Renée Fleming

Lyric Opera of Chicago

MERIT SCHOOL OF MUSIC

With Renée Fleming as the project's spearhead, Lyric has entered into a wide-ranging collaboration with Chicago's Merit School of Music, a nationally recognized community music school based in the city's Near West Side neighborhood, that will bring a major expansion of the school's vocal program, with Lyric sharing its extensive resources with Merit students throughout the school year. More

Renée Fleming conducts class via Skype

Talented teens from Chicago's Merit School of Music sing for soprano Renee Fleming, Lyric Opera's creative consultant. Fleming conducted her master class via Skype from her New York City apartment. (Chris Sweda, Chicago Tribune)

AP Photo/Kiichiro Sato

Renée Fleming mentors Chicago high school students

For the past school year, the famed soprano has been mentoring teen vocal students as part of her role as creative consultant at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.
She works with the Merit School of Music on Chicago's West Side, where many students are tuition-free or on scholarship. Fleming has used Skype video to digitally visit their classrooms and has also given in-person master classes.

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"The collaboration between Lyric and Merit School of Music, one of the country's best community music schools, creates an exciting and extraordinary environment for teens with vocal potential. Lyric will assist Merit in enhancing its vocal program and will make Lyric Opera more accessible to all Merit students."
- Renée Fleming

Links

Lyric Opera of Chicago
Renée Fleming Initiative
Merit School of Music

Lyric Opera, Second City make for a mirthful mix

8 January 2013

photo by Todd Rosenberg

January 6, 2013

Andrew Patner, Chicago Sun-Times

Did you hear the one about the international grand opera company that woke up one day to realize that the world’s greatest improvisational comedy troupe has been located just up the street for 53 years?

Sometimes it takes outsiders or newcomers to tell locals the obvious. But when diva soprano Renée Fleming and her husband paid their first visit to the Second City in fall 2011, the lightbulb went off quickly. Proving again her value not only as a performer but as creative consultant and a board vice president at Lyric Opera of Chicago, La Fleming immediately called Anthony Freud, the Brit who literally had just started as Lyric’s first non-Chicagoan general director.

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Lyric Receives $ 2 Million Grant

12 July 2012

The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation is awarding $2 million to the internationally acclaimed company, to fund projects that include the world premiere opera Bel Canto, creation of which is being curated by Renée Fleming.

26 March 2012

By André Previn
Libretto by Philip Littell
Based on the play by Tennessee Williams
"WHO WANTS REAL? I KNOW I DON'T WANT IT. I WANT MAGIC!"

Blanche DuBois—the fading southern belle who retreats into fantasy to escape from the brutal reality in which she’s forced to live. She’s a wounded, haughty, vulnerable, delusional misfit—a woman who won’t face the sensual side of herself and yet always succumbs to it. And when she moves in with her sister Stella and her sexually ruthless husband Stanley—worlds explode.

Blanche is one of the great parts for any actress, immortalized in the famous Tennessee Williams play, later on film, and now in opera. Experience the magnificent Renée Fleming in the role that was composed especially for her by André Previn, one of America’s iconic musicians.

19 March 2012

LUNCHTIME SURPRISE in DOWNTOWN CHICAGO!

SOPRANO RENÉE FLEMING and CELLIST YO-YO MA DELIGHT CROWD

with SURPRISE PERFORMANCE in JAMES R. THOMPSON CENTER ROTUNDA

CHORUSES from LAKE VIEW HIGH SCHOOL, CHICAGO HIGH SCHOOL FOR THE ARTS, and MERIT SCHOOL OF MUSIC ALSO PERFORM in MINI-CONCERT, along with MEMBERS OF THE CHICAGO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA and a LYRIC OPERA OF CHICAGO PIANIST

EXCITING COLLABORATION BY TWO WORLD-CLASS CULTURAL ORGANIZATIONS

CELEBRATES THE VALUE OF THE ARTS IN OUR DAILY LIVES

WATCH THE VIDEO ! www.lyricopera.org or www.cso.org

9 March 2012

Renée Fleming to Participate in Career Day

Renée Fleming to participate in first-ever Career Day

Organized by Lyric Opera of Chicago for Merit School of Music
on Saturday, March 17

World-renowned soprano and Lyric’s creative consultant will engage students with master class, Q&A, and backstage tour

Part of Lyric Opera of Chicago’s Renée Fleming Initiative

28 February 2012

Lyric Opera of Chicago announces 2015-16 world premiere Bel Canto commissioned as part of Lyric’s Renée Fleming Initiative.

Music by composer Jimmy López, libretto by playwright Nilo Cruz, conducted by Sir Andrew Davis, directed by Stephen Wadsworth; based on the best-selling novel by Ann Patchett. Soprano Danielle de Niese stars in central role.

Anthony Freud, general director of Lyric Opera of Chicago, today announced details of its latest world premiere. Bel Canto, by the gifted young Peruvian composer Jimmy López, with libretto by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Nilo Cruz, is based on the best-selling novel by Ann Patchett. To premiere in Lyric’s 2015-16 season, the new opera will be conducted by Lyric music director Sir Andrew Davis and directed by Stephen Wadsworth.

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Watch

Renée Fleming & Yo-Yo Ma Pop-Up Performance

Renée Fleming & Yo-Yo Ma partner for a surprise performance at the James R. Thompson Center with musicians from the Chicago Symphony Orchestra & Lyric Opera of Chicago, and three high-school choruses on March 19.

Renée Fleming at Millennium Park

Renée Fleming, Lyric's creative consultant, spends some time with audience members at the Stars of Lyric Opera at Millennium Park concert on September 10, 2011.

Renée Fleming: Poèmes