Toby Appel — Viola

Toby Appel has enjoyed a distinguished international career as a recitalist, concerto soloist, and chamber musician, with performances across North and South America, Europe, and Asia. A former member of the renowned ensembles TASHI and the Lenox and Audubon Quartets, he has appeared as a guest artist with the Vermeer, Manhattan, Alexander, and Dover Quartets, as well as with The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. His versatility has also led to collaborations with jazz legends Chick Corea and Gary Burton.

Appel is a frequent presence at leading festivals, including Mostly Mozart, Chamber Music Northwest, Seattle Chamber Music Society, Music from Angel Fire, Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival, Marlboro Music, Manchester, Colorado College Summer Music, Bravo! Vail, and festivals in England, France, Korea, Germany, Italy, Finland, and Greece.

A highly creative and versatile performer, Appel is celebrated for his narrated performances of works such as Britten’s The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra, Ridout’s Ferdinand the Bull, Schoenberg’s Ode to Napoleon, Stravinsky’s L’Histoire du soldat, Caplet’s The Masque of the Red Death, and Walton’s Façade. He is also a frequent commentator for NPR’s Performance Today.

Appel entered the Curtis Institute of Music at age 13 as a student of Max Aronoff. His early career included a 1975 CBS television special in which he performed works he commissioned for three violas—playing all three parts himself—and in 1980, he won Young Concert Artists.

A dedicated teacher, Appel has been on the viola and chamber music faculties of The Juilliard School for more than 30 years. His past academic appointments include professorships at the State University of New York, Carnegie Mellon University, and the Yale School of Music. He has also toured for the U.S. Department of State and performed at the United Nations and The White House.

His chamber and recital recordings can be heard on labels including Columbia, Delos, Desto, Koch International, Opus One, and the Musical Heritage Society.

Toby Appel divides his time between Santa Fe and New York City, where he lives with his wife, Carolyn, and their dog, Morgan.