Artist Bio
Abi Coffer (USA)
Like most seven-year-old girls, Abi Coffer enjoyed playing dress up. Performing in a ‘long black dress’ was Abi’s inspiration to begin playing the flute. Now, after many years of performing in formal attire, she values music in her life and enjoys all aspects of music making.
Abi performed one year with the Wisconsin Youth Orchestra, then moved to Nashville and joined the Blair School of Music’s Pre-College Program. Through this organization, she participated with the Curb Youth Symphony as principal flute and piccolo player for three years. Abi won their concerto competition and performed as soloist with the CYS. Soon after, she competed and received Grand Champion of the Curb Records Young Musicians Concerto Competition in 2005. The Nashville Symphony featured and accompanied her as she performed Frank Martin’s Ballade. In 2005, Abi also placed first in the Mid-South Flute Festival HS Competition, as well as the MTSU Flute Festival HS Solo Competition. In the spring of 2006, she received grand prize in the Austin Peay State University Young Artist Competition. That summer, Abi was nationally recognized when she won first place in the NFA’s High School Soloist Competition in Pittsburgh. There, she was also honored with the NFA’s Best Performance of Newly Commissioned Work, Time’s Graffiti; Lucky Calligraphy, by Lydia Ayers, in addition to the Geoffrey Gilbert Scholarship.
Since then, Abi has won national and international competitions, including Mid-South Flute Festival’s Young Artist Competition (2010), BachFest (2009), the Flute Society of Kentucky Young Artist Competition (2009), the Collegiate Artist Competition (2008), Florida Flute Association Young Artist Competition Finalist (2008), and MTNA’s State Collegiate Wind Division (2007).
Ms. Coffer was recently featured as a guest artist at the Mid-South Flute Institute. Additionally, she has given presentations on the following topics: the history of the flute, beatboxing and extended technique, how to prepare for college auditions, and the influence of poetry in music.
When Abi is not competing or teaching, she loves to perform. During the past school year, she was principal flutist of the symphony orchestra, section leader of the wind ensemble, and founder and director of the Silver Sounds Flute Quintet, which debuted their first recording in March of 2010. A member and co-founder of the LAR Trio (consisting of flute, clarinet, and French horn), she enjoys searching for and arranging music for this instrumentation. This August, the LAR Trio will be premiering a composition written specifically for them.
Abi has had the privilege to study with outstanding flute teachers including Dr. Deanna Little (Professor of Flute at Middle Tennessee State University), Norma Rogers (Nashville Symphony), Dr. Tadeu Coelho (Professor of Flute at North Carolina School of the Arts), and Diane Craig (founder of the Nashville Chamber Players). She has performed in masterclasses taught by William Bennett, Mary Karen Clardy, Ian Clarke, Michel Debost, Jill Felber, Brad Garner, Barry Green, Jonathan Keeble, Katherine Kemler, Walfrid Kujala, Goran Marcusson, Susan Milan, Jim Walker, and Ransom Wilson.
Abi is currently pursuing her M.M. at the University of Northern Iowa studying under Dr. Angeleita Floyd. She also enjoys teaching and currently holds a private studio of 10 flute students.