Violinist Kirk Toth and other members of the Toledo Symphony
May 5, 2006
Kirk Toth, violin
Prior to joining the Toledo Symphony Orchestra in 1983, Kirk Toth was a member of the Rochester Philharmonic in New York and served as a faculty member at Stetson University in Florida. He earned his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees at the University of Michigan, and while there, received the School of Music’s highest award, the Stanley Medal. He’s appeared frequently as a soloist with the Toledo Symphony, and in 1987, as a member of the Toledo Trio, he recorded a CD of works by Charles Ives, Amy Beach, and Horatio Parker.
Merwin Siu, violin
The Toledo Symphony’s Associate Principal Second Violinist since September 2000, Merwin Siu has rapidly assumed a dynamic role in Toledo’s cultural landscape. Solo appearances with the TSO have ranged from performances of the Great Masters on their Mostly Mozart series to his Pops solo debut in September 2002. Area audiences also know him as a presenter and performer of recitals and concert events, with recent appearances in Mentor, Tiffin, Archbold, Oxford, and numerous Toledo venues. In recent months, Merwin made his solo debut with the Cleveland Pops Orchestra in downtown Cleveland’s State Theatre, performed as a member of the Toledo Trio at the Toledo Museum of Art’s It’s Friday! Series, appeared on WTOL’s AM Saturday show, and several times on WGTE’s Live from FM 91 concert series. Merwin also serves as the Toledo Symphony’s Artistic Administrator, coordinating artistic input from conductors, musicians, and audiences for subscription series concerts, outreach appearances, and educational performances alike. Merwin holds a Masters in Music from Indiana University and degrees in English and Music from Montreal’s McGill University.
Valentin Ragusitu, viola
TSO Principal Violist Valentin Ragusitu won several first prize awards in his native Romania before coming to the United States in 1995 as violist in the Lipatti String Quartet. As a member of the quartet, Ragusitu won top prizes at several international chamber music competitions in 1996 and 1997, (including the Shostakovich International String Quartet Competition, Fischoff Chamber Music Competition, and the London String Quartet Competition). He also taught at the Bucharest Music Academy, and can be heard as principal violist of the Romanian Radio Orchestra in a recording of the complete orchestral works of George Enescu on the Olympia label.
Ellen Craig, viola
Associate Principal Viola of the Toledo Symphony since 1999, Ellen Craig has given solo performances across the country, including the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., Gartner Auditorium in Cleveland, and the Franciscan Center in Sylvania. She has performed with the Cleveland Orchestra in Severance Hall, and won Fellowships to such programs as Aspen, Norfolk, and Blossom, and has also won several competitions. She studied with the preeminent violists and string quartets of our time, including Jeffrey Irvine, Lynne Ramsey, Martha Katz, Roberto Diaz, and the Tokyo and Vermeer String Quartets, and has served on the faculty of Eastern Michigan University.
Martha Reikow, cello
Martha Reikow was born in Chicago, where she began her study of the piano at age five and the cello four years later. She earned her Bachelor and Master of Music degrees at Michigan State University where she studied with the renowned cello teacher, Louis Potter, Jr. Her other teachers included Frank Miller, principal cellist with the Chicago Symphony, and March Chanteaux, acting principal cellist with the Detroit Symphony. She also received extensive coaching with the Juilliard String Quartet while they served a residency at Michigan State University. Ms. Reikow has been a member of the New American Chamber Orchestra, the Grand Rapids Symphony Orchestra, and the Chicago Civic Orchestra where she was assistant principal cellist. She joined The Toledo Symphony in 1987 as its assistant principal, and became principal cello in 1995.
|