Festival Fellows Alumni News
We caught up with a handful of our Fellowship alums and were thrilled to hear what they’ve been up to lately.
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Alejandra Switala (Violin Fellow, 2016) received a Sphinx Organization MPower Artist Grant to launch a chamber music series with Pilsen Classical. |
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In January 2025, shortly after winning a tenure-track position with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Gabriela Lara (Violin Fellow, 2022) won the First Prize at the Sphinx Senior Division Competition. |
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Throughout the 2024-2025 concert season, Miya Higashiyama (Vocal Fellow, 2023) performs the title role of Frida Kahlo in Frida Kahlo and the Bravest Girl in the World as part of Lyric Opera of Chicago’s Opera in the Neighborhoods program. |
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Lifan Deng (Vocal Fellow, 2024) made his Madison Opera debut earlier this year, performing in productions of Rossini’s The Barber of Seville and Mozart’s Don Giovanni. |
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Matthew Adams (Violin Fellow, 2023) has been named a New World Symphony Fellow, starting the 2025-2026 concert season. |
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Alba Layana Izurieta (Violin Fellow, 2024) won a position in the violin section of the Battle Creek Symphony. |
Our 2025 String Fellows arrive just as our season opens and the Vocal Fellows begin a month later. They’ll all be performing with our orchestra and chorus on the stage of the Pritzker Pavilion and in neighborhood parks around the city.