Marge Betz

A native of Sewickley, Pennsylvania, plays the violin and the viola. Her first orchestra experiences were with the Pittsburgh Youth Symphony and the Sewickley Symphony Orchestra, which was directed by her father, Vaclav Klimek. While at Baldwin Wallace College where she earned a Bachelor of Music Education Degree, Margaret was under the tutelage of George Poinar, who helped her get a weekend job teaching violin at the Cleveland Music School Settlement. Upon graduating in 1968, she taught instrumental music in the Cleveland Municipal Schools.

Margaret took a hiatus from public school work to be with her young family, and during this time she taught privately out of her home in Parma and taught at BW with the Preparatory Youth Orchestra Program. She played in the Ohio Chamber Orchestra, the Cleveland Ballet Orchestra and Cleveland Opera Orchestra. She resumed full time teaching at Berea City Schools for a short time, and in 1987 joined the Parma City Schools. Here she taught strings and orchestra for 20 years and was privileged to collaborate with devoted music educators.

Margaret retired in 2007 and continued to play with the Parma Symphony Orchestra, Lorain Community College Civic Orchestra , Cleveland Philharmonic, WestShore Chorale, church orchestras and for weddings. A few of her favorite musical memories include playing in the orchestra that accompanied Pavarotti at Gund Arena, playing The Marriage of Figaro conducted by Victor Borge and doing a Moody Blues tribute show at The Grove Amphitheatre.

Margaret treasures family time with her three children and their spouses, five grandchildren and her five siblings. She enjoys word games, reading, PBS/ideastream public media and playing chamber music with friends. Margaret is a member of Phi Delta Kappa (excellence in education) and Mu Phi Epsilon (International Music Fraternity).