Cruising with your Favorite Lyric Opera Musicians
Our maiden voyage with Shoreline Sightseeing in June was a wonderful success despite the unpredictable Chicago weather. The rain stopped...
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Melissa Trier Kirk and Terri Van Valkinburgh
Aug 29, 20215 min
Interview with Maestro Mazzola, part II
Photo credit: Laura Miller Boen This is a continuation of an interview we had with our incoming Music Director. You can read the first...
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Neil Kimel, French Horn
Aug 27, 20212 min
Welcome Sam Shuhan, Double-Bass
Photo credit: Elizabeth Shuhan Where are you from? Ithaca, NY What made you choose the bass and do you play other instruments? In...
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Neil Kimel, French Horn
Aug 25, 20212 min
Opera in Movies
While movies can elicit intense emotions, the addition of an opera house or its music dramatically enhances the cinematic experience....
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Terri Van Valkinburgh, viola
Aug 22, 20211 min
Pet of the Month: Kaiju
We're getting to that point in summer where everyone has TOO MANY TOMATOES, but I just wanted to show you what else we've got coming up...
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chicagolyricoperao
Aug 1, 20211 min
Remembering Gianna Rolandi
Photo Credit: Larry Lapudis We are deeply saddened by the passing of one of the Lyric's greatest family members, Gianna Rolandi, who was...
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Melissa Trier Kirk, viola
Jul 30, 20214 min
An Interview with Maestro Mazzola
Photo Credit: Laura Miller My colleague Terri Van Valkinburgh and I had the great pleasure of interviewing Maestro Enrique Mazzola before...
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chicagolyricoperao
Jul 28, 20211 min
Broadway at the Opera
Several of our orchestra musicians took part in Lyric’s “The New Classics: Songs from the New Golden Age of Musical Theater,” available...
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Mimi Tachouet, Principal Flute
Jul 25, 20213 min
Behind the Curtain: Alyce Johnson, Flute and Piccolo
photo credit Vilma Jovaisa The Lyric Opera Orchestra has missed our audiences - and our orchestra pit - during the past 18 months. We’re...
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Linda Baker, Acting Co-Principal/Bass Clarinet
Jul 23, 20212 min
Hansel and Gretel: Creepier in the Forest?
This pandemic year (actually a year and counting) has created situations in which most of us never imagined we would find ourselves. It...
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chicagolyricoperao
May 27, 20212 min
Underground Opera
By Marie Tachouet Concertmaster Robert Hanford, clearly parked in the wrong spot. “Here come the cars!” As opera musicians, we are used...
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chicagolyricoperao
May 25, 20213 min
Mighty Knight
By Neil Kimel, French horn At a rehearsal on Friday, March 13, 2020, the Lyric Opera Orchestra played through the entirety of Wagner’s...
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chicagolyricoperao
May 23, 20213 min
Honoring Our Retirees - Peter LaBella
By Melissa Trier Kirk I have been given the happy task to interview violinist Peter Labella, who leaves the orchestra after a remarkable...
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Mark Fisher, Assistant Principal Trombone
Mar 24, 20212 min
Pandemic Motivation
March 2020: COVID-19 shutdown. Lyric Opera season: over. Ring cycle: not happening. Education system: all online. Santa Fe Opera Festival...
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Terri Van Valkinburgh, viola
Mar 22, 20212 min
Meet Our Newest Member, Rebecca Oliverio
A long time ago (2019, winter), Lyric Opera held auditions for a trumpet position previously held by our long-time (and newly retired)...
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Melissa Trier Kirk, viola
Mar 20, 20212 min
Zooming out to Seniors
While our theater has been shuttered for a year, orchestra members have sought creative ways to continue performing and connecting to our...
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chicagolyricoperao
Mar 18, 20211 min
Pet of the Month: Greta
Newest singing sensation Greta knows her big break will happen any day now so she's diligently staying on top of her scales. Living with...
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Fritz Foss, Assistant Principal French Horn
Dec 29, 20202 min
Best of Times, Worst of Times
Gus Foss, leaf expert Pandemic life at the Foss household feels like it’s been going on for a lifetime already. Since we’ve been on...
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Eric Millstein
Dec 26, 20202 min
Paperback Writer
Eric Millstein, percussion We percussionists are unlike other orchestral musicians (my colleagues will attest to this!). The main...
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Walter Preucil
Dec 23, 20201 min
Leading a New Generation of Cellists
Walter Preucil, cello This fall I had the opportunity to work with 12 fine cellists from around the country who had signed up for my...
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