CHICAGO OPERA THEATER RECEIVES $1.5 MILLION GIFT

It has been quite a season of giving for Chicago arts philanthropists Stefan Edlis and Gael Neeson.

In April, the couple bestowed a “landmark gift” of 42 works  from their collection, including pieces by such pop artists as Andy Warhol, Jasper Johns, Roy Lichtenstein, on the Art Institute of Chicago –  a gift with an estimated value of $400 million.

Now, Neeson, 89 (who made his fortune in the plastics business), and his wife – who in past years have showered their generosity on Chicago’s Museum of Contemporary Arts (where its theater bears their name), as well as Chicago Public Radio – have given a gift of $1.5 million to Chicago Opera Theater (COT). It is the single largest contribution in the company’s 42-year history.

Neeson, who served as a COT board member for nine years, and vice president for three, has, along with her husband, been a subscriber and supporter of the company for decades. In honor of, and in appreciation for this milestone contribution, Andreas Mitisek, COT’s general director, will rename his position as the “Stefan Edlis and Gael Neeson General Director.”

Combined with a recent anonymous gift of $500,000 gift, this $1.5 million gift brings COT $2 million closer to meeting its goal of raising an additional $5 million in funds over five years so that the company can present a five-opera season. Edlis and Neeson have designated a portion of their gift to create the “Stefan Edlis & Gael Neeson $1 Million Matching Challenge” to encourage long time and new supporters to make increased philanthropic gifts to Chicago Opera Theater.

In a prepared statement, Mitisek said: “Gael and Stefan have been incredibly generous to this company for many years. This transformational gift is an endorsement of the importance of COT and its future expansion. Their shared passion and commitment to our company is an inspiration to all of us. Their support strengthens our mission in championing new works and reimagining the classic repertoire, while introducing new audiences to this beautiful art form.”

“Chicago Opera Theater is one of the most important opera companies in the US,” said Edlis. “Its focus on new works and new voices resonates with Gael and me. We want to inspire others to join us in supporting this organization that means so much to Chicago.”

COT will enter its 42nd season with a major shift toward the more typical fall-through-spring season schedule.

The 2015/16 season will begin with the Chicago premiere of Mozart’s story of love and revenge, “Lucio Silla.” This opera, written when Mozart was just 16, showcases the prodigy’s many musical interests and innovations.

Metropolitan Opera star Patricia Racette will make her COT debut as Ellen in Francis Poulenc’s “La Voix Humaine,” a one act opera to be paired in a double bill with Giacomo Puccini’s comedic  “Gianni Schicci.” Closing the 2015/16 season, in a collaboration with the Harris Theater for Music and Dance, will be the baroque masterpiece “Dido and Aeneas,” composed by Henry Purcell and performed by the internationally renowned Mark Morris Dance Group and Music Ensemble.