Canadian violinist Mary-Elizabeth Brown joined Youth Orchestra of the Americas in 2006, serving as Concertmaster for the 2006 European Tour and the 2007 Chateauville Foundation Residency with Lorin Maazel. She was also a member of the small ensemble for the White House’s 2007 Conference on the Americas. When not playing with YOA, she holds posts as Associate Concertmaster of Orchestra London (Canada) and Concertmaster of both Sinfonia Toronto and the Britten-Pears Orchestra (Aldeburgh, UK). Equally at home as a chamber musician and soloist, Ms. Brown has worked with members of the St. Lawrence, Brentano, Orford and Alban Berg Quartets as well as the Gryphon Trio and Laurence Lesser. She has been heard on CBC Radio and at major festivals in Canada and abroad including the Scotia Festival, Le Festival Internationale du Domaine Forget, the Banff Summer Arts Festival, the Aldeburgh Festival (UK) and the Festival Internacional do Campos do Jordao (Brazil). She has appeared as a soloist with the Banff Festival Chamber Orchestra, Orchestra London and will be the featured soloist for Sinfonia Toronto’s 2008 European Tour. Ms. Brown holds degrees from the University of Toronto and Universite de Montreal where her principal teachers included David Zafer, Mark Skazinetsky, Ilya Kaler and Vladimir Landsman. She was awarded the Prix d’Excellence en Interpretation from the Universite de Montreal (2006) in addition to being a two-time laureate of the Canadian Music Competitions National Finals (2001, 2004). She gratefully acknowledges the support of the Banff Centre for the Arts' Instrument Bank, the Canadian Aldeburgh Foundation, the Hazel Cryderman-Wees Foundation and the Canadian Scholarship Trust Foundation. When she is not playing and travelling, Ms. Brown can be found reading good books, doing yoga, teaching young violinists, coaching the local youth orchestra`s string sectionals or jamming with various rock bands.