Austin Area Flute Instructors

Kathleen Bondurant
Areas served: Austin and online
Age Groups: Elementary, Middle School, High School, College, Adults
Double Ph.D. in Performance and Academic Music from New York University. One of the first group of six flutists to receive a Ph.D. in Performance in the United States. Major teachers were Julius Baker, Jean Pierre Rampal, Gerardo Levy, James Galway and Paul Boyer. London Associated Board of Schools of Music Outstanding Coach. Seventeen years as university professor.

Seetha Shivaswamy
Areas served: Central & East Austin (Mueller area)
Age Groups: Middle School, High School, College, Adults
Seetha has over 20 years teaching experience in flute and chamber music. She holds a Master’s Degree in Flute Performance from the University of Texas at Austin and is a 500-hour Certified Yoga Teacher from her studies with Rodney Yee & Colleen Saidman of NYC. She intertwines her knowledge of music, breath, & posture throughout her challenging, yet kind approach to flute teaching. Her teaching philosophy is ‘one size does not fit all’ and each lesson is uniquely personalized to each student’s goals. She enjoys teaching all ages and levels.

Dr. Rebecca Poole
Areas served: Cedar Park, Round Rock, Leander Areas
Age Groups: Middle School, High School, College, Adults
Rebecca Poole is an active freelance flutist and music educator. She teaches private lessons, masterclasses and workshops, and directs several flute ensembles, including the Austin Youth Flute Choir. On the private lesson faculty at Westwood High School and at Walsh Middle School in Round Rock ISD, Rebecca also maintains a thriving private home and online studio. Her aim is to help students discover their own solutions, finding real-life strategies to break down any challenge into manageable pieces. As a result, Rebecca has also developed performance clinics to help young musicians prepare for and achieve positive audition experiences. Ms. Poole holds a DMA and a master’s degree from the University of Houston, and a bachelor’s degree from Stephen F. Austin State University.

Dr. Julie Koidin
Areas served: Austin ISD, Hays CISD and online
Age Groups: Elementary, Middle School, High School, College, Adults
Originally from Chicago, Dr. Julie Koidin teaches for the Austin and Hays ISDs. Her past positions include those at the University of Illinois-Chicago and Loyola University Chicago. Through the U.S. State Department’s Fulbright program, she taught and performed in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Serbia, Sweden, Norway and New Zealand. Other international work includes 23 Brazilian tours and 3 German tours. Her recordings received Latin Grammy and Grammy nominations. Her doctorate and master’s in flute performance are from Northwestern University and BM from the University of Illinois. Her aim in teaching is opening doors for each student to explore music’s amazing communicative possibilities.

Ann Kjerulf Knien
Areas served: North Austin, Cedar Park, and Round Rock area
Age Groups: Elementary, Middle School, High School, College, Adults
Ann Kjerulf Knien holds a M.M. from Boston Conservatory and a B.A./B.M. from University of Washington in Flute Performance, with additional studies at El Conservatorio de Granada. She is the Adjunct Professor of Flute at Concordia University, heads the KjKn Flute Studio, and is a former Austin Flute Society President. An enthusiastic music educator, Mrs. Kjerulf Knien is passionate about teaching, leading masterclasses, and coaching chamber ensembles.

Dr. Hilary Janysek
Areas served: Austin/Pflugerville
Age Groups: Middle School, High School, College, Adults
Dr. Hilary Janysek is an active flutist and educator specializing in entrepreneurship, group creativity, and positive psychology. She currently serves as the assistant professor of flute and music history at Texas Lutheran University and the flute instructor for Lake Travis ISD. Her students have advanced to region, area, and state competitions, and have placed in local Young Artist Competitions. Dr. Janysek holds a B.M. in Music Education from Texas State University and a D.A., M.M., and Entrepreneurial Music Certificate from Ball State University. Her primary teachers include Dr. Adah Toland Jones and Dr. Mihoko Watanabe.

Sarah Jane Hargis
Areas served: Austin & surrounding areas
Age Groups: Elementary, Middle School, High School, College, Adults, Improvisation and Theory classes too!
Sarah Jane Hargis is an internationally-acclaimed performer, teacher, and composer of classical, modern, and improvisational music. She is an artist for Altus Flutes and Earthquaker Devices. Sarah Jane has been a university professor/lecturer, guest lecturer, and performer in schools and universities around the U.S. for over twenty years. Sarah Jane's adventurous spirit has brought her to take a full, rich, classical flute tone and combine it with a passionate exploration of electronic sound effects creating compositions like none other. Sarah Jane continues to keep a full teaching studio as well as performs actively around the world as a soloist and with various groups.

Thomas Horter
Areas served: Lakeway, Central Austin, Round Rock
Age Groups: Middle School, High School, Adults
Thomas Horter is an accomplished flute performer, teacher, and repair technician based in Austin, Texas. He is currently the principal flutist of the Williamson County Symphony Orchestra. Thomas is a former "Talent Grant" student of the Conservatorium van Amsterdam in the Netherlands. He has performed a variety of works ranging in style from Marin Marais to Maurizio Pisati. As a soloist, chamber, and orchestral musician, he has performed in venues all over the world from the 89.5 KMFA Draylen Mason Music Studio in Austin to the Muziekgebouw aan 't IJ in Amsterdam.

Nicholas Goodwin
Areas served: North and Central Austin
Age Groups: Middle School, High School
Nicholas Goodwin enjoys building a varied career as a professional flute performer and educator. He currently teaches private lessons in Round Rock ISD and Leander ISD, and regularly presents masterclasses and clinics in Austin-area schools. Nick has also served on faculties of Floot Fire Austin and UT’s Longhorn Music Camp. In addition to his position with the Central Texas Philharmonic, Nick frequently performs with the Austin Symphony, is a former member of the Ohio Light Opera, and has recently performed with National Broadway Tours (including The King and I, The Phantom of the Opera and The Sound of Music). Nick studied flute at the University of Hartford with Janet Arms and went on to earn a graduate degree from The University of Texas at Austin, where he studied with Marianne Gedigian.

Beth Galiger
Areas served: South and Central Austin
Age Groups: Elementary, Middle School, High School, Adults
Beth Galiger has been teaching and performing in Austin for 35 years. Her professional experience playing and performing with many bands and ensembles has been accented and complemented by her love of music, creativity, impeccable ear, and improvisational skills. Her vast experience with many genres from Jazz to Folk, Rock to Latin, Classical and Big Band spill over into her teaching style. She encourages students to explore and grow into their own confident, independent musicianship.

Alex Coke
Areas served: Allandale, Shoal Creek, Austin
Age Groups: High School, College, Adults

Jessica Melas
Areas served: Austin
Age Groups: Elementary, Middle School, High School, College, Adults
B.M. Flute Performance, CUNY Brooklyn College Conservatory of Music,
M.A. Flute Performance, Montclair State University,
Conservatorio di Milano, "G. Verdi", Milan, Italy
Private Studio Flute instructor in the Austin area, and GISD, AISD, RRISD.
Specialties in Classical and Brazilian music.
Kodaly-trained and Texas Teacher Certified.
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