Originally from Charleston, South Carolina, Shannon Fitzhenry is the assistant principal second violin of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, beginning her membership in the 2026-27 season. After starting her violin studies at the age of two, Fitzhenry made her solo debut when she was fourteen with the Charleston Symphony Orchestra. She has performed as a soloist with the Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra, the Miami Summer Music Festival Orchestra, Charleston’s Piccolo Spoleto Orchestra, and the Peabody Symphony Orchestra. Fitzhenry attended the Peabody Institute of Music for her bachelor’s degree, studying privately with Herbert Greenberg. As a fellowship recipient, Fitzhenry has attended the Aspen Music Festival and School, Tanglewood Institute, and Spoleto Music Festival. During her tenure as concertmaster of the El Paso Symphony Orchestra, Fitzhenry also held the position of principal second violinist in the Baltimore Chamber Orchestra and performed frequently with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. Before moving to Milwaukee, Fitzhenry held a contracted position with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, where she performed on multiple Grammy Award-winning records and took part in multiple European tours. She has worked with renowned artists such as Yo-Yo Ma, Renee Fleming, Sting, The Eagles, and John Williams. Shannon resides in Riverwest with her husband and their two cats, Molly and Mocha.