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Civic Fellow Lina Yamin
For more than a century, young musicians have received expert training through the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, which offers performance opportunities with top-tier conductors and mentorship from musicians of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Now in its 11th season, the Civic Fellowship program provides additional professional development for a select group of Civic Orchestra members. The mission of the Fellowship is to prepare participants for multifaceted careers in music through four pillars of concert curation, music education, social justice and project management.
In this interview, current Civic Fellow Lina Yamin shares her experiences of the program so far.
What is your background with music and your instrument?
I’ve been playing the violin since I was 7 years old. Music was always a big part of my home life, and I quickly became fascinated by it. I’m from Caracas, Venezuela, where I started my musical journey with El Sistema, a social program that provides free music education. The last orchestra I played with before moving to the U.S. was the Youth Orchestra of Caracas, also part of El Sistema. As part of the YOC, I had the chance to tour around Europe and Asia and to perform in some of the most beautiful concert halls. Alongside my love for music, I earned a bachelor’s degree in communications focusing on marketing and advertising from Universidad Católica Andrés Bello in Caracas. My husband, Nelson, and I then moved to Chicago, where we both earned our master’s and post-master’s degrees in violin performance from DePaul University.
What led you to audition for the Civic Orchestra?
The Civic Orchestra had exactly what I was looking for — the opportunity to play in a professional orchestra and find meaningful ways to bring music to communities. My time in El Sistema not only cultivated my love for creating and sharing music, but it also fostered a sense of community, belonging and a strong belief that music is a powerful tool for social change. I believe it’s important to find a way to give back through what you do and find joy in doing it, and I have found that through the Civic Fellowship.
How has being a Civic Orchestra member and Fellow helped you professionally and personally?
I am learning the technical aspects of preparing for a performance much more quickly. When you have a lot of music to learn, only a few weeks of practice, followed by a week of rehearsals then the concert, you must learn fast and have a strong attention to detail. I’ve also enjoyed the opportunity to learn from playing under many different conductors, as it has made my playing more flexible and helped me understand different perspectives of the music.
Personally, it fuels my heart that I can give back through music. My favorite part of performing is when I get to see people enjoying and connecting with the music and projects that we have been preparing for weeks.
What do you think sets the Civic and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association as a whole apart from other orchestras?
One of the most unique parts of Civic, and the CSOA as a whole, is how connected its programs are to the city of Chicago. There is a real commitment to making a difference in the city — we are not separated from what is happening, and Civic programs are chosen each season in response to what the city needs. Civic wants everyone to feel welcome, and it is fulfilling to see how impactful our projects can be.
I’m also grateful Civic provides opportunities regardless of age, as many other programs for young professional musicians have age limits. The fact that everyone can feel welcome to grow and learn in this space is truly inspiring.
What have been some of your favorite moments, events or projects as a Civic Fellow so far?
It was such a pleasure to work and collaborate with my cohort of Civic Fellows last season. I’m so curious to listen to everyone’s perspectives and be part of a nourishing and accepting environment. As a group, we’ve performed programmatically challenging chamber concerts and worked with students and teachers at Chicago Public Schools. We’ve also connected with families who have lost loved ones to gun violence through the Notes for Peace program to write and perform songs of tribute, and I felt a huge responsibility to compose something that was meaningful for the families.
All Civic Fellows work on an independent project each season, and in May, I was proud to focus my project on curating a chamber music concert of Venezuelan folk music for Venezuelan migrants in Chicago. I performed alongside other Civic members, and the response from the attendees was overwhelming and emotional. The impact went beyond what I was expecting, and it made the hard work worth it to know we had genuinely connected with the people. They smiled, clapped, sang and approached us to thank us for bringing them a piece of home.
What concerts or events are you most looking forward to the rest of this season?
It’s so hard to pinpoint one thing — each project is so different and I’m honestly looking forward to everything! It will be great to continue collaborating with the other fellows in my cohort and see new, happy faces at our concerts. I am also excited to expand my independent project with Venezuelan migrants.
What are your plans/dreams for what you’ll do when your time in Civic comes to an end?
I hope to play in a professional, full-time orchestra, while also doing social work and giving back to the community. Even if I don’t find an orchestra job immediately after my time in Civic ends, I will still find a way to work with the community.
Why should donors support the Civic Orchestra?
The gratitude that I feel for the opportunities I have been given in this program, which are made possible by donor support, goes beyond words. When donors give to the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, they are not only making an impact on the growth of young professional musicians, but also allowing us to impact the entire city of Chicago through our music.
