MARILYN KOUBA

The Phyllis (“Pat”) Conrad Wells Chair

Marilyn Kouba began her musical studies at the age of six in Chicago on the violin and piano. She received her bachelor’s degree in music from Indiana University in 1978, where she studied with Franco Gulli. From 1978-1982 she was Principal 2nd violin of the Tulsa Philharmonic and 2nd violin in the Philharmonic String Quartet. Gerhardt Zimmermann hired her to join the violin section of the North Carolina Symphony in 1982.

Other professional organizations that Kouba has performed with include the Peninsula Music Festival in Door County Wisconsin, the Sunriver Music Festival in Sunriver Oregon, the Sewanee Summer Music Center (faculty member) in Sewanee Tennessee, the North Carolina Theater, the Opera Company of North Carolina, and the Raleigh Civic Symphony (former Concertmaster).

Her interests include swimming, biking, hiking, horseback riding, history, natural history, baseball and spending quality time with her cat Henry. She performs on a violin made in 1925 by the American violin maker Carl Becker and lives in Raleigh with her spouse Debbie.