Flute Unscripted

Mark Sparks is the Principal flutist of the St. Louis Symphony, is a captivating soloist, an in-demand teacher, and an avid writer. Mark started in the Canton Symphony Orchestra, then the Caracas Symphony in Venezuela, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, San Antonio Symphony, and Memphis Symphony Orchestra. Mark has continued to push himself as a musician to stay at the top of his game. With him, it seems like the possibilities are limitless.

Christine Davis is the Principal Flutist of the Buffalo Philharmonic. Christine has performed as a soloist with the BPO and has been featured on an extensive and impressive list of recordings. As such, Christine has been rooted in the community in Buffalo for decades and is invested in sharing the knowledge she has gained over the years with her students. 

Flutist and educator Keith Underwood is a flute guru. Flutists of all ages and abilities flock to him for his advice and to unlock their hidden potential. Keith’s methods are sometimes unusual- he makes use of breathing bags, chop sticks, rhythmic shakers, and spirometers, just to name a few. His out-of-the-box techniques have proven to be effective in addressing the issues of the modern flutist and provide solutions to difficult repertoire, too. 

Dr. Heidi Kay Begay is a flutist, teacher, and host of the podcast Flute 360. Having so much in common already, Heidi had the brilliant idea of getting together to chat about podcasting and its role in the flute community. We got to talking about our struggles as hosts, the lessons we’ve learned from our guests, and the realities of putting together an episode every week.

Mindy Kaufman joined the New York Philharmonic after winning her audition for the flute and solo piccolo chair in 1979 at the age of 22. Her audition in the final round was full of snafus that could’ve thrown her off, but Mindy relied on the hard work she had put in to her preparation and rolled with the punches- and she ended up winning. Since then, she has performed a slew of concerts and chamber concerts with the Phil, recorded a solo album, recorded piccolo concerti, and freelanced as a film score musician. 

When she won the audition for Second Flute in the New York Philharmonic in 2012, Yoobin Son became the first ever Korean to join the woodwind section. Getting to know more about Yoobin and learning about her start on the flute, it ultimately didn’t seem so surprising that this highly motivated, dedicated, and persistent flutist would someday become a member of the New York Phil. 

Alison Fierst is the newly appointed Associate Principal Flute of the New York Philharmonic. Before landing her dream job, Alison completed her Bachelor degree at Carnegie Mellon University with Alberto Almarza and she went on to start a degree at Manhattan School of Music in the orchestral performance program. Alison ultimately gave up her spot as a student of Robert Langevin’s at MSM to become his colleague in the Phil. We chatted about her past audition failures, her NY Phil audition experience, and the Haynes Amadeus alto flute that helped her to land the job.

Robert Langevin is the Principal Flutist of the New York Philharmonic. Robert believes the future of music lies in the next generation of up and coming musicians and that young people offer something exciting and invigorating to an orchestra. He is particularly passionate about the Orchestral Program at Manhattan School of Music and takes his students under his wing to competitively train and even sometimes sub alongside him in the Phil. As a result, Robert is shaping his young pupils into inspiring, talented, and extremely successful flutists in their own right.

Lew Tabackin got his start in public school in Philadelphia, felt like a misfit studying flute at the Philadelphia Conservatory, and ultimately found his footing after picking up the tenor saxophone. Lew has come a long way and had a varied career since: he graduated, served in the Army from 1962-65, met his wife (jazz pianist Toshiko Akiyoshi), moved to California in the 1970s, and formed their big band that performed for decades. Nowadays, Lew enjoys playing with his trio around the world.

Judith Mendenhall is the Principal Flutist of the American Ballet Theater Orchestra and is on faculty at Mannes and the Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College. In 2016, she received the Distinguished Teaching Award from The New School, where she is chair of the wind department. Her many accomplishments include performing as a recitalist, chamber and orchestral musician in the United States and abroad. 

Stephanie Mortimore is the Principal Piccolo of the MET Opera Orchestra. Stephanie’s busy career of performing was almost derailed just a couple years ago when she was diagnosed with focal dystonia. She was kind enough to give an interview so I could learn a little more about her and brave enough to share her journey so far as a successful working musician with focal dystonia. 

Dr. Ellen Ochoa is an engineer, former astronaut, retired Director of Johnson Space Center, and classical flutist. She was the first Hispanic woman to go to space in 1993 and even brought her flute along. You can find video and photos of Ellen playing her Haynes flute aboard the near weightless environment of the shuttle Discovery. Through her missions and numerous discoveries, Ellen has continued to make time for music in her life and it was an honor to sit down with her and hear about the flute from a different point of view.

Every flutist knows who Linda Mark is. And yet, there is not much information out there on this pianist's beginnings. When she moved to New York after college she did the grunt work of knocking on doors, making cold calls, and asking teachers if they needed a pianist for their studio. That’s exactly how she met Julius Baker and his mentoring, teaching, and inclusiveness of her would end up shaping her career. After earning a reputation for being a natural with challenging flute repertoire, Linda was introduced to and has worked with every great performer in the flute community. 

Katie Althen, or @katieflute if you follow her on Instagram, is an up and coming young flutist with big dreams and big talent. Katie grew up in Pennsylvania and her unsuspecting parents, who enrolled her in different sports, dance, and music lessons, watched on as her passion for the flute and for sharing her gifts with others took over and led her study at some of the top conservatories in the nation. Katie has been at the forefront of the social media flute community and she is open and candid with her followers. 

Greg Pattillo has always been an unconventional flute player. From his days at conservatory to his brief stint as Principal Flute, Greg was always looking for something more and for a way to really connect with his audience. Everything really seemed to fall into place for Greg when he moved to New York City, started performing in the subways, and founded his group, Project Trio, with Eric Stephenson on cello and Peter Seymour on bass.

Whether Ransom Wilson is in front of an orchestra as a soloist or leading a group as a conductor, he is proud to be serving music and the vision of its composers. At the start of his career, Ransom knew he wanted to be a soloist just like his idol and teacher, Jean Pierre Rampal. He was immediately picked up by management, toured, and recorded albums. As Ransom began to feel disenchanted with the touring lifestyle, he turned to chamber music and he became the flutist for the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, a position he held for twenty years. Ransom incorporates his passion for chamber music in his curriculum at Yale University, where he is professor of flute.

Jake and Gabe Fridkis are the Flute Bros—literally brothers that grew up loving music and following their dream to become professional flutists. And dreams do come true. With Jake’s position of Principal Flute of the Fort Worth Symphony and Gabe’s recent win of the Assistant Principal seat, they are the first all sibling principals section in a major symphony wind section. 

Poised, gracious, and sincere: these are just a few words that describe flutist Christina Jennings as both a person and a performer. It is no surprise that students flock to the University of Colorado Boulder to study with the Associate Professor of Flute. Christina is invested in a holistic approach to flute playing and in fostering community. 

There are a lot of things that make Flutronix special. Allison Loggins-Hull and Nathalie Joachim are a flute duo changing the perception of what the flute can do and how it can sound through new compositions, exploration of genres, and use of electronic music. Together, Flutronix has released four albums, has collaborations and broadcasts around the world, and recently kicked off their two year residency at Carolina Performing Arts.

Nico Duchamp has made it his mission to carry on the French flute tradition. The French flutist, performer, and educator believes we owe quite a lot to the composers of the Paris Conservatory test pieces, the nuance of the language and its influence on articulation, and the overall refined French style. 

Andrea Fisher, also known as Fluterscooter, has followed her many interests over the years no matter how far off the beaten path they may be. The Juilliard trained flutist and Powell artist came by the Flute Center to give a talk on entrepreneurship and reveal some of the ins and outs of starting your own business, including making contacts, networking, and funding your own ideas.

Valerie Coleman was creative long before learning how to play the flute. At a young age, she started to write music down and began writing symphonies by the time she was 11. Since then, Valerie Coleman has established her career as the flutist and resident composer of the wind quintet, Imani Winds. Valerie shared with me more about collaboration, composition, and the next phase in her career.

Seth Morris is the newly appointed Co-Principal Flute of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. Seth’s passion for opera and ballet music has afforded him a depth of knowledge that came in handy at his audition for the Principal Flute position at the MET. I was fascinated to learn more from Seth about how the day he won his dream job went and his plans for the future.

Amy Porter was a perfect choice for our live episode. She admits she is most comfortable being center stage and star of the show, one of the many reasons she ultimately left her position with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and pursued a solo career. Amy graciously answered questions and let us pick her brain about all things performance, career, and personal life related.

He is one of the most famous and recognizable names in jazz flute. Nestor Torres has released 14 albums as a soloist, has been a featured flutist at a number of jazz festivals and orchestral concerts, and collaborated with other notable artists such as Herbie Hancock, Paquito D’Rivera, Dave Matthews, and Gloria Estefan. Nestor Torres brings the precision and excellence of classical training (along with his Latin flair) to the jazz flute idiom and joined me after a jam session at the Flute Center of New York to talk about his unique sound and his vision for the future of music. 

Martha Aarons hopped off a plane at JFK, jetted over to the Flute Center of New York to try some head joints, and graciously agreed to sit down with me for a quick talk. She was as easy to work with as I imagine she was with her longtime colleagues in the Cleveland Orchestra, where she maintained a position for 25 years. She reminisced with me and also shared her current plans to explore another side of her career: performing chamber works with her husband and stepping in to sub with orchestras across the country.

Brandon George is a Powell Artist that has performed around the world as a soloist and chamber musician, but he currently calls Brooklyn his home. With a full and varied freelance career, Brandon has performed regularly at some iconic New York venues such as Carnegie Hall, Alice Tully Hall, Bargemusic in Brooklyn, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Brandon has his own advice for flutists starting out in their career, too. He highlights the importance of fostering a strong, lasting relationship with your peers and colleagues to build a freelance network.

You may have first heard today’s guest on Youtube. She is perhaps most known for starting the flute at just 3 years old and having a large collection of impressive recordings online as a young child. Since then, Emma has been working hard. She graduated from Curtis, has given a number of solo performances with the National Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra, Dallas Symphony, and Pittsburgh Symphony, has appeared at festivals and conventions, and has been active in collaborating with emerging composers on new works for the flute. Emma will soon be making New York her home, as she begins her Master’s degree at Juilliard with longtime teacher, Jeffrey Khaner.

Marco Granados strikes me as an open-minded and curious flutist, exploring all there is to do with the flute, including performing an array of genres in a variety of venues. He had his debut at Carnegie Hall, a performance with Placido Domingo at Gracie Mansion, a stint on Broadway, and even played gigs in the subway. But, perhaps Marco is most well known for his focus on Venezuelan music. He grew up in Venezuela and moved to New York to pursue his degree in Classical flute, but found his way back around to his roots and has since released CDs and transcriptions of the songs he loves and knows so well.

Althea Rene is a Soul-Jazz flutist and recording artist that has made a living playing her music, her way. And while she exudes confidence and is completely at ease performing for an audience of any size, it wasn’t always that way for Althea. In her book, “Becoming Chocolate Barbie: A Guide for Professional Women in the Music Business,” Althea talks about the struggles of having a full time job outside of music, specifically as Deputy Sheriff in Wayne County, and about the ins and outs of building a music career.

Gareth launched his professional career after his studies at the Guildhall School of Music. He was appointed Principal Flute of the Bournemouth Symphony at 23 and later joined the London Symphony Orchestra as Principal in 2000. He has been with the LSO ever since. As a way to connect with family, friends, and fans back home, Gareth started writing and launched a blog on his website. There, he shares his insights about the performances, reflects upon the local cultures, and writes fun anecdotes about the touring lifestyle. It is a great way to get to know more about Gareth and it was a real treat to chat with him in person.

Known as the man with the golden flute, James Galway has had a career that is groundbreaking and legendary. He has not only achieved the feat of winning one of the most sought-after positions of Principal Flute in the Berlin Philharmonic and toured as a soloist, he has also successfully branched out as a crossover artist. Sir James has sold over 30 million albums and is comfortable with any genre and any repertoire. His wife, Lady Jeanne Galway, a noteworthy flutist in her own right, made the time to also join us for an interview.

Jean Ferrandis is a true musician and he views the flute as his tool. An international soloist, collaborator, clinician, and conductor, his musical expression is truly authentic and from the heart. Jean aims to inspire his audience and his students at the University of Southern California, Fullerton. I had the pleasure of getting to know Jean before his masterclass at the Powell showroom here in New York, and he is a fascinating performer and teacher.

Nicola Mazzanti considers himself to be an advocate for the piccolo as a solo voice. He holds the position of Piccolo in the Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, a seat he has held since 1988, and performs as an orchestral musician, chamber musician, and soloist around the world. In 2014, Mazzanti published his method book for piccolo entitled, “The Mazzanti Method”. The method is a guide for piccolo players in their daily commitment to the instrument. He continues to teach young piccolo players in seminars and masterclasses in Italy and abroad and joined me after his Flute Center of New York masterclass to discuss the merits of piccolo playing. 

Canadian flutist, Dr. Conor Nelson, began his studies on the flute not quite sure of where it would lead him. He followed his passion nonetheless and made the journey into a coveted tenure-track teaching position look effortless. He has appeared as soloist with major orchestras, given masterclasses across the country at over 100 institutions, and is Associate Professor of Flute at Bowling Green State University.   

International soloist and chamber musician Stefan Hoskuldsson was most recently appointed as Principal Flute of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in 2015. We here in New York got to know him best for his stellar performances as principal flute with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra from 2008-2015. He got his start in Iceland, studied in England, and thereafter started working at the Flute Center of New York, where he was able to network and build an orchestral career. A flutist’s flutist, Stefan has a characteristically beautiful sound and has established himself as a revered soloist and in-demand teacher.

By following her curiosity and intuition, Emi Ferguson has made a name for herself as a modern flutist, baroque flutist, composer, arranger, producer, researcher, and vocalist. In her interview with me, Ms. Ferguson shares that she refuses to take no for an answer and will do whatever it takes to see a project through to the end. That approach has served her well. Her impressive career includes winning first prize at the NFA Young Artist competition,  New York Flute Club Young Artist competition, the Mid-Atlantic Flute Competition, and the Juilliard Concerto Competition. Emi Ferguson has carved out a niche for herself playing the Silver Flute, Historical Flutes, and Auxiliary Flutes, performing repertoire that stretches from the Renaissance to today.

Our guest today does it all. Emily Beynon is the Principal Flutist of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra in Amsterdam. She has appeared as a soloist with the Philharmonia Orchestra, BBC Orchestras, Academy of St. Martin in the Fields (amongst others) and has performed with chamber groups such the Nash Ensemble and the Brodsky Quartet. Ms. Beynon is also a versatile recording artist. Her albums span a wide breadth of repertoire- from her dazzling interpretation of Mozart to her premiere recordings by contemporary composers.

Seemingly out of nowhere, Demarre McGill has quickly become the next “it” flutist. A recipient of the prestigious Avery Fisher Career Grant, Demarre has dominated the audition circuit, holding Principal positions with the Florida Orchestra, San Diego Symphony, Santa Fe Opera Orchestra, Seattle Symphony, and Dallas Symphony. Demarre has also been Acting Principal Flute at the Pittsburg Symphony and most recently, at the Metropolitan Opera. Demarre is currently maintaining a jam-packed schedule: He has returned as Principal Flute at the Seattle Symphony, he has stepped in as Visiting Assistant Professor at CCM, and he continues to travel the country giving masterclasses and performing concerts. I snagged a few minutes with Demarre on his latest trip to New York City.

Carol Wincenc is an artist that needs no introduction. She is an iconic flutist and her name is synonymous with graceful and powerful musicianship. In addition to her decades of accomplishments, awards, and accolades, Ms. Wincenc has released a number of recordings that are revered as the authority on execution and artistry. Her natural talent and other’s recognition of her gifts launched her from a young flutist in her hometown of Buffalo to an emerging star fresh from her studies in Italy. She studied at Oberlin, Manhattan School of Music, and Juilliard. Quickly after her graduation, Ms. Wincenc secured the Principal Flute position with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, won the Naumburg Foundation Solo Flute Competition, and established herself as a sought-after soloist. She passes down her wealth of knowledge and wisdom to her students and it excites her to see them reach accomplishments of their own. Before her recital and masterclass at the Flute Center of New York, Ms. Wincenc revealed what it was like building a career in a male-dominated industry and what morsels of advice she hopes to pass down to the next generation.

Learn more about your Flute Unscripted host and Resident Flutist at Flute Center of New York, Caity Massoud.