- Instrument Second Violins
Mary Dahlby (she/her/hers) grew up in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where she studied violin with Marlis Windus, concertmaster of the Cedar Rapids Symphony. In addition to performing with her school orchestras, she performed with the Cedar Rapids Youth Symphony six years and the Cedar Rapids Symphony two years. She appeared as a soloist with the Cedar Rapids Youth Symphony.
Dahlby graduated from Iowa State University with a bachelor of science degree in home economics education and from Northwest Missouri State University with a master of science degree in home economics. While at Iowa State, she performed with the Iowa State Symphony Orchestra and a student quartet.
She has taught various combinations of family and consumer sciences, health, and talented and gifted programs in Iowa school districts including Brooklyn-Guernsey-Malcom, Adel-DeSoto-Minburn, Dallas Center-Grimes and Urbandale. She was named the Iowa Jump$tart Coalition Financial Educator of the Year in 2008 and retired from teaching family and consumer sciences at Urbandale High School in 2014.
Dahlby and her husband, Gordon, have two children and five grandchildren.
Dahlby has been a member of the Des Moines Symphony since 1975.
