MEGAN WEAVER, VIOLIN | SOFTWARE DEVELOPER

Earliest Memories

I auditioned for the Lake Geneva Symphony in 2019. I was looking for an orchestra to play in after graduating from Carthage College; I realized that for the first time since I started playing, I wasn’t in an orchestra, and I saw that The Rite of Spring was programmed—I was a dance minor in college and still love ballet music, so I was pretty excited about auditioning.

Favorite Memories

I love learning about each piece we play. The orchestra has great taste in music and I love exploring the pieces together. David communicates with the orchestra well and I grow as a musician in each rehearsal. I appreciate his attention to detail—precise rhythms, intentional articulations, and a consistent ear for balance (and an occasional music theory nerd moment—my dad, Ron Weaver, was a theory and composition major in college, so I think I inherited that trait). I love sitting next to a different violinist in each concert and observing how they approach the music. I always want to continue growing and developing my artistry.

I’m also a violinist in a rock band (“Would You Kindly?”) and never thought I’d play an electric violin with a symphony orchestra, but we played “Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24″ at our December 2024 concert and I was the electric violinist! It was definitely one of my most unique musical experiences. I’m generally quite shy, but the LGSO feels like a family and a welcoming community, so I wasn’t as afraid to play by myself (on an amplified instrument, no less). I’m grateful to my fellow musicians for supporting me.

Favorite Pieces

It’s so hard to choose a favorite. I knew I would love The Rite of Spring, Scheherazade, The Nutcracker (the full ballet in the pit!), and The Planets (possibly my favorite concert ever) before we played them. Sometimes I don’t feel an immediate connection with a piece and I only love it after I begin to understand it. I was surprised by Symphony No. 2 by Howard Hanson and Symphony No. 3 by Florence Price.