FLUTE AT MURRAY STATE UNIVERSITY


For Prospective Students


Any flute student interested in pursuing music at Murray State is encouraged to contact Stephanie Rea at Stephanie.rea@murraystate.edu to set up a campus visit and a private lesson free of charge.  You will find that by touring our campus, observing classes, meeting students and faculty, and having a lesson, you will get a more realistic view of what life is like as a Murray State music student. The flute studio upholds the highest standards of musicianship. If you are serious about music study, you belong here.


About the Flute Studio


The flute studio at Murray State is a close-knit unit of students with various interests in music.  Flute majors at Murray State have recently performed at the following:


Murray Calloway County Hospital Long Term Care

Spring Creek Retirement Center

Kentucky Flute Festival

Mid South Flute Festival

National Flute Association

Kentucky Music Educators' Association Conference All-Collegiate Band

WASBE's International Youth Wind Orchestra in Sweden and Singapore







About Professor Stephanie Rea


Flutist Stephanie Rea is an accomplished soloist, frequently heard at the National Flute Association's Annual Convention and in recital halls across the United States. Hailed by Flutist Quarterly as "a name to be remembered" and "a rising star and a compelling performer", Rea's active performance schedule also includes orchestral playing as a member of the Jackson (TN) Symphony Orchestra.  She has performed at the Brevard Music Center, Rome Festival, International Trujillo Bach Festival in Peru, 9th International Suzuki Conference in Japan, College Music Society International Conference in Bangkok, Thailand and at many regional music festivals. She is the Vice President of MidSouth Flute Society, on the Board of Directors for the Flute Society of Kentucky, and serves on the Pedagogy Subcommittee of the National Flute Association. In 2009, she spent five months as a Fulbright Senior Scholar at the Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst (University of Music and the Performing Arts) in Frankfurt am Main, Germany where she taught flute and chamber music and gave lectures and performances.


In her teaching career Rea has enjoyed the successes of her students in private studio teaching in Florida, Georgia, Virginia, Tennessee and Kentucky.  She is a professor at Murray State University where she teaches courses in flute and music theory and often performs in collaboration with her colleagues. Her degrees in performance are from East Tennessee State University and The Florida State University where she was a teaching assistant in the areas of both flute and music theory. She has given flute master classes at music schools including the University of Michigan, Arizona State University, Florida State University, and Cincinnati College Conservatory's Preparatory Department. Rea is an active member of the College Music Society and the National Flute Association. Her compact disc Solo French and American Flute Works can be purchased at centaurrecords.com or amazon.com.


About Our Guest Artists


Since 2001, Murray State has been fortunate to host the following flutists as guest artists in recitals and master classes.


Alberto Almarza, Associate Professor at Carnegie Mellon University

John Barcellona, Professor at California State University at Long Beach

Jessica Dunnavant, Adjunct Faculty at Florida State University

Kyle Dzapo, Associate Professor at Bradley University

Deanna Hahn, Associate Professor at Middle Tennessee State University

Sarah Beth Hanson, Piccoloist, Memphis Symphony Orchestra

Maria Harding, Principal Flutist, Omaha Symphony Orchestra

Stephanie Jutt, Professor at University of Wisconsin at Madison

Jennifer Mazzoni, Adjunct Faculty at Murray State University

Rebecca Paluzzi, Associate Professor at East Tennessee State University, East Tennessee

Suzuki Program

Caen Thomason-Redus, Assistant Professor at University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee,

former fellow of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra

Heather Verbeck, Adjunct Professor at Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music

Jim Walker, International Soloist and faculty at University of Southern California


About Current Flute Students

Kalin Alvey is in her second year at Murray State and is pursuing a degree in Sociology with minors in Gerontology and Music.


Lindsey Cardwell is a first year student from McClean County, KY majoring in music education.


James-Kyle Damron is a fourth-year music education major from Murray, Kentucky. He is an active member of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia fraternity.  James-Kyle is looking to become a successful music educator after graduation.


Jocelyn Dora is from Evansville, Indiana and is in her second year as a music education major.


Kala Dunn is a fourth-year piano major from Princeton, KY.  She studied flute during her senior year at Interlochen Arts Academy.


Cassie Fischer-Flaherty is a fifth-year liberal arts major from Murray, Kentucky and was head field commander for the Racer Marching Band. She also plays drumset.


Skye Jones is a music minor from Murray, Kentucky.


Sarah Lee is a fourth year cello performance major from South Korea. She will graduate in Spring 2010.


Rodney Mills is in his second year at Murray State majoring in music and theater. He is from Eddyville, KY.


Rachel Owen is a third-year music education major from Livingston County, Kentucky.


Nikki Pierceall  is a third-year music education major from Murray, Kentucky. She has been in Wind Ensemble and Symphonic Band.


Jennifer (Jen) Myers is a third-year student majoring in music education. She graduated from high school in Mascoutah, IL, but her parents now live in the suburbs of Buffalo, NY. Her goal is to become a great high school band director, and maybe later a college director. She is in Racerband, the marching band and Murray State, and has too many hobbies to list.


Hannah Rodgers is from Nortonville, Kentucky. She is in her second year at Murray State University pursuing a degree in Music Business. She is also an active member of the professional music organization Sigma Alpha Iota.


Marshall Shank Marshall Shank is a fourth-year performance major from Owensboro, Ky.  Apart from enjoying performing classical flute repertoire, Marshall enjoys improvising with his church worship teams on campus through Christ Ambassadors.


Caroline Weiland is in her third year as a music education major.  She is from Columbus, Indiana.  She is interested in pursuing music therapy in graduate school. She is active in Sigma Alpha Iota.


About Our Flute Graduates


Flute alumni from Murray State enjoy various careers in and outside of music.


Joseph Alexander - Graduate Student at University of Minnesota (trombone performance)

Kristy Gaffney Burkhart

Nathan Carroll – Music Teacher, Budapest Hungary

Devan Caton – Elementary Music Teacher, Henderson County, KY

Krista Clayton - Band Director at Pope County, Illinois

Esther Dowdy Julian - living in Paducah, KY

Angela Madden Yoo - pursuing teacher certification at Murray State University

Ashley Mattingly - Band Director at Fulton County High School, Fulton, KY

Lauren Wilkerson Maxey - Band Director in Louisville, KY

Alyson Owens Morris - Adjunct Professor and Director of Bands at Rend Lake College,              

Ina, Illinois

Elixabeth Rigdon LaNeave - Elementary Teacher at Paducah, KY

Cynthia Roop - Adjunct Professor of Flute and Music Education at Mars Hill College

Director of Bands at Rugby Middle School, Hendersonville, NC

Faculty Member at Joyful Noise, Community Music and Arts Center

Co-Artistic Director Brio Concert Series

Mark Sauerbrunn - Band Director at Olmstead Middle School, Kentucky

April Brewer Sexton - General Music Teacher at Sharpe Elementary School, Benton, KY

Heather Waters – graduate student at University of Kentucky


Please email Stephanie.rea@murraystate.edu to update the information above or to have your name added to the list.



About our Guest Artists


Since 2001, Murray State has been fortunate to host the following flutists as guest artists in recitals and master classes.


Alberto Almarza

Associate Professor, Carnegie Mellon University


John Barcellona

Professor, California State University at Long Beach


Jessica Dunnavant

Assistant Professor of Flute, Univesity of Wisonsin at Stevens Point


Kyle Dzapo

Associate Professor, Bradley University


Deanna Hahn

Associate Professor, Middle Tennessee State University


Maria Harding

Principal Flute, Omaha Symphony Orchestra


Sarah Beth Hanson

Piccoloist, Memphis Symphony Orchestra


Stephanie Jutt

Professor, University of Wisconsin at Madison

Principal Flute, Madison Symphony Orchestra


Jennifer Mazzoni

adjunct faculty at Murray State University


                                                                                               Stephanie Rea and composer, Libby Larson

Rebecca Paluzzi

Associate Professor, East Tennessee State University

Director, East Tennessee Suzuki Program


Kara DeRaad Santos

Principal Flute, Evansville Philharmonic

Professor of Flute, University of Evansville


Caen Thomason-Redus

Assistant Professor at University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee

Former member Detroit Symphony Orchestra


Heather Verbeck

Adjunct professor at Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music


Jim Walker

International Soloist

Faculty, University of Southern California


Professional Associations


Music education students are encouraged to become members of CMENC and Kentucky Music Educators' Association. All flute students and prospective flute students are encouraged to become a member of the Flute Society of Kentucky (www.fskentucky.org), Mid South Flute Society (midsouthflute.org) and/or the National Flute Association (nfaonline.org).  









For more information concerning applied flute study at

Murray State University