from The New York Times will give you a new appreciation for this beautiful voice type. Hear recommended listening from J’Nai Bridges, Susan Graham, Marilyn Horne, and more.

Fall in love