"memorable" . . . "amazing" | . . . "beautiful" . . . "mesmerizing" |
 | Mary Matthews is an innovative, young flutist who has dedicated her career and studies to presenting new and exciting chamber music concerts. Ms. Matthews is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Flute Performance at the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University. She began her formal flute studies in the Eastman Preparatory Program with Jan Angus. After graduating with distinction, she earned a Bachelor of Music degree at the Baldwin-Wallace Conservatory where she was a student of George Pope. Highlights from Baldwin-Wallace include a performance with the festival chamber orchestra at the 75th anniversary Baldwin-Wallace Bach Festival at Severance Hall and a performance of the Nielsen Flute Concerto with the Conservatory Orchestra. Ms. Matthews has won numerous competitions including the 2009 Kathryn E. MacPhail Young Artist, the 2007 Firelands Symphony Orchestra Young Artist, and the 2008 Baldwin-Wallace Concerto Competitions. She was also a finalist in the 2009 William C. Byrd Young Artist Competition. She has performed in prestigious venues such as the United States Capitol Building Performance Hall, the U.S. State Department's Dean Acheson Auditorium, Shriver Hall, and Baltimore's World Trade Center. Ms. Matthews is on faculty at the International School of Music in Bethesda, MD and holds a private studio in Baltimore. When she is not playing the flute, Mary enjoys travel, camping, and spending time with her pets. |
Melissa Wertheimer is a creative, new music enthusiast. She is a piccolo graduate student of Laurie Sokoloff at the Peabody Institute and holds a B.M. from Ithaca College, where she studied with Wendy Mehne. Ms. Wertheimer won second place in the 2009 Piccolo Artist Competition of the Flute Society of Washington, DC, and was a finalist in the 2008 Artist Competition of the South Orange Symphony (NJ). In 2007, she became the first student in the history of Ithaca College to win the Ithaca College Concerto Competition on piccolo. At Peabody, Ms. Wertheimer has performed with the Peabody Concert Orchestra, the Camerata Contemporary Ensemble, the Peabody Wind Ensemble, and the Peabody Opera Theatre. For the summer of 2009, Ms. Wertheimer played flute and piccolo in the orchestra of the College Light Opera Company in Cape Cod. Highlights from Ithaca include performing at Avery Fisher Hall with the Symphony Orchestra, of which she was principal flute; playing flute in Kulmusik, the student/faculty contemporary chamber ensemble; and touring throughout Ireland with the Wind Ensemble as principal piccolo. As a member of the Ithaca Chôro Ensemble, Ms. Wertheimer was featured on the NPR program “Crossing Borders” in October 2005. She is the flute/piccolo faculty member of the J. Friedman Music School in Baltimore and the Ark and Dove School of Music in Odenton, MD. |  |
