About Shauna

Shauna Barker was born and raised in Vancouver, BC. She started playing the clarinet at the age of 11 in school and couldn’t get enough of the joy that music brings. She began her foundational studies with Stephen Robb, and played in the Delta Youth Orchestra (now the Richmond Delta Youth Orchestra), the Vancouver Youth Symphony Orchestra, and the National Youth Orchestra of Canada. As a youth, she loved playing chamber music with her friends, and performing concerts with all her ensembles. You could find her in her room transcribing music from her favorite movies, or trying to play along! Music has always been at the heart of everything Shauna does.

Shauna studied at McGill University under the Principal OSM clarinetist, the late Robert Crowley, graduating in 2006 with a Bachelor of Music in performance. Not stopping there, she moved to Chicago, IL, to study with the world renown clarinetist, Larry Combs at DePaul University. Shauna is proud to pass on the legendary pedagogy of Robert Marcellus through her last two strong influential teachers, who were students themselves of the legend. Shauna graduated with a Masters of Music with honors in performance.

Just a few months after graduating, Shauna won the Principal Clarinet position of the Ottawa Symphony Orchestra in 2008. Shauna is a regular extra musician in the National Arts Center Orchestra, and is on faculty in both Universities in Ottawa: uOttawa as part time Professor and Wind Sector Head, and at Carleton University as Performance Instructor and Ensemble In Residence.

For the last 14 years, Shauna has been performing and teaching in the Ottawa National Capital Region. She’s appeared as soloist with the Ottawa Symphony, the Pembroke Symphony and the Deep River Symphony. In addition to her orchestral positions, Shauna belongs to many chamber ensembles, namely the Ayorama Wind Quintet and the Bel Canto Quintet. Shauna holds a private clarinet studio that she teaches from home, or remotely.

Shauna lives in Ottawa, ON with her husband, two little boys and dog. Her non musical interests are yoga and mindfulness practice, hiking, being in nature and spending time with friends and family.