Flute Master Class with Emi Ferguson

Emi Ferguson is on a mission to shake up classical music. Whether playing modern or historical flutes, singing, composing, or speaking about music, she brings centuries of music to life with an adventurous spirit and a fresh perspective. Her performances, ranging from Baroque masterpieces to brand-new commissions, are anything but predictable, blending historical performance with a fearless, modern edge.

A 2023 Avery Fisher Career Grant recipient, Emi Ferguson is celebrated for her dynamic artistry as a soloist, chamber musician, and collaborator. She performs with leading ensembles including AMOC*, Ruckus, the New York New Music Ensemble, the Manhattan Chamber Players, and serves as principal flute of the Handel and Haydn Society. As music director of Camerata Pacifica Baroque, she curates innovative programs that bring a fresh lens to Baroque repertoire.

Her chamber music collaborations are shaped by residencies and performances at major festivals such as Marlboro, Lucerne, Ojai, Bach Virtuosi, and June in Buffalo, experiences that have refined her instinct for musical dialogue and exploration. Emi’s performance of Amazing Grace at the 10th Anniversary 9/11 Memorial Ceremony at Ground Zero—alongside Yo-Yo Ma, Paul Simon, and James Taylor—was broadcast worldwide and is now part of the 9/11 Museum’s permanent collection.

Her genre-defying discography includes Amour Cruel, which spent four weeks on the Billboard charts, and Fly the Coop, her collaboration with Ruckus, which debuted at #1 on iTunes Classical and earned high praise from The New York Times. She has appeared at TEDx, on The Discovery Channel, Netflix’s Explained, and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, and is a host of WQXR’s Young Artists Showcase as well as co-author of Iconic Composers.

Emi made Juilliard history as the first student to earn Undergraduate and Graduate degrees with Scholastic Distinction, followed by a Graduate degree in Historical Performance as a Paul & Daisy Soros Fellow.

As an educator, she has served on the faculties of The Juilliard School, the Bach Virtuosi Festival, and the University at Buffalo, and is widely sought after for masterclasses. Born in Japan and raised in London and Boston, she now lives in New York.

Master Classes at Hoff-Barthelson are open to the public to observe free of charge.