Elissa Brown, 27, currently holds the position of Second Flute/Piccolo with the Philadelphia Ballet. As a freelance musician, she has appeared with orchestras around the country and globe, including the London Symphony Orchestra, Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra, Allentown Symphony Orchestra, Opera San Jose, Opera Delaware, Tucson Symphony, Modesto Symphony Orchestra, and San Luis Obispo Symphony Orchestra, among others. She has also attended Music Academy of the West, Aspen Music Festival, and Round Top Music Festival as a fellow. At Music Academy of the West, she was one of 12 instrumental fellows to be awarded the Keston-MAX Fellowship in 2021.

 

Elissa also enjoys playing chamber and solo music. Notable chamber performances include appearing on a recital with Martin Chalifour, concertmaster of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and at the 2013 Fischoff Competition Junior Division as the only woodwind quintet invited to perform in the live rounds. As a soloist, Elissa won the USC Concerto Competition in spring 2018, and was previously runner-up in this competition. She performed the Rouse Concerto with the Thornton Symphony in October 2018. She was also a finalist in the 2016 Pasadena Showcase House Competition. She has performed in numerous masterclasses for flute powerhouses such as Sharon Sparrow, Mark Sparks, Robert Langevin, Julien Beaudiment, Denis Bouriakov, and Jeanne Baxtresser.

 

Elissa greatly enjoys working with students and has been an active private lesson teacher throughout her career. She has recently moved to Philadelphia, where she plans to expand her studio while retaining her existing students via Zoom. 

 

Elissa holds degrees in flute performance from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, University of Texas at Austin, University of Southern California, and Interlochen Arts Academy, where she studied with renowned pedagogues Timothy Day, Marianne Gedigian, Jim Walker, and Nancy Stagnitta.

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When not playing the flute, Elissa enjoys hiking, rock climbing, reading, trying every kind of food there is, and spending time with friends and family.