Carmen

February 11 - March 25, 2017

L Y R I C O P E R A O F C H I C A G O

A R I A S P O T L I G H T |

2 0 1 6 - 2 0 1 7

S E A S O N

Miles D. White

ABBOTT FUND

Abbott and the Abbott Fund are leading corporate contributors

to Lyric Opera of Chicago, with a longstanding tradition

of dedicated support. Over the last three decades, Abbott

has generously cosponsored 22 Lyric productions, including

this season’s

Das Rheingold, The Marriage of Figaro

(2015/16)

and

Don Giovanni

(2014/15). Abbott has championed Lyric’s

achievements as a contributor to the Great Opera Fund, the

Building on Greatness Capital Campaign, and Wine Auctions,

among other efforts, and made a leadership commitment to the Breaking New

Ground Campaign. Lyric is honored to have Abbott’s

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Miles D.

White, serve on its Board of Directors.

ADA and WHITNEY ADDINGTON

Ada and Whitney Addington are dedicated Lyric

subscribers and donors. For many seasons, they have

contributed to the Annual Campaign, and have

generously supported the Great Opera Fund, the Building

on Greatness Capital Campaign, the Campaign for

Excellence, and the Breaking New Ground Campaign.

The Addingtons have also invested in the company’s

future through their planned gift to Lyric. Last season they cosponsored Lyric’s

world premiere of

Bel Canto

, and have committed a generous leadership gift in

support of Lyric’s new

Ring

cycle, which begins this season with

Das Rheingold

. Lyric

is fortunate to have Dr. Whitney Addington as a member of its Board of Directors

and Executive Committee.

Franco Tedeschi

AMERICAN AIRLINES

This season we celebrate 35 years of vital corporate partnership

with American Airlines, the Official Airline of Lyric Opera. In

recognition of the company’s significant contribution to the

Building on Greatness Capital Campaign, the mezzanine level

of the Civic Opera House is named the American Airlines

Mezzanine. American Airlines provides important in-kind

support for Lyric’s programs and

special events. Franco Tedeschi,

Vice President of American Airlines, proudly serves

on Lyric’s Board of Directors and Lyric Unlimited

Committee.

PAUL M. ANGELL FAMILY FOUNDATION

The Paul M. Angell Family Foundation strives to advance society through the

performing arts, conservation of the world’s oceans, and alleviation of poverty. The

Foundation’s namesake, Paul M. Angell, founder of Newly Weds Foods, dedicated

the early part of his life to serving his country and performing as a member of John

Philip Sousa’s U.S. Navy Band during World War I. He believed in hard work, self

reliance, and optimism, and the Foundation is intended to honor him and his ideals.

At Lyric, the Paul M. Angell Family Foundation has been a generous supporter of

Lyric’s Annual Campaign and Lyric Unlimited programming, cosponsoring

The

Magic Victrola

(2014/15) and

The Family Barber

(2013/14).

ANONYMOUS CONTRIBUTORS

Lyric Opera is extremely grateful for Aria Society support received from five

anonymous contributors during the 2016/17 season.

JULIE and ROGER BASKES

Lyric treasures the exemplary leadership and dedication

of Julie and Roger Baskes. Subscribers for more than

three decades, they have generously supported Lyric’s

Ryan Opera Center activities as previous cosponsors of

Rising Stars in Concert, and currently underwrite the

Ryan Opera Center Recital Series on 98.7WFMT. They

have cosponsored numerous productions including,

most recently,

La Clemenza di Tito

(2013/14),

Il Trovatore

(2014/15),

Romeo and

Juliet

(2015/16), and this season’s

Norma

. They also made a leadership commitment

to the Breaking New Ground Campaign to help safeguard the future of Lyric Opera.

Lyric is honored to have Julie Baskes serve on its Board of Directors and Executive

Committee. Julie is also Chairman of the Production Sponsorship Committee, and

is a past President of the Ryan Opera Center Board.

JAMES N. and LAURIE V. BAY

Jim and Laurie Bay are passionate supporters of the arts

in Chicago and have been members of the Lyric Opera

family for more than three decades. They have previously

contributed to Lyric’s Wine Auction, 60th Anniversary

Concert and Diamond Ball, Stars of Lyric Opera at

Millennium Park, the Annual Campaign, and education

programs. They also cosponsored

Madama Butterfly

(2013/14) and have made a leadership gift to the Breaking New Ground Campaign.

This season, Jim and Laurie generously cosponsor Lyric’s production of

Carmen

Lyric is honored to have Jim Bay, a principal of Bays Corporation, serve on its Board

of Directors and Compensation Committee.

MARLYS A. BEIDER

As an aficionada of Lyric for more than 30 years, Marlys has

contributed to the Annual Campaign and is a Bel Canto

Benefactor of the planned giving Overture Society. Her planned

gift commitment created the Marlys Beider Wigmaster and

Makeup Designer Endowed Chair in memory of her late

husband, Harold Beider. Marlys Beider cosponsored several

productions including

Elektra

(2012/13),

Parsifal

(2013/14) and

Tosca

(2014/15), and cosponsored last season’s Stars of Lyric Opera at Millennium

Park concert. Marlys has committed generous leadership gifts to cosponsor Lyric’s

new productions of this season’s

Das Rheingold

and

Götterdämmerung

(2019/20),

part of Lyric’s new

Ring

cycle.

ANDY L. and MELVIN R. BERLIN

Devoted fans of opera education and the arts, Melvin

and Randy Berlin are vital members of the Lyric

Opera family. They have contributed significantly to

the Annual Campaign and have made a leadership gift

to the Breaking New Ground Campaign. Melvin and

Randy have cosponsored several productions including

last season’s new production of

The Marriage of Figaro

and generously cosponsor this season’s new production of

The Magic Flute

. Lyric is

honored to have Melvin Berlin serve on its Board of Directors.

Alexandra

Dousmanis-Curtis

BMO HARRIS BANK

BMO Harris Bank proudly supports Lyric Opera in the spirit of

community partnership that has identified the bank for over 125

years. As a longstanding corporate contributor to Lyric, BMO

Harris Bank has generously supported Lyric’s Annual Campaign,

the Facilities Fund, the Great Opera Fund, the Stars of Lyric

Opera at Millennium Park concert, Fantasy of the Opera, the

Renée Fleming Subscriber Appreciation Concert (2010/11),

the Renée Fleming & Susan Graham Subscriber Appreciation

Concert (2012/13), Lang Lang in Recital (2013), and last season’s Plácido Domingo

and Ana María Martínez Concert. This season, BMO Harris Bank is the Exclusive

Sponsor of Lyric’s Celebrating Plácido Concert. Lyric is honored to have Alexandra

Dousmanis-Curtis, Group Head, U.S. Retail and

Business Banking, BMO Harris Bank, serve on its

Board of Directors and Investment Committee.

HENRY M. and GILDA R. BUCHBINDER

Dedicated lovers of the arts, Henry and Gilda

Buchbinder are longstanding members of the Lyric

Opera family. Committed to sustaining the exceptional

quality of Lyric’s artistic product, the Buchbinders

made a leadership gift to Lyric’s Breaking New Ground

Campaign to name the Henry and Gilda Buchbinder

Family Foundation Rehearsal Room. They have also

been longtime generous donors to the Annual Campaign, including cosponsoring

Boris Godunov

(2011/12) and this season’s production of

Eugene Onegin

. Lyric

is honored to have Gilda Buchbinder serve on its Board of Directors and the

Production Sponsorship Committee.