Madeline Adkins - Associate Concertmaster, BSO

I was born in a house full of musicians in Denton, Texas. I am the youngest of eight siblings, six of whom are now professional musicians. My parents taught music history at the University of North Texas. As the child of musicologists, I was forced to learn all sorts of unusual instruments. For example, have you ever heard of the trumpet marine? (Hint: it isn’t a brass instrument!) My father was a pioneer in the authentic instrument movement and introduced me to the viol. At the young age of 11, I was drafted to play amongst startled college students in the baroque orchestra and the Viol Consort. I also had eight years of voice lessons, though my voice is a bit rusty these days.

Given my parents’ influence, I suppose I was always destined to be a musician. But as a child, I always dreamed of being an Olympic gymnast! Today, if I were forced to change careers I think I would want to be a biologist or zoologist. I am very passionate about animal welfare (and my own two cats!). I volunteer weekly with Small Miracles Cat Rescue and have also fostered over 50 kittens. I also try to incorporate volunteering into my travels, such as working at the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Utah or recent trips to the Galapagos Islands and Amazon Rainforest.

I also love to run and have participated in the Baltimore Running Festival as part of the Bolt for the BSO team, which is a fun way to combine two things I love. Being a musician at the professional level is like being an elite athlete. You eat, breathe, and sleep music. You suffer injuries and it takes years of dedication and tens of thousands of hours of grueling work to get to the level where you can even audition for a major symphony orchestra. So maybe I won’t achieve my dream of becoming an Olympic athlete in this lifetime, but the demands of being a professional musician come pretty close!

Madeline's Photo Gallery