biography
Twinda Murry, a native St. Louisan, began playing violin at the age of eight. She completed a bachelor of music in performance and education at Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville and has done graduate work at Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville and at the University of Missouri St. Louis. Her teachers included Dr. R. Kent Perry and Mr. John Kendall. Murry performs as a solo, chamber, and orchestral musician. She has performed with a wide variety of musical organizations including the 1999 Papal Visit Orchestra, St. Louis Philharmonic Orchestra, Bach Society Orchestra, Masterworks Chorale Orchestra, Missouri Ballet Orchestra, St. Louis Luciano Pavoratti Orchestra, and The Moody Blues Festival Orchestra. She has served as principal 2nd violinist of the University City Symphony Orchestra and performed with the First Baptist Church of Ferguson Worship Orchestra, and the Gateway Festival Orchestra. She also performs with the Landolphi Quartet, Brioso Quartet and Quartet Accord. In addition, she manages as well as performs with the Murry String Ensemble.
Murry taught elementary strings and high school orchestra in the Hazelwood School district located in St. Louis County for eleven years before joining the Rockwood School District string faculty in 1999. She is currently the Director of Orchestras for the Ladue School District. Murry’s honors include the St. Louis Suburban Music Educators Merit Award (1989), the Emerson Electric Teaching Excellence Award (1997), Missouri Music ducators’ Association Conference Presenter (1998) and the Hazelwood School District 1997 Teacher of the Year, and Missouri American String Teachers Association School Educator of the Year (2004). Twinda lives in University City with her husband and three sons.