Biographies
Tim Munro is a Chicago-based, triple-Grammy-winning musician. He is currently the flutist of the University of Chicago’s Grossman Ensemble, and is the St Louis Symphony Orchestra’s Creative Partner, in which position he works as a broadcaster, curator, writer, speaker, and consultant. Born in Brisbane, Australia, Tim was the flutist and co-artistic director of the chamber ensemble eighth blackbird from 2006 till 2015. As a member of eighth blackbird, Tim performed at major concert venues in forty US states, and premiered more than 100 works. Tim won his third Grammy Award as a member of eighth blackbird in 2016, for the Cedille Records album “Filament.”
John Macfarlane is Assistant Principal Second Violin of the Lyric Opera Orchestra. He has performed with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, The Cleveland Orchestra, Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra, Grant Park Music Festival, IRIS Orchestra, Aspen Music Festival Orchestras, and served as first violinist of the Eykamp String Quartet. He has served as Concertmaster of the Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra, Owensboro Symphony Orchestra, Breckenridge Music Festival, Spoleto Festival Orchestra, National Repertory Orchestra, and as guest concertmaster of the Oregon Symphony. He also performs with Rembrandt Chamber Musicians, Music of the Baroque, Rush Hour Concerts, and Strings Music Festival. He holds a Bachelor of Music from Northwestern University and a Master of Music from the University of Maryland. John lives in Chicago with his wife, violinist Karyn Macfarlane and their three children.
French-born violist Aurelien Fort Pederzoli has quickly risen to be known as one of Chicago’s most creative and sought-after collaborators. From 2009 until 2014, Aurelien was one of the violinists, and founding member, of the Grammy Nominated Spektral Quartet. In 2015, Pederzoli founded (alongside Desirée Ruhstrat and David Cunliffe) The Black Oak Ensemble, a string trio at its core, and has been performing with them ever since. 2018 marks the release of their debut album “Silenced Voices” on the Cedille Label. In the 2018/19 season, Pederzoli became a one year member of the Lyric Opera of Chicago. Pederzoli is one of the founders of the music festival Musique Dans Le Gers, based in the south west of France.
Sonia Mantell, cellist from Orland Park, Illinois, is a newly-appointed member of the Lyric Opera of Chicago. Mantell studied at New England Conservatory and DePaul School of Music under the tutelage of Natasha Brofksy and Brant Taylor respectively. She was appointed co-principal cellist of the NEC orchestras and of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago. She attended summer festivals at Aspen, National Orchestral Institute, Music Academy of the West and most recently Tanglewood Music Center for three consecutive summers. She performed in Chicago’s MusicNow series, Lyric Opera of Chicago for their productions of Die Walkure and Turandot, was invited to be the cellist of the Fromm Quartet at Tanglewood for the upcoming summer and won a trial with the Minnesota Orchestra.
Jeremy Attanaseo is the assistant principal Bass of the Elgin Symphony Orchestra and the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra. He has performed with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Grant Park Orchestra, Minnesota Orchestra, The Joffrey Ballet and the Chicago Philharmonic. He is also principal bass of International Chamber Artists, and previously principal bass of the Dubuque Symphony Orchestra. Attanaseo received his Bachelor of Music and Master of Music in bass performance from DePaul University where he studied with Rob Kassinger.