Barston comes to Seattle from St. Louis, where she has been associate concertmaster of the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra since 1996. Before that, she was a member of the first violin sections of the Cleveland Orchestra and the Saint Louis Symphony.

An Illinois native, Barston made her European debut with the English Chamber Orchestra in 1987 at the request of Yehudi Menuhin. She has also appeared as soloist with the Chicago Symphony, the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Taipei Symphony.

Barston, who has won many prizes, received a master's in violin performance from Indiana University, where she studied with Josef Gingold. While a student, Barston was awarded the Performer's Certificate, the Jascha Heifetz Scholarship Award and the Starling Foundation Grant. She also has a bachelor's degree in violin performance from the University of Southern California, where she studied with Robert C. Lipsett.