 Jan Vinci, DirectorFirst-prize winner of England's International Music Performance Competition, Jan Vinci has performed at premiere venues such as Alice Tully, Carnegie Hall, Merkin Hall, and Symphony Space, and at events such as the Blossom Festival (Ohio), the International Computer Music Conference in the Netherlands, the Electric Music Festival in England, Killington Music Festival (Vermont), the Chamber Music Conference of the East at Bennington College (Vermont), the New York Flute Club concert series and several National Flute Association conventions. She has also performed in Denmark and Ibiza, Spain, as well as at Stanford University, Ithaca College, Crane, University of West Florida, University of Central Oklahoma, and in return engagements at her alma maters.Vinci’s chamber music career, has spanned more than 30 years. She performs with Iridescence - Flute and Harp Duo, which has played venues such as Toledo Museum of Art, Troy Music Hall, Hyde Collection Museum, and The Juilliard School. For more than 10 years Vinci toured the U.S. with Tritonis, an ensemble with flute, guitar, and cello. Vinci commissioned over 20 works, and recorded Five Premieres: Chamber Works with Guitar for Albany Records. Along with Pola Baytelman, she commissioned and premiered Flute Poetic for flute and piano by Jennifer Higdon in celebration of Skidmore's Arthur Zankel Music Center opening in November of 2010. Percussia, an ensemble with percussion, received numerous grants from NYSCA, Queens Council on the Arts, and Chamber Music America for performance, educational, and recording projects. Vinci has performed on National Public Radio’s Performance Today and, as an orchestral musician she performed with the Albany Symphony, Cleveland Opera Theater and Heidelberg orchestras. Vinci recently partnered with pianist Pola Baytelman in Celebration of the New, a commission-performance-recording project. Their program includes a commission of Jennifer Higdon's Flute Poetic for flute and piano and Mark Vinci Crow's Nest for solo flute. Vinci is Senior Artist-in-Residence at Skidmore College and formerly served on the faculties of the Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College and Hofstra University. Since 1994, Vinci has directed and taught master classes at the Skidmore Flute Institute and has presented the Skidmore Flute Choir Festival. A former president of the New York Flute Club, Vinci holds a D.M.A. from The Juilliard School, an M.M. from Cleveland Institute of Music and a B.M. from Bowling Green State University. Her primary teachers include Julius Baker, Samuel Baron, Maurice Sharp, Judith Bentley and Martha Aarons. For more information, please visit janvinci.com.
|
 Jeffrey KhanerCanadian-born flutist Jeffrey Khaner has been Principal Flute of the Philadelphia Orchestra since 1990. From 1982 to 1990, he was principal of the Cleveland Orchestra, and has also served as principal of the New York Mostly Mozart Festivals, and the Atlantic Symphony in Halifax, Nova Scotia, in addition to co-principal of the Pittsburgh Symphony.A noted soloist, Khaner has performed concerti with orchestras throughout the U.S, Canada, and Asia collaborating with conductors including Riccardo Chailly, Christoph von Dohnanyi, Charles Dutoit, Christoph Eschenbach, Claus-Peter Flor, Hans Werner Henze, Erich Leinsdorf, Kurt Masur, Yutaka Sado, Jose Serebrier, Wolfgang Sawallisch, Gerard Schwartz, Franz Welser-Most, and David Zinman. His concerto repertoire is extensive and he has premiered many works including the concerto by Ned Rorem, written for him in 2003. As a recitalist, Khaner has appeared with pianists Charles Abramovic, Christoph Eschenbach, Lowell Liebermann, Wolfgang Sawallisch, Hugh Sung, among others. He regularly incorporates into the programs the music of today’s composers, many of whom have written expressly for him. Khaner is a founding member of the Syrinx Trio (with fellow Philadelphia Orchestra principals Roberto Diaz, viola, and Elizabeth Hainen, harp), which made its Carnegie Hall debut in 2001 in the Weill Recital Hall. In 1995, he was selected by Sir Georg Solti to be Principal Flute of the World Orchestra for Peace, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the United Nations. The orchestra regularly reconvenes, most recently in 2005 for a tour of Europe and Asia commemorating the end of World War II. Khaner’s editions of repertoire, including the Brahms sonatas, are published by Theodore Presser Company. A graduate of The Juilliard School, Khaner was named to the faculty as Flute Professor in 2004, holding the position formerly held by his mentor, the late Julius Baker. For more than two decades, he has been a faculty member at the world-renowned Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. He has given master classes throughout North, South and Central America, Europe, and Asia. Khaner has also participated as a performer and teacher at many summer festivals and seminars including the Solti Orchestral Project at Carnegie Hall; The New World Symphony; the Pacific Music, the Hamamatsu, Sarasota, and Grand Teton festivals, and the Lake Placid and Skidmore Flute institutes. Jeffrey Khaner is a Yamaha performing artist and clinician. iflute.com Check out what is being said about Jeffrey Khaner.
|
 Mark VinciSaxophonist, flutist and composer Mark Vinci has toured as a soloist in Denmark, the Czech Republic, Poland, Germany, the U.S., and Ibiza, Spain, where he has performed in venues such as One Step Down and The Nest in Washington, D.C., Catalina Bar and Grill in L.A., and Birdland in N.Y.C. He has performed, toured, and/or recorded with artists such as Joe Lovano, Stefon Harris, Rosemary Clooney, Tony Bennett, Frank Sinatra, Zoot Sims, Benny Carter, Tommy Flanagan, Clark Terry, Mel Lewis, Michael Feinstein, Gene Bertoncini, and Joe LaBarbera. Vinci is lead altoist with John Fedchock’s New York Big Band and is a veteran of the Carnegie Hall Jazz Band conducted by Jon Faddis, Maria Schneider Jazz Orchestra, and Woody Herman and Gerry Mulligan big bands. He has performed at numerous festivals such as North Sea, Kool, Montreaux, Monterey, and Nice.Four-time Grammy nominee Vinci has recorded on Blue Note, Capital, Concord, Telarc, SONY, Enja, Albany Records, and Iris, among other labels. His CDs Grand Slam, As I Think About You, and Interplay present him as a leader and composer. With a full book of his original big band charts, he is frequently featured as soloist with big bands in the U.S. and Europe, performing arrangements of his tunes from As I Think About You, and other original compositions. Vinci has received numerous commissions including a piece for the Empire State Youth Orchestra’s “New Music for a New Generation” festival and a 200-piece concert band performance at the United Nations. His saxophone and flute duet, When I See You, was commissioned by Jan Vinci for Global FluteScape: Premieres and Rare Gems. Vinci serves on the faculties of Skidmore College, Purchase College (State University of New York), and The Juilliard School. He has taught clinics and residencies at colleges and high schools throughout the U.S., Denmark, and Spain and with support from the U.S. Embassy-the Czech Republic. For 15 years at the Skidmore Summer Flute Institute Vinci has taught jazz master classes, jazz flute history classes, and circular breathing classes. He was a featured artist on the New York Flute Club concert series. Please visit Mark Vinci's web site for more information, www.markvinci.com.
|
 Shelley Smith
Shelley Smith is pursuing her D.M.A. in flute performance with a certificate in world music at Florida State University. Currently a student of Eva Amsler, former teachers include Mihoko Watanabe, George Pope, Jan Vinci and Wendy Matthews. Smith holds M.M. degrees in flute performance and music history from the University of Akron and a B.A. from Skidmore College. She is a graduate teaching assistant (GTA) at FSU, and previously held GTA positions at the University of Akron (flute and music history) and Ball State University (aural theory, chamber music and flute). Recent honors include selection as a Tuesday Musical Association Competition winner and recognition as UA’s 2009 “Outstanding Graduate Student in Music History.” Smith has performed with the Muncie Symphony Orchestra and Lake George Chamber Orchestra. She appeared as a soloist with the latter, as well as with the Skidmore College Orchestra and University of Akron Symphony Orchestra. An active member of past and present flute associations, Smith is the president of the Flute Association and the Flute Choir Director at FSU. For more information, please visit www.shelleysmithflute.com. |
 Yvonne Chavez HansbroughFlutist Yvonne Chavez Hansbrough, Associate Professor at the College of Saint Rose, is director of the Saint Rose Camerata and principal flutist with the Glens Falls Symphony Orchestra. She holds music degrees from New Mexico State University (BME) and the University of Arizona (MM). She received her Doctorate in Flute Performance in 1991 from Florida State University, where she was a recipient of a University Fellowship. Dr. Hansbrough has performed at many venues across the U.S. including Piccolo Spoleto Chamber Music Festival, The Boston Early Music Festival, Troy Music Hall, several National Flute Association Conventions (most recently New York City) and WAMC Radio Linda Norris Auditorium. She has performed with many orchestras including the Nashville Symphony Orchestra, the Albany Symphony, Glimmerglass Opera, and Appalachian Spring with the Martha Graham Dance Company. Hansbrough has appeared as a soloist with orchestras including the Glens Falls Symphony Orchestra and the Nashville Symphony. Her recent performance of the Concerto for flute and orchestra by Ibert with the Glens Falls Symphony received favorable reviews: "...she seemed thoroughly energized as she tore through the music, easily transitioning from a rich low timbre to a beautifully rounded upper register while her fingers danced on the keys...." (The Chornicle, W. Martin, May 2009). Her recent performance with the Saint Rose Camerata also received positive reviews: "The Halloween spirit of surprise, magic, and wonder came one day early to the College of Saint Rose Friday night when the in-house Camerata gave a stunning performance of Vox Balaenae (Voice of the Whale)..by George Crumb. The opening Vocalise had Hansbrough singing and moaning while simultaneously playing her flute, a virtuosic and truely ghostly gorgeous cadenza slightly resembling a whale cry"...(The Times Union, P. McClean, November, 2010). Hansbrough has recorded with the Nashville Chamber Orchestra, the Albany Symphony, and released her solo CD "American Flute Music: Leaving the Twentieth Century" in 1997. For more information, please visit Hansbrough's website at: www.yvonnehansbrough.com.
|
 Diana Charos ReillyDiana Charos Reilly is a freelance musician, conductor and music educator in New Jersey. Her debut recital was performed in Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center. She has performed at Carnegie Hall, the PNC Arts Center, and conducted at New Jersey Performing Arts Center. Reilly has toured Romania, Austria and Hungary performing "Behind the Iron Curtain” and recorded numerous CD's including "Jack the Ripper," "Sleeping Beauty," and "Rapunzel." Reilly is also a member of the RockOpera Orchestra and an 18-piece swing band that tours the New York Metropolitan area.Reilly is on the faculties of Fairleigh Dickenson University, the Westminster Conservatory of Music and Rutgers Preparatory School in addition to being on the Skidmore Flute Institute’s faculty since the program’s inception in 1994. She is the Music Director of the New Jersey Youth Symphony where she founded the Flute Choir and the Flute Forum. A graduate of The Juilliard School pre-college division and awarded B.M. in performance from the Hartt School, Reilly studied with Brad Garner and John Wion. She further studied at Ithaca and Oberlin colleges, and did graduate work at Rutgers University.
|
 Jill SokolDescribed as playing "with fire and committment" (Schenectady Gazette 2010) flutist Jill Sokol is a freelance musician and private instructor in the New York City area. Currently, Ms. Sokol holds positions with the Manhattan Chamber Orchestra, Garden State Philharmonic and DiCapo Opera Theater. She also freelances with the Northeastern Pennsylvania Philharmonic, Hudson Valley Philharmonic, and the New Haven Symphony. Ms. Sokol has substituted with other regional orchestras, including the Albany Symphony and the Westchester Philharmonic. In 2004, she gave her solo debut at Carnegie's Weill Recital Hall as winner of the Artist International Competition.A strong advocate of new music, Ms. Sokol appears as guest artist at the Mannes Institute for Contemporary Performance, as soloist for the Long Island Composers Alliance, and as a member of the SEM Ensemble. She has also performed with the Argento New Music Project, Locrian Chamber Players, and the New Music Collective of the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music. Ms. Sokol is on the faculty of Kean University and the Skidmore Summer Flute Institute. She completed her Doctorate degree at Stony Brook University, under the tutelage of Carol Wincenc.
|
 Barbara LeeRaised in Minnesota, Barbara Lee is a diverse pianist who now lives in New York City. Barbara has collaborated with flutists Jan Vinci, Keith Underwood, Linda Chesis, Paul Dunkel, Leslie Newman, Chris Potter, Viviana Guzman, Paul Edmund Davies, George Pope, Tadeo Coelho; saxophonist George Young, and many top orchestral players in the U.S.She has played for the master classes of Jeffrey Khaner, Susan Hoeppner, Ronald Roseman, Eleanor Lawrence, and Julius Baker, and many of the above artists. She recently collaborated with singer Celeste Headlee - co-host of national radio news program "The Takaway" - in a concert of songs by Celeste's grandfather, composer William Grant Still. She has played in the Big Apple Circus band, in a Brazilian samba school, and currently plays keyboards in the band "Joyride". Barbara was on the faculty of Wagner College for many years. She has produced many well-received concerts through grants from NY State Council on the Arts ("...sleeper hit of the local small ensemble efforts (last) year" - Staten Island Advance), and others.
|
| “This [Global FluteScape] is a fabulous recording. … She plays with control, color, and effortless technical facility. Her tone is beautiful, rich, and never out of tune. … It is easily one of my favorite flute discs of the year.” American Record Guide |
| “exquisite performer” High Performance Review |
| “Jan is a constant when it comes to excellence.”The Saratogian |
| “performances are expert” Prodigy, Martin Bookspan |
| “plays it with great aplomb” ...” ‘creates a special connection between its musical sound and one’s heart.’ Her performance demonstrates this very well.” Flute Talk |
| “shines with zest” Les Cahiers de la Guitare |
| American Record Guide - January/February 2008 Global FluteScape "This is a fabulous recording. Jan Vinci is Senior Resident Artist at Skidmore College. She has impressive training and experience. I have never heard her playing before, and now I wish I had. She plays with control, color, and effortless technical facility. Her tone is beautiful, rich, and never out of tune. One can hear the indelible influence of Julius Baker, one of her primary teachers. Pianist Hugh Sung's graceful, colorful playing is a delightful match. There are nine pieces here. I enjoyed hearing this straight thru---it is a balanced and thoughtful program, including only a couple well-known works---the rest is either new or neglected. I also enjoyed hearing individual pieces repeatedly, especially the fine performance of the Benker, a piece that is hard to find. Flutists looking for new repertoire should hear this-I am going to order several of the pieces---and anyone who enjoys superb music played with passion should find it. It is easily one of my favorite flute discs of the year." -CHAFFEE |
