Linda Goldstein, viola, has been a member of the Houston Symphony viola section since 1981. Originally from Columbia, SC, she received her bachelor’s degree from the University of South Carolina, followed by a master’s degree in performance from the Hartt College of Music in Hartford, CT. Prior to coming to Houston, she played in the Jerusalem Symphony in Israel for two years, coached chamber music at the North Carolina School of the Arts and was principal viola of the Toledo Symphony Orchestra in Ohio. Linda and her husband have two children – Shoshi, a student at the University of Miami and Michael, a senior at Bellaire High School. In her spare time, she enjoys making jewelry, baking bread, and playing chamber music with her friends.

How old were you when you began playing?
I began my musical studies at age 11 on a family violin that my grandparents purchased when they arrived in America from Europe. This violin was played by all my uncles and most of my cousins and was finally passed down to me. My first teacher was actually their teacher, as well! I followed my love of the deep, rich sounds of the lower register to become a violist when I was 19.

If you weren't a musician, what would you most like to do?
If I weren't a professional musician, I would probably be something that would involve art, science and traveling. I'm not sure what it would be.

What are your favorite hobbies?
Art, running, reading, traveling, cooking and spending time with my husband, Jerry, family and friends (including my dogs).