Margaret Whitson – Full Article
May 2026
Meet Margaret Whitson!
Although her real name is Margaret Whitson, which she uses professionally to honor a special aunt who supported her musical ambitions, her family & close friends all know her as Peggy.
Shortly after her husband’s passing, Margaret moved to the Central Coast in 2003 where she immediately was hired as Violist with the Symphony. She is honored to have had Ursula Fitzgerald (and her late husband Michael) as her symphony sponsors ever since!
At the same time, she was also hired as the string teacher for Youth Symphony Founder Botso Korishelli’s music studio (6 yrs), as well as a Viola Coach for the Youth Symphony and a Strings In Schools string teacher at numerous local elementary schools (12 yrs.) Her son, Mike Whitson, also moved to the area to become Cal Poly’s Viola Instructor. He and his students often perform with SLOS.
Because she comes from a musical family, Margaret started piano at age five. Four years later, she began violin with her school’s excellent string program, then switched to viola in her late teens. As a Mills College music scholarship student, Margaret attended during the same time the Kronos Quartet was established on campus. After receiving her BA in Performance with a minor in Arts Administration, she continued her studies at San Francisco Conservatory of Music, focusing on Chamber Music. She also performed with several Bay Area chamber & symphonic orchestras including the Berkeley Promenade Orchestra under Kent Nagano.
Margaret’s late husband, William Whitson, was Founder & Music Director of Palo Alto Chamber Orchestra (PACO) for 35 years. It is now celebrating its 60th Season this year. An alum of the first ten seasons, she later served as Exec. Director (20 yrs.) and, along with her husband and 2 sons, was privileged to tour with the group extensively in Europe, Asia, USSR and Australia.
As a student athlete, Margaret also participated in competitive sports throughout college and still loves to hike; having summited several 14,000+ ft. mountains. She also loves challenging herself with DIY projects. The construction of her family’s 2,500 PA home, a mountain cabin, and a full renovation of her Arroyo Grande home are some of her big ones. In her spare time,
Margaret also loves to garden, read and travel. Symphony colleagues nominated Margaret to the OAC in 2025 (a 2-yr term) which was created 10 years ago to provide a liaison for musicians to have valuable input with SLOS Board & Staff.