Artist Bio
Ellen Huntington
Ellen Huntington enjoys an active career as a soloist, teacher, and orchestral and freelance musician. She is second flute with the Quad City Symphony Orchestra, and she has also performed with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra as second flute since the 2008-09 season. As a soloist, Ellen has performed at venues such as the Kennedy Center, Chicago Cultural Center, Augustana College, the University of Chicago, and the National Flute Association Convention in New York City.
Ellen joins harpist Lillian Lau as a founding member of the Lyrebird Ensemble, a flute and harp duo based in Chicago devoted to performing works composed exclusively for flute and harp. Their lecture-recital, "The Golden Age of the Flute and Harp Duo," was featured as part of the American Harp Society's National Conference in Tacoma, Washington in July of 2010. The duo has also performed at the Wisconsin Flute Festival, the inaugural concert of the Quad Cities' AHS chapter, and the Noontime Concert Series at Chicago's Fourth Presbyterian Church. Their repertoire ranges from eighteenth century to modern works.
Ellen is on the faculty of North Park University and also maintains a full teaching schedule throughout the Chicago suburbs. She is also on the faculty of the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Flute Camp, the Annual Summer Flute Retreat at Illinois Valley Community College, and the Midwest Young Artists Flute Workshop.
Ellen is a recipient of the Union League Civic and Arts Foundation Scholarship, the Farwell Award from the Musicians Club of Women in Chicago and the Sigma Alpha Iota Graduate Performance Award. She was the second place winner of the 2005 Chicago Flute Club Young Artist Competition. Other awards include first place in the Richmond (VA) Flute Fest Competition and North Shore MacDowell Society Flute Competition. In 1998 she was a semi-finalist in the National Flute Talk Competition and was selected to compete in the 2007 National Flute Association Young Artist Competition.
As the recipient of a Fulbright Grant, Ellen Huntington spent the 1999-2000 academic year studying with Jean-Claude Gérard at the Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst in Stuttgart, Germany. While in Germany she was invited to perform as soloist for the Fulbright Commission’s Berlin Seminar.
Ellen received her Bachelor of Music degree Magna Cum Laude from Northwestern University where she studied with Walfrid Kujala and Richard Graef and was chosen to perform the Hanson Serenade with the Northwestern University Chamber Orchestra. She was then awarded a University Fellowship to pursue her Master of Music degree with Katherine Borst Jones at The Ohio State University. A winner of the Concerto Competition, Ellen performed the Mozart Concerto in D Major with the Ohio State University Symphony Orchestra. She received the Doctor of Music degree at Northwestern University in 2010 with her dissertation entitled, 'The Flute and Harp Duo in the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries.' A winner of the 2008 Northwestern University Concerto Competition, Ellen performed the Romberg Concerto with the NU Chamber Orchestra in May 2009.
In addition to performing and teaching, Ellen serves as Treasurer of the Chicago Flute Club.
Artist Interview
Ellen Huntington
We had the opportunity to ask Ellen a few questions. Click on the link to hear her experience as a Fulbright scholar in Germany, studying with Walfrid Kujala for her Doctoral degree as well as advice for flutists entering the orchestral career path.
1. Lyrebird Ensemble, the flute and harp duo you founded with Lillian Lau, recently finished a recording session for a new CD release. What was this process like? What might we find on the CD and when will it be available?
One of our main objectives for the Lyrebird Ensemble is to perform works specifically written for the combination of flute and harp (as opposed to transcriptions), and we are particularly interested in performing pieces that are not among the most commonly performed works for the a flute and harp duo. We play a wide range of repertoire from the very late eighteenth century through present day. Our new CD, Taking Flight, features works from 1892-2002, including some very charming, little-known works from the beginning of this time span by Clemence de Grandval, Herman Bemberg and Zdenek Folprecht, as well as some more contemporary works that are quickly gaining popularity by Charles Rochester Young and Garreth Farr. The CD is scheduled for release in October 2010.
We recorded the CD in a studio at Chicago’s classical music radio station, WFMT, over the course of two evenings. After our first few takes we were able to listen and have the recording engineer make adjustments to microphone placement so that we were satisfied with the balance and the sounds of both instruments. We generally played one to two complete takes of an entire piece or movement, regardless of any mishaps which might have occurred, and then we had a chance to put down clean takes of any excerpts of the piece that we or the producer thought we might need in editing. We are currently in the editing process, which, though tedious, is really eye-opening in learning what can truly be done in terms of editing and mastering commercial CDs.
2. As a recipient of a Fulbright Grant, you spent a year studying with Jean-Claude Gérard at the Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst in Stuttgart, Germany. What was your experience like?
I was very lucky to be placed in Jean-Claude Gérard’s studio in Stuttgart for my Fulbright year. This studio was my first choice (I believe I had to give three choices for potential study), only due to a recommendation I received from a Polish flutist while I was attending a language course in Bayreuth the previous summer. I had no idea what to expect in terms of a studio or teaching style, nor did I even know when lessons started until my second day in Stuttgart, when I made my first trip to the Hochschule, located the flute studio, and happened to run into Gérard in the hallway. I introduced myself, asked him when lessons began, and he said I could play that afternoon! Yikes – my flute was a half-hour away and I’d been attending a language course for four weeks and was a bit out of shape. When I returned to the studio that afternoon I discovered that lessons were Paris Conservatory-style – lessons were open to the entire studio. We signed up to play on either a morning or afternoon session during one of the two lesson days that week, and you played until he was ready to go on to the next student. Some lessons were shorter than others! Though stressful at first, this format really ensured I made significant progress between each lesson and gave me great motivation to fix any weaknesses that were addressed in front of the class. We worked on tone with his long tone study, and technique (as well as tone) with Taffanel and Gaubert, as well as the Moyse Daily Exercises. Through my studies with Gérard, I really developed the awareness to listen critically and hear all the nuances of my playing, rather than more passively hearing the music that I was playing. The highlight of the year for me, besides having the opportunity to travel and experience many different areas in Europe, was being part of a studio with such amazing flutists. Many were preparing for (and successful in) the various rounds of international competitions, and the opportunity to observe all students’ lessons was so valuable.
3. Recently, you completed the Doctor of Music Degree at Northwestern University. What are some of your fondest moments studying with Walfrid Kujala?
I studied with Walfrid Kujala as both a doctoral student and an undergraduate at Northwestern. As a freshman I recall working diligently on Kujala’s technique book, Vade Mecum, employing all his fingering suggestions that I continue to use today, and learning to meet his high expectations for superior rhythmic integrity. As a doctoral student I was focused on repertoire, working on a new solo piece almost every week. In my experience, Mr. Kujala has such a gentle demeanor that his students tend to work hard not only for their own personal advancement, but also because we would never want to disappoint our teacher by not being prepared for a lesson or performance. Northwestern’s flute studio is a very supportive environment, and I enjoyed having the opportunity to return as a graduate student.
I am also grateful that all of my lessons with Mr. Kujala, both undergraduate and doctoral, are preserved on cassette tapes and CDs that I have labeled. When I need to have one of Kujala’s invaluable lessons on certain orchestral excerpts, all I need to do is turn to this wonderful collection and listen to his expertise.
4. As a seasoned orchestral musician, having performed with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, what advice do you have for flutists who are interested in following this path?
It is important to take several auditions to get used to the experience, and to play for colleagues and teachers to try to replicate any pressure you may feel during an audition. Of course, it goes without saying that you need to go into each audition with all excerpts completely prepared. When actually playing with an orchestra, especially within the section, use your ears and be flexible. Be agreeable and open to suggestions. The second flute needs to defer to the principal in matters of dynamics, pitch, articulation, tone color and vibrato; it is extremely important to match and blend into the section.
5. How did you come to choose Miyazawa as your flute of choice?
I had been searching for a new flute for several years and was originally attracted to Miyazawa because of the quality and the ability to buy the exact flute I was trying out. I already owned a high-quality flute, but I was not getting the sound I wanted; since this purchase was such a big investment, I did not want to risk placing an order for a flute and then being stuck with something that was not just what I wanted. During this search process I kept returning to Miyazawa, but it took a while for me to decide exactly what I wanted and to find the flute with the correct configuration for me. I was very excited when the “right flute” arrived from Japan for me to try, which is the flute that I ended up buying. I’ve really enjoyed exploring all the possibilities that my new flute provides, and I’ve had a great experience working with the extremely helpful Miyazawa staff in Coralville!
6. If you had one piece of advice to give for an upcoming flutist, what would you tell them?
If you are just getting started, take advantage of every opportunity that comes your way. Always be prepared, and, of course, practice!