For Immediate Release - Contact: Lucyna Migala 773-508-7040

The Lira Ensemble…
is the nation's only professional performing arts company
specializing in Polish music, song and dance.

Its mission is to bring the best of Polish culture into American life.

Founded as the Lira Singers in 1965, the ensemble makes about 50 appearances a year in the Chicago area, across the Midwest, occasionally around the nation, and has made six concert tours of Poland.  Lira has produced nine major recordings that are sold nationwide.

Lira presents the full spectrum of Polish music and dance, both classical and folk, with informative and witty English language narrations that explain the traditions and history behind the works performed.  Lira has long been trusted by Polish Americans as an expert “culture bearer.”

Lira is the arts outreach group of Chicagoland's Polish-American community and often represents Polish Americans and Polish and Polish American culture at city, state and national events.  Lira has won high praise, as well as awards, for its series of concerts performed jointly with Mexican Americans and African Americans and its outreach concerts for the American Jewish community, as well as outreach to other ethnic groups

The company consists of the Lira Symphony which also appears as a chamber orchestra, the Lira Chamber Ensembles, the Lira Chamber Chorus, the Lira Dancers, the Children’s Chorus and the Lira Singers - the core group - made up of 8 to 14 female singers who perform serious, folk and popular Polish music in the original language and in English translation. When appropriate, Lira artists perform in authentic folk garb of various regions of Poland as well as historically correct costumes from several periods of Polish history. 

Lira is based in Chicago where the company is artist-in-residence at Loyola University Chicago. Lucyna Migala, co-founder of Lira, serves as artistic director/general manager and narrates Lira performances.  Mina Zikri is conductor of the Lira Ensemble. Iwona Puc is choreographer and director of the Lira Dancers.  Malgorzata Borysiewicz conducts the Children’s Chorus. Susan Smentek is the Managing Director of the ensemble.

The Lira company is a 501(c)3 federally recognized charity which receives donations from hundreds of individuals each year – from Polish Americans and other lovers of quality music and dance.  Lira regularly receives funding from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Illinois Arts Council, the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs, major foundations and corporations in the Chicago area, as well as from prominent Polish-American organizations.  Thanks to this support Lira is one of the most successful ethnic arts organizations in the Midwest.  ###

For more information, please call 773-508-7040