Lyric Opera of Chicago Announces 2026-27 Season Featuring Don Giovanni

The Lyric Opera of Chicago announced the schedule for its 2026-27 season on April 9, 2026. The upcoming programming features a blend of operatic classics, modern American stories, and musical theater, including six mainstage operas and two Lyric premieres.

The season opens with Mozart’s Don Giovanni, running from October 10 to November 1, 2026. This production, a tale of deceit and retribution focusing on the downfall of the womanizer Don Juan, will be directed by former Goodman Theatre artistic director Robert Falls and conducted by Lyric Opera music director Enrique Mazzola.

The cast for Don Giovanni is led by Christian Van Horn, Kyle Ketelsen, and Mané Galoyan. The production holds significant historical weight for the company, as Don Giovanni was the first production ever staged by the Lyric Opera of Chicago in 1954. The company has since mounted the work in 1961, 1964, 1969, 1980, 1988-89, 1995-96, and 2004-05. Robert Falls previously directed versions of the opera at the Lyric during the 2014-15 and 2019-20 seasons.

Lyric Premieres and Modern Works

Running concurrently with a portion of the Don Giovanni schedule, the Lyric premiere of Omar will take place from October 23 to October 28, 2026. This production marks the local premiere of the 2022 opera, which originally debuted at the Spoleto Festival USA in Charleston, South Carolina.

Composed by Michael Abels and MacArthur Genius Grant recipient Rhiannon Giddens, the score for Omar won a Pulitzer Prize. The work is inspired by the memoir of Omar ibn Said, a 19th-century Islamic scholar. The narrative follows the capture of Omar in West Africa, his passage across the Atlantic Ocean, and his subsequent enslavement in South Carolina, where he uses writing to challenge his faith and confront his circumstances. The production is interpreted by director Kaneza Schaal.

Additional Mainstage Productions

The 2026-27 season also includes Gaetano Donizetti’s 1842 classic Don Pasquale, which is scheduled for November 12 to November 27, 2026. The plot centers on a wealthy lifelong bachelor, Don Pasquale, who seeks to marry not for love, but as a means to spite his nephew, Ernesto, who is in love with a widow without means.

Other mainstage operas announced for the season include Susannah and La traviata.

Returning to the stage after a four-season hiatus, the Lyric Opera will bring back its summer musical tradition with a fresh production of Guys and Dolls.

Concerts and Special Events

Beyond the mainstage operas and the summer musical, the 2026-27 season incorporates a variety of concert and multimedia experiences. Music Director Enrique Mazzola is slated to conduct five major works throughout the season.

The season’s expanded offerings include:

• One opera performed in concert.
• Two concerts specifically showcasing the Lyric Opera Chorus, and Orchestra.
• Two films presented with live music.
• A special concert of arias and duets featuring SeokJong Baek and Sondra Radvanovsky.