Florida Flute Convention

Flute Talk Editors | March 2012


   The Florida Flute Association presented its Thirty-sixth Annual State Convention at the Marriott Hotel Orlando Airport on January 27-29. The weekend featured high school and collegiate competitions, solo recitals, chamber concerts, flute choir concerts and reading sessions, workshops on varied topics, and displays by two dozen commercial exhibitors. 
   On Friday evening Nancy Clew conducted the Space Coast Flute Orchestra in a program of music by Ryohei Hirose, Felix Mendelssohn, and Katherine Hoover. This program was followed by a flute and piano recital performed by Susan McQuinn, flute professor at Stetson University, and Nora Lee Garcia, flute professor at University of Central Florida.
   Guest artist Carol Wincenc, international soloist and flute professor at the Juilliard School, taught two masterclasses and a morning warm-up session, judged the young artist competitions, and presented the Saturday night concert. Her program included the Paul Hindemith Sonate, the first movement of the Franz Schubert Sonata “Arpeggione,” and pieces by Nino Rota, Jake Heggie, Paul Schoenfield and Daniel Paget. She was accompanied by Tim Carey. 
   Of special interest was the concert by the Teacher’s Flute Orchestra conducted by Shaul Ben-Meir. This 39-member group played Dvorak’s Slavonic Dances, arranged by Ben-Meir, and the lovely Pavane by Gabriel Faure. 
   The final concert featured flutists Amy Clark, Eva Amsler, Julie Hesse and Trudy Kane as well as the Junior and Senior Honors Flute Choirs and the competition winners.
   Out-of-state flutist performers and presenters were Shaul Ben-Meir, Jeremy Benson, Kathy Farmer, Patricia George, Ai Goldsmith, Elizabeth Goode, Rebecca Hovan, Ellen Johnson, Sue Ann Kahn, Lucy Kowalski, Karen McLaughlin Large, Brian Luce, Lisa Mahoney, Elizabeth Plunk, Nan Raphael, Ali Ryerson, Diane Boyd-Schultz, Nancy Stagnitta, Patricia Surman, Kelly Via, Nancy Wilson, and Carol Wincenc. Thanks to Florida Flute Convention program chair, Irene Pruzan, for assembling this group of fine presentations. Mark your calendar for January 25- 27, 2013.

2012 Winners of the Florida Flute Association’s Competitions
College Young Artists
1st place: none
2nd place: Tie: Allison Watkins and Meekyoung Lee
3rd place: Kate Nichols

High School Young Artists
1st place: Alexander Ishov
2nd place: Hannah Fell
3rd place: Emma Silberstein