Flute Master Class with Mindy Kaufman
Mindy Kaufman, The Edward and Priscilla Pilcher Chair, joined the New York Philharmonic as flute and solo piccolo in 1979 at the age of 22, after performing for three seasons with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra. She received a bachelor of music degree from the Eastman School of Music, where she studied with Bonita Boyd, Walfrid Kujala, and James Galway.
Kaufman has appeared as a soloist with the New York Philharmonic under the direction of former Music Directors Zubin Mehta, Kurt Masur, and Lorin Maazel. For one season she substituted as principal flute with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra.
Kaufman performs chamber music with her colleagues in the New York Philharmonic Ensembles series, and has performed at many festivals including Telluride Chamber Music, Moab Music Festival, Mt. Desert Festival of Chamber Music, Grand Teton Music Festival, Mt. Kisco Chamber Music Association, and Washington Friends of Music.
In 2019 Kaufman traveled to Havana, Cuba, to teach and perform. She returned in December 2023 to adjudicate a new competition in Cuba, Concurso Nacional de Flauta Roberto Ondina in Memoriam, founded by Cuban flutist Niurka González. Since September 2014, Kaufman has been teaching for the Shanghai Orchestra Academy, a partnership between the New York Philharmonic, Shanghai Symphony, and Shanghai Conservatory.
Solo recordings include Avner Dorman’s Piccolo Concerto with the Metropolis Ensemble, Vivaldi’s Piccolo Concerto with the New York Philharmonic from a live performance, and a solo album, French Flute Music. A sought-after commercial musician, she has performed on more than 50 film soundtracks.
Master Classes are open to the public to observe free of charge.
