Ursula began playing the violin as an eight-year-old in Christchurch.

With a strong connection to her German heritage, she was awarded a scholarship for postgraduate study in Germany in 1982. After spending eight and a half years there, she concluded her stay by working as a full-time violinist in the Essen Philharmonic Orchestra. In 1991, Ursula returned to New Zealand to join the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra's first violin section.

Ursula continued her overseas experiences in later years. Accompanied by her family, Ursula moved to London in 2003 to pursue a Diploma in Continuing Professional Development at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. During her studies, she took weekly violin lessons with the late Brien Stait.

In 2007, Ursula participated a player exchange with Agnes Bilowitzki, first violinist in the Philharmonic Orchestra of Augsburg, Germany. She enjoyed playing a diverse repertoire of opera, ballet and symphonic concerts. While living in Bavaria, she and her family enjoyed bike rides in the surrounding countryside and tramping trips in the Alps.

Ursula returned to Germany when she was awarded a study bursary in 2015. She studied with Prof. Sebastian Hamann in Freiburg and Simon Fordham in Munich.

She is also an active chamber musician and teacher.