Lyric presents virtual recital of lesser-known Italian gems

The Lyric Opera of Chicago will showcase lesser-known gems by beloved Italian composers in a virtual concert curated and hosted by Lyric’s Music Director Designate Enrique Mazzola and presented by the Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center.

With Maestro Mazzola at the piano, members of the Ryan Opera Center 2020-21 ensemble will perform songs by Rossini, Donizetti, Bellini, Verdi, Puccini and Mascagni, all lovingly selected by Mazzola.

The ensemble includes sopranos Maria Novella Malfatti and Denis Vélez; mezzo-sopranos Katherine Beck, Katherine DeYoung and Kathleen Felty; tenors Martin Luther Clark and Lunga Eric Hallam; baritones Leroy Davis and Ricardo José Rivera; bass-baritone David Weigel; and bass Anthony Reed.

“I couldn’t be more thrilled to present these lesser-known songs from some of my favorite Italian composers with the incredibly gifted Ryan Opera Center artists,” says Mazzola. “It’s a joy to discover and share musical gems by composers whose operas we know and love so well. These are works that have helped shape me into the conductor and music lover that I am today.”

The virtual concert will premiere at 6 p.m. on Feb. 21 on Lyric’s Facebook and YouTube channels. It will be performed in Italian with English closed captions. The show will then be archived on Lyric’s YouTube channel alongside programs like “Breaking Down the Score: Attila with Maestro Enrique Mazzola,” “Master Classes with Sir Andrew Davis” and the “Pasión Latina” virtual concert.