Susan Craig Winsberg

Though the label "true renaissance men" has been applied to numerous artists across eras, it rarely extends to women—an oversight that overlooks figures like Susan Craig Winsberg, born in Chicago. She took up piano at age five and, five years later, sought a school band instrument, settling on the cello until a lengthy queue and her mother Millicent Craig Winsberg's Scottish impatience for tea prompted an early departure. The following day her father arrived with a flute, which immediately captivated her. Several awards followed, among them victory in the Chicago Symphony Youth Auditions that earned a solo appearance with the orchestra. She later earned a Bachelor of Music and a Master of Arts in flute performance from San Jose State University, with further study and performances spanning the United States and Europe, where she also taught.

During 1986 auditions for German symphonies she experienced a decisive shift, declaring that her path lay in Celtic music because she "got fed up (with the) rigid, technical and competitive (classical music scene)." Relocating to the Los Angeles area, she issued three Celtic albums; the second and third feature her settings of cherished poems. Additional pursuits include acting in short subject films and commercials, serving as an insect wrangler for motion pictures, and acting as a dedicated rescuer of small animals through official membership in the Kitten Rescue Organization—an effort extending beyond creatures described as "warm, fuzzy and cute." She also instructs yoga, has translated professionally in five languages and dialects, and is now learning Scottish Gaelic. Such accomplishments mark Susan Craig Winsberg as a genuine Renaissance Woman whose breadth of achievement merits the distinction.