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L Y R I C O P E R A O F C H I C A G O
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February 2 - 22, 2019
Joining The Lyric Family
ere’s no getting around it –
opera is a very expensive business.
You might be surprised to learn that
ticket sales cover less than 50 per-
cent of the operating costs for Lyric
Opera of Chicago. e rest must
be raised through contributions
from individuals, corporations, and
foundations. Lyric’s fundraising
is managed by its development
department, recognized in Chicago and, indeed, throughout the
national performing-arts scene, as one of the leaders in the field.
e department’s extraordinary track record was maintained for
22 years by former chief development officer Mary Ladish
Selander. While under her leadership, Lyric completed three very
successful capital campaigns and tripled its endowment, but it is an
ongoing effort to secure Lyric's future.
e department has been headed since March 2018 by chief
development officer Elizabeth Hurley. She arrived at Lyric after a
thirty-year career in American
philanthropy,
following
key
positions at the Art Institute of
Chicago, the Grant Park Music
Festival, the Chicago Symphony
Orchestra, the Metropolitan Opera,
and most recently as vice president
of development and public
affairs for e Juilliard School in
New York.
Although there have been changes in leadership in the develop-
ment department, one thing that remains the same is Lyric’s
admiration for and gratitude towards its donors. “Philanthropy is a
uniquely American pastime,” says Hurley. “Citizens come together
to create the organizations and services that make our communities
vibrant places to raise families and do business. Great institutions are
created by and for the communities they serve. ”
Lyric is very much a reflection of this American philanthropic
drive and was founded because “people in the Chicago community
Lyric music director Sir Andrew Davis with donors at a Ryan Opera Center master class.
DAN REST
“People in the Chicago community and
in this region want access to grand opera
... they believe a great
city deserves a great opera company.”
— Elizabeth Hurley
By Roger Pines