FLUTE MASTERCLASS WITH DEMARRE MCGILL

SATURDAY, MARCH 8, 2025 FROM 10-11:30AM

FREE WITH DONATIONS ACCEPTED AT THE DOOR

St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church, 405 King Street

As part of CMC’s Youth Chamber Music Initiative, we are pleased to present a masterclass with flutist Demarre McGill. 

PARTICIPATING FLUTISTS

Allyson Cross is a senior at Charleston Southern University, where she is majoring in Psychology and minoring in Spanish. An active member of CSU’s wind ensemble and flute choir, Allyson is passionate about her flute playing and enjoys exploring diverse musical opportunities alongside her academic pursuits.

Allyson will play Paul Wetzger’s “By the Forrest Brook, Op. 33”

Keilie Perry is a flute student of Dr. Regina Helcher Yost and a recent graduate of Charleston Southern University, where she participated in many of the university’s ensembles (often doubling on flute and piccolo). She has been previously selected to perform with the National Flute Association’s Collegiate Flute Choir in the annual NFA convention performance in 2023 in Phoenix, AZ and has performed with the South Carolina Intercollegiate band in years 2023, 2024, and 2025. 

Keilie will play Adolphus Hailstork’s “Yuhwa”

Judith Suttle is a dedicated flutist in the tenth grade at Charleston County School of the Arts, where she is a member of the Band program under the direction of Dustin King. She began playing the flute in 7th grade and has since been honing her skills through private lessons with Dr. Regina Helcher Yost. Judith has been selected for the SCBDA Region Band at the clinic level for the past two years and has also participated in the prestigious University of South Carolina Honor Band Clinic. Passionate about music, Judith continues to seek opportunities to perform and broaden her artistic growth.

Judith will play the first movement of Jules Mouquet’s “Le Flute de Pan, Op. 15”

Madison Fletcher is in the eleventh grade at the Charleston County where she is a member of the Band program under the direction of Dustin King.  She is also part to CMC TWO, one of Chamber Music Charleston’s education initiatives.  Madison won the 2024 Charleston Symphony Youth Orchestra Concerto Competition and recently participated in the SC Band Director’s Association Masters Recital. 

Madison Fletcher will play selections from Cecile Chaminade’s Concertino

 

This project is funded in part by the South Carolina Arts Commission which receives support from the National Endowment for the Arts.

 

 

 

Demarre McGill has gained international recognition as one of the premier flutists of his generation, celebrated for his lyrical expressiveness and technical prowess. Winner of the prestigious Avery Fisher Career Grant and the Sphinx Medal of Excellence, McGill has appeared as a soloist with renowned orchestras including the Philadelphia Orchestra, and the San Francisco, Seattle, Pittsburgh, Dallas, Grant Park, San Diego, Chicago, and Baltimore Symphony Orchestras. His captivating performances have earned him critical acclaim and a distinguished place in the world of classical music.
Currently serving as the principal flute of the Seattle Symphony, McGill has previously held principal flute positions with the Dallas Symphony, San Diego Symphony, Florida Orchestra, and Santa Fe Opera Orchestra. He has also served as acting principal flute with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra.
As an educator, Demarre McGill is committed to inspiring and nurturing the next generation of musicians. He has coached and presented master classes in South Africa, South Korea, Japan, Quebec, and throughout the United States. He has served on the faculties of the National Youth Orchestra of the United States, the National Orchestral Institute at the University of Maryland, the Orford Music Festival, Summerfest at the Curtis Institute of Music, Sarasota Music Festival, and the Stellenbosch International Chamber Music Festival in South Africa. Additionally, McGill spent seven years as the Associate Professor of Flute at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music and has been an artist-faculty member of the Aspen Music Festival and School since 2017.
Demarre McGill is also a founding member of the Myriad Trio and a former member of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center’s Bowers Program. He is the co-founder of the Art of Élan and is a regular participant in prestigious chamber music festivals such as Santa Fe, Marlboro, Seattle, and Stellenbosch. In 2014, McGill co-founded the McGill/McHale Trio with his brother clarinetist Anthony McGill and pianist Michael McHale. Their debut CD, “Portraits,” released in August 2017, has received rave reviews, as has “Winged Creatures,” his recording with Anthony McGill and the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra.
 
A champion for accessibility and relevance in classical music, Demarre McGill actively promotes the works of underrepresented composers and engages in projects that highlight diverse cultural perspectives. His media credits include appearances on PBS’s Live from Lincoln Center, A&E Network’s The Gifted Ones, NBC’s Today Show, NBC Nightly News, and, along with his brother Anthony, on Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood.
Born in Chicago, Demarre McGill began studying the flute at age 7 and attended the Merit School of Music. In the years that followed, he studied with Susan Levitin. Demarre received his Bachelor’s degree from The Curtis Institute of Music and a Master’s degree from The Juilliard School. Demarre McGill is a Yamaha Performing Artist.