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Michael Casimir, viola
(Faculty)

Michael Casimir was named Principal Viola of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra in 2022. Prior to that, he was appointed to the viola section of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra in 2019. Casimir was awarded Second Place in the 2015 and 2011 international Sphinx Competitions, and winner of the Grand Prize at the Hudson Valley Philharmonic String Competition in 2013. He has guested as principal and co-principal of the London Philharmonic Orchestra. He acquired his undergraduate degree from The Juilliard School as a student of Heidi Castleman and Misha Amory, and his post-baccalaureate degree from the Curtis Institute of Music in May 2018 under the tutelage of Roberto Díaz, Hsin-Yun Huang, and Ed Gazouleas. While a student at the Curtis Institute, Casimir performed regularly with the New York Philharmonic, The Philadelphia Orchestra, and Orpheus Chamber Orchestra. In addition to classical music, Casimir likes to explore other genres. He can be heard on the soundtracks for The Lion King (2019) and Space Jam: A New Legacy, and has composed the music for a mobile game.