Toby Saks facts for kids

Toby Saks (born January 8, 1942 – died August 1, 2013) was a very talented American cellist. She was famous for starting the Seattle Chamber Music Society. She also played the cello in the New York Philharmonic orchestra.

Toby Saks's Musical Journey

Toby Saks was born in New York City. She started learning music when she was just five years old. First, she played the piano. Then, at age nine, she began playing the cello.

Learning and Winning Awards

Toby went to the High School of Performing Arts in New York. After that, she studied at the famous Juilliard School. Her teacher there was Leonard Rose, a well-known cellist. Toby won awards at big music events. These included the International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow. She also won at the Casals Competition in Israel. In 1964, she received an award from Young Concert Artists.

Playing in the New York Philharmonic

In 1971, Toby Saks joined the New York Philharmonic. This was a big deal because she was one of the first women to join this famous orchestra. However, after some years, Toby realized she didn't enjoy playing in an orchestra as much. So, in 1976, she took a job teaching music. She became a professor at the University of Washington.

Founding the Seattle Chamber Music Society

In 1982, Toby Saks missed performing her music for people. She also noticed that Seattle didn't have many places for classical musicians to perform.

Starting a New Music Festival

To fix this, Toby Saks decided to create something new. She founded the Seattle Chamber Music Society. This group hosts popular summer festivals. About forty artists perform at these festivals every year.

Toby's Leadership and Legacy

Toby was the artistic director of the Society for thirty years. During this time, she hired 266 different artists. Many of these musicians even stayed at Toby's house or with her neighbors! In 2012, Toby chose her replacement. It was James Ehnes, who had performed at the festival before.

Toby Saks's Family Life

In the late 1960s, Toby Saks married David Berlinski. He was a philosopher and writer. They had two children together. Their daughter, Claire, was born in 1968. Their son, Mischa, was born in 1973. Both Claire and Mischa grew up to become authors. Toby and David later divorced.

Later Life and Passing

In 2013, Toby Saks became ill. She was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. She chose not to have treatment so she could attend the Society's music festival. Toby passed away on August 1, 2013, at 71 years old. She was survived by her husband of 25 years, Martin Greene, and her two children.