Baroque Flutist

A Baroque flutist, who is branching out into crossover classical music and YouTube is Michele McGovern. She has been a principle flutist and solo flutist for several respected symphony orchestras. Although she has started to embrace the new crossover classical music genre, Michele's talent as a Baroque flutist includes several awards, including the coveted Farwell Award for musical excellence. Today, her musical pallet is expanding, which can be seen in a number of her videos on YouTube.

Ms. McGovern received her bachelor and master degrees in Music Performance from the Chicago Musical College of Roosevelt University on full scholarship. As a Baroque flutist, audiences have enjoyed her performances as a soloist with orchestras, such as the Mozart's D Major Concerto, Mozart's Andante, Vivaldi's Il Gardellino Concerto, Vivaldi's La Notte Concerto, Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 for two flutes and violin (with flutist Mary Stolper and violinist Rachel Barton Pine), Lukas Foss' "For Toru" (Lukas Foss conducting) and in the McGovern/Lord orchestral arrangement of Carmen.

Her experience as a Baroque flutist afforded her the invitation to perform and record with the Saint Petersburg Camerata in Russia. Not only has Michele McGovern studied with some of the best Baroque flutist in the world, but she has also had an opportunity to learn from and work with some exceptional musicians. Her teachers and mentors included remarkable musicians, such as Jean Berkenstock (former principal Lyric Opera Orchestra), Alexander Murray (former principal London Symphony), Donald Peck (former principal Chicago Symphony), Mary Stolper (principle Grant Park Symphony), and Melody Lord (revered teacher, accompanist, and arranger).

When Michele was graduating as a Baroque flutist, it was Melody Lord, who encouraged her to pursue a career in music. In later years, they would establish an ongoing work relationship consisting of a variety of compositions and arrangements. They worked together for 12 years. The highlight of their teamwork included a performance at Carnegie Hall at the Weil recital hall where they performed all 6 of their arrangements for Carmen. The two women also worked on an arrangement of Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata for piano and flute. It wasn't until after the untimely death of Melody Lord that Michele began her foray into the world of YouTube with a tribute video that utilized their arrangement of Moonlight Sonata. Ms. McGovern produced, wrote, and starred in this award-winning video, which was dedicated to her mentor's memory.

The overwhelming success of Moonlight was the beginning of a new direction for this Baroque flutist. Her videos now include a mix of crossover classical music with original compositions, as well as arrangements by other artists. The talent of Michele McGovern is truly extraordinary. Her original compositions incorporate a new vision of what the flute can do with a mix of jazz, rock, and even Latin rhythms. In addition, Michele continues to impress audiences with her remarkable writing, directing, and acting abilities. Her latest venture, Lady Vadula, is a bit closer to her Baroque flutist roots, but like all of her work to date it is unique. The sneak peek of this live performance was a huge success, and we anxiously wait for what comes next.