Born and raised in Browns Bay, Auckland, New Zealand, Marian is the youngest of five siblings. She is working as a music specialist at Marina View School, that is ... when she is not conducting mass choirs of five or six hundred children at the Music Festivals in Auckland.

Marian is a private tutor of guitar, violin, viola and ukulele which is all part and parcel of her busy schedule. She also lectures Post Graduate students at Massey University and balances her time between her Irish band, The McSweeney Brothers and her Country dance band, The Southern Cross Band.

She worked hand in hand with Janet Channon and Wendy Jensen directing the Kids Music Company Singers for four years, having them record three fabulous “On a High Note” albums which have proved to be a very popular resource in schools around New Zealand and Australia.

In the last three years the Spring Fever Road Show has taken Marian around the South Island of New Zealand on four tours to date. Working regularly with Ben McDonald and Peter Cairns and featuring the lovely Queen of Banjo, Jenny Blackadder and Country Singer/Songwriter, Allan Barron. She has toured with the fabulous talented Canadian born Singer/Songwriter, Tami Neilson and yodeller supreme Roger Tibbs from Wellington.

A top New Zealand fiddle player, Burns has justifiably been described as New Zealand's fastest fiddler and she has a personality to match. She is an expert at playing to an audience, which is evident when the crowd joins in by singing, clapping and tapping along. Her tremendously infectious energy, coupled with superb musicianship, saw her named the Country Music Entertainer of the Year.

You can find out more about Marian Burns by visiting her website