Canadian Violinist Lea Foli has Died, Aged 91

Foli was the former concertmaster of the Winnipeg Symphony and the Minnesota Orchestra

A native of British Columbia, Lea Foli was born in 1933 and began violin lessons at age five with William Gratch. He was later mentored by Gregori Garbovitsky, Clifford Evens, Esther Glazer, Oscar Shumsky, and Ivan Galamian. 

From 1954 to 1960, Foli served as principal second violin of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra and was a member of the CBC Vancouver Chamber Orchestra. In the following six years, he was concertmaster of the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, and formed the Corydon Trio. 

Between 1969 and 1988, Foli was concertmaster of the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra (now the Minnesota Orchestra), where he made regular solo concerto appearances, plus performed solo with the National Arts Center Orchestra, Toronto Symphony, and the Edmonton and Ottawa Symphony Orchestras. 

Foli also served as an adjunct professor of violin at the University of Minnesota and was a founding member of the faculty string quartet. 

Additionally, from 1966 to 1976, he was a performing artist and faculty member of the Aspen Festival and taught orchestral and chamber music at the Courtenay Youth Music Centre, Banff School of Fine Arts, George Brown College, and the Interlochen Center for the Arts. He retired from public performance in 1988.

Mr. Foli is survived by his wife of 40 years Marilyn Zupnik, his brother, his children, and six grandchildren. Our condolences to his family, friends, students, and colleagues.