The Toe River Chamber Ensemble was first organized in 1975. Musicians rehearsed weekly for a number of years, and then, there was a span of 6-8 years that the group had disbanded and didn’t meet. When Judith Grenell became Executive Director of Music in the Mountains, she began calling musicians, found a director, and pulled the group back together again. The current group has been rehearsing weekly and performing at various locations since around 1989. Musicians come from Yancey, Mitchell, Avery, Madison and Buncombe Counties and have included people ages 10 to 89 – and from many backgrounds and professions from farmers, librarians, real estate salesmen, potters, ministers, photographers, administrative workers, construction workers, teachers, students, doctors, hospital technicians and more. Numerous directors, musicians from all ages and instrumentation have been a part of the groups’ history. William Wilkes has been directing the group for close to two years.

The twenty-member group currently consists of: Director, William Wilkes; Violins, Brenda Phetteplace, Dorothy Bobbe, Phyllis Wampler, David Chandler, Russ Lee; Viola, Karen Bach; Cello, Susan Lucier and Leslie Juchna; Flute: Denise Cook and Christine English; Oboe: Michael Jones; Clarinet, Carolyn Jones and Rick DeJesus; Bassoon, Heather Dawes; Trumpet, Claudia Dunaway and Lisa Mauney; Trombone, Mike Murphy and Bill Wanezek; Horn, Kathleen Sioui; Euphonium, Bill Wanezek; Percussion, Joe Norris

The Toe River Chamber Ensemble is made possible in part by a Grassroots Arts Grant, from the North Carolina Arts Council, a state agency, the Unimin Foundation and the Toe River Arts Council (TRAC). TRAC is also supported by Yancey County Community Fund and United Way of Mitchell County. For more information call TRAC at 828-682-7215 or 765-0520.