Elizabeth Stoppels Girko, violinist, joined the Traverse City Philharmonic in 2023, after a nearly 40-year career as an orchestral musician, performer, and educator. A Michigan native, Beth grew up in Grand Rapids, and was educated at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music (B Mus) and the Eastman School of Music (M Mus). After obtaining her degrees, she joined the Jacksonville (FL) Symphony, where she held the position of Assistant Principal Second Violin, and the Virginia Symphony and Opera, where she served as the Principal Second Violin.
The majority of Beth’s orchestral career has been in Texas. She joined the San Antonio Symphony (now the San Antonio Philharmonic) as a section first violinist in 1990. Since 2002, she has also been a core member of the Austin Symphony. She enjoys subbing with the Austin Opera and performed for many years with the San Antonio Lyric Opera, where she served as the Principal Second Violin.
As an educator in San Antonio, Beth was on the string faculty of Our Lady of the Lake University and San Antonio College for many years. She also had a private violin studio at home. Since 1992, Beth has performed with the Carmel Bach Festival in California every July. She continues to be inspired by her colleagues there, many of whom are prominent Baroque performance specialists in the United States and Europe.
Beth is married to Stephen Girko, clarinetist. In addition to her stepdaughter and two grandchildren, she has a longhaired miniature dachshund. Her hobbies include collecting art, reading, and traveling. She has been to all 50 states, but cannot wait to return to Michigan and be a part of the music scene here. She has had a home in the Holiday Hills area of Traverse City for many years and hopes to become a permanent resident of northern Michigan very soon.