My Palace in Dallas: Lydia Umlauf

Lydia in her 1,000 SQFT loft at Dallas. TX

“Solitude requires you to move past reacting to information created by other people and focus instead on your own thoughts and experiences – wherever you happened to be”

— Cal Newport, Digital Minimalism

It’s March 2021, which means it’s officially the anniversary of the shit show we call the pandemic quarantine palooza, what have I accomplished this year? What random yet basic habit have I picked up on? Sourdough starters? Day drinking? Gained the quarantine 15? Learned how to give me a haircut? Realizing that I actually have a drinking problem? Aside from all these things that helped fill that endless void in my heart, I’d like to believe I came out of this quarantine experience stronger, and being able to appreciate the chance for total solitude.

This is the exact idea that gave birth to this project, I want to know, I want to see, more importantly, I want to document what the people around me have become after this unprecedented year, they can be artists can be a violinist ( what a coincidence who also happened to be the one to kick off this project can you believe?) they can be the people you walk past daily on the street ( which is quite hard cause apparently people in Dallas don’t walk at all). What is it that they do? What are their stories ad what does their Palace in Dallas looks like?

Without further ado, allow me to introduce you to Lydia Umlauf, a talented violinist playing at Dallas Symphony and the one who founded “Mozart in the Bar” and our conversation on her beautiful couch over a bottle of two buck chuck. (Spoiler alert, we finished them)

Lydia Umlauf playing , photo by : James Kung

Hi Lydia, looking stunning as always, thank you for having the time to chat with me, I’ve known you for a while now but tell me about yourself, what do you do and who are you?

(We poured our first glass of wine) Hi! My name is Lydia Umlauf, a classical violinist based in Dallas, Texas. I’m a member of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and founder and artistic director of a concert series called Mozart in the Bar.

**It’s officially a year now since the quarantine happened, what have you’ve been doing and how does the entire situation affect your line of work?**

The Dallas Symphony is one of the only orchestras in the country that has been able to have a full season of music safely and with Covid-19 protocol. They have provided onsite testing which has allowed us to keep working. I am so grateful to this great organization for going above and beyond to take care of its musicians and employees.
Other than work, I’ve been doing a lot of yoga and have been working on various creative projects with friends. I just completed a video project with a friend, Logan, featuring me on the violin playing Bach. You can find the video on Youtube or my personal Instagram page, @lydiaumlauf. I’ve modeled in a few photoshoots, and have been featured in a few things for women's month (this post included!) Just trying to collaborate with friends creatively (and safely) as much as I can. I’ve also been taking this time to rest, get in the habit of reading regularly again and cooking lots of steaks. (I can confirm, the freezer is very much a steak haven)

After a few glasses of wine, Lydia showed me the latest piece she’s been working on.

**Obviously, you are a very talented violinist, would you mind sharing anything of how you got here?**

I grew up playing violin and being around classical music basically since I was born. I was handed a violin at age 5 and have been playing ever since…I had weekly private lessons until I graduated from college. In high school, I got into the Music Institute of Chicago’s Academy program which was a pre-college classical music program on the weekends studying with Desiree Ruhstrat. Being in that environment and around such talented students really motivated me to work harder and inspired me to study music. I graduated with a degree in Violin Performance from Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music studying with Alex Kerr. And then I won the audition here in the Dallas Symphony and moved to Texas. I also attended the Schleswig Holstein Music Festival in Germany for a few of my summers in college and now attend the Grand Teton Music Festival in Jackson, WY every summer.
(Editors note: We’ve moved on from wine and inserted a shot of Mezcal)

The crystals said,” We vibing and we charging”

It is often people associate Dallas as a really unknown place if they’ve never visited, can you describe how you feel about the city? Does it grow on you and how do you feel when you first got here?

Dallas has treated me extremely well…I’ve really enjoyed my time in this city. It’s an exciting time to be here with the economy booming and lots of business and headquarters moving here from all over. There are so many creatives here and it’s been really rewarding to get to know and collaborate with some of them. Also, you can’t beat the barbecue and tacos in Texas!

We have classical music industry all over the state, what made you stayed here and what exciting things do you think the classical music industry in Dallas makes it so special? What’s it like in here?

I founded Mozart in the Bar around four years ago. It seems like a lot of people I meet in the city have certain impressions of classical music…that it’s stuffy and formal and has to be experienced in a fancy concert hall (which is also fun, too, by the way...everyone should experience a symphony concert!). I love to socialize and drink with friends and I love what I do so I decided to start playing my favorite composers in bars for anyone and everyone that wanted to hear with the hope that it would also entice people to go to the Meyerson Symphony Center to hear concerts. Gabe Sanchez who formerly owned Black Swan Saloon hosted several of the first concerts and was instrumental in making Mozart in the Bar a reality.

(Editor’s note, I also feel I’m extra close to classical music when I am three cocktails down, such an inspiring quote.)

(Looks around the spacious home) You have such a wonderful place! Do you have anything you would like to show off? Any prized possession?

My prized possessions are all of the furniture pieces made by my dad, especially the coffee table and ladder bookshelf. The coffee table is made of thick oak planks that my dad got from his neighbor’s dilapidated old barn down the street. He also made me two side tables, also made from that oak wood, two desks, and a coat tree. He’s been making me furniture since I was in high school and I’ve been collecting them over the years.

I have another cute piece of furniture that I was as a bedside table…it was my mom’s grandma’s telephone table in her hallway. I think it’s super special to have family heirlooms passed down…it’s a way to honor and remember those that have lived before me.

(Editors note: we’re back to wine town and it’s our 4th glass?)

For young people who are struggling now studying music or in the industry or not sure where to go after school ends, any suggestions for them?

You have to put in the work, definitely, but half the battle is your mentality…your ability to believe in yourself and your skills. And when you don’t win that audition or competition then just do it again and never try to take rejection personally. It only makes you more resilient! What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, as they say.