Our Musicians
Founded by professional musicians David and Leslie Straka, Strings For All Seasons is a family-run string ensemble with one simple mission: to create the perfect atmosphere for your special occasion. With years of professional experience and a broad classical repertoire, we can play just about anything.
Looking for a soloist, duet, or quartet? Need to add a pianist? Let us know and we’ll do our best to accommodate your needs.
David Straka
Cello
David has been a staple of the Eugene music community for over thirty years as a performer in orchestral, chamber music and solo settings, and as a private instructor. He holds the Principal Cellist position in the Eugene Concert Orchestra and plays regularly with the Eugene Symphony, Eugene Opera and Newport Symphony. He also teaches cello students at Lane Community College and in his home studio. His past positions and experiences include Assistant Principal Cellist of the Alabama Symphony, Principal Cellist of the Palm Beach Opera, Acting Principal Cellist of the Oregon Mozart Players, cellist of the Young Artists String Quartet at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB), Faculty at the University of Montevallo (Alabama) and Miami-Dade Community College, and performances with the Minnesota Orchestra and Minnesota Composers’ Forum (now named American Composers’ Forum). He has played under conductors such as Neville Marriner, Robert Shaw, Richard Bonynge, and Leonard Slatkin, to name just a few.
Leslie Straka
Viola
Leslie has been a member of the University of Oregon (UO) music faculty since 1987, teaching viola and chamber music and performing regularly with the Oregon String Quartet. She served as chair of the string department from 1993–2006, and is currently the Associate Dean of Graduate Studies at the UO School of Music and Dance. Prior to joining the UO faculty, she was on the faculty at the University of Miami. She has performed extensively as a soloist and chamber musician throughout the United States and Europe, collaborating with many outstanding musicians. She has been a featured artist at the Luzerne Chamber Music Center in New York, Festival Miami, the Miami Bach Society, the University of Oregon Chamber Music Series, the Oregon Bach Festival, the Red Lodge Festival in Montana, the Mainly Mozart and Flagstaff Festivals in Arizona, and the York Festival in England. She has performed in the master classes of Gregor Piatigorsky, Eduard Melkus, and Max Rostal, among others. In 1978, she was awarded first place in the Collegiate Artist Competition of the Arizona Music Teachers Association, and was the national first place winner of the National Federation of Music Clubs Competition. With pianist Walter Cosand, she recorded the Brahms viola sonatas, released commercially in 2004.
Benjamin Straka
Violin
Ben has been playing the violin his entire life. While his resumé may be less impressive than those of his parents, he has benefited greatly from growing up under professional musicians and studying violin with some of the best instructors in the Pacific Northwest. His experiences as a student include numerous performances as a soloist and in chamber music settings. In addition to playing with Strings For All Seasons, he has performed on other occasions at various events, including weddings and memorial services.