Two-Session Workshop
  "Mental Visualization for Peak Performance"

 

Led by Helen Spielman

UNC Wellness Center at Meadowmont
6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

 

Free admission, free parking
No registration required.  Just show up!
For information, call the Wellness Center at (919) 966-5500.

 

 

 Former RAFA member Martha Long recently won the principal flute position for the Ft. Collins (Colorado) Symphony.  Martha, 23 years of age, will finish her undergraduatedegree this spring at The Colburn School Conservatory in Los Angeles (CA), where she is a student of the legendary Jim Walker.  Martha is a former student of Helen Spielman. 

 

 

 

Front Row (L to R): Michelle Liu, Emma McCulloch, Christine Chen, Angela Deng, Moira Conley, Mary Rose Nieman, Faith Jarvis, Grace Halvorsen

 

Middle Row (L to R): Ying Qi, Emylin Wright, Alison Chang, Chloe Deshusses, Christy VanNostrand, Erin Morrow, Paige Breen, Ayla Goktan, Jessica Stallings

 

Back Row (L to R): Yusheng Zhang, Jake Beerel, Gianna Buccellato, Wendy Martin, Rachel Arnold, Nicole Frazee, Koya Osada, Will Mercer, Angelica Door
(Not pictured: Shengmei Yin, Kay Welser, Brandon Allen, Audrey Chang)

 

 

At the November 13th Contest Winners' Recital,Yusheng Zhang received the 3rd Annual Anusha Vasudeva Memorial Award.  Established by RAFA and Anusha's family after the young flutist's death in April 2007, the award keeps alive Anusha's dreams and love of music. Anusha was a 2006 RAFA Contest winner in division three.

 

--Written by Helen Spielman

 

(Editor's note:  Amy Porter was the featured guest artist at RAFA's 21st Annual Flute Fair on November 14, 2009.)

 

 

Her late afternoon recital was nothing less than extraordinary.  Amy's playing was brilliant, incorporating technical wizardry, magnificent phrasing, a huge, warm tone, and a varied, interesting program.  She performed her own arrangement of Godard's Six Songs, which were charming and accessible.  Of great interest was the world premiere of  Undercurrents by David Sampson, written for Amy.  
 

 

 

 

This is a fantastic new contemporary piece for our repertoire, absolutely exciting and interesting.  Mr. Sampson came to Raleigh to hear the premiere of his piece.  Other pieces on the program were the Telemann Fantasia D minor, Borne Carmen Fantaisie, Karg-Elert Sinfonische Kanzone, and Caliendo Sonata #3, which had also been written for Amy.  This was a massive program for a flutist to play after teaching a masterclass all morning and a class on competitions in the afternoon.

 

 

 

 

Guest artist Amy Porter (left) guides ECU grad student

Tunisia Bullock during the Flute Fair masterclass

 

 

 

 

I had to miss the masterclass, sadly, but I heard people raving about it.  The class on competitions was based on Amy's experience of doing 25 competitions between the ages of nine and thirty-five.  She had so many useful things to share, as well as some amazing stories about her own winning experiences.
 

Amy Porter has the whole performance package: masterful playing of the highest elite caliber, powerful stage presence, communication with the pianist (Nancy Whelan in this case, who was, as always, phenomenal) and with the audience, and that magical ability to transcend the music and carry us all beyond.

 

As the college flute professor I was sitting beside said, "I am a better flutist and person just for having been present here today."

 

 

 

 

Anna Ludwig Wilson (right) coaches Angela Deng

in the middle school All-District workshop.