Round Rock resident's passion for music makes melodic impact on community

Toby Blumenthal, a Round Rock resident and renowned pianist, said she cannot imagine her life without music.

Music gave her some of the best things in life: a shared passion with her late husband, Bert Phillips; an entire extended family of students; and lifetime bonds with fellow musicians.

Blumenthal began playing the piano at age 7, and by age 13 she performed at a concert as a piano soloist with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra after winning an area-wide competition for the opportunity.

"When I had an opportunity to play in front of that amazing orchestra, it was almost overwhelming. It wasn't that I had difficulty doing it initially, but when I finished the performance, the magnitude of the whole thing really hit me. I decided that's what I wanted to do to become a professional musician," she said.

Since then, Blumenthal has performed as piano soloist for the Chicago and Houston symphony orchestras, co-founded an international music camp now in its 32nd year and received acclaim for her chamber music performances with the Philadelphia Orchestra.

She moved to Round Rock about two years ago and quickly made her mark in the local music community by becoming involved with the Round Rock Symphony Orchestra and CHAMPS (Chamber Music in Public Schools), taking on the role of CHAMPS director in April 2011.

CHAMPS is an educational branch of Salon Concerts Inc. that provides free weekly professional chamber music coaching to 13 public middle and high schools in Austin, Eanes, Lake Travis and Round Rock school districts.

The organization offers services to Westwood High School and Canyon Vista Middle School, but Blumenthal said she would like to branch out to more Round Rock ISD schools.

Blumenthal is also on the Round Rock Symphony Orchestra board, which relies on concert proceeds and donations to stay active.

A Feb. 26 chamber music concert presented jointly by the Round Rock Symphony Orchestra and the Georgetown Festival of the Arts will feature renowned artist Elizabeth Pitcairn, a former student of Blumenthal's, playing her red violin.

Pitcairn took over Luzerne Music School—the international music camp that trains young musicians and was founded by Blumenthal and Phillips—when Blumenthal moved to Round Rock. Blumenthal remains on the camp's faculty training young pianists during the summer.

Pitcairn's concert will begin at 4 p.m. at Klett Performing Arts Center, 2211 N. Austin Ave., Georgetown.

Blumenthal said being a full-time musician is no piece of cake, but that the rewards are worth it.

"You have to have a passion for it. It's very difficult to pursue music as a career, and if you feel in your heart that you can't do anything else and achieve any level of happiness in your life, then you have go for it," she said.

To support CHAMPS, send a check to: P.O. Box 163501, Austin, TX 78716-3501

To donate to Round Rock Symphony Orchestra, visit roundrocksymphony.org.