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A R I A S O C I E T Y S P O T L I G H T |
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November 1 - 30, 2017
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LIZ STIFFEL
A passionate devotee of opera and loyal subscriber at Lyric, Liz is a
prominent member of Lyric’s Women’s Board and a longstanding
member of the Guild Board of Directors. She has cosponsored
several mainstage productions, most recently
Carousel
(2014/15),
Das Rheingold
and
My Fair Lady
(both 2016/17), and this season’s
new production of
Orphée et Eurydice
. Lyric has named Mezzanine
Box 1 in recognition of her significant gift to the Breaking New
Ground Campaign. Liz Stiffel was awarded the 2017 Carol Fox Award, Lyric’s most
prestigious honor, in recognition of her continuing dedication to Lyric. “I believe
that Lyric and all art forms are beacons of light that shine as examples of the best that
mankind has to offer to our children, our nation, and ourselves.”
Carol and William Vance
MRS. HERBERT A. VANCE and
MR. and MRS. WILLIAM C. VANCE
Lyric Opera appreciates the extraordinary generosity
and leadership of the Vance Family. The Vances
have generously sponsored/cosponsored several Lyric
premieres and new productions, most recently last
season’s
My Fair Lady
. For many years, the Vances have
supported emerging singers through their sponsorship
of Ryan Opera Center Ensemble members. In addition,
Mr. and Mrs. William C. Vance contributed to the
Breaking New Ground Campaign, and are generous
sponsors of the Renée Fleming Initiative. Mr. Vance is Vice President and an
esteemed member of Lyric’s Board of Directors and Executive Committee. He
also serves as a life member of the Ryan Opera Center Board, of which he is a
past President. Bill Vance was awarded the 2016 Carol Fox Award, Lyric’s most
prestigious honor, in recognition of his leadership, steadfast support, and many years
of devoted service to Lyric Opera.
Donna Van Eekeren
DONNA VAN EEKEREN FOUNDATION
Donna Van Eekeren is a devoted opera fan, Lyric subscriber,
and generous supporter of the Ryan Opera Center. She enjoys
encouraging talented young artists as Lead Sponsor of Rising
Stars in Concert and Exclusive Sponsor of its radio rebroadcast on
98.7WFMT. Reflecting her passion for introducing young people
to opera, the Donna Van Eekeren Foundation has supported
Lyric’s Performances for Students, NEXT discount tickets for
college students, and Opera in the Neighborhoods. The Donna
Van Eekeren Foundation has cosponsored several mainstage productions including
Lyric’s premiere of
Les Troyens
(2016/17) and this season’s production of
I Puritani
.
Donna also made a leadership gift to the Breaking New Ground Campaign to help
secure Lyric’s future. Executive Chairman of Land O’Frost, Donna Van Eekeren is
a valued member of Lyric’s Board of Directors, serving as Secretary of the Board,
on the Executive and Finance Committees, and on the Ryan Opera Center Board.
THE WALLACE FOUNDATION
The Wallace Foundation is a national philanthropy that seeks to improve learning
and enrichment for disadvantaged children and foster the vitality of the arts for
everyone. Wallace has an unusual approach: funding projects to test innovative
ideas for solving important social problems, conducting research to find out what
works and what doesn’t and to fill key knowledge gaps – and then communicating
the results to help others. Lyric Opera is the recipient of a multi-phase grant as
part of the Foundation’s Building Audiences for Sustainability initiative; the grant
is funding research and analysis of Lyric Opera
audiences, and will reveal ways in which Lyric can
maximize its reach in the community. Lyric’s work
will inform lessons that will be shared with the
broader field.
ROBERTA L. and ROBERT J. WASHLOW
Roberta and Bob Washlow are cherished members
of the Lyric family. For more than four decades,
they have enjoyed attending Lyric performances and
special events, and have generously supported the
Annual Campaign. Since 1986, the Port, Washlow,
and Errant Families together sponsored more than 20
Lyric productions. The Washlows made a generous
commitment to the Breaking New Ground Campaign to support Lyric Unlimited
activities. Roberta and Bob have annually remained valued members of the
production sponsorship family, and generously cosponsor this season’s production
of
Rigoletto
, their tenth opera cosponsorship, continuing a beloved family tradition.
Lyric is honored to have Roberta Washlow as an esteemed member of its Board
of Directors and Lyric Unlimited Committee. “Opera has always touched me,”
Roberta once said. “I love the drama, passion, music, and excitement of a live
performance at Lyric. Nothing can replace it, and I hope this beautiful art form will
continue for generations.”
HELEN and SAM ZELL
Helen and Sam Zell are passionate supporters of
Chicago’s vibrant cultural scene. They are longtime
subscribers to Lyric Opera and have contributed to the
Annual Campaign for many years. Helen and Sam have
cosponsored several new productions, most recently
the first two installments of Lyric’s new
Ring
cycle,
Das
Rheingold
(2016/17) and this season’s
Die Walküre
.