Maryland Lyric Opera, one of the Washington area’s rising opera companies, will be closing its doors. In an internal memo, a copy of which Washington Classical Review received on Monday, the group’s founder and artistic director, Brad Clark, has announced he will end the operations of Maryland Lyric Opera, effective immediately.

Clark, the son of billionaire construction mogul A. James Clark, founded Maryland Lyric Opera in 2014. In the years since, the company presented three fully staged productions at The Clarice in College Park, as well as many concert performances of operas in the Music Center at Strathmore. The organization’s most recent season, devoted to the music of Giuseppe Verdi, featured many top-notch singers. Among recent season highlights were an extravagant Un Ballo in Maschera and a superlative staging of The Marriage of Figaro.

“I am grateful to the work of our dedicated staff and generous donor family who have helped to make all of our pursuits possible,” Clark concluded in the memo. “In addition, I am thankful for the audiences who came to our events and supported our mission. It has been a tremendous joy to share my passion for opera with so many other music lovers.

Maryland Lyric Opera personnel failed to respond to requests for comment. As of today, the company’s website still advises readers to check back for a listing of the group’s 2023-2024 season.

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