Chicago Lyric Opera Orchestra

Lyric Musicians: Never Just One Stage – Part 2

We’re back in the pit preparing for two major productions, each with its own world, its own sound, and its own emotional voltage: Madama Butterfly and El último sueño de Frida y Diego… but during the two week opera break, our musicians were anything but quiet.

If you’ve been following along, you already know the pattern: Lyric musicians do not exactly “take a break.”

They simply change centuries and/or venues.

Last week, several members of the Lyric Opera Orchestra took the stage with Music of the Baroque for Baroque Blockbusters! And yes, the title delivered.

Under the direction of Richard Egarr, the program dove headfirst into 17th and 18th century brilliance. Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 brought sparkling virtuosity, with Egarr himself stepping to the harpsichord for those electrifying solos. Handel’s Silete venti gave soprano Rowan Pierce the chance to unleash pure vocal fireworks, and Purcell’s Suite from The Fairy Queen added joy, color, and just the right amount of royal flair.

From grand opera to ballet to Baroque fireworks. Different centuries. Different wigs. Same musicians bringing style, precision, and heart to every note.

And if you caught it at the Harris Theater or the North Shore Center, you know exactly what we mean.

📷 Performance photo credit:

Lyric Musicians: Never Just One Stage - Part 1

After our Soloists series, you can probably guess the bigger theme: the Lyric Opera Orchestra stays busy, even when the calendar looks “in between.”

Yes, our soloists are out there shining, and at the same time the rest of the orchestra is very much in motion too.

Right now, many of our musicians are in the pit for our ongoing partnership with The Joffrey Ballet , bringing serious musical power to American Icons.

You already heard about Susan, Rebecca, and Jeremy taking on Robert Starer’s virtuosic Concerto A Tre as featured soloists.

But they are not alone down there. The pit is full of familiar Lyric faces, trading opera intensity for ballet precision, sparkle, and lift.

This program is a full tour of styles: Arpino’s Kettentanz brings that Viennese elegance and youthful charm, Graham’s Secular Games is bold and playful with Starer’s edge underneath, Joffrey’s Postcards gives us a witty little slice of early 1900s Paris set to Satie, and Tetley’s Voluntaries soars with emotional depth on Poulenc’s Concerto in G Minor for Organ, Strings, and Timpani.

Opera one week. Ballet the next.

Different stories. Different styles. Same musicians bringing it all to life.

From Strauss sparkle to Poulenc gravity, from Graham intensity to Arpino charm, the Lyric Opera Orchestra musicians are right there, making every leap, turn, and landing feel inevitable.

Catch us in the pit. We promise we’re having just as much fun as it looks.

The Soloists of the Lyric Opera Orchestra – Part 2

As you saw in our last post, even when the opera is not officially in session, the musicians are busy and the opera house is still very much alive.

Right now, three of our own are stepping into the spotlight in Joffrey Ballet’s American Icons, on the Lyric stage.

And not just stepping in.
Triple concerto stepping in.

Robert Starer’s Concerto A Tre for Clarinet, Trumpet, Trombone and Strings, composed in 1954, is virtuosic, lyrical, punchy, soaring… basically a full personality test for brass and winds!

And it pairs perfectly with Martha Graham’s powerhouse choreography.

Leading the charge:

Assistant Principal Clarinet Susan Warner
Acting Assistant Principal Trumpet Rebecca Oliverio
Principal Trombone Jeremy Moeller

Clarinets dancing through impossible lines.
Trumpet brilliance slicing through the texture.
Trombone bringing depth, warmth, and just enough swagger.

All while dancers move with that unmistakable Graham intensity above them.

It’s athletic. It’s electric. It’s Chicago artistry at its finest.

We’ve already completed five performances, and there are five more starting this Thursday, so there’s still time to grab tickets.

The opera house may be between cycles… but the music never stops.

More Soloists of the Lyric Opera Orchestra coming soon.

ConcertoATre FromThePit ChicagoMusic

We’re baaaack for the second half of the season and starting strong: SALOME🩸opens this Sunday!

We’ve been hard at work in rehearsals, and are ready to unleash this powerhouse with a MASSIVE orchestra.🤘🏻(we are only a _little_ squished! 😅 )

Don’t miss the chance to see this amazing (and appropriately bloody) production and to experience the power of Strauss’s epic and electrifying score in person!

…And don’t forget to peek into the pit to get a glimpse of our biggest orchestra of the year, led by Maestro

Heads will Roll!