BEYOND THE ARIA
November 17, 2025 / 7:30PM
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Christine Goerke, soprano
Adia Evans, soprano
Travon D. Walker, tenor
Craig Terry, Artistic Director + pianist
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Letter from Lori Dimun, CEO + President
About The Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center
Join us for the next installment: Beyond the Aria: February 11
Harris Theater Mission Statement | Staff + Board | Our Supporters
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IN ASSOCIATION WITH
A MESSAGE FROM OUR PRESIDENT AND CEO
Dear Friends,
As we enter a holiday season that invites reflection and gratitude, I find myself especially thankful for the vibrant arts ecosystem that defines our city — and for all of you who make it thrive.
Beyond the Aria is a shining example of what’s possible when collaboration and shared vision come together. This series, curated and presented by the Harris Theater, draws upon the extraordinary artistry of the stars performing on the Lyric Opera stage, alongside the exceptional emerging artists of the Ryan Opera Center. Together, they create intimate, transcendent performances that celebrate both mastery and mentorship, and we witness extraordinary breakout moments from the Ryan Opera Center Ensemble — artists who, in real time, rise to new heights before our eyes.
Many of you in this room are part of this ecosystem in multiple ways. You champion Lyric Opera, you invest in the professional growth of the Ryan Opera Center Ensemble, and you sustain the Harris Theater as a home for these artists and for countless others across music and dance. Your support for these interconnected organizations is what empowers the arts in Chicago to flourish.
As we gather tonight, surrounded by remarkable music and community, I want to express my deep gratitude for your shared commitment to ensuring that the arts remain a vital, unifying force in our city.
With heartfelt thanks,
Lori Dimun
Alexandra C. and John D. Nichols President and CEO Endowed Chair
The Joan W. and Irving B. Harris Theater for Music and Dance
ARTIST BIOGRAPHIES
CHRISTINE GOERKE
Soprano Christine Goerke is the recipient of the Richard Tucker Award, the Musical America Vocalist of the Year Award, and the Opera News Award. In the 2025–26 season, Goerke will return to the Bayerische Staatsoper for the title role in Elektra and to the Los Angeles Philharmonic for a fully staged production of Die Walküre as Brünnhilde, conducted by Gustavo Dudamel. On the concert stage, she returns to the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra for Britten’s War Requiem, Oregon Symphony for a Wagner concert highlighting the Liebestodt and Immolation scenes, Boston Lyric Opera for their annual gala, and Wichita Symphony for Verdi’s Messa da Requiem.
She has appeared at many of the world’s leading opera houses, including The Metropolitan Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Bayerische Staatsoper, San Francisco Opera, The Santa Fe Opera, Washington National Opera, Houston Grand Opera, Seattle Opera, Opera Philadelphia, Pittsburgh Opera, New York City Opera, the Glimmerglass Festival, Royal Opera House Covent Garden, Opéra national de Paris, Théâtre du Châtelet, Théâtre du Capitole, Deutsche Oper Berlin, La Scala, Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Teatro Real, Teatro Municipal de Santiago, and the Saito Kinen Festival.
Goerke began her career singing the works of Mozart and Handel, and has since earned international acclaim for her portrayals of the powerful dramatic heroines of Strauss and Wagner. Notable performances include the title roles in Elektra, Turandot, and Ariadne auf Naxos; Der Ring des Nibelungen (Brünnhilde); Parsifal (Kundry); Lohengrin (Ortrud); Fidelio (Leonora); Don Carlos (Eboli); Die Frau ohne Schatten (Die Färberin); Wozzeck (Marie); Les Troyens (Cassandre); Peter Grimes (Ellen Orford); The Rape of Lucretia (Female Chorus); Falstaff (Alice); and Dialogues des Carmélites (Madame Lidoine).
She has appeared with many of the world’s foremost orchestras, including the New York Philharmonic, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Cleveland Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, National Symphony Orchestra, Radio Vara at the Concertgebouw, Sydney Symphony, New World Symphony, Minnesota Orchestra, New Zealand Symphony, Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, BBC Symphony Orchestra at the BBC Proms, NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra, the Hallé Orchestra at the Edinburgh International Festival, and the Bayreuth Festival Orchestra. She has collaborated with many leading conductors of past and present generations, including James Conlon, Sir Andrew Davis, Sir Mark Elder, Christoph Eschenbach, Claus Peter Flor, James Levine, Sir Charles Mackerras, Kurt Masur, Zubin Mehta, Andris Nelsons, Seiji Ozawa, David Robertson, Donald Runnicles, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Robert Shaw, Patrick Summers, Jeffrey Tate, Christian Thielemann, Michael Tilson Thomas, Alan Gilbert, and Edo de Waart.
Her discography includes the Grammy Award–winning recording of Vaughan Williams’s A Sea Symphony with Robert Spano and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra (Best Classical Album and Best Choral Performance), and the Grammy Award–nominated Stabat Mater by Dvořák. Her long collaboration with Robert Shaw also yielded acclaimed recordings of Brahms’s Liebeslieder Waltzes, Poulenc’s Stabat Mater, and Szymanowski’s Stabat Mater. Other notable recordings include Iphigénie en Tauride (title role, Telarc) and Britten’s War Requiem, which won the Grammy Award for Best Choral Performance.
ADIA EVANS
A second-year soprano with The Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center at Lyric Opera of Chicago from Baltimore, Adia Evans sang Theresa Alvarez in The Listeners, Girlfriend 2 in Blue, and Countess Ceprano in Rigoletto in Lyric’s 2024–25 Season.
After participating in the 2025 Britten Pears Young Artist Programme in Aldeburgh, England, Evans presented a recital for the Dame Myra Hess Series in August and then appears at Lyric in El último sueño de Frida y Diego. Recent debuts include The Cliburn in Recital with Jake Heggie, the Dayton Philharmonic (Handel’s Messiah), Annapolis Opera (First Lady in The Magic Flute), Borderland Arts Foundation (Mimì in La Bohème), and the National Orchestra Institute (Beethoven’s 9th with Marin Alsop). She has performed with Santa Fe Opera, Merola Opera Program, Fort Worth Opera, Dallas Opera Guild, Opera Columbus, Tulsa Opera, and Knoxville Opera, among others.
Her numerous honors include the 2025 Lola Fletcher Award from the American Opera Society of Chicago, a 2024 Richard F. Gold Career Grant, an Encouragement Award from the 2024 London Foundation Competition, third place in the 2023 and 2024 Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition, Midwest Region, and first place in the 2023 Dallas Opera Guild Lonestar Vocal Competition.
TRAVON D. WALKER
This season, Travon D. Walker, a third-year tenor with The Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center, will appear at Lyric in Salome. His previous appearances include Borsa in Rigoletto, 1st Prisoner in Fidelio, Son in Blue, and Parpignol in La Bohème. In the 2024–25 season, Walker also made company debuts with Opera Philadelphia in The Anonymous Lover and the North Carolina Symphony, followed by a return to Wolf Trap Opera as a Filene Artist (Dialogues of the Carmelites and Carmen).
Walker received his master’s degree from Rice University, where he sang Sam Kaplan in Street Scene. A native of Hinesville, Georgia, he completed his undergraduate studies at the Eastman School of Music.
The tenor was invited to participate in Renée Fleming’s 2023 SongStudio and Joyce DiDonato’s 2024 Masterclass Series, both at Carnegie Hall, as well as the 2023 Britten Pears Young Artist Programme. Other engagements include the Sinfónica de Minería (Mexico City), Erie Philharmonic, and Houston Grand Opera. Walker received an Encouragement Award from the Kansas City District in the 2023 Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition, the 2024 Best Vocal Artist Award from the American Opera Society, and the 2024 Luminarts Cultural Foundation Men’s Voice Fellowship.
CRAIG TERRY
Grammy Award-winning pianist and arranger Craig Terry enjoys an international career regularly performing with the world’s leading singers and instrumentalists. Currently, Terry serves as Music Director of The Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center at Lyric Opera of Chicago, following eleven seasons at Lyric as Assistant Conductor. Previously, he was an Assistant Conductor at the Metropolitan Opera after joining its Lindemann Young Artist Development Program.
Terry has performed with such esteemed vocalists as Jamie Barton, Stephanie Blythe, Christine Brewer, Lawrence Brownlee, Janai Brugger, Nicole Cabell, Sasha Cooke, Eric Cutler, Danielle de Niese, Joyce DiDonato, Ying Fang, Renée Fleming, Christine Goerke, Susan Graham, Denyce Graves, Bryan Hymel, Brian Jagde, Quinn Kelsey, Kate Lindsey, Amanda Majeski, Ana María Martínez, Eric Owens, Ailyn Pérez, Nicholas Phan, Susanna Phillips, Luca Pisaroni, Patricia Racette, Hugh Russell, Fatma Said, Bo Skovhus, Garrett Sorenson, Heidi Stober, Christian Van Horn, Amber Wagner, and Laura Wilde. He has collaborated as a chamber musician with members of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, the Lyric Opera Orchestra, the Gewandhaus Orchester, and the Pro Arte String Quartet.
Terry’s 2025-26 recital performance schedule includes concerts in North America and Europe with artists including Christine Brewer, Joyce DiDonato, Christine Goerke, Patricia Racette, Hugh Russell, and Christian Van Horn. He is also serving as artist-in-residence for the University of Miami and San Francisco Conservatory of Music. His discography includes five recently released recordings: Diva on Detour with Patricia Racette, As Long As There Are Songs with Stephanie Blythe, Chanson d’Avril with Nicole Cabell, and French Horn Recital from 24 Preludes, Op. 11 - Alexander Scriabin with former Lyric Opera principal horn Jonathan Boen. His latest recording project with Joyce DiDonato, Songplay, released by Warner Classics, received the 2020 Grammy Award for Best Classical Solo Vocal Album.
Terry has appeared on numerous television, radio, and streaming programs, including multiple appearances on both Live from Lincoln Center and Great Performances for PBS, as well as on many programs broadcast on NBC, ABC, and CBS. In May 2021, he was the pianist for the Metropolitan Opera’s Wagnerian Stars Live in Concert, transmitted from the Hessisches Staatstheater in Wiesbaden, Germany.
Terry hails from Tullahoma, Tennessee, and received a Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education from Tennessee Technological University, continued his studies at Florida State University, and received a Masters of Music in Collaborative Piano Performance from the Manhattan School of Music, where he was a student of renowned pianist Warren Jones.
LYRIC OPERA OF CHICAGO
Lyric Opera of Chicago is committed to redefining what it means to experience great opera. The company is driven to deliver consistently excellent artistry through innovative, relevant, celebratory programming that engages and energizes new and traditional audiences.
Under the leadership of General Director, President & CEO John Mangum and Music Director Enrique Mazzola, Lyric is dedicated to reflecting, and drawing strength from, the diversity of Chicago. Lyric offers, through innovation, collaboration, and evolving learning opportunities, ever-more exciting, accessible, and thought-provoking audience and community experiences. We also stand committed to training the artists of the future, through The Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center; and to becoming increasingly diverse across our audiences, staff, programming, and artists — magnifying the welcoming pull of our art form, our company, and our city.
Through the timeless power of voice, the splendor of a great orchestra and chorus, theater, dance, design, and truly magnificent stagecraft, Lyric is devoted to immersing audiences in worlds both familiar and unexpected, creating shared experiences that resonate long after the curtain comes down.
Join us @LyricOpera on Instagram, Facebook, Threads, and TikTok. #LongLivePassion
For more information, visit lyricopera.org
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THE PATRICK G. AND SHIRLEY W. RYAN OPERA CENTER
The Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center is Lyric’s preeminent artist-development program that nurtures the talents of some of the most promising operatic artists of each generation. The program’s Ensemble members earn their coveted spot by successfully auditioning among more than 500 artists worldwide. Its alumni are among the dominant names in opera today. Donor generosity ensures continued unparalleled training, performance experience, and professional readiness of Ensemble members. This highly competitive program, established in 1974, is led by Director Dan Novak, Music Director Craig Terry, and Director of Vocal Studies Julia Faulkner.
For more information, visit: lyricopera.org/ryanoperacenter
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Support the Harris Theater
With your generous contribution, you can play a key role in our mission to be Chicago's primary residence for music and dance, connecting diverse audiences with outstanding artists from across the city, the nation, and the world.
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Land Acknowledgement
The Harris Theater for Music and Dance resides on the traditional homelands of the Council of the Three Fires: the Ojibwe, Odawa, and Potawatomi Nations. Many other tribes such as the Miami, Ho-Chunk, Menominee, Sac, and Fox have also called this area home. The region has long been a center for Indigenous people to gather, trade, and maintain kinship ties. Today, one of the largest urban American Indian communities in the United States resides in Chicago, and members of this community continue to contribute to the life and culture of this city.
To learn more about the practice of land acknowledgement and the importance of honoring native land, visit usdac.us. The Chicagoland region is home to over 65,000 American Indians and the country’s oldest urban-based Native membership community center, American Indian Center Chicago (AIC). Visit aicchicago.org to learn more about AIC’s mission to foster physical and spiritual health in the community, an active connection with traditional values and practices, stronger families with multigenerational bonds, and a rising generation of educated, articulate, and visionary youth.
Photo Credits: Harris Theater Exterior by Hedrich Blessing. Harris Theater Nevelson Reflection by Kyle Flubacker. Beyond the Aria by Kyle Flubacker. Christine Goerke headshot by Arielle Doneson. Adia Evans and Travon D. Walker headshots by Todd Rosenberg. Lyric Opera of Chicago by Todd Rosenberg. The Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center 2025–26 Ensemble by Kyle Flubacker. Harris Theater donors by Kyle Flubacker.