Ian Rucker is a baritone from Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Currently residing in Chicago, Illinois, he is part of the Lyric Opera of Chicago’s Ryan Opera Center. He was featured at Lyric as Moralés in Carmen, and Man in Bar in Champion. As a cover, Ian has jumped in as Conte Almaviva in the final dress of Le Nozze di Figaro, Raimbaud in Le Comte Ory, and the Stařek in Jenůfa. He will be portraying Schaunard in Lyric’s production of La Bohème in 2025. Before being a part of the Ryan Opera Center, he was an apprentice artist with Palm Beach Opera for their 60th anniversary season, as well as a Renée Fleming Artist at the Aspen Summer Music Festival. It was at both of these programs that he was able to work with many well-renowned performers, teachers, coaches, and conductors in the opera, classical music, and musical theatre community. lan graduated with his Masters Degree in Vocal Performance from Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music in 2021. An avid performer there - under the tutelage of Carol Vaness - he was featured as Count Almaviva in The Marriage of Figaro in 2019, Figaro in The Barber of Seville in 2020, and Papageno in The Magic Flute in September of 2021. During his undergrad at the University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire, under the instruction of Kenneth Pereira, he performed roles in both Opera and Musical Theatre productions: The title roles in both Don Giovanni and Sweeney Todd, and Officer Lockstock in Urinetown. He was awarded as a finalist of the 2024 NEUE STIMMEN competition by Dominique Meyer and Evamaria Wieser. Other competition credits include: Encouragement Awards for the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition in both the Wisconsin and Georgia District, 1st place in the James Toland Vocal Arts Competition, and 2nd in the Opera Mississippi John Alexander National Vocal Competition.