Elizabeth Iona Brown was born in Salisbury and was educated at Cranborne Chase School, Dorset.

[3] In 1964, she joined the Academy of St Martin in the Fields, working her way up through the ranks to become leader, solo violinist and director in 1974.

King Olav V of Norway later awarded her the accolade Knight of First Class Order of Merit for her success with the NCO.

She was dismissed as conductor because of an inability to commit to more than six weeks per season with the orchestra due to her other posts, a decision she protested.

When she took part in the BBC Radio 4 programme Kaleidoscope, explaining how hard it was to play her signature piece The Lark Ascending by Ralph Vaughan Williams, she said that the singing of larks she heard during long walks on nearby Marleycombe Down influenced the way she played it.