Behind the scenes at the Lyric Opera of Chicago

Jessica Burroughs ’18 at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. (photo courtesy Lyric Opera of Chicago)

Jessica Burroughs ’18 has spent the summer living and working in Chicago as part of the 2017 Donald P. Baiocchi Lyric Opera of Chicago Internship, sponsored each year by alumna Amanda Fox ’67.

The 10-week program allows Randolph students to gain hands-on experience in arts management and nonprofit fundraising while working for the Lyric Opera of Chicago’s development office. It also provides a stipend to cover housing and living expenses.

This summer, Burroughs performed a variety of organizational tasks and assisted with the board of directors’ meetings as its members prepared for the Lyric’s 2017-18 season. In addition, she received training in Tessitura, a database commonly used by prominent arts organizations in the United States. Burroughs said she benefited from the experience as a business and economics double major, but also as a studio art minor thanks to Chicago’s artistic and culture exhibits.

She also gave followers of Randolph’s Snapchat account a look at her internship and life in Chicago. It is available to watch on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGE8p3j3FIA.