Biography

In 1964, David Van Vactor, conductor of the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra, invited three young high school violinists to join the orchestra. Elizabeth Farr, then a junior at Bearden High School, was one of those three players.

She continued performing with the KSO while completing her studies at UT, where she majored in vocal performance, minored in violin under William Starr and Peter Horodysky, and served as Concertmistress of the UT Symphony. She earned her master’s degree at the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore before moving to New York, where she sang with the Gregg Smith Singers and the Robert DeCormier Singers.

Farr later returned to Tennessee after accepting a vocal teaching position at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, where she also performed with the Chattanooga Symphony for several years. She later studied at the Mozarteum in Salzburg, Austria, and spent a year in Munich, Germany. Returning to Knoxville, she was invited by Zoltan Rozsnyai to rejoin the KSO in 1980.

In 1995, Farr received  the Knoxville Arts Council’s “Artist of the Year” Award for her work as founder of Farr Horizons Trio. She also performed for several years as violinist and harpist with KEMP (Knoxville Early Music Project).

Elizabeth Farr is well known throughout East Tennessee as a violinist, harpist, and teacher. She serves as Music Director at St. Elizabeth’s Episcopal Church in Farragut, where she has conducted major works for choir and orchestra. In addition to teaching in her home studio, she  enjoys reading, photography, and gardening, and remains deeply  appreciative of the growth and artistic quality of the KSO.