VIRGINIA Q. BACKMAN, is originally from Oak Harbor, Washington, and is a flutist and educator in the Kansas City area. Passionate about both performance and music education, Dr. Backman has taught in public schools as well as at the university level, is sought after as a clinician, adjudicator, and teacher, and performs frequently as a soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral flutist. An active performer of new music, Backman has appeared as a guest artist at the National Conference of the Society for Composers, the University of Central Missouri New Music Festival, the Society of Composers, Inc. Region V and VI Conferences, and the Missouri Western State University Electronic Music Mini-Festival. 

Backman is currently principal flutist of the Midwest Chamber Ensemble and one of the founding members of the Beaufort Winds Woodwind Quintet. She has performed with the Topeka Symphony, St. Joseph Symphony, Kinnor Philharmonic, Kansas City Symphony, the Skagit (WA) Symphony, and the Kansas City Civic Orchestra.

She has performed in master classes of Jeanne Baxtresser, Walfrid Kujala, Zart Dombourian-Eby, Tim Munro, John Barcellona, William Bennett, Lorna McGhee, Sarah Jackson, and Catherine Payne, and also studied with Kim Breilien.

Backman earned a Doctor of Musical Arts degree (2020) and a Master of Music degree (2009) in flute performance from the UMKC Conservatory, where she studied with Dr. Mary Posses. She earned a Bachelor of Music Education degree (2006) in Instrumental Music Education and Flute Performance from Central Washington University, where her teacher was Dr. Hal Ott.

Backman lives in Lenexa, Kansas with her husband and two daughters, where she has a thriving flute studio. In addition to her performing career, she is an avid runner and rock climber.