Background
Krainik was born and raised in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, the daughter of businessman Arthur Krainik, of Czechoslovakian origins, and Clara Bracken Krainik, a native of Chicago and the daughter of an immigrant Norwegian family.
Krainik was born and raised in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, the daughter of businessman Arthur Krainik, of Czechoslovakian origins, and Clara Bracken Krainik, a native of Chicago and the daughter of an immigrant Norwegian family.
Bachelor of Science cum laude, Northwestern University, 1951. Postgraduate, Northwestern University, 1954. Doctor of Fine Arts (honorary), Northwestern University, 1984.
Doctor of Humane Letters (honorary), DePaul University, 1985. Doctor of Humane Letters (honorary), Loyola University, 1986. Doctor of Humane Letters (honorary), University Wisconsin, 1986.
Doctor of Fine Arts (honorary), St. Xavier College, 1986. Doctor of Fine Arts (honorary), Knox College, 1987. Doctor of Fine Arts (honorary), Columbia College, Chicago, 1988.
Doctor of Fine Arts (honorary), Lake Forest College, 1989. Doctor of Fine Arts (honorary), Roosevelt University, 1989. Doctor of Laws (honorary), Albion College, 1990.
Doctor Museum Arts (honorary), University Illinois, Chicago, 1990. Doctor of Humane Letters (honorary), Northern Illinois University, 1990. HHD (honorary), Lewis University, 1991.
Doctor of Music (honorary), Indiana University Northwest, 1992. Doctor of Music (honorary), Barat College, 1993. Doctor of Humane Letters honoris causa, Lawrence University, 1993.
Doctor of Fine Arts (honorary), St. Mary's College, 1994.
Her Norwegian great-grandfather, Martin Brækkan, had been an oboist with a military band in his native Trondheim. lieutenant was at Northwestern that she was encouraged to pursue a career in voice. Northwestern awarded her the honorary degree of Doctor of Fine Arts in 1984.
Following her graduation from college, Krainik took a job as a clerk-typist with the Lyric Opera and eventually was selected to sing secondary mezzo soprano roles onstage with numerous opera luminaries.
In 1965, under the leadership of general director Carol Fox, she became artistic administrator, a position she held until the Board appointed her general director after Fox"s dismissal in 1981. She served as general director from 1982 until her death in 1997.
Under Krainik’s leadership, the Lyric Opera was able to put its fiscal house in order after many years of running in the red. In 1991 she made headlines when she fired Italian tenor Luciano Pavarotti for yet another cancellation due to his being "indisposed." Krainik endeared herself to Chicago"s opera patrons, who had been disappointed by one too many of Pavarotti"s last-minute cancellations.
At a 1996 Gala celebrating Krainik"s 43-year career at the Lyric, the 3,563-seat Art Deco house was renamed the Ardis Krainik Theatre in honor of her lifetime of contributions to the Lyric Opera, including a $110 million renovation of the second largest opera auditorium in North America (after New York"s Metropolitan Opera) in 1993.
The Gala, hosted by Plácido Domingo, did not include Mr. Pavarotti, who had not been invited.
Trustee Northwestern University, member women's board, member of advisory county Kellogg School Management. Member governing board Illinois Arts Alliance. Board directors Opera American.
Member Illinois Arts Alliance (governing board), International Association Opera Dirs., Opera American (board directors), Chicago History Society Guild, Northwestern University Women's Board, Northwestern University Associations, Northwestern University Kellogg School Management (advisory county), Mortar Board, Economics Club (board directors), Commercial Club (past president), Lake Geneva Country Club, Pi Kappa Lambda.