This season, the Opera Festival of Chicago celebrates Italian opera at its most vivid; a world where art is not just a calling, but a way of life. We invite you into the heart of the creative spirit, where the line between the stage and the soul disappears.
The season begins with Puccini’s La Bohème, the definitive portrait of “Bohemian” life. In the frozen garrets of Paris, we meet the dreamers: the poets, painters, philosophers, and musicians who sacrifice everything for their craft and for each other. It is a timeless story of youthful passion and the fragile beauty of a love that flickers brightly before the cold reality of the world intrudes.
The journey continues into the gilded, intense world of the theater with Cilea’s Adriana Lecouvreur. Here, the spotlight shifts to the actors and dancers of the Comédie-Française. Based on the life of a real-life stage icon, this verismo jewel follows a legendary actress caught in a deadly web of jealousy and political intrigue. In a season defined by those who live for their art, Adriana’s story serves as the ultimate testament to the power of performance and where a single bouquet of violets can signify a final, tragic curtain call.
Festival Young Artists Showcase
Sunday, June 7 at 5:00pm
Northeastern Illinois University Recital Hall
Free concert
Opera Festival of Chicago’s Young Artist Showcase shines a spotlight on the next generation of operatic talent. Rising singers from the Festival’s 2026 young artist roster perform beloved selections from the Italian repertoire, offering audiences an exciting glimpse into the voices and artistry that will shape the future of opera.
Very Verismo!
Saturday, June 13 at 7:30pm
Jarvis Opera Hall, Chicago IL
Experience an unforgettable evening of operatic brilliance. This special concert features headlining artists from this season’s Opera Festival of Chicago.
Join us at Jarvis Opera Hall in the Holtschneider Performance Center for a captivating performance celebrating the richness and beauty of Italian opera. The evening will feature music by great verismo composers such as Puccini, Leoncavallo, Mascagni and Giordano, brought to life by an exceptional lineup of artists. Soprano Alexandra Razskazoff, a Grand Finals Winner in the 2022 Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition, has been praised by The New York Times as a “richly faceted, slinky soprano” and by Opera News for a voice that is “rich, distinctive of timbre, and penetrating, and possesses a lovely bloom on top.” She is joined by dramatic soprano Zhanna Alkhazova, heralded by Opera News for her “bright, sword-flashing sound,” tenor Nathan Granner, acclaimed for his “marvelous intensity” (Gramophone) and described as “a stirring tenor of equal parts metal and warmth” (Opera News), and baritone Franco Pomponi, “the real article, a baritone with a warm focused tone and a genuine feel for true Italian legato singing.” (Chicago Tribune)
La Bohème, Giacomo Puccini
June 26, July 1 & 5
North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie, IL
The season begins with Puccini’s La Bohème, the definitive portrait of “Bohemian” life. In the frozen garrets of Paris, we meet the dreamers: the poets, painters, philosophers, and musicians who sacrifice everything for their craft and for each other. It is a timeless story of youthful passion and the fragile beauty of a love that flickers brightly before the cold reality of the world intrudes.
Adriana Lecouvreur, Francesco Cilea
June 28 & July 3
North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie, IL
Based on the life of a real-life stage icon, this verismo jewel follows a legendary actress caught in a deadly web of jealousy and political intrigue. In a season defined by those who live for their art, Adriana’s story serves as the ultimate testament to the power of performance and where a single bouquet of violets can signify a final, tragic curtain call.