Lyric hires general director away from Houston
A Texas loss could be a cultural gain for Illinois with the announcement that Houston Grand Opera general director and CEO Andrew Freud, 53, is to be the next general director of the Lyric Opera of Chicago.
News of Freud's move to the Windy City leaked out late Wednesday before the Lyric Opera of Chicago board of directors officially ratified his appointment during a meeting on Thursday. Freud will start with a five-year contract through the 2015-16 season.
Freud has helmed the Houston Grand Opera since 2006 (where his contract was recently extended through 2015). Before that, the native Londoner led the Welsh National Opera from 1994 to 2005 and also worked in the classical music division of Philips Classics/PolyGram.
“Over the coming months I plan to do a lot of listening and learning — immersing myself in the culture of Lyric Opera and learning everything I can about Chicago,” Freud said in a statement. “My goal is to excite and stimulate the Chicago public — both confirmed opera lovers and others who perhaps have never considered that Lyric Opera can be relevant to their lives.”
Starting Oct. 1, Freud will be taking over for William Mason, who will become the general director emeritus before he officially retires at the end of the 2011-12 season. Mason is only the third general director in the Lyric's 57-year history and did his part to help keep the company operating in the black for 22 out of the past 23 seasons.
Mason assumed the reins of the Lyric following the leadership of Ardis Krainik (1981-97) and Lyric co-founder Carol Fox (1954-81). Freud is the first Lyric general director to not be hired from within the company.
Freud's leadership of the Lyric will be shared with Sir Andrew Davis, who has been music director since 2000, and famed American soprano Renée Fleming who was named creative consultant in 2010.
Freud joins a significant list of other Brits heading major Chicago performing arts institutions. They include Jane Glover with Music of the Baroque, Ashley Wheater with the Joffrey Ballet and Brian Dickie with Chicago Opera Theater. (Dickie will also be stepping down at the end of the 2011-12 season.)
Freud is the son of Hungarian immigrant parents who settled in London. Freud's father left Hungary in 1939, and his mother is a survivor of Auschwitz.