The eclectic life of Ronald Hurwitz has spanned the artistic disciplines of both music and photography. Born in Cleveland, Ohio in 1945, he came to the field of photography somewhat late in life.  Initially, his sights were set on a career in music.  He began his studies of the violin at the age of eight, the viola at twelve, and subsequently earned degrees in music from Indiana University, and The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., studying with the great viola and violin virtuosos William Primrose and Franco Gulli.

During the following three years, Mr. Hurwitz studied privately in New York with the incomparable violin virtuoso, Oscar Shumsky.

Concurrently, he served as Viola Soloist in the United States Marine Band White House Orchestra and String Quartet in Washington, D.C. Following four years in Washington he spent a season performing with the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra of The Netherlands.  After his European stint he served as Principal Violist of the Indianapolis Symphony, and thirty one years as a member of the Toronto Symphony. Mr. Hurwitz has appeared as soloist and in chamber music concerts in the United States, Canada, Europe, and China, as well as on CBC radio and CBC television broadcasts. Since leaving the orchestra in 2006, Mr. Hurwitz continues to regularly appear as soloist and in chamber music concerts, both in North America and Europe.

In 1979 he purchased his first camera and began a personal investigation of photography, its history and application. Two years later his photographs were exhibited in Toronto and awarded two prizes at the Déja Vue  Gallery of Photographic Art Juried Competition. Since that auspicious beginning, his work has been exhibited at museums and galleries in New York, Paris, Cleveland, Washington, D. C. , Toronto, Lausanne, and Gainsville, Florida.  Mr. Hurwitz is the recipient of two Ontario Arts Council Grants as well as the 2003 First Prize for  Limited Edition Books from The Alcuin Society for his book, The Gryphons of Paris.

His book and photographs can be found in many important public collections around the world including the Bibliothèque Nationale de France, the Musée Carnavalet, National Library of Canada, Harvard Library, the Getty Library, Cleveland Museum of Art, Stedelijk Museum, Rijksmuseum, and the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library at the University of Toronto.

Balancing the demands of careers in both photography and music, Ronald Hurwitz exploits each in the expression of his creative skills.