When Amanda Schuler steps onto the main stage at Lollapalooza in August, she’ll bring more than just a violin. She’ll carry 15 years of practice, a legacy of classical training and the heart of a suburban teenager ready to make her mark.
The 17-year-old Tinley Park resident, who graduated as valedictorian from Mother McAuley Liberal Arts High School on May 18, will perform with the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra’s Symphony Orchestra on Aug. 2 at the world-famous music festival in Grant Park.
They’ll open for the night’s headliner — a high-profile slot Schuler knows might surprise fans expecting pop, rap or electronic beats.
“Performing at Lollapalooza is meaningful to me because it is a chance to share classical music with peers who might not have heard it before,” Schuler said. “Lollapalooza is a major event for rap and pop music — genres that are completely different from what I play. So, for my orchestra to be invited feels unexpected, in the best way. It is not about trying to change anyone’s taste but about sharing a type of music to an audience who will hear something that they might not seek out on their own.”
Schuler, who began playing violin at age 3, said her mother learned alongside her using the Suzuki Method, a teaching style developed by Dr. Shinichi Suzuki that emphasizes learning by ear and parental involvement.
“It gave me a sense of accomplishment after every new piece,” she said. “Learning the violin was never a chore. It was something we did together.”
Now, she’s taking that love for music from her living room to one of the country’s biggest stages.
Schuler plays with the highest-level ensemble in the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra’s Symphony Orchestra, an elite group within the organization’s seven-tiered orchestra system.
Her selection to perform at Lollapalooza came through that program.
After the festival, Schuler will head to Purdue University, where she plans to study nursing. Still, she said music remains a core part of who she is — and who she hopes to become.
“You can only play beautiful music with a beautiful heart,” she said, quoting Suzuki.
She plays Saturday, Aug. 2, at 7:30 p.m. on a main stage in Grant Park.
For ticket information, visit https://www.lollapalooza.com/tickets