Violist Sheila Browne has performed in many of the world’s major halls as soloist, chamber musician, and as an orchestral principal. Hailed by the New York Times as a "stylish player" and by Robert Mann as "one of America's most important violists", Sheila has soloed with the Juilliard Orchestra, Kiev Philharmonic, New World Symphony, in Carnegie Hall with the New York Women's Ensemble, South African International Viola Congress Festival Orchestra, and the Viva Vivaldi!, Reina Sofia and German-French chamber orchestras, among others. She is a member of the newly formed flute-viola-harp Fire Pink Trio and is principal of the New York Women’s Ensemble-Music for Life NYC, which raises money for the prevention of child trafficking. She has recorded concerto, solo and chamber works for the Nonesuch, Sony, Albany, Centaur and ERM labels, and has premiered a concerto written for her at the most recent international viola congresses in Australia and South Africa. She has played chamber music concerts with such notable artists as Shmuel Ashkenazy, Miriam Fried, Gilbert Kalish, Paul Katz, Anton Kuerti, Ruth Laredo, Audra Macdonald, Joe Robinson, Arnold Steinhardt, Richard Stolzman, and Carol Wincenc, among others. 

The only viola finalist in the 2004 International Pro Musicis Solo Awards at Carnegie Hall, Sheila is a graduate of the Juilliard School, MusikHochschule Freiburg and Rice University. She was Karen Tuttle's teaching assistant for four years as an undergraduate at Juilliard, a German Academic Exchange (DAAD), full-scholarship student of Kim Kashkashian, and Paul Katz was her quartet mentor. She has been a member of the Arianna, Gotham and Pellegrini string quartets, and has performed in many festivals including Banff, Donaueschingen, Evian, Great Lakes, Jeunesses Musicales, Kneisel Hall, Music Academy of the West, Port Townsend, Sun Valley, Viva Virginia! and Tanglewood, where she received the “Most Promising Student Award”.

Sheila has given recitals and /or masterclasses at many schools, including Eastman, McGill, Oberlin, Duke, and Boston University. She is an Artist- Professor at University of North Carolina School of the Arts, teaching boarding high school, undergraduate and graduate students. She was elected to the Executive Board of the American Viola Society, and is the first viola professor ever to teach in Iraqi Kurdistan at the National Youth Orchestra of Iraq. She also teaches at California Summer Music, and the Green Mountain Chamber Music Festival.

Upcoming concerts include solo appearances at the International Viola Congress 2012 at the Eastman School, Bartok Concerto with the Hungarian Radio Symphony as well as a solo and chamber tour of Alaska. Upcoming recording projects include Joan Tower's Rising quintet with Carol Wincenc as well as a commission for the Fire Pink Trio by Chris Brubeck, and a solo CD of works by Dvorak, Franck, and Prokofiev. For more information: www.sheilabrowne.net , www.firepinktrio.com.