ELIZABETH (BETTY) McBURNEY

Betty earned her BMus and MMus in Flute Performance from the University of Toronto, where she studied with the renowned Canadian flutist, Robert Aitken.  Since then, she has been a member of the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, Orquesta Sinfonica de Maracaibo in Venezuela, and the Vancouver Opera Orchestra.

Betty started playing recorder as a university student, and has enjoyed playing in the Bergamasca Recorder Consort for several years.

In the 1970s, the University of Victoria had Hans-Martin Linde, the amazing recorder player and composer, in residence for an 8-week summer course for recorder and baroque flute.  Betty was delighted to be a student in this in-depth program, playing both baroque flute and recorder.

In more recent years, Betty has benefited greatly from the instruction of Joan Kimball and Robert Wiemkem of Piffaro, Tish Berlin, Frances Blaker and others in Indiana and at Hidden Valley Early Music workshops, in California.  Aside from recorders, Betty played shawm and dulcians (early bassoons from the Renaissance) at these workshops.

Betty has extensive experience with music for modern flute.  Now is her time to enjoy delving into earlier music, especially music of the Renaissance.  Recorder is a wonderful instrument for this journey!