Maestro Lyall attended one of the community concerts that I presented in those days with the Knoxville Community Chorus, and after the concert made me an offer. That offer to join the staff at Knoxville Opera as a Chorus Master and Production Manager was life changing for me. The 18 years I spent working alongside Robert Lyall were some of the best years of my life. Musically, I detoured in a whole new direction from the choral classics to the vast realm of Italian, sometimes French opera, German operetta, and musical theatre. Robert was a fount of knowledge, brilliant in many disciplines, an extraordinary musician, extremely well-read, a world traveler even as a young musician, a connoisseur of voices, an accomplished historian, and, in my case, a wise instructor and mentor. 

Robert was indeed a dreamer, but one who acted on his dreams and made them reality. He was tireless in his enthusiasm for opera and theatre, and was truly the architect of today’s Knoxville Opera, taking it from a civic organization to a major cultural institution. He was a master at casting singers, and especially adept at finding that thrilling young artist just ready to break out into an international career. Maestro Lyall gave himself wholeheartedly to the creation of Knoxville Opera in the early days. He organized the operations of the company, developed the board, staff, and guild, created a vision for the future, expanded the budgets and development initiatives, directed community outreach, brought exceptional talent to Knoxville, masterfully conducted performances, and built the audiences and the donor base. He was the face of Knoxville Opera for nearly 2 decades, and made performances at the opera a hot ticket. 

Robert Lyall taught me most of what I know today about producing opera, and introduced me to some of the greatest artists in the music industry. So many wonderful musicians passed through the doors at KO during Robert’s tenure. And that’s what I will remember most: the people who made our work special and rewarding, and who touched our lives in so many ways. The singers, directors, designers, instrumentalists, coaches, the hundreds of choristers – it’s the people that make this business so incredibly inspiring. 

Maestro Lyall gave me an unforgettable opportunity, one that opened a whole world of possibilities, fascinating experiences, and incredible journeys. I am grateful that I was able to call him my friend and to work with him for the time we shared. I will never forget his sparkling wit and wise counsel, his contagious humor and joy in living, his deep passion for music that went far beyond mere words, but was best expressed by his baton and his image on the podium as he conducted. Such strength, such wisdom, such charisma can never be forgotten. It’s hard to imagine that vigor and joy of life being stilled. I think perhaps his spirit is still making music somewhere in the cosmos. A force that powerful can never be silenced. And such friendship can never be lost. I will miss him. Rest in peace, Maestro. And thank you for taking a chance on a chorister long ago. Thank you for the memories. - Don Townsend