HR0202LRB099 10903 MST 31595 r

1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3Representatives are saddened to learn of the untimely death of
4Andrew Patner on February 3, 2015; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Andrew Patner was born on December 17, 1959, the
6son of Irene and Marshall Patner; he grew up in Chicago's Hyde
7Park neighborhood and attended William H. Ray Elementary School
8and Kenwood High School; and
 
9    WHEREAS, After working as a staff assistant to Congressman
10Ralph H. Metcalfe in Washington, D.C., Andrew attended the
11University of Chicago, where he studied liberal arts and
12history and was editor-in-chief of The Chicago Maroon; he
13received his bachelor's degree in history from the University
14of Wisconsin-Madison, thesis of distinction, in 1985; and
 
15    WHEREAS, Andrew's amazing ability to communicate
16compelling stories, both verbally and in the written word,
17allowed him to share his talents with Chicago and the rest of
18the world; a published author, classical music writer,
19freelance writer, former reporter for The Wall Street Journal,
20former staff writer and editor at Chicago Magazine, and critic,
21host, and producer for Chicago's National Public Radio
22affiliate, WBEZ; he brought current events and the arts to life

 

 

HR0202- 2 -LRB099 10903 MST 31595 r

1for his scores of readers and listeners; his significant
2talents were recognized with a 1984 Peter Lisagor Award for his
3coverage of race and politics leading up to Harold Washington's
4election as mayor of Chicago and the 2000 James Friend Memorial
5Award from The Friends of Literature for his criticism of the
6arts; and
 
7    WHEREAS, Andrew's love of the arts, especially the arts in
8Chicago, was unparalleled; he immersed himself in modern and
9contemporary art, European painting and sculpture, world
10cultures, photography, art history, and architecture; his
11multifarious interests and expansive breadth of knowledge
12allowed him to be as comfortable discussing local politics and
13Chicago history as he was critiquing the latest musical
14performance at the Lyric Opera of Chicago; and
 
15    WHEREAS, Andrew was critic-at-large for WFMT Fine Arts
16Radio Chicago, where he hosted the weekly conversation program
17Critical Thinking; his Critic's Choice commentaries were heard
183 times each week; and
 
19    WHEREAS, As a contributing critic to the Chicago Sun-Times,
20Andrew covered classical music and opera, theater and dance,
21art and architecture, cabaret, books, and film; he appeared as
22a commentator on cultural and political matters for WTTW 11
23television; and
 

 

 

HR0202- 3 -LRB099 10903 MST 31595 r

1    WHEREAS, Andrew was a pre-concert speaker and interviewer
2at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and accompanied the orchestra
3on numerous tours to Europe, the East Coast, Japan, and South
4America; he was a mainstay at all of Chicago's major cultural
5institutions, including the Lyric Opera, Steppenwolf Theater,
6the Art Institute, the Field Museum, Chicago Opera Theater, and
7the Chicago Humanities Festival; he lectured on modern and
8contemporary music at the Risor Chamber Music Festival in
9Risor, Norway; he taught students from around the world for the
10Soros Foundations/Open Society Institute Council; and he
11served as co-chair of the Interarts Council of The Arts Club of
12Chicago, member of the Visiting Committee to the Department of
13Music of the University of Chicago, and board member of KAM
14Isaiah Israel Congregation, the Chicago Children's Choir, and
15the Independent Voters of Illinois; and
 
16    WHEREAS, Andrew was a charter member of the Association of
17Literary Scholars and Critics, a founding member of the Chicago
18Art Critics Association, and a member of the Music Critics
19Association of North America, the Authors Guild, Inc., and the
20executive committee of the American Theater Critics
21Association; he was the first director of the Programs on Arts
22Policy at Columbia College Chicago and a director of the
23Minority High School Summer Journalism Camp at Roosevelt
24University; he was inducted into the Chicago Gay and Lesbian

 

 

HR0202- 4 -LRB099 10903 MST 31595 r

1Hall of Fame in 2013; and
 
2    WHEREAS, Andrew was known for his sense of humor and for
3his profound intelligence and his passion for Chicago; his
4sudden passing is a devastating loss for his family, his wide
5circle of friends, and all those who admired his work; and
 
6    WHEREAS, Andrew is survived by his partner, Tom Bachtell;
7his mother, Irene; and his brothers, Seth and Joshua;
8therefore, be it
 
9    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
10NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
11we, along with his family, friends, and colleagues, mourn the
12passing of Andrew Patner; and be it further
 
13    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
14presented to the family of Andrew Patner as an expression of
15our deepest sympathies and respect.