Elizabeth Tuma

Elizabeth Tuma, cellist, was raised in a musical family in Farmington Hills, Michigan.  As a young person, she attended Interlochen, both as a summer camper and later as a student at the Interlochen Arts Academy. Her studies included teachers from the Detroit Symphony, Mr. Edward Korkigian and Ms. Melinda Dalley at Interlochen.  She continued her musical studies at the University of Michigan with Mr. Oliver Edel, in New York and Philadelphia, at the Curtis Institute of Music with Mr. David Soyer.

At Curtis, her chamber music training was with the Guarneri Quartet, members of the Budapest Quartet, and Jascha Brodsky.   Elizabeth graduated with an Artist Diploma, and continued her chamber music studies with the Hungarian Quartet, and post- graduate work with Mr. Larry Lesser at Peabody Institute in Baltimore.

Prior to her full-time engagement as a cellist in the Milwaukee Symphony in 1975, she free-lanced in the Washington DC area, playing with the National Symphony, the Virginia Chamber Orchestra, and many other chamber groups. In 1975, Elizabeth joined the cello section of the Milwaukee Symphony. She has had an active chamber music presence, in the Milwaukee Chamber Orchestra, the Stratford Quartet, the Chanterelle Quartet, the Arcadia Trio and the Baroque group, Bach Babes and performs regularly with the Temescal Quartet in San Francisco. She has had a private studio as well for many years.

Elizabeth has been active in orchestral committee work, and has represented the MSO at ICSOM Conferences, coordinating a National Conference in Milwaukee in the late ’70s. She has also chaired Players Committees and Artistic Liaison Committees for the MSO.

She has served as an adjudicator for the String Academy Concerto Competition, the Concord Chamber Orchestra Concerto Competition, the MSO Stars of Tomorrow Competition and as a coach for the Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra.