Lidiya Yankovskaya
The Board of Directors of Chicago Opera Theater (COT), Chicago’s foremost producer of new and reimagined opera, announced today that Lidiya Yankovskaya will step down from her position as Morse and Genius Music Director at the end of the company’s 2023-24 50th Anniversary season. Her final appearance on the podium as COT’s Music Director will be this winter as she leads the Chicago premiere of Shostakovich’s The Nose, in a new production by Francesca Zambello at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance, December 8 and 10. Further, Yankovskaya will continue to lead Chicago Opera Theater’s Vanguard Initiative, the immersive training and residency program for first-time opera composers which she created for the company in 2018.
“I have had the opportunity to collaborate with Lidiya for almost ten years and she is – without a doubt – one of the most exciting conductors working today,” said Chicago Opera Theater Edlis Neeson General Director Lawrence Edelson. “The passion she brings to the podium is contagious and her musical gifts are without question, so it should come as no surprise that she has become in great demand around the globe. Her recent debuts at Santa Fe Opera, Houston Grand Opera, English National Opera, and Staatsoper Hamburg point to an increasingly dynamic career of musical leadership internationally. We are excited to see her continue to enrich the operatic landscape, and are exploring opportunities to welcome her back as a guest conductor in future seasons. At the same time, we are thrilled that Lidiya is continuing to make time to remain at the helm of the Vanguard Initiative, as she is such an extraordinary mentor for emerging opera composers, and propelling forward new and emerging operatic writers will continue to figure centrally in the mission of Chicago Opera Theater.”
Since her appointment as Music Director in 2017, Lidiya Yankovskaya’s daring
programming choices and commitment to championing emerging operatic writers have fortified Chicago Opera Theater’s reputation as an innovative contributor to Chicago’s cultural landscape, as well as a national leader in the opera field. Across six seasons, she has spearheaded the commissioning and development of 11 new one-act and full-length operas, proactively advancing women composers and creators of color. Her visionary leadership earned recognition from the Chicago Tribune, which hailed Yankovskaya and COT as “the very model of how to survive adversity, and also how to thrive in it” while naming her 2020 Chicagoan of the Year.
“It was a privilege to be part of steering Chicago Opera Theater through this pivotal time for both the company and the industry at large,” said Ms. Yankovskaya. “I am very proud that we have deepened COT’s commitment to opera as a living art form by introducing more than 25 works to Chicago audiences for the first time, including nearly a dozen world premieres, while continually reaching new artistic heights. I have known new General Director Larry Edelson for many years, and am certain that his deep industry knowledge, artistic vision, and commitment to new repertoire will ensure continued excellence and forward momentum for the company. I’m eager to see the future he will help create, along with our incredible audiences, artists, board, and staff.”
In lieu of immediately hiring a new Music Director, next season, Chicago Opera Theater will create a new Head of Music position to provide musical oversight for the company’s performance season as well as to enrich the training available for emerging singers in COT’s Young Artist Program. COT will also take this opportunity to work with a number of guest conductors as the company continues to produce diverse repertoire. Edelson, an opera industry veteran who was recently appointed as the company’s chief administrative and artistic officer, will lead future repertoire selection and casting, and is working with COT’s board and staff to advance multi-year planning for the organization that builds upon 50 years of innovative programming and service to Chicagoland audiences.
“We have been so honored to have Lidiya lead COT’s musical vision over the past six seasons and we have benefited tremendously from her creativity and talent,” added COT Board President Susan Irion. “All of us at Chicago Opera Theater wish Lidiya great success with all of her future endeavors, and we look forward to welcoming her back to the podium as a guest conductor. We are truly fortunate to have an experienced leader in Larry Edelson who has a proven track record of artistic innovation, and deep-seated relationships across the opera industry. It is incredibly exciting to think about how the company can build upon Lidiya’s tenure, as well as COT’s rich five-decade history, as we continue to celebrate our 50th Anniversary season while planning for a dynamic future.”
Chicago Opera Theater continues its 50th Anniversary season with the Chicago Premiere of Dmitri Shostakovich’s absurdist Russian masterpiece The Nose in two performances only, Friday, December 8 at 7:30 PM and Sunday, December 10 at 3:00 PM at the Harris Theater, 205 E Randolph St. The brand-new production, led by legendary director Francesca Zambello, stars Ukrainian-American baritone Aleksy Bogdanov as Kovalyav and Chicago favorite Curtis Bannister as The Nose, joined by a cast of more than thirty local and national singers. A fitting culmination of Yankovskaya’s impressive tenure as Music Director during which her critically acclaimed leadership of Slavic operas has been a highlight, The Nose will be the ideal opportunity for Chicago audiences to celebrate her tenure with the company.
Following The Nose, Chicago Opera Theater’s 50th Anniversary season continues with the Midwest Premiere of Book of Mountains and Seas January 26, 27 & 28, 2024, the Vanguard Initiative Concert Premiere of The Weight of Light April 27, and the World Premiere tour of Before It All Goes Dark with Music of Remembrance May 25 & 26.
About Lidiya Yankovskaya
Lidiya Yankovskaya is a fiercely committed advocate for Slavic masterpieces, operatic rarities, and contemporary works on the leading edge of classical music. She has recently conducted Eugene Onegin at Staatsoper Hamburg, Symphony of Sorrowful Songs at English National Opera, Carmen at Houston Grand Opera, and Don Giovanni at Seattle Opera. Elsewhere she has led Der Freischütz at Wolf Trap Opera, Edward Tulane at Minnesota Opera, and Taking Up Serpents at Washington National Opera and the Glimmerglass Festival. On the concert stage, recent engagements include Los Angeles Philharmonic, New York Philharmonic, National Symphony Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, and Houston Symphony. Visit lidiyayankovskaya.com to learn more.
About Lawrence Edelson
Lawrence Edelsonis highly respected as a visionary company leader and stage director who has created programs in the areas of artist mentorship and new opera development that have served as models for opera companies across the country. In 2005, Edelson founded American Lyric Theater (ALT), where he serves as Artistic and General Director – a position he holds concurrently with his role as General Director of Chicago Opera Theater. At ALT, Edelson created the Composer Librettist Development Program (CLDP), the first multi-year professional mentorship initiative for emerging opera composers, librettists, and dramaturgs in the country, through which he has shepherded the development of over 20 operas. He was also responsible for initiating the Opera Writers Diversity and Representation Initiative (OWDARI), for which he was recognized in 2021 by Musical America as one of the Top 30 Professionals of the Year. From 2014 to 2022, Edelson also served as Artistic and General Director of Opera Saratoga. During his tenure at Opera Saratoga, Lawrence was responsible for significantly increasing the company’s artistic profile nationally, diversifying the repertoire presented, and increasing community engagement and education programs while simultaneously increasing income in all areas including an increase in ticket sales by over 60%.
About Chicago Opera Theater
Celebrating its 50th Anniversary season in 2023/24, Chicago Opera Theater is a company laser-focused on living its values: expanding the tradition of opera as a living art form, producing high-quality works new to Chicago audiences, identifying top-tier casts and creative talent at the beginning of grand operatic careers, and following through on commitments to equity and access – behind the scenes, on the stage, and in the audience. Since its founding in 1973, COT has grown from a grassroots community-based company to a national leader in an increasingly vibrant, diverse, and forward-looking art form. For more information on Chicago Opera Theater, please visit www.chicagooperatheater.org/
