In Conversation with Music of the Baroque Musicians

From Dawn to Dusk, coming up this February 28 and 29, offers audiences the chance to hear Music of the Baroque’s amazing instrumentalists up close and personal. Haydn’s Morning, Noon, and Night symphonies are filled with delightful solo writing for violin, flute, cello, and more. We sat down with violinist Kathleen Brauer, the concertmaster for these concerts, to talk about her favorite parts of Dawn to Dusk and how she makes it through the long Chicago winters.

Katie has been a member of the Lyric Opera orchestra since 1996 and the Santa Fe Opera Orchestra since 1995. She appears regularly at the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival, and has given chamber music performances with the Rembrandt Chamber Players, Ensemble Modern, Fulcrum Point New Music Project, and Pintele Piano Trio.

Photo by Devon Cass

What’s special for you about performing with Music of the Baroque?
I love the repertoire that we play at Music of the Baroque. I appreciate the elegant structural design of the music, and the clarity of the texture. That repertoire is the origin of so much of what follows in Western music. I also enjoy the intimate size of the ensemble. It is large chamber music, and the enthusiasm and commitment of everyone in the ensemble is tangible in performances and in the camaraderie during rehearsals. It is always inspiring to work with Jane Glover and Nicholas Kraemer, and I gain new perspective from each series we perform. 

Katie and her husband, cellist Mark Brandfonbrener, on Lyric's opening night

In this upcoming concert, you’ll play a lot of solos! What are some of the challenges of soloing from the concertmaster’s chair? The main challenge of soloing from the concertmaster chair is switching back and forth between a sound which blends with the ensemble, and a sound that projects the solo lines. It is also somewhat of a challenge to play soloistically while seated. Violinists usually stand for recitals and concerti, and it's easier to project sound while standing.

**Do you have a favorite part of these _Dawn to Dusk_ [concerts](http://www.baroque.org/Seasons/2015-2016/from-dawn-to-dusk-glover-conducts-haydn-mozart)?** I especially love the slow movement of Haydn's Seventh Symphony. It begins with an unusual recitative, and has a beautiful duet for violin and cello. It sounds quite operatic, and I imagine that I am singing when I play it.

You’re giving these concerts in late February, as many Chicagoans start to get tired of hibernating. What are your tips for surviving a Chicago winter? I have enjoyed winter much more since I learned how to ski! I took up cross country skiing about eight years ago, and I just learned to downhill ski two years ago. It gives me a reason to be happy about the approach of winter. I love to spend time out of doors, but I'm usually dissuaded by the cold. I'm never cold while cross country skiing, and downhill skiing is so much fun that it's worth being cold. My other cold weather secret is my slow cooker. It's very comforting to come home on a cold day and have a warm meal already made.

Katie with her family, far from any snow, in Great Sand Dunes National Park