Suzanne Gilchrest

Powell Artist, Suzanne Gilchrest, flutist, has performed as a soloist and chamber musician throughout the United States, Germany, Austria, Italy, and Switzerland. She has been noted for her “highly artistic standards” (Vorarlberger Nachrichten, Bregenz, Austria), her “beautiful sound” (Anzeiger der Stadt Kloten, Switzerland) and her “polished and brilliant playing” (Dolomiten Zeitung, Bolzano, Italy).

She has appeared in Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, Merkin Concert Hall, Florence Gould Hall, and Symphony Space in New York City, and has performed and given master classes at universities and concert series from California to Berlin and from Havana, Cuba, to the St. John Valley in Maine. Live radio performances include several appearances on “Around New York” on WNYC-FM, “Morning Pro Musica” on WGBH-FM in Boston, and “Live at 11” on Maine Public Radio.

Primarily a performer of chamber music, Ms. Gilchrest is a member of the award-winning flute, viola, and cello trio Eight Strings & a Whistle. The Trio has been featured at the Festival Música Contemporánea de la Habana (Havana, Cuba), the Festival of New American Music (Sacramento, California), the Spectri Sonori Series at Tulane University (New Orleans, Louisiana), the Stern Virtuoso Series at Skidmore College (Saratoga Springs, New York), and a Fine Arts PATH Residency at Southeast Missouri State University.

Performances in New York City include the premiere of Jorge Amado’s Concertino for flute, viola and cello and string orchestra with the United Nations Symphony Orchestra in Merkin Hall, concerts at the Tenri Cultural Institute, the 2014 Queens New Music Festival, Spectrum, Merkin Concert Hall, and Leonard Nimoy Thalia Theatre at Symphony Space.

Television and radio appearances include “Minding Your Business”, hosted by June Middleton (MNN TV), and Maine Public Radio’s live performance series with host Suzanne Nance.

Winner of the Artists International Special Presentation Award, Eight Strings & a Whistle performed its critically acclaimed New York Debut at Merkin Concert Hall in May 2003.

Eight Strings & a Whistle’s most recent recording, …and nothing remains the same… was released on Ravello Records in November 2021. Other recordings on Ravello Records include Albert’s Window, released in November 2015; 96 Strings and 2 Whistles, a recording of the music of Scott Brickman, featuring Eight Strings & a Whistle with pianist, Beth Levin, released in August 2016; and Douglas Anderson’s Chamber Symphonies 2, 3 & 4, released in January 2016.

The Trio can also be heard on TULPE, a recording of music by Sarah Davol and GRAMMY-nominated artist Dawn Avery (Okenti Records, January 2008) and Music in Diverse Styles (Ravello Records, December, 2024).

Ms. Gilchrest also performed for many years as a member of the Browning-Gilchrest flute and guitar Duo. A winner of the Artists International Chamber Music Award, the Duo toured regularly throughout the United States and Europe. Its recordings Serenade for flute and guitar and Duo Chant (Prospect Classics label) have received wide critical acclaim.

Strongly committed to music education, Ms. Gilchrest is proud to serve as a clinician for the Pedagogics Project initiative sponsored by Buffet Crampon. She has participated in many Arts-in-Education programs, performing concerts and giving workshops in elementary, middle and high schools throughout the eastern United States, is a former Teaching Artist for the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center and former member of the faculty of the chamber music program at the New York Youth Symphony.

Ms. Gilchrest currently teaches flute and chamber music at NYU Steinhardt. She is a Patroness Member of Sigma Alpha Iota, the international music fraternity for women. Ms. Gilchrest is a graduate of Sarah Lawrence College and holds a master’s degree in Chamber Music Performance from NYU.