Faculty
![]() Emma Shubin
Flute, Dalcroze Eurhythmics Flutist, Dalcroze Eurhythmics instructor, and Suzuki educator, Emma Shubin has been joyfully making music since the age of six. She is a graduate of Interlochen Arts Academy where she studied music, creative writing, and photography. A proponent of integrative education, Emma is the co-founder and director of the Colorado-based non-profit Integral Steps, which strives to bring integrative education and balanced development to individuals, families, and communities through music, movement, psychotherapy, ecology, and creative arts. Emma received her MM in flute performance under the tutelage of Marco Granados (flute) and her Licensure and Certificate in Dalcroze with master Dalcroze pedagog Lisa Parker. Her teachers include legendary flutist Robert Willoughby, and she completed her BM in flute performance as a student of Christina Jennings at CU Boulder. Emma received her BA in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology in 2012, and continues to be active in research around mammals and the effects of climate change on the Rocky Mountain Region. She travels nationally and internationally making music in both classical and improvised genres, and is currently touring as the flutist and serving as the co-director of the Musical Arts Program with the Sounds of Lyons in Lyons, CO (SOL MAP) and Arts Evolution and BenFeng Music Festival throughout Taiwan. She has appeared as a Teaching Artist and Dalcroze clinician at the Metropolitan State College of Denver, the Desert Suzuki Institute (Las Vegas, NV), Cantabile Singers of Boulder, Boulder Valley School District, and Suzuki string institutes throughout the Denver-metro area, as well as the Lesley Ellis School (Arlington, MA). She is proud to be part of the Wm.S Haynes flute family as a Haynes Ambassador Clinician and plays a heavy wall 5% gold Custom Wm.S. Haynes Flute. Learn More |
![]() Roderick Seed
Flute Roderick Seed is a British flute player who graduated from the Royal Academy of Music, London in 2009. He won the "Paddy Purcell Award" - an Entrance Scholarship - to study with William Bennett, OBE. He went on to study with Lorna McGhee, the principal flute of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. Roderick is an Altus Flutes artist and plays exclusively on Altus flutes. In September 2010 Roderick was a First Prize Winner of the Alexander & Buono International Flute Competition (New York) and in October he performed at the Weill Recital Hall, Carnegie Hall. He is the author of "Mastering the Flute with William Bennett", published by Indiana University Press. This is a book of exercises based on the teaching of William Bennett. Roderick is offering his book "Mastering the Flute with William Bennett" for a special discount - enter "Integral10" at checkout - not only will you receive a 10% discount, but he will donate $1 per book to Integral Steps' scholarship fund. Click here for your copy! Roderick has given recitals and concerts around the world and played in orchestras conducted by inspiring artists such as Yan-Pascal Tortelier, Leif Segerstam, Bramwell Tovey, Lahav Shani, Andrew Litton, David Danzmayr, and Jun Märkl. Roderick is an active teacher. He was Teaching Assistant at the William Bennett International Flute Summer School in 2009 and 2010. He has also given masterclasses at the Lizst Academy in Budapest, Hungary and for the Royal Muscat Philharmonic Orchestra in Oman. He runs his own flute retreat every year in Sussex, UK and is a founding faculty member of The Integrated Flutist in Vancouver. Learn More |
![]() Paul Hung
Flute Born in Taiwan, Paul Hung entered the Langley Fine Arts School at the age of 13 and made his first concerto debut at the age of 16 at the Whistler Music Festival. He was then featured several times as the winner of the Vancouver Kiwanis competition and awarded the Tom Lee Music scholarship for Excellence in Music Performance. He was a recipient of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation’s “Galaxie Rising Stars Award” and placed Second in National Music Competitions 2008. Paul performed with the Vancouver Youth Orchestra as a result of attaining first place in the concerto competition in 2009. Soon after, he performed as a soloist with the Abbotsford Symphony and New Westminster Symphony. In May of 2011, Paul won a spot in the YouTube Symphony and performed with 100 other musicians around the world at the Sydney Opera House. As an active soloist and chamber musician, Paul performed in music festivals such as the Banff music festival, Domaine Forget, MusicFest Canada, Performing Arts BC, Vancouver Kiwanis Music Festival, Music on Main, New Music Festival Vancouver, Sonic Boom Festival, VSO New Music Festival, Talis Chamber Music Festival, Redshift Music Society, Health Arts Society and so on. Paul is also the founder of Vancouver based ensembles - Fireside Quintet and Elysian Trio. Paul plays frequently as a substitute flute/piccoloist with Vancouver Symphony, Okanagan Symphony and Kamloops Symphony. He was the substitute principal flute at Vancouver Island Symphony and Okanagan Symphony. In 2015 to 2016 season, he serves as the acting principal flute at Prince George Symphony. In 2018, Paul was the featured soloist with the UBC Symphonic Wind Ensemble performing Joel Puckett's Shadow of Sirius at the Chan Center for the Performing Arts. Paul was a student of Lorna McGhee, the principal flutist of Pittsburgh Symphony. He has also studied under Brenda Fedoruk, and then Christie Reside during his Master's degree at UBC School of Music. He is currently a faculty of Vancouver Academy of Music. Learn More |
![]() Dr Gabriella Minnes Brandes
Alexander Technique Gabriella Minnes Brandes has been working extensively with performers for over 30 years. Much of Gaby's current work and research focuses on exploring the connections between Alexander Technique and creativity for performers. In particular she is seeking ways to work with performers on creating bridges between the “practice room” and the “stage”. Informed by her Ph.D. and research in education, she is also exploring the connections between learning, collaboration, and performance. Gaby teaches in the Theatre department at Capilano University, Young Artists Program at the Vancouver Opera, and at the Pender Island Flute Retreat. Member of CANSTAT, STAT and AmSAT and ATI owner of the Alexander Technique Centre in Vancouver, Gaby has shared her work in many conferences and Alexander teacher training courses nationally and internationally. Learn More ![]() Alex Conway
Flute Alex Conway joined the WSO playing second flute and piccolo in September of 2018. Previously she played third flute and piccolo with the Bangor (Maine) Symphony Orchestra. While studying in Boston she has also had the pleasure of playing as a substitute with the Boston Pops and Pops Esplanade Orchestras, and Boston Lyric Opera as well as the Atlantic Symphony, Cape Cod Symphony, East Coast Scoring, Tanglewood Music Center, Orlando Symphony, and Chicago Civic Orchestra among others. She was selected as a finalist in the 33rd and 34th annual James Pappoutsakis Flute Competition, winning the Bill Grass Memorial Prize in 2014. Alex was also awarded Honorable Mention in the Alexander & Buono International Flute Competition. Alex has participated in many music festivals including, Aspen, Kent/Blossom, Bowdoin, Domaine Forget, and the International Festival in Nice, France. As Co-Founder and Executive Director of New England Chamber Players, she dedicates herself to bringing classical chamber music out into New England communities and fostering an appreciation for classical chamber music. She has been honored to study with such esteemed performers and pedagogues as Michel Debost, Kathleen Chastain, Martha Aarons, Elizabeth Ostling, Cindy Meyers, and Linda Toote. As a dedicated teacher she worked with students from the beginning level through college and beyond in schools across the greater Boston area. Dr. Conway completed her masters and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees at Boston University where she held the graduate assistantship for woodwind chamber music. Her undergraduate study was at Oberlin Conservatory. Her dissertation on the flute music of Mieczysław Weinberg is available on ProQuest, OpenBU and Academia.edu. |