Toronto School for Strings

Lydia Munchinsky

Cellist Lydia Munchinsky is a graduate of the Performance Diploma Program of The Glenn Gould School of The Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto. A student of Simon Fryer, she was also a member of the Veritas Piano Quartet, the school's ensemble in residence. Veritas performed in various music festivals across Ontario and has been featured on CBC Radio Two's "Music Around Us" series. Lydia also has her ARCT in performance for both piano and cello. Her other teachers include Dorothy Jones and Karen Rowell (piano) and Amanda Keesmaat and Julia MacGregor (cello).

Lydia Munchinsky (nee Helsdon) grew up near Aylmer Ontario and began piano lessons at the age of four. She began studying cello when she was ten, and at the ages of ten and twelve performed for Dr. Suzuki at the International Suzuki Conventions in Australia and Korea. After high school, Lydia stayed for a term at Swiss l'Abri, an International Christian Study and Philosophy Centre. While there, she met her husband Marty, whom she married in 2003.

Lydia currently lives and works as a freelance musician and teacher in Toronto. She has performed in music theatre productions at Stage West and Theatre Aquarius, with Kanye West at Much Music, is a regular member of the Vietnamese DVD productions "Paris by Night" and enjoys giving recitals in retirement homes across the city. She also performed the Haydn D+ Concerto with the Deep River Orchestra last October. In her spare time Lydia enjoys painting, playing sports and making ice cream.