Woodwind Specialist Lorrie Berkshire Brown's enthusiastic involvement as a representative and repair technician for T.W. Howarth & Co. began in 1998, but her interest in the crafting of woodwind instruments dates back to 1974. Ms. Brown sought the advice and mentorship of master builders such as Paul Laubin, (Laubin Oboes), Roy Seaman, (Seaman Piccolos) and was the assistant between 1978-1982 to Artley Wilkins floor manager, Jim Wade. In 1982, she became the apprentice of Jonathon Landell (Landell Flutes) and a student of the Vermont Guild of Flute Building. As an employee of reed maker Stuart Dunkel in 1984, she began a repair business and quickly went solo providing an exclusive repair service to New York’s top flute and oboe players; her clientele including the entire flute section of the New York Philharmonic, members of the Metropolitan Opera and Broadway and studio regulars!
In addition to her expertise in fine woodwinds, Ms. Brown is currently the Instructor of Oboe and Woodwind Methods at George Mason University and previously held the position of Associate Instructor of Oboe at the Manhattan School of Music. She served as oboist with the New York Philharmonic (substitute) and can be heard on numerous soundtracks, including the PBS series “Secrets of the Ocean Realm” and National Geographic’s, "Explorer". Currently an oboist with “Pershing’s Own”, The United States Army Band and Orchestra in Washington, DC; Lorrie Berkshire Brown appears extensively as a guest clinician and soloist throughout the United States and abroad including performances and appearances in Tainan, Taiwan and the conservatories of Lviv, Odessa and Kiev, Ukraine.
Holding an M.M. from the Manhattan School of Music and a B.M. from Arizona State University, her teachers are Joseph Robinson and Tom Stacy of the New York Philharmonic; Peter Smith of the Philadelphia Orchestra; Al Genovese, Boston Symphony principal oboe emeritus; Frank Stalzer, Phoenix Symphony emeritus and America’s premier flutist Julius Baker.