Mark Thomas (1932-2022)

    Soloist, recording artist, teacher, and visionary Mark Thomas died on Monday, January 24, 2022. He was 90 years old and had been married to his wife Judith, also a flutist, for 57 years. Thomas graduated from the Peabody Conservatory of Music with a flute performance degree. After graduation he was principal flute with The U.S. Army Band and The National Gallery Orchestra in Washington, D.C. He was a member of the National Capitol Wind Quintet and traveled extensively with The Ars Nova Trio (flute, oboe, and harpsichord).
    After being discharged from the Army, Thomas began teaching flute clinics across the U.S. and was soon hired as an artistic consultant and clinician for the Armstrong Flute Company. Fifteen years later he switched companies and joined Emerson Musical Instruments in Grand Junction, Colorado.
    While traveling and meeting other flutists, Thomas had the idea to establish a professional society of flutists. Thomas said, “In July 1972 I spoke about the art of playing the flute at a conference for band directors in Anaheim, California at a hotel with nice convention facilities. To this day I don’t know what made me take the risk, but before I left that hotel, I booked it for a national convention of flutists to be held the following August 6, 1973.”
    When Thomas returned home, he contacted several colleagues including James Pellerite, Philip Swanson, and Walfrid Kujala who became officers of the newly formed organization. The National flute Association was officially incorporated in the state of Indiana in November 1972. Thomas has been honored as Founder and Honorary Life President of The National Flute Association and in 2005 was awarded the Distinguished Service Award.
    Thomas served on the faculties of American University, George Wash-ington University, the University of Notre Dame and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. He observed, “The greatest motivator is the music teacher, whose attitude is more important to promote musical interest and motivation than using any study method, flashy pieces, or by entering contests. All of us who teach need to create an atmosphere in which others may learn about music…Teachers who guide their students toward the completion of musical goals while sustaining and generating continued interest in music also motivate them.”

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Discography 
    Mark Thomas was known for his support of young composers and as a  champion of new music. Composer Emma Lou Diemer dedicated both her Sonata for flute and piano and Concerto for Flute and Orchestra to him. He recorded three CDs which include a vast array of repertoire. They were Sounds of Gold (1980), Images (1982), and Contrasts (1983).