#SoCaltech: Sean Byrne

“I’m a violist. I still play violin sometimes, but I know where my loyalties lie. The viola’s C string makes it really, really wonderful, and the way that it fits into an orchestra, you get to actually experience a lot more. There’s a lot more subtlety in exactly how your part fits in. It’s a middle voice, and it’s not really something people necessarily register that they’re hearing—not like a violin or a flute. With a viola part, you’ve got to listen for it. It’s an important part of the mix of the sound, but you don’t hear it alone. You would miss it, though, if it were gone. Viola jokes are a big thing in orchestras because the instrument used to be unpopular among virtuosic musicians, just because there isn’t as much solo music for it compared to violin or cello. The jokes persist even though I think now the instrument has a much larger group of talented players. It does draw people who are a bit less outgoing sometimes, quieter, a little on the shyer side, which I guess I used to fall into but sort of transitioned out of. It’s still my instrument, though. It still fits.” 

Sean Byrne is a second-year graduate student in chemistry. On November 16 and 17 in Ramo Auditorium, Byrne will perform with the Caltech Orchestra, conducted by Glenn D. Price, in the Student Soloist Showcase. The program will feature five Caltech students in virtuoso solo works with the orchestra. Byrne will play Romanze for Viola and Orchestra by Max Bruch.

#SoCaltech is an occasional series celebrating the diverse individuals who give Caltech its spirit of excellence, ambition, and ingenuity. Know someone we should profile? Send nominations to magazine@caltech.edu.