Anna U.

An avid solo and chamber musician, flutist Anna U. was celebrated as “a revelation” and “a great young talent” (Il Giornale, Spoleto, Italy) after a performance of J.S. Bach’s Cantata BWV 21 “Seufzer, Tränen. Kummer, Not” with members of the Spoleto Vocal Arts Symposium. Her love for musical collaboration extends beyond that of traditional flute music. She has performed in the East-West quartet with Music from China, a chamber ensemble that commissions and performs innovative repertoire, combining both Chinese and Western instruments in traditional and contemporary works. As an orchestral musician, Anna has performed with the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, Symphony in C in Philadelphia, among others, and has been recently appointed to Ubuntu-Shruti, a newly formed orchestra in New York City that “seeks to express and practice the cosmic truth of ‘human interconnectedness’ revealed in musical sound.” She has also participated numerous festivals, including the Castleton Music Festival, New York String Orchestra Seminar, Moritzburg Festival Academy in Germany, the Riistavesi Music Festival in Finland and Les Concerts du Cloître in France with conductors Lorin Maazel, Jaime Laredo, Grant Llewellyn, Pietari Inkinen and Philippe Entremont. As an Artist-In-Residence at the Banff Music Center, Anna had the opportunity to perform with John Adams conducting his composition, “The Wound Dresser.” Anna takes great pride in her Finnish-American heritage. Locally, she has presented recitals at the historic Salmagundi Club for the Finland Center of New York and performed at the Finland Independence Day Celebration under the auspices of the of the Finnish Embassy. She was recently named a Semi-Finalist for the Principal Flute position with the Finnish National Opera in Helsinki. She has taught students of various levels between the ages of 7 to 80 years young. Teaching so many different kinds of students with such varied musical abilities requires her to be find creative ways to engage and inspire each individual student. During lessons, Anna incorporates theory, ear-training, and as a classically trained pianist, she is able to accompany her flute students to provide a broader perspective of the musical composition as a whole. Because of her piano background, Anna also teaches beginner piano lessons. She is passionate about music and teaching, and firmly believes that beyond the simple pleasure that comes with one’s ability to make music, the process of learning the necessary musical skills builds self-confidence and fosters creative thinking.