An interview with our newest violist, Rebecca Swan by Rebecca Oliverio Photo credit: Joe Mazza Tell us about the Rebecca outside of opera and viola life. What are your interests and hobbies? Any pets?   I have three teenagers (ages 19, 16, and 13) who keep me busy outside of work hours. I enjoy fitness (Orange Theory currently) and have completed 4 marathons. Other interests include baking (chocolate chip cookies are therapy for me), making sourdough bread, building things, a

by Melissa Trier Kirk Pat with General Director John Mangum Pat was born in Chicago and raised in Oak Park. Six of the seven Brennan children played instruments growing up, and Pat began studying violin at age 9. He also studied Irish music with Chicagoan and Irish fiddle legend Liz Carroll. At age 17, he won the honor of Chicago Teenage Fiddle Champion.Pat went on to study violin at Northern Illinois University with Pierre Menard of the Vermeer String Quartet and later with

by Eleanor Bartsch It’s been approximately two decades since Salome  last appeared on our music stands at Lyric. There’s been palpable excitement in the orchestra since its announcement. Below, we dig into why.    THE PLOT- HEADS WILL ROLL… Salome  is one of opera’s grisliest plots. Much of the last scene involves the title character interacting with the bloody severed head of Jochanaan (John the Baptist). During Lyric’s current David McVicar production, an actor portraying t

by Neil Kimel Recently, after another thrilling performance of Richard Strauss’ Salome, the newsletter team sat down with our tireless guest conductor Tomáš Netopil, and got to know him more personally.   Newsletter: You began your musical studies as a violinist. Was there something in particular that made you fall in love with music and conducting?   Netopil: My father was a guitarist in a band where he played the blues and he also played the violin. He wanted me to play the