Susan Bower Departed this life on the morning of April 23, 2016. During her short but brilliant career as a violinist and educator, she has dedicated herself to music education and violin performance. Most recently she coordinated the Fairfax Symphony Orchestra"s education programs, working with over 30 public schools to bring musicians into their classrooms to mentor students and help them refine their music skills. She also coordinated the master classes with visiting soloists, and managed the annual Dorothy Farnham Feuer Memorial String Competition. An acclaimed violin teacher, Ms. Bower taught students in Northern Virginia and Maryland since 1985. Ear- lier in her career, Ms. Bower founded the Irvine Symphony Orchestra's Contemporary Music En- semble, which toured schools and provided music education opportunities to public school students. A long-time member of the Fairfax Symphony Or- chestra, Ms. Bower also played in several orchestras in Northern Virginia, Maryland and Washington, D.C. including: the National Gallery of Art, the Ar- lington Philharmonic, the Manassas Symphony and the Prince William Symphony orchestras. Ms. Bower received her MFA from the University of California, Irvine and performed her graduate studies at the New England Conservatory of Music. She leaves her mother, Ruth Bower, cousin, Patricia Stephenson and man dear friends. Private services are planned. Published by The Washington Post on Apr. 29, 2016.