Harris Theater Announced 2018/19 Mainstage Season

The Harris Theater for Music and Dance announces its mainstage season lineup for 2018-19, as the Theater celebrates 15 years as a cultural anchor in downtown Chicago.

The nine engagements range from classical Indian dance with origins in the 2nd century, to opera masterworks of the Italian canon and French Baroque, to an iconic story ballet reimagined in a contemporary and politically-charged setting. Whether through the preservation of cultural heritage, the transformation of classic works in response to a changing world, or the creation of something entirely new, each presentation insists that great art is always relevant and has the power to transcend any boundary.

Headlining the season are: the Chicago debut of Opera Atelier, one of the leading interpreters of French baroque opera, before the company heads to the Royal Opera House at the Palace of Versailles; the exclusive US presentation of English National Ballet in Akram Khan's Giselle, winner of the 2017 Laurence Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in Dance; and the return of Teatro Regio Torino, the Italian opera house led by Gianandrea Noseda, with its acclaimed concert production of Giuseppe Verdi's I vespri siciliani.

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This season is the first curated entirely by Patricia Barretto, who assumed the post of Alexandra C. and John D. Nichols President and CEO Endowed Chair in 2017. She had previously served as the Theater's Vice President of External Affairs, and before that, Executive Director of Opera Atelier.

"I am proud to uphold the Harris Theater's reputation for bringing the very best music and dance to Chicago audiences, while bringing my unique point of view to our presenting series," said Barretto, "The upcoming season not only features artists and ensembles of the highest caliber, but also grapples with important issues of our time and reflects a multitude of voices across cultures and continents."

The 2018-19 Mix at Six, Chamber Music Society, Beyond the Aria, and Exelon Family Series, to be announced in March, will round out the diverse lineup of artists coming to the Harris Theater's Elizabeth Morse Genius Stage next season.

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