“A field of morning dew! The bird spoke to me: ‘Hey, you! Good morning! Isn’t it a beautiful world?'” —from Songs of a Wayfarer by Gustav Mahler.
Summer greetings from the Chicago Flute Club! During this season of record-breaking heat across much of the country and world, I hope you find some cooling and restful escapes accompanied by inspirational music.
In this issue we are excited to unveil our 2026–2027 season. We look forward to another year of exploring, expanding, and elevating our flute lives together!
The season ahead
Our new Program Chair, Mariana Gariazzo, has woven together an exceptional Fluting with the Stars and Forum Series. Join Tara Helen O’Connor for insights on building a meaningful musical life; discover the music of Herman Beeftink with Rama Kumaran; master the Vivaldi Piccolo Concerto in C with Peter Verhoyen; and explore extended techniques with Alberto Almarza using his extensive collection of native flutes. Our Forum Series will feature Sharon Floyd on understanding your flute and its mechanics, and Amy Likar presenting “Creative Practice, Compelling Performance.”
We are especially thrilled to introduce a new event this season: Global Flute Voices, chaired by board member Kim Fleuchaus. Inspired by a desire to celebrate non-Western flute traditions from around the world, this inaugural program will feature Lyon Leifer presenting The Indian Bansuri Flute. It promises to be a fascinating, enriching, and fun afternoon.
This edition will be our final issue of the Pipeline Quarterly in its current digital magazine format.
A new chapter for the Pipeline
Several years ago we transitioned from a printed publication to the current digital format in response to changing technology and reading habits. As we continue to evaluate how best to serve our members and make the most of our resources, we have decided to move from scheduled quarterly issues to a continuous, content-driven publishing model.
This new approach will allow us to share news, articles, resources, and opportunities with you more quickly and more frequently throughout the year. Every previous issue remains available to download from the Pipeline archive.
Dates to note
- Nov 15Kujala International Piccolo Competition — preliminary round deadline
- Jan 2027Florence Nelson Leadership in Music Grant — applications open
- Apr 11Annual Student Competition at Elmhurst University
Welcoming new board members
We are delighted to welcome several new members to the CFC Board this season. We are so lucky to have such an extraordinary group of dedicated volunteers, who bring fresh ideas, diverse talents, boundless energy, and genuine kindness to our organization. It is a privilege to serve alongside them, and together we look forward to welcoming you throughout the coming season.
If you have not already done so, be sure to renew your membership so you do not miss any of the programs, events, and opportunities ahead. We cannot wait to see you this season!
