Christa Van Alstine is a clarinetist, bass clarinetist, conductor, chamber musician, and educator who is committed to building new work with composers and helping young musicians discover the joy of collaboration and music making. She works with ensembles, performers, and composers internationally, and is on the faculty at both New York University—where she teaches clarinet, bass clarinet, and chamber music— and the United Nations International School, where she conducts ensembles and teaches clarinet and bass clarinet.
She began her musical life playing tin whistle in the vast wheat fields of the prairies in Saskatchewan, Canada. There she performed clarinet with the Regina Symphony Orchestra and in Ottawa with the Canadian Armed Forces' Band of the Ceremonial Guard. She then completed an Artist Diploma in Orchestral Performance at the Glenn Gould School of The Royal Conservatory in Toronto and later served as clarinetist in the Glenn Gould School’s Ensemble-in-Residence, and as clarinetist and bass clarinetist with the National Academy Orchestra.
After completing her Master’s in Clarinet Performance at Stony Brook University in New York, Christa began to focus more deeply on the collaborative process of building music with other musicians and composers. She has since immersed herself in the contemporary music community in New York City, premiering new works on stages and at festivals around the world and collaborating with composers, ensembles, writers, artists, and dancers. In 2024, she collaborated and toured internationally with the genre bending/blurring pop-star Joe Jackson.
In 2019, her collaboration with composer Ted Hearne (Pulitzer Prize-finalist) and her performance of his opera Place received two Grammy nominations: Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance and Best Contemporary Classical Composition. Other collaborations include Red Light New Music, Hotel Elefant, Either/Or, and IPSE, as well as Stefan Prins, Ellen Lindquest, Aaron Siegel, Paola Prestini, Miguel Frasconi, Ricardo Gallo, Scott Miller, Larry Polansky, Stefan Lipwin, and others.
As an educator, Christa brings that same spirit of collaboration into the studio and rehearsal room. She guides students through practicing, performing, and creating with an emphasis on creativity, confidence, and interpretation—and on helping each musician find their unique voice and path.
Christa has released recordings on New Amsterdam Records (Ted Hearne's Place and Aaron Siegel's A Great Many), on New Focus Records (Barbary Coast, the debut recording of Red Light New Music). She currently lives in Queens, NY with her family (and a very cute shi-tzu).
She began her musical life playing tin whistle in the vast wheat fields of the prairies in Saskatchewan, Canada. There she performed clarinet with the Regina Symphony Orchestra and in Ottawa with the Canadian Armed Forces' Band of the Ceremonial Guard. She then completed an Artist Diploma in Orchestral Performance at the Glenn Gould School of The Royal Conservatory in Toronto and later served as clarinetist in the Glenn Gould School’s Ensemble-in-Residence, and as clarinetist and bass clarinetist with the National Academy Orchestra.
After completing her Master’s in Clarinet Performance at Stony Brook University in New York, Christa began to focus more deeply on the collaborative process of building music with other musicians and composers. She has since immersed herself in the contemporary music community in New York City, premiering new works on stages and at festivals around the world and collaborating with composers, ensembles, writers, artists, and dancers. In 2024, she collaborated and toured internationally with the genre bending/blurring pop-star Joe Jackson.
In 2019, her collaboration with composer Ted Hearne (Pulitzer Prize-finalist) and her performance of his opera Place received two Grammy nominations: Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance and Best Contemporary Classical Composition. Other collaborations include Red Light New Music, Hotel Elefant, Either/Or, and IPSE, as well as Stefan Prins, Ellen Lindquest, Aaron Siegel, Paola Prestini, Miguel Frasconi, Ricardo Gallo, Scott Miller, Larry Polansky, Stefan Lipwin, and others.
As an educator, Christa brings that same spirit of collaboration into the studio and rehearsal room. She guides students through practicing, performing, and creating with an emphasis on creativity, confidence, and interpretation—and on helping each musician find their unique voice and path.
Christa has released recordings on New Amsterdam Records (Ted Hearne's Place and Aaron Siegel's A Great Many), on New Focus Records (Barbary Coast, the debut recording of Red Light New Music). She currently lives in Queens, NY with her family (and a very cute shi-tzu).
