Following the world premiere of the “Cycles of My Being” at Opera Philadelphia, Lyric Unlimited, a division of Lyric Opera of Chicago will present the work.

The new song cycle explores the realities of life as a black man in America and was composed by Tyshawn Sorey with lyrics by Terrance Hayes. Tenor Lawrence Brownlee will perform the cycle in a solo recital with pianist Myra Huang on Thursday, Feb. 22.

The Chicago premiere will be in a one-night-only performance, presented during Black History Month at the DuSable Museum and later will be shown at Carnegie Hall for its New York premiere on April 24, where it will be presented as part of the venue’s 125 Commissions Project in Zankel Hall.

In a Press release tenor, Brownlee noted, “I’m honored to be working with the extraordinary talents of Tyshawn and Terrance on this new song cycle, and I’m grateful to Opera Philadelphia, Carnegie Hall, and Lyric Unlimited for making it possible. In these divided times, we hope to create something that brings people together with mutual respect, understanding, and communication across races and generations.”

In working with its vision Vice President for Lyric Unlimited, Cayenne Harris said, “Lyric Unlimited strives to collaborate with organizations across Chicago, commission and present new works exploring relevant issues and stories, and introduce opera and singing to new audiences.’