Irene Radetzky, Violin

Hometown:  New York, New York

Joined Lyric Orchestra in 1999

Education:  B.M., Northwestern University

• What is your favorite opera to perform?

Mozart and Handel operas are some of my favorites because of the beautiful string writing.  Others I love to play include Die Meistersinger, Der Rosenkavalier, and the three Verdi--Shakespeare operas.

• With which other orchestras have you performed?  

After graduating from college I played in a chamber orchestra in Lisbon, Portugal for two years.  I also played a year in the Honolulu Symphony.  Closer to home, I am currently a member of the Grant Park Symphony and the Chicago Philharmonic.  It's nice to have a mix of operatic and orchestral playing throughout the year.

• Currently I’m reading:   

I recently read a biography of Alexander Hamilton by Richard Brookhiser as well as Angelica Houston's A Story Lately Told.  I just finished reading When Paris Went Dark, by Ronald C. Rosbottom.  Not sure what I'll be reading next...

• My favorite travel destination:

Whether it's the Grand Tetons or the Grand Canyon, I love the American West because of its vast natural beauty.