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L Y R I C O P E R A O F C H I C A G O
February 22 - March 19, 2016
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BRENT and KATIE GLEDHILL
Brent and Katie are proud supporters of numerous causes
in Chicago. At Lyric, the Gledhills cosponsored a new
production of
The Sound of Music
(2013/14) and are
generous contributors to this season’s Lyric Unlimited
world premiere
Second Nature
presented in partnership
with the Lincoln Park Zoo. They have also made a
leadership gift to the Breaking New Ground Campaign.
Brent Gledhill is the Global Head of Investment Banking at William Blair & Company
and a member of the firm’s Executive Committee. Lyric is honored to have him serve
on its Board of Directors and Audit Committee, and as Chairman of the Innovation
Committee.
WILLIAM and ETHEL GOFEN
William and Ethel Gofen have been attending Lyric Opera
productions for more than 50 years. They are generous
donors to Lyric’s Annual Campaign, and cosponsored the
Overture Society Luncheons for many years. In 1997, Bill
and Ethel named seats for each other in the Ardis Krainik
Theatre as part of the Building on Greatness Capital
Campaign. This season, the Gofens are cosponsoring
Lyric’s world premiere of
Bel Canto,
based on the novel by Ann Patchett, and are
supporting the opera’s appearance on PBS Great Performances. They have also made a
leadership gift to the Breaking New Ground Campaign. Lyric is thrilled to have Ethel
Gofen as a member of the Board of Directors.
HOWARD GOTTLIEB and BARBARA GREIS
Among Lyric’s most devoted subscribers and patrons,
Howard Gottlieb and Barbara Greis have generously
supported Lyric Opera through major contributions to the
Building on Greatness Capital Campaign, Campaign for
Excellence, Breaking New Ground Campaign, and Annual
Campaign. They have cosponsored many productions,
most recently
Otello
and
Il Trovatore
, and this season
generously cosponsor
The Merry Widow
. Mr. Gottlieb is the retired chairman of the
Glenwood Investment Corporation and an accomplished violinist. Lyric is honored
to have him serve as an active member of Lyric’s Board of Directors, Executive and
Investment Committees.
GRAMMA FISHER FOUNDATION
With an unparalleled record as sponsor of 25 Lyric new productions since the 1960s,
the Gramma Fisher Foundation of Marshalltown, Iowa, is a cornerstone of Lyric’s
legacy of world-class achievement in the arts. The Gramma Fisher Foundation has made
a leadership commitment to cosponsor each of the four operas that make up Wagner’s
Ring
Cycle, starting with
Das Rheingold
(2016/17) and concluding with the complete
Cycles in 2019/20. Lyric is sincerely grateful for the enduring friendship and leadership
of Christine Hunter and other members of the Fisher family. Lyric is fortunate to have
Russell Fisher serve on its Board of Directors and Stephanie Fisher as an esteemed
member of the Women’s Board.
SUE and MELVIN GRAY
Sue and Mel Gray have been steadfast supporters of
Lyric Opera for many years. In 2007, they committed
a significant planned gift as part of the Campaign for
Excellence to ensure Lyric’s future. The Grays have made
a leadership gift to the Breaking New Ground Campaign,
having previously supported the Building on Greatness
Capital Campaign. They continue to be influential
contributors to the Annual Campaign, most recently cosponsoring for five consecutive
years Rising Stars in Concert, the annual showcase for The Patrick G. and Shirley W.
Ryan Opera Center Ensemble. Lyric is honored to have Mel Gray serve on its Board of
Directors, Investment Committee, and Ryan Opera Center Board.
MR. & MRS. DIETRICH M. GROSS
Lyric deeply appreciates the enduring friendship and
tremendous generosity of Dietrich and Erika Gross.
Together, they have sponsored/cosponsored a total of 19
Lyric productions since 1987/88 including last season’s
new production of
Don Giovanni
and this season’s
Der
Rosenkavalier
. Through yearly challenge grants, they also
help generate important momentum for Operathon, Lyric’s
annual fundraising broadcast heard live on 98.7WFMT. They made a leadership gift
to the Breaking New Ground Campaign in support of Lyric’s future. Dietrich Gross is
an esteemed member of Lyric’s Board of Directors and Executive Committee. In 2009,
Lyric recognized the dedicated leadership and vital involvement of Dietrich Gross by
awarding him the Carol Fox Award, Lyric’s most prestigious honor.
JOHN R. HALLIGAN CHARITABLE FUND
John R. Halligan was a devoted subscriber and patron of Lyric for
many years until his death in 2001. With support from his Charitable
Fund under the direction of the Fund’s President, Norman J. Gantz,
Mr. Halligan’s philanthropic legacy continues through very generous
annual contributions to Lyric. The Halligan Fund is proud to support
numerous artistic, cultural, and civic organizations which enhance our
lifestyles, preserve our sense of history and heritage, instill knowledge,
and advance our appreciation of nature. The fund focuses its attention
on organizations based in the Chicago and Honolulu metropolitan areas, being the
communities in which Mr. Halligan resided during his lifetime.
Joe and Pam Szokol and King and Caryn Harris
THE HARRIS FAMILY FOUNDATION
The Harris Family Foundation, represented by
Joe and Pam Szokol and King and Caryn Har-
ris, joined the production sponsorship family
last year as a cosponsor of Lyric’s new produc-
tion of
Tosca
, and are cosponsoring
Nabucco
this season. The Harris Family Foundation has
previously supported the Annual Campaign,
and made a generous commitment to the
Breaking New Ground Campaign to help secure Lyric’s future. Lyric is thrilled to have
Vice President of the Foundation Pam Szokol as a member of its Board of Directors and
serving on its Production Sponsorship Committee. Lyric is also grateful for the dedi-
cated involvement of Caryn Harris. Caryn is an active member of the revered Women’s
Board and has held many leadership positions, most recently as Opera Ball Chair in
2012, and this season as Co-Chair of Opening Night/Opera Ball.
Alyce H. DeCosta
WALTER E. HELLER FOUNDATION
Alyce H. DeCosta was a dedicated philanthropist who loved Chicago
and helped nurture cultural life in the city through her generous
support for the arts and higher education. Mrs. DeCosta was a leading
member of the Lyric family, having served as a National Director of
Lyric’s Board. For many years, she was president of the Walter E. Heller
Foundation, a philanthropic trust named after her late husband, the
founder and Chairman of Walter E. Heller Co., a financial services
firm. The Walter E. Heller Foundation generously funded many Lyric
productions, most recently
Madama Butterfly
(2013/14). This season, the Walter E. Heller
Foundation cosponsors Lyric’s world premiere of
Bel Canto
, and underwrites its appearance
on PBS Great Performances.
J. THOMAS HURVIS
Tom Hurvis is an avid opera fan and longtime Lyric subscriber. As
part of the Breaking New Ground Campaign, Tom and his beloved
late wife Julie made a generous leadership commitment in support of
Lyric Unlimited, comprising the company’s education and community
engagement activities. In an effort to help keep Chicago a haven for
the cultural arts, Tom Hurvis sponsors the Renée Fleming Initiative,
which brings the renowned soprano to our city multiple times each
year. Lyric gratefully acknowledges the Hurvis family’s more than 20 years of contributions
to the Annual Campaign, including support for The Lyric Opera Broadcasts. The Hurvises
previously sponsored three mainstage productions and cosponsor this season’s
The Merry
Widow
starring Renée Fleming. Lyric is honored to have Tom Hurvis serve on its Board of
Directors, Executive Committee, and Lyric Unlimited Committee.
ITW
Lyric Opera deeply appreciates the long tradition of sustaining support from Illinois Tool Works
Inc. (ITW). The company has made vital contributions to the Annual Campaign, the Breaking
New Ground Campaign, the Building on Greatness Capital Campaign, the Great Opera
Fund, 60th Anniversary Concert and Diamond Ball, and Wine Auction, and since 2002, it has
cosponsored the Opera Ball, one of Lyric’s most important traditions. ITW cosponsored
The
Pearl Fishers
(2008/09),
The Barber of Seville
(2001/02),
The Elixir of Love
(2009/10),
Hansel
and Gretel
(2012/13), and
Tosca
(2012/13). Lyric is proud to have past
ITWChairmen and CEOs W. James Farrell, John Nichols, and the late
David Speer serve on its Board of Directors.
EDGAR D. JANNOTTA
Lyric is extremely grateful for the longstanding of support from Ned
Jannotta and his beloved late wife Debby. A life-long opera lover,
Ned has been an integral part of the Lyric Opera family, joining the
Board of Directors in 1987, serving as President and CEO of Lyric
Opera from 1996 to 2000, and is currently serving as Co-Chairman
Emeritus. Lyric is honored to have received leadership gifts from the
Jannottas for the Breaking New Ground Campaign, the Campaign
for Excellence, and the Building on Greatness Capital Campaign, in addition to their
generous gifts to the Annual Campaign
John R. Halligan