Nora Clark was born and raised in Stratford, Ontario. She graduated from Western University in London, Ontario with a Bachelor of Music degree with a major in violin and followed it up with a Bachelor of Education degree from the same school. She taught for two years in London and then played professionally as second violin in the resident quartet for a chamber orchestra in British Columbia. Nora came to Nova Scotia in 1978 to take up a teaching position as a strings instrument specialist in the Halifax School system and worked in that program until her retirement. In her retirement, she enjoys continuing to play with PEISO and with Nova Sinfonia in Halifax.