Top 5 Must-See Performances of The Lyric Opera of Chicago’s 2018-19 Season

By David Salazar

The 2018-19 season at the Lyric Opera of Chicago is going to be a lot of fun. The company will be showcasing quite a number of new productions and bringing in some major stars for returns or debuts with the company.

Let’s look at the top five performers that excite us most in this upcoming season.

Anna Netrebko

The Russian diva is going to give a recital on December 2, 2018 in her first performance with the company since 2013 when she did “La Bohème.” Just one performance. No opera. A recital. But Netrebko is a pleasure in anything she does and this recital will undeniably be one of the must-see events of the 2018-19 season anywhere in the world.

Matthew Polenzani 

When the American tenor took on “Idomeneo” at the Met in 2016-17, he was a instant hit, earning rave reviews everywhere. “Idomeneo’s plight is a challenging one to identify with, but Polenzani manages to create the empathy essential to keeping this drama relevant and immersive,” said OperaWire’s review. Now audiences who missed that rendition will get another chance to see the tenor undoubtedly shine once more.

Nina Stemme 

She is moving out of her prime years and vocally she isn’t as refined as she once was. But Stemme is still gold when she’s onstage. She’s a visceral actress that matches her physical embodiment of her characters with her vocal characterization. Her Elektra was incredible when she brought it to the Met a few years ago. Her Chicago debut should be no different.

Russell Thomas

The American tenor is one of the true great Verdi voices around. He’s got a promising future as “Otello” and there is no doubt that his upcoming performances of “Don Carlo” in Washington are going to be talked about for some time. So it is obviously going to be exciting to hear him sing the composer’s midperiod masterwork “Il Trovatore” showcasing his full vocal arsenal. The cast around him is remarkable, but a strong Manrico could steal the show. Thomas is more than capable of that.

Michael Fabiano

The American tenor is set to appear in one of his signature roles. If you’ve been following his career over the past year, you know that Fabiano has dominated the role of Rodolfo from “La Bohème” everywhere he has sung. His voice simply suits the role perfectly. That won’t change in Chicago.

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