Harris Theater's 2017-18 'Beyond the Aria' Series Continues Tonight with Christine Goerke & More

The Harris Theater for Music and Dance, in association with Lyric Unlimited, has announced the return of Beyond the Aria - the highly acclaimed performance series produced by the Harris Theater which pairs internationally celebrated opera singers of Lyric's mainstage alongside rising stars from The Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center at Lyric Opera of Chicago.

Beyond the Aria offers audiences a one-night-only experience with some of the greatest operatic talents of our generation in an intimate, "cabaret style" setting on the enclosed stage of the Pritzker Pavilion at Millennium Park. The artists perform a program of their choosing which may include opera, art song, Broadway standards, folk song, jazz, and more, with piano accompaniment by Beyond the Aria's Artistic Director Craig Terry. Each program presents a unique opportunity for the artists to perform in duet or trio, and is always a surprise for audiences to experience together.

These performances are sure to sell out. Reserve your seats now with a series subscription to these five incredible performances on October 2 (already completed), November 7, February 5, March 1, and May 17 (full details below). Purchase choral riser subscriptions for $250 HERE; single choral riser tickets are $60, and go on sale in September (date TBA). In addition, a limited number of cabaret table subscriptions remain, which start at $875 per seat. To reserve a cabaret table subscription, call 312.334.2482 or email support@harristheaterchicago.org.

"The audience for Beyond the Aria was one of the most joyful and enthusiastic I've ever sung for. The venue makes the connection between artist and audience palpable, and really allows for mutual up-close communication in a way that's hard to find anywhere else," said Annie Rosen, a recent alumna of Lyric's Ryan Opera Center.

This season, audiences will share the stage with very special guests- Christine Goerke, one of the most sought-after dramatic sopranos of her generation singing Brünnhilde in this season's Die Walküre; Lawrence Brownlee, a Bel Canto sensation and star of last spring's Charlie Parker's Yardbird; and Nicole Cabell, the 2005 BBC Cardiff Singer of the World. Other acclaimed performers from Lyric's 2017-2018 season include: tenor Dmitry Korchak and soprano Andriana Chuchman, the co-stars of the new production of Orphée et Eurydice; bass-baritone Eric Owens, Wotan in the second installment of Lyric's new Ring Cycle; baritone Anthony Clark Evans, a Ryan Opera Center alumnus starring in I Puritani; tenor Andrew Stenson, Ferrando in the winter production of Così fan tutte; and soprano Ana María Martínez, Fiordiligi in Così and Marguerite for the final performance of Faust. Joining them are Ryan Opera Center Ensemble members: soprano Ann Toomey, mezzo-soprano Lindsay Metzger, contralto Lauren Decker, tenor Mario Rojas, baritone Emmett O'Hanlon, and bass Patrick Guetti.

"The unique parameters of our series have afforded me some of the most meaningful and unforgettable moments of my musical life, and sharing them with our incredibly enthusiastic audience has been a thrill," said Artistic Director Craig Terry. "Our Ryan Opera Center participants always tell me that in their time at Lyric, this is one of their most cherished memories, because they for one night get to stand beside their operatic idols as an equal."

The Harris Theater gratefully acknowledges generous support from Kenneth R. Norgan, Beyond the Aria Series Presenting Sponsor. Additional support has been provided by the Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation, Series Lead Foundation Sponsor.

Choral riser subscriptions are available for web purchase HERE and through the Harris Theater Box Office at 205 East Randolph Drive, 312.334.7777. For table subscriptions please call 312.334.2482 or emailsupport@harristheaterchicago.org.

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UPCOMING DATES & ARTISTS FOR BEYOND THE ARIA:

Tuesday, November 7, 2017, 7:30 PM

Featuring Christine Goerke, soprano • Eric Owens, bass-baritone • Lauren Decker, contralto

Monday, February 5, 2018, 7:30 PM

Featuring Lawrence Brownlee, tenor • Anthony Clark Evans, baritone • Ann Toomey, soprano

Thursday, March 1, 2018, 7:30 PM

Featuring Ana María Martínez, soprano • Andrew Stenson, tenor • Lindsay Metzger, mezzo-soprano

Thursday, May 17, 2018, 7:30 PM

Featuring Nicole Cabell, soprano • Mario Rojas, tenor • Patrick Guetti, bass

••• All programs, prices, and dates are subject to change •••

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The Joan W. and Irving B. Harris Theater for Music and Dance is Chicago's primary residence for music and dance, connecting diverse audiences with outstanding artists from across the city, the nation, and the world.

Opened in November 2003, the 1,525-seat state-of-the art performance venue opened in Chicago's Millennium Park was the first multi-use performance venue built in downtown Chicago since 1929. Now in its fourteenth season, the Theater features the most diverse offerings of any venue in Chicago and has earned national recognition as a distinctive model for collaboration, performance, and artistic advancement.

The Theater's mission falls into three central areas of focus: support and advocacy for local music and dance companies, community engagement and educational programs, and the presentation of national and International Artists.

Seeing its mission realized, the Harris Theater's original group of 12 resident companies has grown to include 30 diverse organizations including Chicago Gay Men's Chorus, Chicago Symphony Orchestra'sMusicNow, Giordano Dance Chicago, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, and Music of the Baroque, and collaborations with Lyric Opera of Chicago, National Museum of Mexican Art, Chicago Humanities Festival, and Columbia College Chicago.

The Theater supports these resident companies with subsidized rental, technical expertise, marketing support, and professional development opportunities, allowing the organizations to focus on what they do best-bringing the finest in music and dance performances to the public.

The Harris Theater is also dedicated to presenting the highest quality artistic programming, bringing celebrated artists and ensembles from throughout the world to Chicago through the Harris Theater Presents series. The Theater has achieved widespread recognition as a vital cultural anchor in Chicago, bringing artists such as Daniel Barenboim, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Joshua Bell, Renée Fleming, Hamburg Ballet, Paris Opéra Ballet, and Stephen Sondheim, and many others to the Elizabeth Morse Genius Stage.

The Harris Theater's community engagement initiatives aim to inspire people of all ages and communities, and nurture the next generation of artists and audiences. Ongoing programs include arts education partnerships and Access Tickets, which since 2009 has provided over 13,000 fully underwritten tickets to children, students, and families from more than 35 partner organizations.

To learn more about the Harris Theater, visit HarrisTheaterChicago.org. Call the Box Office at 312.334.7777 to request a brochure or additional information.

The Harris Theater for Music and Dance, Chicago's state-of-the art 1,525-seat performance venue, can also be found on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Beyond the Aria Artistic Director and pianist Craig Terry has launched an international career regularly performing with the world's leading singers and instrumentalists. Currently Mr. Terry serves as Music Director of The Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center at Lyric Opera of Chicago after having spent eleven seasons at Lyric as Assistant Conductor. Previously, he served as Assistant Conductor at the Metropolitan Opera after joining its Lindemann Young Artist Development Program. Mr. Terry has performed with such esteemed vocalists as Jamie Barton, Stephanie Blythe, Christine Brewer, Nicole Cabell, Sasha Cooke, Eric Cutler, Danielle De Niese, Joyce DiDonato, Renée Fleming, Susan Graham, Denyce Graves, Bryan Hymel, Brian Jagde, Joseph Kaiser, Quinn Kelsey, Kate Lindsey, Ana María Martínez, Susanna Phillips, Luca Pisaroni, Patricia Racette, Hugh Russell, Bo Skovhus, Garrett Sorenson, Heidi Stober, and Amber Wagner. He has collaborated as a chamber musician with members of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, the Lyric Opera of Chicago Orchestra, the Gewandhaus Orchester, and the Pro Arte String Quartet.

Lyric Unlimited, a division of Lyric Opera of Chicago, offers a multifaceted program of education, community engagement and artistic initiatives. The purpose of Lyric Unlimited is to provide a relevant cultural service to communities throughout the Chicago area, including communities for whom opera and opera companies have been largely irrelevant; to explore a wide range of ways in which Lyric can collaborate with cultural and community organizations throughout the area; and to advance the development of opera, exploring ways in which opera as an art form can resonate more powerfully, and in a range of different ways, with people of multiple backgrounds, ethnicities, and interests. In the 2016/17 season, more than 100,00 individuals participated in Lyric Unlimited programs. For more information about Lyric Unlimited program offerings, visit lyricopera.org/lyricunlimited.

The Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center is the professional artist development program for Lyric Opera of Chicago. Since its inception in 1974*, the Ryan Opera Center has been recognized as one of the premier programs of its kind in the world. That standing is maintained by providing the finest up-and-coming singers and pianists with unparalleled training and experience. The program is administered by Dan Novak, director; Craig Terry, music director; Julia Faulkner, director of vocal studies; and Renée Fleming, advisor.

Each year the Ryan Opera Center selects 12-15 gifted young artists to join its program from more than 400 applicants. Beginning in the spring, they arrive to join the full-year residency program, under the guidance of Novak, Terry, Faulkner, and Fleming, as well as Anthony Freud, Sir Andrew Davis and numerous other opera professionals. Ensemble members are immediately immersed into the world of opera and vocal performance. Coaching sessions and master classes are augmented by performance and understudy experience in Lyric Opera's regular season productions as well as other Ryan Opera Center concerts and recitals. For more information, visit lyricopera.org/ryanoperacenter. *originally The Opera School of Chicago, then the Lyric Opera Center for American Artists; known as the Ryan Opera Center since September 2006.

Lyric Opera of Chicago's mission is to express and promote the life-changing, transformational, revelatory power of great opera. Lyric exists to provide a broad, deep, and relevant cultural service to Chicago and the nation, and to advance the development of the art form.

Founded in 1954, Lyric is dedicated to producing and performing consistently thrilling, entertaining, and thought-provoking opera with a balanced repertoire of core classics, lesser-known masterpieces, and new works; to creating an innovative and wide-ranging program of community engagement and educational activities; and to developing exceptional emerging operatic talent.

Under the leadership of general director Anthony Freud, music director Sir Andrew Davis, and creative consultant Renée Fleming, Lyric strives to become The Great North American Opera Company for the 21st century: a globally significant arts organization embodying the core values of excellence, relevance, and fiscal responsibility. For more information, visit lyricopera.org.

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