Dawn Harms, violin

Dawn Harms leads an active musical life as a violinist, violist, chamber musician and conductor. For ten years Dawn was first violinist with the Harrington String Quartet, winners of the Grand Prize at the prestigious Fischoff and Evian International chamber music competitions. She played first violin for five years with the Santa Fe Opera.

A member of the San Francisco Opera Orchestra and the New Century Chamber Orchestra, Dawn also performs as co-concertmaster with the Oakland Symphony, and concertmaster with the Santa Fe Pro Musica Chamber Orchestra. She is a member of the Harmida Piano Trio and Quartet San Francisco, a jazz string quartet. Dawn is the founder and conductor of the Elixir Chamber Orchestra.

Harms, a strong advocate for children's music education, was conductor and music director of the Amarillo Youth Orchestra and continues to design and perform educational concerts throughout the western United States. Her solo recording "The Black Swan," on the ATOL label features music for violin and harp. Dawn also collaborated with her cousin Tom Waits on his latest recordings, "Alice" and "Blood Money." Ms. Harms currently serves on the music faculty at Stanford University.

Dawn received her BM degree from the New England Conservatory of Music where she studied with Dorothy Delay and Josef Gingold. She received her MA from the State University of New York at Stonybrook.