Lea Foli

Foli, Lea

Lea Foli. Violinist, teacher, b Kelowna, BC, 8 Sep 1933. He began violin lessons at five with William Gratch, continuing with Gregori Garbovitsky, Clifford Evens, Esther Glazer, Oscar Shumsky, and Ivan Galamian. He played 1954-60 in the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra and the CBC Vancouver (Chamber) Orchestra. He was concertmaster 1960-6 of the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra and organized the Corydon Trio (1959-62, with Gerald Stanick, viola, and Claude Kenneson, cello, the latter succeeded by Peggie Sampson). During this period he participated in performances at the Stratford Festival. Foli was concertmaster 1969-88 of the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra (later the Minnesota Orchestra), appearing frequently as soloist in the standard repertoire and concertos by Bartók, Berg, Hindemith and William Schuman, among others. In Canada he has appeared as concerto soloist with the NACO, the TS, the Winnipeg SO, the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, and the Vancouver SO. He was professor of violin at the University of Minnesota and a founding member of the University of Minnesota String Quartet. Foli was a performing artist and faculty member 1966-76 of the Aspen Festival and has taught orchestral and chamber music programs at the Courtenay Youth Music Centre, the Banff SFA, Toronto's George Brown College, and the Interlochen Center for the Arts. He retired from public performance in 1988.