Anthony Freud retired from his position of General Director, President & CEO of Lyric Opera of Chicago in July 2024, after a thirteen-year tenure. In addition to leading the company’s artistic and business operations, he directed in-depth strategic planning and business remodeling processes, conceived of and developed Lyric Unlimited, the company’s ground-breaking civic engagement and learning initiative, and forged important new relationships with a variety of other cultural and community organizations.
Freud is recognized internationally for his achievements as general director of Lyric Opera of Chicago, and previously of both Houston Grand Opera (2006-11) and Welsh National Opera (1994-2005). In all three positions he has been hailed for spearheading important artistic initiatives, reconceiving and strengthening the companies’ business models, and for visionary community-engagement and learning programs to reach diverse new audiences.
Freud is the only person ever to have served as chair of both Opera America and Opera Europa. He is an emeritus board member of Opera America. He chaired the jury of the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World competition (1995-2005) and has served on the juries of numerous international singing competitions, including Operalia, Neue Stimmen, the Belvedere and Tenor Viñas competitions. He was a board member of the National Opera Studio in London (1994-2005).
From 2016 to 2023, in partnership with Professor Martha Nussbaum, Freud taught a course at the University of Chicago entitled “Opera as Idea and as Performance.” Freud was an executive producer for Philips Classics (1992-94), where he managed recording projects for some of the world’s leading classical artists. Freud began his professional life at London’s famous Sadler’s Wells Theatre (1980-84), as theatre manager and company manager.
Freud was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE), in recognition of his services to music, by Queen Elizabeth II in her 80th Birthday Honors in 2006 and has been made an honorary fellow of both Cardiff University and the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama.
Freud was born and raised in London. His parents, both native Hungarians, came to Britain as refugees—his father in 1939 and his mother as a survivor of Auschwitz in 1947. Freud graduated with honours with a law degree from the University of London King’s College in 1978 and qualified as a barrister in 1979, but chose instead to follow his passion for opera.
