Jackson-born violinist Shellie Brown Kemp began serving as Concertmaster of the Mississippi Symphony Orchestra in the 2021-22 season. She previously served as Acting Concertmaster, a position which she won through a national audition. Shellie received her Master of Music degree from The Shepherd School of Music at Rice University, where she studied with Paul Kantor; she received a Bachelor of Music degree from Belhaven University as a student of Song Xie. She is a two-time winner of the Mississippi Symphony Orchestra Concerto Competition, a finalist at the Couer d’Alene Symphony Concerto Competition, and a finalist at MTNA Regional Competitions in Kentucky and Florida. Shellie is also the recipient of a National Trustee’s Fellowship, generous grants from the Performing Arts Consortium of Hilton Head, and Joel H. Cyprus Endowed Scholarship from the Shepherd School of Music. Passionate about infusing communities with music, she is a founding member of NEW JXN, a contemporary music ensemble dedicated to bringing new music and opportunities to the community. Besides music, Shellie enjoys gardening, cats, and calligraphy. She resides in Jackson with her husband Tyler and daughter Zoey. Shellie plays a 2009 Gary Rickman violin, courtesy of the Rachel Barton Pine Foundation.
*MSO core musician