Just in: Chicago music director quits

drummerman says:

Is it possible that she and the new general director did not see eye to eye on things? Don’t know. Just asking.

COT says:

Press release from COT posted on Facebook:

The Board of Directors of Chicago Opera Theater (COT), Chicago’s foremost producer of new and reimagined opera, announced today that Lidiya Yankovskaya will step down from her position as Morse and Genius Music Director at the end of the company’s 2023-24 50th Anniversary season. Her final appearance on the podium as COT’s Music Director will be this winter as she leads the Chicago premiere of Shostakovich’s The Nose, in a new production by Francesca Zambello at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance, December 8 and 10. Further, Yankovskaya will continue to lead Chicago Opera Theater’s Vanguard Initiative, the immersive training and residency program for first-time opera composers which she created for the company in 2018.

“I have had the opportunity to collaborate with Lidiya for almost ten years and she is – without a doubt – one of the most exciting conductors working today,” said Chicago Opera Theater Edlis Neeson General Director Lawrence Edelson. “The passion she brings to the podium is contagious and her musical gifts are without question, so it should come as no surprise that she has become in great demand around the globe. Her recent debuts at Santa Fe Opera, Houston Grand Opera, English National Opera, and Staatsoper Hamburg point to an increasingly dynamic career of musical leadership internationally. We are excited to see her continue to enrich the operatic landscape, and are exploring opportunities to welcome her back as a guest conductor in future seasons. At the same time, we are thrilled that Lidiya is continuing to make time to remain at the helm of the Vanguard Initiative, as she is such an extraordinary mentor for emerging opera composers, and propelling forward new and emerging operatic writers will continue to figure centrally in the mission of Chicago Opera Theater.”

Since her appointment as Music Director in 2017, Lidiya Yankovskaya’s daring programming choices and commitment to championing emerging operatic writers have fortified Chicago Opera Theater’s reputation as an innovative contributor to Chicago’s cultural landscape, as well as a national leader in the opera field. Across six seasons, she has spearheaded the commissioning and development of 11 new one-act and full-length operas, proactively advancing women composers and creators of color. Her visionary leadership earned recognition from the Chicago Tribune, which hailed Yankovskaya and COT as “the very model of how to survive adversity, and also how to thrive in it” while naming her 2020 Chicagoan of the Year.

“It was a privilege to be part of steering Chicago Opera Theater through this pivotal time for both the company and the industry at large,” said Ms. Yankovskaya. “I am very proud that we have deepened COT’s commitment to opera as a living art form by introducing more than 25 works to Chicago audiences for the first time, including nearly a dozen world premieres, while continually reaching new artistic heights. I have known new General Director Larry Edelson for many years, and am certain that his deep industry knowledge, artistic vision, and commitment to new repertoire will ensure continued excellence and forward momentum for the company. I’m eager to see the future he will help create, along with our incredible audiences, artists, board, and staff.”

In lieu of immediately hiring a new Music Director, next season, Chicago Opera Theater will create a new Head of Music position to provide musical oversight for the company’s performance season as well as to enrich the training available for emerging singers in COT’s Young Artist Program. COT will also take this opportunity to work with a number of guest conductors as the company continues to produce diverse repertoire. Edelson, an opera industry veteran who was recently appointed as the company’s chief administrative and artistic officer, will lead future repertoire selection and casting, and is working with COT’s board and staff to advance multi-year planning for the organization that builds upon 50 years of innovative programming and service to Chicagoland audiences.

“We have been so honored to have Lidiya lead COT’s musical vision over the past six seasons and we have benefited tremendously from her creativity and talent,” added COT Board President Susan Irion. “All of us at Chicago Opera Theater wish Lidiya great success with all of her future endeavors, and we look forward to welcoming her back to the podium as a guest conductor. We are truly fortunate to have an experienced leader in Larry Edelson who has a proven track record of artistic innovation, and deep-seated relationships across the opera industry. It is incredibly exciting to think about how the company can build upon Lidiya’s tenure, as well as COT’s rich five-decade history, as we continue to celebrate our 50th Anniversary season while planning for a dynamic future.”

Roger says:

I hope she lands another gig which is becoming harder to get because recovering audiences after COVID is an uphill climb.