Brief Biography

Marian Burns
 
Born and raised in Auckland, Marian started playing the violin when she was six years old and played in many orchestras from 1977 -1992
 
A qualified Primary School Teacher, Marian is the music specialist a Marina View School, in Auckland, teaching Year One to Eight students. That is when she is not conducting Massed Choirs of five hundred children or teaching private pupils from home.
 
Since discovering ‘Country Fiddling’, Marian has enjoyed touring New Zealand and working with amazing Artists. The Topp Twins, Eddie Low, Gray Bartlett, Brendan Dugan, John Grenelle, Dennis Marsh, Kevin Greaves, Chet O'Connell, Chris Powley, Michael Fix and Tami Neilson, to name a few.  Three Spring Fever Road Show Tours with Promoter, Ben McDonald and two National Tours with "Operatunity" have widened her audience and taken her from top to bottom of her homeland.
 
Marian has been well received on stage at the New Zealand Gold Guitar Festivals in Gore, the Caroline Bay Festivals in Timaru, the Norfolk Island / Bay of Islands Country Music Festivals and she is a well known name at Tamworth Country Music Festival in NSW, Australia.
 
2009 Marian had her first acting role in a New Zealand Film "The China Cup". Her original music was also accepted for the Sound Track and playing fiddle on the big screen was an incredible experience.
 
Her main highlights to date and there are so many are: Opening for "Ricky Skaggs" and "Dr. John" in The Auckland Town Hall. Playing with Chieftans in the Aotea Centre, and sharing a stage with The Topp Twins.
 
Awards and Qualifications
 
1986      Diploma of Teaching at Auckland College of Education
1986      Associate Trinity College of London – Violin
1993      Auckland Country Music Awards:
             Overall Winner, Senior Group Winner, Instrumentalist , Group Winner,
             Best Entertainer Award, and Overall Runner- up with the Group.
1993      NZ Country Music Entertainer of the Year
1997      Winner of the National Voting  in TVNZ Programme “Showcase”
2000      Winning entry in the “Sing a Song’ Competition - TVNZ Maggies Garden Show
2004      Awarded a Scroll of Honour from the Variety Artist’s Club of New Zealand
2009      Kiwi Pro Am – NCMA – Awarded Top Female Country Artist of the Year
2009      Awarded Top Musician of the Year –  by the N.Z Variety Artist Club
2009      Awarded The Agnew Excellence Award by the N.Z. Varity Artist Club
2010      In the Top Three Nominations for Best Fiddle Album, and Best Fiddle Teacher
             At the Golden Fiddle Awards in Tamworth  NSW
2010     Awarded the “Life Time Achievement Award” at the Golden Fiddle Awards.