Carla Copeland-Burns

Flute

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“The whole problem can be stated quite simply by asking, ‘Is there a meaning to music?’ My answer would be, ‘Yes.’ And ‘Can you state in so many words what the meaning is?’ My answer to that would be ‘No.’” - Aaron Copland

Carla Copeland-Burns, flute, currently enjoys an active freelancing career with several ensembles including the North Carolina Symphony, the Opera Company of North Carolina, and the Carolina Ballet among others. She has performed over 300 concerts with the North Carolina Symphony, including numerous appearances as Principal flute. Since 1995 Burns has served as Piccoloist for the Greensboro Symphony Orchestra, Principal Flute in the Salisbury Symphony, and in the ongoing chamber groups Blue Mountain Ensemble (flute/bassoon/piano) and the Cascade Wind Quintet, a North Carolina Arts Council Touring Roster Ensemble. Chamber Music activity includes recital appearances across the United States, as well as in Canada and New Zealand, and at international conferences. Burns has recorded with ensembles on the Albany, Centaur, and Klavier labels and has been heard on several editions of NPR’s Performance Today.

A dedicated teacher, Burns has served on an adjunct basis at Indiana State University, the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and at Mars Hill College, and was on the New England Music Camp faculty for six years. She currently teaches flute at Radford University in Virginia and coaches chamber music at the Chapel Hill Chamber Music Workshop held at the University of North Carolina. Her students have auditioned into music schools across the country, competitive festivals, and her high school students have won spots in the Greensboro Youth Symphony, the National Flute Association HS Flute Choir, and All State and District bands.

Burns holds a Bachelor of Music with Honors degree from the Florida State University, the Master of Music in Flute Performance from the New England Conservatory, and is a Doctoral Candidate in Flute Performance from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM). During her tenure at NEC and FSU Burns maintained an active schedule in numerous recital venues and as a teacher and guest artist. She appeared at the Boston Early Music Festival, performed as a winner of the NEC Baroque Concerto competition and as a soloist with the Concert Arts Orchestra of Boston, and was a featured guest artist on WGBH’s “Chamber Works”. She also was a regular performer with the Tallahassee Bach Parley and spent a semester abroad studying baroque flute with Stephen Preston in London. While in Cincinnati she taught as an assistant to Nadine Asin, taught in the CCM Preparatory Department, and was an adjunct faculty member at Indiana State University. She performed with numerous ensembles including the Richmond Symphony, the Lexington Philharmonic, and the Cincinnati Baroque Soloists. Following her time in Cincinnati she became the Principal Flute for the Midland-Odessa Symphony in Texas and then relocated to the Greensboro, NC, area in fall 1994 when her husband became the bassoon professor at UNCG. When not performing or teaching, Burns enjoys traveling, hiking and kayaking, and working as a consultant to area arts organizations on writing grant proposals and program development. Her teachers include Nadine Asin, Jack Wellbaum, Carol Wincenc, Peter Lloyd, Lois Schaefer, Charles Delaney and Stephen Preston.

© 2009 Carla Copeland-Burns