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Performance and Event Calendar Information about the ensemble Lira Children's Chorus - "Dzieci" Music for weddings and parties Links to other interesting websites
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The Lira Ensemble
The mission of the Lira Ensemble is to help acquaint Polish Americans with the richness of their thousand-year-old heritage of music and dance, and to help other Americans learn about and appreciate Polish culture and traditions. The Lira Ensemble is the nation's only professional performing arts company specializing in Polish music, song, and dance. The name of the company, "lira," is the Polish word for "lyre," a traditional symbol of music. The Ensemble's five performing groups present the music of Poland, sung in the original language, and Polish folk and court dances, with narratives in English, so that all audiences can fully enjoy the presentations. The narratives tell about the music and dance presented, explain Polish traditions and customs, and give insights into Polish history and the Polish-American immigrant experience. Lira performances also include authentic American music, in order to introduce immigrant audiences to various aspects of American culture and to truly reflect Polish-American heritage.
THE LIRA COMPANY CONSISTS OF:
THE LIRA SINGERS, the female ensemble which is the core of the company, is made up of eight to fourteen young women, and is one of the few professional, fine arts female vocal groups in the Midwest. The Singers perform in authentic, colorful folk garb from various regions of Poland, in period gowns, or in traditional concert dress, depending on the music performed. THE LIRA CHAMBER CHORUS consists of the female ensemble plus eight to twelve male singers. All singers employed by Lira are classically trained; nearly all hold music degrees, often masters degrees in music. Many are teachers of music; some are also members of the Chicago Symphony Chorus and the Chorus of the Lyric Opera of Chicago. THE LIRA SYMPHONY includes fifty instrumentalists who accompany the Lira vocal groups at major concerts and in addition present orchestral as well as chamber music concerts. Members of the Lira Symphony are some of the best instrumentalists in the Chicago area who also perform with major orchestras in the region, such as the Orchestra of the Lyric Opera and the Grant Park Symphony. THE LIRA CHILDREN’S CHORUS - "Dzieci" was added in 1987 as a community chorus of boys and girls, ages 7 through 16. "Dzieci" is the Polish word for "children". The children receive vocal training and performance opportunities, singing Polish and American repertoire. Most members of the Children's Chorus come from families recently immigrated from Poland. THE LIRA DANCERS is the nation's only professional dance company specializing in Polish folk and court dance. Created in 1994, the Dancers perform suites of dances from several regions of Poland in colorful, authentic costumes from these regions, as well as dances performed in the royal court and manor houses of Poland, presented in historically correct period costumes. LEGAL STATUS/FINANCIAL SUPPORT The Lira Ensemble is a not-for-profit corporation of the state of Illinois and has received tax exempt status from the federal government as a 501(c)(3) charity. Donations to Lira are tax deductible as provided in the Federal Tax Code. The Lira Ensemble regularly receives funding from the National Endowment for the Arts; the Illinois Arts Council; the Indiana Arts Commission; and the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs. The company also receives significant support from major foundations and corporations and the Polish-American community. ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE AT LOYOLA UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO The Lira Ensemble is based at Loyola University's Lake Shore Campus on the North Side of Chicago as artist-in-residence. Loyola University of Chicago was founded by Jesuits in 1870 and is among the largest of 28 Jesuit colleges and universities in the United States. With four Chicago-area campuses and a fifth in Rome, Italy, Loyola has nine schools and colleges and currently enrolls more than 13,000 students in its undergraduate, graduate, and professional school programs. The university provides free office, rehearsal, and storage space for the Lira Ensemble. FOUNDERS-DIRECTORS-CHOREOGRAPHERS-CONDUCTORS
The Lira Ensemble, 6525 North Sheridan Road #CH-LL, Chicago, Illinois 60626 773-508-7040 or email lira@liraensemble.com
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The Lira Ensemble is unique in that the company performs all kinds of Polish music and dance, including popular and folk songs and dances, traditional court dances, as well as serious music – Polish opera, ancient Polish music, sacred music, music of various historic periods, new music of Poland, works by Polish-American composers, and Polish compositions rarely heard in the United States. 
