JOANNA OWEN joined the Iris Music Project in 2021. She holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the Eastman School of Music and a Business Analytics Certificate from George Mason University where she serves as a violin faculty member. Her extensive orchestra experience includes her current position as Associate Concertmaster of Maryland Symphony, as well as previous positions with the Rochester Philharmonic and the Syracuse Symphony. During a four-year full time contract with the National Symphony, she performed regularly at the Kennedy Center, Wolf Trap, as well as halls around the world on four international tours. A native of Poland, Joanna is co-founder of Concertino, an educational initiative that brings music to school children in the Warsaw metropolitan area. In the past 25 years the organization has presented over ten thousand concerts. Joanna is a firm believer in the power for music to positively impact and connect communities. In addition to musical pursuits, she has also served as a volunteer for the Capital Hospice.