Cayenne Harris was appointed the Director of Lyric Unlimited for Lyric Opera of Chicago in July 2012. As the lead administrator for Lyric's community engagement and audience development initiatives, Ms. Harris has played an essential role in the creation of Lyric Unlimited – its philosophy, structure, operation and content. In this role, she has established and fostered partnerships with more than 40 Chicago-area organizations, commissioned four world premiere operas and created a variety of innovative programs and performances. In collaboration with Lyric Opera Creative Consultant Renée Fleming, Harris planned and implemented Chicago Voices, a large scale, multi-year festival celebrating the human voice.
Prior to her role at Lyric Opera, she most recently served as Director of New Initiatives at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra's Institute for Learning, Access, and Training. She oversaw Citizen Musician activities in Chicago; guided programming for incarcerated and at-risk youth; formed a broad spectrum of performing and visual arts disciplines to create a variety of engaging programming; and worked with community leaders to establish and sustain the CSO's presence in Chicago's neighborhoods.
Additionally, Ms. Harris is a committed fundraiser and financial manager and well-respected administrative leader experienced in working with boards and volunteer groups. She holds a Master of Music degree from Yale University and a Bachelor of Music degree from San Francisco State University.