Lyric’s riveting season opener is the inaugural production of Music Director Enrique Mazzola's tenure, and a brand-new production from Sir David McVicar. Adapting one of the greatest tragedies written by his hero, Shakespeare, Verdi created a stunning portrait of the most power-hungry couple who ever trod a stage. Macbeth’s bloody ascent to the throne of Scotland — led and supported by his wife’s own consuming ambition — results in disaster for them both. Verdi brings them to blazing life in a score that bristles with energy and endless excitement. Grand-scale arias, hair-raising duets, stupendous ensembles — they’re all here, in the first genuine masterpiece of Verdi’s career.

5:00pm - 7:30pm every Thursday. No cover charge.

3pm – 5pm every Saturday. Free.

8:00pm - 12:00am every Sunday. $10 cover.

No operatic hero is more endearing than Nemorino, who pines for the flirtatious Adina. She’s the owner of the town’s hotel, he’s her delightfully naive waiter. His only hope to win her is the “elixir” sold by the quack, Dr. Dulcamara — little does he know that it’s just Bordeaux wine! From start to finish we root for Nemorino, as Adina toys with him until she finally lets him know how she really feels. Elixir is opera’s most heartwarming comedy, filled with Donizetti’s delectable music that brings nonstop smiles.

8:00pm - 12:00am every Monday. $10 cover charge.

8:00pm - 12:00am every Tuesday. $10 cover.

8:00pm - 12:00am every Wednesday. $10 cover.

For a quarter of a century, Jonathan Larson’s RENT has inspired us to choose love over fear and to live without regret. This Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize-winning phenomenon follows a year in the lives of a diverse group of artists and friends struggling to follow their dreams without selling out. It has become more than a musical – it’s a cultural touchstone, a rite of passage, and a source of joy and strength for millions. RENT has become a part of us forever. Whether you’ve never seen RENT or completely lost count, you can’t miss it this time around – the 25th Anniversary “Farewell Season of Love” is your FINAL CHANCE to experience this celebrated touring production.

Tchaikovsky called his Pathétique Symphony “the best and especially the most open-hearted of my works.” Riccardo Muti leads this masterful and deeply tragic score, which was the last of Tchaikovsky’s works to be premiered during his lifetime. It is preceded by Liadov’s luminous nighttime scene and former Mead Composer-in-Residence Missy Mazzoli’s evocative meditation on her father's experiences as a soldier in Vietnam. Program: Mazzoli - These Worlds In Us Liadov - The Enchanted Lake Tchaikovsky - Symphony No. 6 (Pathétique)

“The hottest artist on the classical music planet” (The New York Times), piano phenomenon Lang Lang comes back to Chicago for a performance of Bach’s towering masterpiece, the iconic Goldberg Variations.  Program: Bach - Goldberg Variations

8:00pm - 12:00am on Friday, Oct. 8 and Saturday, Oct. 9. $20 cover charge.