John Foster Macfarlane

An artist of remarkable versatility, John Macfarlane is a sought-after orchestral leader, chamber musician, conductor, vocalist, and educator. He is Assistant Principal Second Violin of the Lyric Opera Orchestra, Artistic Director of Rembrandt Chamber Musicians, and Guest Concertmaster of the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra.

As a chamber musician, he is a featured artist with Rembrandt Chamber Musicians, Bach Week, Rush Hour Concerts series, Dame Myra Hess series, and Strings Music Festival in Steamboat Springs, Colorado.

He held the position of concertmaster with the Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra, Owensboro Symphony Orchestra, Breckenridge Music Festival, National Repertory Orchestra, and Spoleto Festival. He performed as guest concertmaster of the Oregon Symphony. He has also performed with The Cleveland Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra.

As a conductor, he has been featured on live radio broadcasts on Chicago’s WFMT for the Rush Hour Concerts Series, has conducted multiple concerts with the Strings Music Festival, and served as Assistant Conductor of the National Repertory Orchestra in Breckenridge, Colorado.

A dynamic advocate for the arts, he is a frequent masterclass clinician for the Betty Haag School and presents motivational seminars to advanced youth orchestras.

He received a Bachelor of Music in Violin Performance and Certificate in Music Theatre from Northwestern University and a Master of Music in Violin Performance from the University of Maryland.