One of the active and energetic musicians in Victoria’s artistic community, Dr. Mary Byrne has devoted much of her professional life to performing, studying, and teaching the flute. She received a B.Mus. in Flute Performance and Music Education (1985) and a M.Mus. in Flute Performance (1986) at the University of Michigan, and a Ph.D. in Musicology from the University of Victoria, where her field of specialization is the pedagogy and performance practice of the flute performer/teachers at the Paris Conservatoire during the 19th and early 20th centuries.
An active teacher, adjudicator, lecturer, recorded artist, and published author, Mary is internationally respected for her wide-ranging works in flute pedagogy, repertoire, and general musicology. She boasts a thriving flute studio of students at all ages and stages of musical interest, and she is justifiably proud of her students’ many musical achievements. While most of her students study for the pleasure and joy of music without consideration of high music awards, many of her current and graduated flute students have attained high honours throughout BC and Canada.
She regularly performs throughout Victoria in a variety of venues. She frequently performs with the Victoria Symphony, and as both a solo recitalist and in a wide variety of chamber ensembles on Vancouver Island’s stages. Mary carefully balances the demands of professional musicianship and family, and reserves some measure of time to indulge her love of knitting and other textile arts, and to church musicianship.