Lyric by the numbers
Many hands make great opera.
Presenting live opera takes an enormous amount of people, resources, and financial support. This season, Lyric Opera of Chicago impressed with a number of jaw-dropping productions, dazzling talent, and a feeling of true giddiness for the upcoming season.
Keep reading to see the numbers behind what made Lyric's 2018/19 Season great.
35 performers
made their Lyric debuts this season, including opera stars Michael Fabiano, Nina Stemme, Siobhan Stagg, and Burkhard Fritz.
100,000 tickets
sold to our production of West Side Story—enough to fill the United Center four times!
100,000 tickets
sold to our production of West Side Story—enough to fill the United Center four times!
154 instrumentalists
took to the orchestra pit. Beyond our regular 74-piece orchestra, 42 extra instrumentalists and 38 band members filled the theater with marvelous music.
62 vocalists
engulfed us in their magnificent sound. This season's chorus included 48 regular members, 12 core supplementary singers, and an additional 12 supplementary singers.
62 vocalists
engulfed us in their magnificent sound. This season's chorus included 48 regular members, 12 core supplementary singers, and an additional 12 supplementary singers.
28 roles
inspired us to dream big. Members The Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center (Lyric's resident artist training program) performed in our mainstage productions—additionaly, Ensemble Members understudied 35 roles this season!
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Your support will ensure that this great art form will have a home in Chicago for generations to come. Make a tax-deductible contribution today and join the thousands of passionate Lyric donors who champion our work each season.
Photos: Todd Rosenberg, Jaclyn Simpson, Kyle Flubacker