Ali Ryerson

Ali Ryerson, who ranks among today’s top jazz flutists, grew up in a musical family. Her father, jazz guitarist Art Ryerson, played with the Paul Whiteman Orchestra, then became a top studio player in NYC. Ali has become an internationally renowned touring & recording artist and educator. Former NFA Jazz Chair, current Low Flutes Chair, founder of NFA Jazz Flute Big Band, Ryerson is Flute Professor at Sacred Heart University, and conducts master classes worldwide. Ryerson, a Hartt School of Music graduate, studied with Harold Bennett and John Wion, and is a Gemeinhardt Artist with an Autograph Series of flutes.

Sponsored by Gemeinhardt

Photo credit: Dennis Guillaume for Gemeinhardt

Matthias Ziegler

Matthias’s performances take place in a vast range of contexts:  he plays principal flute with the Zurich Chamber Orchestra, has toured with the percussionist Pierre Favre and performed with the pianist George Gruntz as well as with the American contrabass player Mark Dresser. He is also a member of the ”Collegium Novum Zurich“, where he has worked with Mauricio Kagel, Heinz Holliger and George Crumb.

Concert tours have brought him to the US, Japan, Australia, South America and Israel. Many recordings on CD document his inclusive musical interests. Matthias Ziegler currently teaches at the Zurich University of the Arts.

Sponsored by Eva Kingma

Japan Jazz Flute Big Band

JJFBB has been formed by Yuko Hoshi (flutist) since 2015 as the first jazz flute big band in Japan. They play jazz standards and Japanese traditional songs that mixes jazz. JJFBB invited Ms. Ali Ryerson and had concerts and master classes in Tokyo in 2016.

Chris Potter

Dr. Christine Potter has performed in London, Paris, Mexico City, Toronto, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Seattle, Washington D.C., and other U.S. cities. Chris has performed at many conventions of the National Flute Association (NFA) as well as British Flute Society conventions. She was the first of Chair of the NFA’s Low Flutes Committee and started the NFA’s Alto Flute Competition in 2019. Chris has commissioned and premiered many works for alto and bass and her CD Flute Menagerie features solo works for alto and bass.

Chris organized the first International Low Flutes Festival in 2018 near Washington D.C. that was attended by people from around the world. She has organized Alto and Bass Flute Retreats annually in the U.S. since 2004 with multiple Retreats each year around the US or online. Beginning in 2013, she organized and conducted a low flutes choir at the Galway Festival in Switzerland.

Chris has many published books through Falls House Press/Presser (U.S.) and British publisher Kevin Mayhew. Her Stellar Solos, Winter Duets, Alto Flute Method, Bass Flute Method and Christmas Duets are available through Amazon world-wide. Her website is chrispotterflute.com.