Ana-Carita Monaghan

Ana Carita is an accomplished violinist with over three decades of performance experience. Growing up in an rich musical environment—her father served as artistic and executive director of a renowned folk music festival in Mission, BC, Canada—she developed a versatile approach to musicianship that would shape her artistic trajectory. Ana's classical training includes studies under renowned violin pedagogue Lorand Fenyves at the Glenn Gould School of the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto, where she trained until 2005. Her additional mentors include Heilwig von Koenigsloew and Mark Fewer. At 17, she became one of the youngest members of the National Youth Orchestra of Canada (NYOC), touring Eastern Canada under the direction of Sir Simon Streatfield. Her musical education spans multiple genres and institutions, including contemporary music studies at Berklee College of Music, chamber music training at the Southern Ontario Chamber Music Institute and Valley of the Moon in California, and traditional Irish music studies at Boston College's Gaelic Roots program. Ana further expanded her artistic range through vocal training and production studies at Selkirk College's Contemporary Music & Technology Program. Notable performances include broadcasting live on CBC Radio One as first violinist of the Ulysses String Quartet. Her orchestral experience encompasses roles as Concertmaster of the Abbotsford Virtuosi (1998-2001) and positions with the Royal Conservatory Orchestra, Kelowna Pops Orchestra, and Vancouver Youth Symphony Orchestra. Ana has participated in masterclasses and received coaching from distinguished musicians including members of the Orford String Quartet, Lafayette String Quartet, Marie Bernard (Canadian Opera Company), and Bramwell Tovey (Vancouver Symphony Orchestra). Her achievements include multiple Silver awards for highest marks in British Columbia's Royal Conservatory of Music Examinations and a nomination for Breakthrough Artist of the Year at the 2017 Kootenay Music Awards. As a recording artist, Ana has collaborated with various artists and groups including Moontricks, Dearheart, Steph MacPherson, and Ian Crawford. Currently based in Albuquerque, NM, she maintains an active teaching studio, offering both online and in-person instruction.