Creative Team

Lisa Kaplan and Matthew Duvall
artistic co-directors

What kind of a connection develops after more than two decades of shared imagination, inspiration, and the work of creating art? Symbiotic experience. Anticipated actions. Unspoken conversations. The result is an extraordinary leadership team.

Lisa Kaplan and Matthew Duvall met and began making music together in curriculum ensembles at Oberlin College in 1992, driven by a compatible fascination with rigorous challenges and unexpected outcomes. Together with their ensemble mates, they created Eighth Blackbird, a four-time Grammy Award-winning sextet that commissions and champions the creation of new works, mentors emerging artists through the Blackbird Creative Lab and extensive residencies, and expands the boundaries of the concert experience focusing on the principles of collaboration and inclusivity. The fundamental goal of every artistic experience is community building for all constituents.

In addition to their world-traveling artistic exploits, Lisa and Matthew have ascended to the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro and descended into the basin of Tanzania’s Ngorongoro crater, discovering that stage fright is nothing compared to being stared down by an elephant. And by the way, they were born in the same Motown hospital (but not on the same day). The universe has a sense of humor.

Lisa exceeded all prior accomplishments in 2017 by becoming a single mom by choice. She is having a joyous time raising and learning from her happy-go-lucky and feisty toddler, Frida. Lisa is a true foodie, gourmet cook, avid reader, and crossword and Scrabble addict. She enjoys baking ridiculously complicated pastry and loves outdoor adventures. In addition to the Kilimanjaro summit, she has braved the Australian outback and survived close encounters with grizzly bears in the Brooks Range of Alaska. Lisa is a 2013 recipient of Chicago’s prestigious 3Arts Award, and recently has enjoyed doing some composing and arranging for Eighth Blackbird. She co-produced her first album When We Are Inhuman (released August 2019) with Bryce Dessner which features her arrangements of songs by Will Oldham, aka Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy.

Garrett Obrycki
creative lab director

Garrett joins the Lab team as an educator, administrator and artist. Over the past 10 years, Garrett has performed with opera companies across the United States, including Opera Saratoga, Opera Ithaca, Opera Philadelphia, Sarasota Opera, Opera Delaware, Opera Sarasota, Central City Opera, most recently, with Opera in the Heights singing the title role in Eugene Onegin. As an educator, Garrett has taught with the School District of Philadelphia, Kimmel Center, Skidmore College, Opera Philadelphia, ArtSmart, and the Harvard Kennedy School and is currently on the roster of Teaching Artists with COMPAS in the Twin Cities. As an administrator, Garrett has designed and facilitated educational and community programs for the Harvard Graduate School of Education Arts in Education cohort, Opera Philadelphia, the Olivetti Leadership Institute in northern Italy and, most recently, as the Director of Education with Midori & Friends in midtown Manhattan. As a producer and production manager, Garrett has worked in with theater makers, dancers, and musicians at Theater Mu, Interact Arts, at the Great Northern Festival (on a dance commission on a frozen lake!) in Minneapolis in addition to his work with Eighth Blackbird at Yerkes Observatory. Garrett has a Bachelor of Music from the Eastman School of Music and a Master of Education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. He is currently living making a pitstop in Minneapolis!

Matthew McCabe
technologist

Matthew McCabe is currently Associate Professor of Audio Technology at the Schwob School of Music at Columbus State University in Georgia. He holds degrees in music from the University of Richmond, Bowling Green State University, and the University of Florida, and has worked as an audio engineer with a huge variety of musicians spanning multiple genres.  His current research involves networked audio technologies, and he has no less than 4 new recording projects underway in 2023.  His creative output includes acoustic and electronic compositions, sound poetry, and performances with the Celtic music group Wolf & Clover, which released its first album in 2018. He has also been studying the Irish language for several years, earning certificates from Fairfield University and the University of Maynooth and has spent time in language immersion programs in County Donegal.