A native of Almira, Washington, violist MINOR L. WETZEL studied at Indiana University and received his bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Michigan. His teachers have included Roland Vamos, Emmanuel Vardi, Donald McInnes, Camilla Wicks, and Tadeusz Wronski. He joined the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the start of the 1994/95 season.

Wetzel's orchestral experience includes the Spokane Symphony, principal viola of the Ann Arbor Chamber and Sacramento Symphony Orchestras, the San Francisco Ballet Orchestra, and — for the six years prior to joining the Philharmonic — the San Francisco Symphony. He has performed as soloist with various local orchestras. His awards include the W. E. Hill & Sons Award at the Lionel Tertis International Viola Competition.

He was employed as a chamber music coach at the USC Thornton School of Music and currently teaches viola performance at California State University Fullerton. Wetzel is a regular performer on the Los Angeles Philharmonic's Chamber Music Society series and has also performed with various ensembles at the Philharmonic's Green Umbrella concerts.

He and his wife Stacy, a member of the first violin section of the Philharmonic, have three children.