Marilyn McDonald, violin
Marilyn McDonald, a violinist about whom the Houston Chronicle has said “sparkling with dazzling virtuosity” has toured worldwide as a member of the Castle Trio, The Smithson String Quartet, The Oberlin Baroque Ensemble and Ensemble Pierrot, a group specializing in contemporary music. She is currently a member of The Axelrod Quartet, performing on the Smithsonian’s Stradivarius instruments. Her appearances reflect her versatility: soloist with the Milwaukee Symphony, concerts at Caramoor Festival, Yale University, The Metropolitan Museum, Alice Tully Hall, Library of Congress, Mostly Mozart Festival, and the Utrecht Festival. Summer festivals include the Baroque Performance Institute, Colorado College Festival, Fairbanks, Alaska and Bowdoin Festivals. Professor of Violin at the Oberlin Conservatory; where she was presented with The Excellence in Teaching award, she has an international reputation as a pedagogue of both baroque and modern violin. Her students are well represented in orchestras throughout the world and have been first prizewinners in the Naumberg, Locatelli, and Berkeley Bach competitions. She has held visiting professorships at both Indiana University and the Eastman School of Music. Ms. McDonald has recorded for Sony, Vox, Smithsonian, Gasparo, Decca, Harmonia Mundi, Telarc, and Virgin Classics, on which label the Castle Trio’s complete Beethoven Trios have received much critical acclaim.