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Iona Brown, violinist and conductor, born January 7 1941, sadly died on June 5 2004.

Neville Mariner subsequently wrote that: "Iona personified the essence of the Academy's style of music-making. As a violinist she embraced the romantic movement with warmth and passion, and in the early classical repertoire she displayed a fastidious elegance that observed the performing conventions of the 18th century without letting the music dry out. She was an inspiration to several generations of the orchestra's players, although the altitude of some of her technical and musicianly demands broke a few spirits, and her vibrant personality broke a few hearts.

"For someone who abominated airplanes, she travelled the world of music with remarkable intestinal fortitude; for a lady who loved wine she maintained both her dignity and her figure; and as a companion there was a distinct lack of inactivity. In fact, she was a star."