Former Students
In progress…
I love reconnecting with former students and hearing what you are up to! Please say hello using this contact form.
Michael Alampi (Pre-College)
MSM Pre-College; BM & LRAM, Royal Academy of Music; MM & PSD, Mannes School of Music
At present I am adjunct faculty in flute and chamber music at Queens College Aaron Copland School of Music, an Altus Performing Artist, and freelance musician in the tri-state area with several orchestras and as a Broadway sub musician. 1st Prize Winner Yamaha Young Performing Artists.
Janet Axelrod (MM ‘87)
Janet is soon to release a multi-recording project of a fresh-genre commissioning project (stay tuned!), and is newly signed as a Yamaha Artist.
She was Solo flute and piccolo for the Radio City Music Hall Orchestra 20 years, is currently and for 25 years on dozens of Broadway Productions, Sarasota Opera 5 years, substitute flute and piccolo in New York tri-state area including New York City Opera, ASO, Orchestra of St. Lukes, New Jersey Symphony, Stamford Symphony (Orchestra Lumos), New Haven Symphony and others.
Janet has performed with Brian Wilson for Pet Sounds on Stage and toured with a variety of amazing artists from Deep Purple to Bocelli to Il Divo. She records regularly for film, video games and tv (including the Super Bowl!) and for the live NBC Upfronts. A student of World flutes, Janet performs and records on flutes from China, Ireland, African countries, South America, and more!
Janet teaches at the prestigious Trinity School in NYC, masterclasses and clinics around the US, and formerly as Professor of Flute at Kutztown University of Pennsylvania.
Kelly Catlin (MM ‘18)
BM, CSU Long Beach; MM, Manhattan School of Music; DMA, University of Georgia
Flute Faculty at the annual Flute Intensive of North Georgia (FLING!). Maintains a full private flute studio and freelance performing career in the metro-Atlanta area. Released her critically-acclaimed debut album of original electro-acoustic flute works, titled Backstory in 2021. The album is available on all streaming platforms. Received a 2021 Graduate Research Award through the Willson Center for Humanities and Arts supporting her dissertation work for “Backstory: An Album of Original Electroacoustic Flute Pieces with Performance Guide.” Composer and Co-Producer for the original NYC Off-Off Broadway show, Magic the Play. This production sold out all shows during its run in the Studio Theatre at Theatre Row in 2018. www.kellycatlin.com
Cierra Hall (BM ‘21)
BM, Manhattan School of Music; MM, University of Miami; AD, University of Miami
I have recently completed my Artist Diploma at the University of Miami. In South Florida, I teach privately and with a local outreach program. I have subbed with local groups, such as the New World Symphony, Symphonia Boca Raton, and Opera Naples. In the fall, I will pursue my Doctor of Musical Arts degree at Northwestern University, while being a regular member of the Chicago Civic Orchestra.
Chris James (BM ‘13)
Solo Piccolo, Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal
Flute/Piccolo faculty, McGill University
www.chrisjamesflute.com
Beomjae Kim (MM ‘13, AD ‘17, DMA ‘23)
Adjunct Assistant Professor at Ocean County College
Frequently performs with the New York Philharmonic, American Composers Orchestra, and the New York Pops.
Winner of Astral Artists National Auditions (2017)
Ensemble Connect Alum
www.beomjaekim.com
Min Hee Kim (PS ‘12, DMA ‘16)
BM, Korea National University of Arts; MM, Mannes College; DMA, Manhattan School of Music
Min Hee Kim finished Professional Studies and a Doctoral Musical Arts degree at Manhattan School of Music under the tutelage of Linda Chesis. She enjoys a multiple career as a soloist, chamber musician, orchestra player, and educator in Korea. She was a former Visiting Assistant Professor of Keimyung University and a lecturer of the Kyungbuk National University, Pusan National University, Gwangju University, Kangnam University, Kyungsung University, and Daegu University for Education. Ms. Kim is currently an educator of the Daegu Art Prodigy Education Center. She is a music director of Muse Ensemble, and management for Aire Ensemble. She is a director of the Cultural Center in Daegu, Daegu Music Association, Korea Flute Association, and Korea Flute Educator Association.
Joanna Lau (Pre-College)
MSM Pre-College; BA, Harvard College; MM, Carnegie Mellon School of Music (in progress)
I am currently pursuing my MM with Lorna McGhee at Carnegie Mellon. I am on trial as a finalist for Piccolo/Flute 3 in the Johnstown Symphony Orchestra, and I also regularly sub with the Canton Symphony Orchestra and the New World Symphony. I will be a Flute Fellow at Music Academy of the West this summer and have previously been a fellow at National Orchestra Institute and Round Top Festival Institute. I also maintain a small private flute studio and tutor academically (college essays, English/Writing, Math, Sciences).
Francesca Leo (MM ‘20)
BM, Bowling Green State U.; MM, Manhattan School of Music; MBA, Bowling Green State U.
Currently serving as the Manager of Governance & Donor Engagement with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra (full-time), where I manage the Board of Directors, Trustees, and all DSO Committees. I am also frequently subbing on second flute/piccolo with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, the Detroit Opera, and other ensembles in the metro Detroit area. In progress of completing my Body Mapping Licensure, where I will be able to teach the What Every Musician Needs to Know About the Body course and private Body Mapping Lessons. Currently serves as Chair of the NFA Performance Health Care Committee.
Kim Lewis (MM ‘17)
BM, Bowling Green State U.; MM, Manhattan School of Music
I have worked at the Flute Center of New York for 8 years as a full-time Resident Flutist and Senior Sales Manager. I was the winner of the 2017 Young Artist Competition for the New Jersey Flute Society, and performed Griffes Poem with the Central New Jersey Orchestra. I have frequently performed as a member of The Chelsea Symphony in NYC since 2016, and have performed twice as a soloist with the group. I am also a regular sub with the Northeastern Pennsylvania Philharmonic. I am the founding flutist of Nu, an NYC based woodwind quintet focused on performing contemporary works for woodwind quintet. In 2023, I was one of 18 flutists chosen to perform with Lizzo at the Met Gala. Outside of full time and freelance work, I maintain a private flute studio.
Pamela Vliek Martchev (BM)
MSM Pre-College; BM, Manhattan School of Music
Pam Vliek Martchev served as principal flute with the Boulder Philharmonic in Colorado for 10 seasons, and has been a guest principal flutist of the Santa Barbara Symphony, Pacific Symphony, San Diego Symphony, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Reno Chamber Orchestra, and Long Beach Opera. She is currently a Haynes Ambassador Clinician and is the flute teacher at San Diego State University, Pt. Loma Nazarene University, and University of San Diego.
Conor Nelson (BM ‘03)
BM, Manhattan School of Music; MM, Yale University; DMA, Stony Brook U.
Associate Professor of Flute at UW-Madison
Canadian flutist Conor Nelson commands an international reputation as an educator, performer, and recording artist. Conor gave his New York recital debut at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hal while a student of Linda’s at MSM. Solo engagements include concerti with the Minnesota Orchestra, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, as featured guest for over a dozen flute associations, and at chamber music festivals across the country. Previously, to his post in Madison, he taught at Bowling Green State University and Oklahoma State University and has taught master classes at over 150 colleges and universities. He has recorded for the Albany, paladino music (Vienna), Toccata Classics (London), Blue Griffin Recordings, and New Focus (NYC). An album on the Centaur label focusing on the music of Takemitsu will be released soon. Performing regularly at the Kennedy Center, he is currently the Principal Flutist of the New Orchestra of Washington (D.C.). Conor is an artist for Powell Flutes.
One great honor: sending students to study with LInda at MSM over the years: Francesca Leo, Kim Lewis, and Michelle Whitmore. Gabbi Roderer and Coreisa Lee did their MM degrees with me after their undergrad at MSM.
Phoebe Robertson (DMA ‘22)
BM, University of Ottawa; MM, Carnegie Mellon U.; DMA, Manhattan School of Music
I have served as Assistant Professor of Music at Arkansas Tech University since 2022. In that capacity, I have had the opportunity to perform several concerti, including David Maslanka’s Song Book for Flute and Wind Ensemble released under the Tonsehen label in 2023 and praised as “exquisite” by the WASBE Journal. My students have achieved regional honors, including as finalists of the Stella Boyle Smith Young Artist Competition. In my joint capacity as professor of flute and music history, I enjoy mentoring students in both areas, and my musicology students have earned internal and external research fellowships and been published in the UCLA MUSE Journal and Nota Bene (University of Western Ontario). I am an active clinician and performer throughout the United State and my home country of Canada.
Leo Sussman (DMA ‘24)
Leo Sussman grew up playing chamber music in living rooms and gigging with a salsa band in San Francisco. He now freelances and maintains a private studio in Ithaca, NY, where he also enjoys trail running and fiddling around with his own electroacoustic experiments. Leo has previously been on faculty at DePauw University, and completed a two-year chamber music and teaching artistry fellowship with Carnegie Hall’s Ensemble Connect. He earned bachelor’s degrees in flute and physics at Lawrence University before pursuing a master’s at Yale. Leo recently completed his doctorate at Manhattan School of Music, where he studied with Linda Chesis while researching the depiction and performance of monstrosity in instrumental music.
Lance Suzuki (MM ‘03)
BM, U. of Southern California; MM, Manhattan School of Music
Resident Artist, Chamber Music Hawai’i
President, Hawai’i Flute Society
Principal Flute & Chair of Instrumental Studies, Wintergreen Music Festival
Digital Content Creator with more than 2.5 million views worldwide
www.lancesuzuki.com
Megan Trach (BA ‘20)
BA, Barnard College of Columbia University; MM, New England Conservatory
I am currently the Reed 1 player (flute, piccolo, clarinet, alto sax, soprano sax, oboe) for the National Tour of the Broadway musical Mean Girls. I previously played Reed 1 (flute, piccolo, alto flute, clarinet) on the National Tour of Fiddler on the Roof from April of 2022 to May of 2023. During my Masters Degree at the New England Conservatory, I won NEC’s Wind Ensemble Concerto Competition on piccolo; I was also an alternate for the NFA Piccolo Artist Competition in 2022.
Yi Xiang (BM ‘16)
BM, Manhattan School of Music; MM, Rice University; DMA, Eastman School of Music
Co-Principal Flute of the China NCPA orchestra. 1st Prize winner of major competitions including: the NFA Young Artist Competition, the Myrna W. Brown Flute Competition, the Seattle Flute Association Young Artist Competition, etc. Album “Wander in Dreams” released under the label of China Record Group in 2023. Recent concerto performances with Chengdu Symphony Orchestra, Liangshan Symphony Orchestra and Eastman Symphony Orchestra. Regularly giving recitals, masterclasses and judging competitions around the world.