Formed as an Illinois Not-For-Profit corporation on August 9, 2017 and recognized by the IRS as a 501(c)(3) organization, Evanston Chamber Opera Company (EChO) seeks to enrich, educate, and entertain the residents of Evanston, Illinois, and its neighboring communities by promoting and staging chamber operas, operettas, and other theatrical works with significant musical content. By focusing on new works and neglected gems from the past, EChO gives audiences an opportunity to expand their opera experience beyond the standard repertoire.
Following the success of the world premiere performances of the Christmas chamber opera Joseph’s Gift in Evanston in 2016, the members of the production team decided to create a new company in order to continue to present chamber opera performances. Our first production under the EChO banner was a new chamber opera by the composer of Joseph’s Gift called For Those in Peril, which opened on Friday, February 9, 2018, at St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church in Evanston. In 2023, the company presented its fifth production and its third program featuring two one-act comic operas. EChO has been awarded a program grant for our 2024 season from the Illinois Arts Council Agency.
Personnel
Board of Directors: James Janssen, President; Francis Lynch, Treasurer; Mary Jo Deysach, Secretary; Sally Craige Christensen; Mark Crayton; Karlos Piñero-Mercado; Amy Shuldiner
Francis Lynch
General Manager
Resident Composer
James Janssen
Artistic Director
Resident Music Director
Sally Craige Christensen
Board Member
Resident Stage Director
Mark Crayton
Board Member
Production Coordinator