Lynn University Conservatory of Music welcomes internationally renowned violist Sheila Browne as professor. She joins Lynn from The Tianjin Julliard School, where she developed talented young musicians for three and a half years.
A native of Gladwyne, Pennsylvania, Browne was named the William Primrose Memorial Recitalist in 2016 and has performed at venues in 16 countries, including at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, Het Concertgebouw, Royal Festival Hall, Teatro Colón and Musikverein Wien. She has performed solo and chamber works of contemporary composers, including William Bolcom, Krzysztof Penderecki, Joan Tower and Gabriella Lena Frank.
"Sheila is an internationally concertizing violist who is devoted to teaching with a nurturing, challenging and holistic approach," said Dr. Jon Robertson, Lynn Conservatory dean. "She is an enthusiastically creative and empathic teacher, personalizing material for each student, taking into account their physical comfort and ease in technique, sound production, expression, repertoire and style, as well as their career goals. We are honored to have her join the Lynn Conservatory of Music."
She was a member of Fire Pink Trio, the Arianna, Gotham and Pellegrini string quartets and has performed with Shmuel Ashkenasi, Colin Carr, Aretha Franklin, Miriam Fried, Matt Haimowitz, Gilbert Kalish, Paul Katz, David Krakauer, Anton Kuerti, Ruth Laredo, Joseph Robinson, Arnold Steinhardt, Richard Tolzman, Diaz Trio, and members of the Guarneri, Vermeer, Brentano, Audubon, and Calidore quartets. Browne has given master classes at Seoul National, Tianjin Conservatory, Luebeck Musik Hochschule, Leopold Mozart Academy, Manhattan School of Music, New England Conservatory, Cleveland Institute of Music, Eastman School of Music, Oberlin Conservatory and Rice University. She was the first viola professor to teach in Iraqi Kurdistan for the National Youth Orchestra of Iraq’s inaugural year.
Pior to her time at Julliard, Browne taught at the University of Missouri—St. Louis, Duke University, New York University, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, University of Delaware and University of North Carolina School of the Arts. She has taught and performed at NYU's Karen Tuttle workshops, Banff, Music Academy of the West, Jeunesses Musicales, Tanglewood, and California Summer Music. Browne serves on the American Viola Society executive board and is currently director of the Karen Tuttle Viola Workshop.
Browne earned a Bachelor of Music from Juilliard, where she served as Karen Tuttle's teaching assistant for four years, and a Master of Music from Rice University Shephard School of Music, where she was Karen Ritscher's teaching assistant. She also earned a DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) scholarship to study in an Aufbaustudium with soloist Kim Kashkashian.
Browne plays a Marten Cornelissen viola and a bow made by McArthur Genius Grant recipient Benoit Rolland. She was featured in the PBS documentary "Beethoven Alive!"
