Brandon K. Brown

     Violinist, conductor and pedagogue Brandon Keith Brown's pedagogical lineage can be traced back through Leopold Mozart, author of the first treatise on violin playing, and Arcangelo Corelli. Mr. Brown began composing at age 9, and at age 14 began private study at the North Carolina School of the Arts. He attended Oberlin Conservatory of Music and subsequently Northwestern University, where he received a B.M. in Violin Performance and also studied conducting. Mr. Brown has served on the faculty of the Wausau Conservatory of Music and Hyde Park Suzuki Institute, as Music Director of the Wausau Youth Orchestra and as Concertmaster of the Wausau Symphony. He has attended conducting workshops sponsored by the American Symphony Orchestra League, the Conductors Guild, and International Conductors Workshop. Mr. Brown has performed with the Spoleto Festival Orchestra, Wilmington Symphony, Chicago Jazz Orchestra, Illinois Symphony, Opera Illinois, at the Chicago Auditorium Theatre and Ravinia Park. He has also performed at music festivals including Oberlin Cassalmaggiore Italy, Gateways Music Festival, NC School of the Arts, and Weathersfield Music Festival. In 2003, Mr. Brown was chosen as a winner of the Virtu Foundation Instrument Scholarship Competition. He is currently assistant principal first violinist with the Peoria Symphony and is active as a freelance violinist.