Heather Austin-Stone

Violinist, Heather Austin-Stone, began violin studies at age 10 in the public schools. In high school, she had the honor of being chosen as a National Symphony Orchestra Youth Fellowship student where she was able to study with 1st violinist, Luis Haza on scholarship. She attended Shenandoah University on full scholarship and studied with Dr. Kenneth Sarch. She received her Bachelor of Music Degree in Performance, Summa cum Laude in 1994. A year later, she graduated with a Master of Music degree from Northwestern University where she studied with Blair Milton, a Chicago Symphony Orchestra 1st violinist.

Ms. Austin-Stone is currently the Assistant Concertmaster with the Maryland Symphony Orchestra in Hagerstown, MD, and a section 1st violinist with the Roanoke Symphony Orchestra. She has freelanced with the Fairfax Symphony, Prince William Symphony and the Annapolis Symphony as well as playing in many locations around Washington, DC and Baltimore including the Kennedy Center. She is a strolling violinist at an upscale restaurant, Violino Ristorante Italiano in Winchester, VA and at Duffy’s on the Potomac Restaurant in Hagerstown, MD. She is one of the founding members of the Shenandoah Virtuosi String Quartet that has made a CD and performs regularly for weddings and other functions.

Ms. Austin Stone has taught violin in private and public schools and in addition to teaching violin and viola at Shepherd, is a member of the Shepherd Faculty String Trio. She also teaches violin and viola in the preparatory division, and is the 1st violin sectional coach for the Shepherd Preparatory Orchestra. Her other duties at Shepherd University, include teaching Music Appreciation and Music History.