Trained as a violinist, Ms Genest holds a Master of Music degree from the Juilliard School and has performed in recital at Carnegie Hall. She played thirty years as a member of professional symphony orchestras until the irresistible appeal of life in Halifax lured her home. Ms Genest was a founding member of the Florida Chamber Music Project where she gained a wealth of organizational and administrative experience as a board member, treasurer, and collaborative musician. At the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra, she has played integral roles in hiring senior artistic and administrative personnel, and in conducting performance reviews and contract negotiations as a member of the American Federation of Musicians, while performing nearly 150 concerts annually. She is a member of the Grand Teton Music Festival Orchestra in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and an extra musician with Symphony Nova Scotia.