Karin Brown

Assistant Principal Viola

Violist Karin Brown received critical acclaim for her “strikingly rich and warm tone” (The Strad) after making her solo recital debut at Weill Recital Hall. Ms. Brown is a violist in the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, and performs frequently as a solo and chamber musician in the Baltimore/Washington area. She made her Baltimore Symphony Orchestra concerto debut performing the Britten Double Concerto with Concertmaster Jonathan Carney, of which The Baltimore Sun noted “Karin Brown sculpted her phrases in a rich, subtly shaded tone.”  She will make her Chicago recital debut with radio broadcast at the Dame Myra Hess series in 2008.
Ms. Brown has been a prizewinner in numerous competitions, including the William Primrose International Viola Competition and the National Federation of Music Clubs Competition. She has been featured in Caramoor’s “Rising Stars” series, and has attended festivals at Tanglewood, Pacific Music Festival, and Verbier. In addition, she has performed at New York Viola Society Concerts, and gives master classes and recitals across the country. An advocate for new music, she has performed several premieres, and strives to program music by women composers, lesser known masterworks, and American music. While still a student at Juilliard, Ms. Brown was a frequent substitute with the New York Philharmonic and Metropolitan Opera, joining each for several international tours. She received her Bachelor’s degree from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music and her Master’s degree from the Juilliard School, where she was a recipient of the Nathan Gordon Memorial Viola Award. Ms. Brown has studied with Cynthia Phelps, Roland and Almita Vamos, Samuel Rhodes, and Zoya Leybin. A committed teacher, she has served on the faculty of the Killington Music Festival, and maintains a private studio of violin and viola students. Her students have been accepted to Oberlin, Eastman, the Cleveland Institute of Music, and Peabody.