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Sir Andrew Davis, Renée Fleming, Ann Patchett, Anthony Freud, Jimmy López,
Nilo Cruz
December, 2011: Ms. Fleming, Sir Andrew
Davis, and Mr. Freud agree that Nilo Cruz
is their top choice for librettist, and they
introduce him to Mr. López.
Bel Canto
Timeline
2011
2012
2013
February 28, 2012: Press announcement for Lyric’s seventh
full-length operatic world premiere—
Bel Canto
, by composer
Jimmy López and librettist Nilo Cruz.
Spring – Fall, 2011: Ms. Fleming does
extensive research on more than 80
composers, then narrows the field to a
short list from which she, Lyric music
director Sir Andrew Davis, and Lyric
general director Anthony Freud choose
Jimmy López.
December 4, 2013: Lyric Opera of
Chicago and Jimmy López receive
the Prince Charitable Trust’s Prince
Prize for Commissioning New Original
Work—a first for an opera commission.
November 15-16, 2013: Working sessions in Chicago—Mr. López,
Mr. Newbury, Sir Andrew Davis.
September, 2013: Working sessions in New York City—Mr. López,
Mr. Cruz, stage director Kevin Newbury.
Summer, 2013: Working sessions in England at Glyndebourne—
Mr. López, Sir Andrew Davis.
April 4, 2013: First draft of the libretto for Act II completed.
January 13, 2013: First draft of the libretto for Act I completed.
Photo: Todd Rosenberg
Photo: Dan Rest
January, 2012: Danielle de Niese is cast in the
leading role of Roxane Coss.
Director Kevin Newbury
Photo: Decca—Chris Dunlop