Christa Van Alstine is committed to building new works with composers and guiding young musicians through the process of learning and creating music. She dedicates her time to collaborating with ensembles, performers, and composers and working with young musicians as a conductor, chamber music coach, and private lesson teacher.
She began her musical life in Saskatchewan, Canada, completing her Bachelor's degree, performing with the Regina Symphony Orchestra, the Band of the Ceremonial Guard, and playing tin whistle in the vast wheat fields of the prairies.
After leaving Saskatchewan, she moved to Toronto to complete an Artist Diploma in orchestral performance at the Royal Conservatory’s Glenn Gould School of Music and continued on to become the clarinetist in the 'Ensemble in Residence' at the Glenn Gould School, and clarinetist and bass clarinetist with the National Academy Orchestra.
Although her love of collaboration and process began early on, it was at Stony Brook University — where she completed her Master's in Clarinet Performance — that she began approaching music with a newfound focus on building music with other musicians. She has since immersed herself in the contemporary music community, premiering numerous works on stages and at festivals around the world — collaborating with composers, ensembles, writers, artists and dancers internationally.
In 2019, her collaboration with composer Ted Hearne on his Pulitzer Prize-nominated opera Place received a "Best Performance by an Ensemble" Grammy nomination. Close collaborations include the composers of Red Light New Music: Chris Cerrone, Ted Hearne, Scott Wollschleger, Liam Robinson, and Vince Raikhel; the composers of Hotel Elefant: Mary Kouyoumdjian, Leaha Villarreal, Patrick Castillo, Jascha Narveson; the composers of IPSE Joe Dipponio and Max Dykers; Norwegian-American composer Ellen Lindquest with Dromseminarium a collaborative/semi-improvised opera; and many others including Aaron Siegel, Paola Prestini, Miguel Frasconi, Ricardo Gallo, Scott Miller, Larry Polansky, and Stefan Lipwin.
As an educator, she is dedicated to guiding students through the process of collaboration, practicing, and performing with a focus on creativity, confidence and interpretation.