Carla Birston

Education - Studies
BMus (Performance), The University of British Columbia

Professional Activities
Carla Birston's current class consists of thirty-five private violin students, who range from young Suzuki violinists to students preparing for their ARCT. Carla's pride and joy is a string orchestra named the Semiahmoo Strings; the students involved are her own violin students and her husband's cello students. The senior group has performed Beethoven's Fifth Symphony with a professional wind and brass section as well as several concerts with the Canadian baritone Alexander Dobson. The junior version of this group is named the Demi-Semiahmoo Strings. Carla also conducts the intermediate division of the Surrey Youth Orchestra.

Her university studies were with violist Gerald Stanick, founding member of Quartet Canada and former violist with the Fine Arts Quartet. Ms. Birston holds a Bachelor of Music degree from The University of British Columbia, where as a student she played in various ensembles with Gwen Thompson and Sidney Harth. She had regular coachings with Jane Coop. For her ARCT in piano she studied with the late Lloyd Moorehouse and with Phyllis Schultz, also at UBC.

In the past years Carla Birston has adjudicated at the Abbotsford Music Festival, the Bowen Island Music Festival, the Prince George Music Festival, the Fraser Valley Music Festival, and the Langley Music School Festival. Future engagements include adjudicating at the Sunshine Coast Music Festival.

As a freelance musician in the Vancouver area Carla has performed with the Vancouver Opera Orchestra. She was a member of the Abbotsford Symphony Orchestra and a founding member of the Arioso Piano Quartet, where she worked with Harold Birston, Christine Prince, and Robert Holliston.

Professional Affiliations
British Columbia Registered Music Teachers' Association Canadian Federation of Music Teachers