Mary Beth Orr began her musical studies on both piano and French horn at the age of seven and eleven in Charleston, SC. After attending the South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts in 1997 she continued her studies at Shenandoah Conservatory in Winchester, VA where she double majored on both instruments pursuing a degree in performance. Upon graduating in 2002 she played briefly with the Charleston Symphony before moving to Michigan where she now teaches Horn at Alma College and plays with the Lansing Symphony, Traverse Symphony, and Midland Symphony.
She plays piano professionally at Central Michigan University accompanying both vocalists and instrumentalists as well as playing for various music theatre productions. While balancing her love for two instruments she has attended such festivals as the world renowned Aspen Music Festival and School, American Wind Symphony, Bayview Music Festival and School, and recently performed in Mexico with the UANL Orquestra Sinfonica of Monterrey, MX. She has studied with such performers as Jerry Folsom of the LA Philharmonic, David Wakefield of the American Brass Quintet, and John Zirbel of the Montreal Symphony. She continues to perform in the medium of horn and piano with the ultimate goal of a full time orchestral position and nurturing her artistic growth.
