Biography

Eliot Lev holds the Isaac Stern chair of the violin section with the San Francisco Symphony. Prior to joining the orchestra, he performed with the Utah Symphony as a member of the first violin section and acting assistant concertmaster, and with the Charlotte Symphony as a tenured associate concertmaster. Mr. Lev is an active solo and chamber musician and has recently appeared with the San Francisco Civic Symphony, Davies Chamber Series, Chamber Music Sundaes, and Ensemble SF. He is a regular guest coach with SF Academy Orchestra and has recently started a private studio. Mr. Lev is an active volunteer with Musicians on Call, a non-profit organization bringing live music to thousands of hospital patients throughout the country. An alumnus of Roosevelt University where he studied with Vadim Gluzman, Mr. Lev went on to join the New World Symphony, America’s Orchestral Academy, where he was also featured as a soloist. He plays on a 1710 Mezzadri violin and an Ouchard bow generously purchased for him in part by the Carey family from Boston, MA. Mr. Lev is proud to be the first openly transgender musician in a major American orchestra. He lives in San Francisco with his wife, Stephanie MacAller, and their rescue dog and two cats. For more on Eliot Lev, visit sfsymphony.org/eliotlev. 

(September 2018)