Melissa Lotspeich
Selections from Melissa (click to listen):
Ian Clarke: The Great Train Race
J S Bach: Partita in A minor, movement III: Sarabande
Lowell Liebermann: Sonata Op. 23, movement II: Presto energico
melissa.lotspeich@gmail.com Dramart World Flute Tour Representative
Biography: Admired for her unique sound, fast articulation and fluid technique, flutist Melissa Lotspeich is celebrated for her multi dimensional career of performance and pedagogy. Ms. Lotspeich has been invited to play in several different orchestras and ensembles in Colorado, such as the Colorado College Summer Music Festival Orchestra, Greeley Philharmonic, Longmont Symphony, Denver Philharmonic, as well as the professional Denver Municipal Band. For the last five years, Ms. Lotspeich has been a member of Waves of Peace, a duo for flute and Japanese koto, and has performed throughout Colorado and Wyoming. These opportunities are a wonderful supplement to the ensemble demands at the University of Colorado, where she is working to finish her doctoral degree. In addition to her blossoming performance career, Ms. Lotspeich has been teaching privately for nearly twelve years. Her students enjoy frequent master classes with guest artists, group classes, and recitals. Beyond the private studio, Ms. Lotspeich has worked with several high school programs, and has been particularly dedicated to Pomona High School, where she has been on staff for the last nine years. At the various schools, Ms. Lotspeich is sought after for her pedagogic tactics in working with the flute fundamentals in a group setting, and has been hired repeatedly to give clinics.
Ms. Lotspeich is currently working towards a Doctorate of Musical Arts at the University of Colorado at Boulder, where she studies with Christina Jennings. In addition to Ms. Jennings, Ms. Lotspeich has studied with Pamela Endsley, Peter Lloyd, Michelle Stanley, Maralyn Prestia, Bonnie Graham, Elizabeth Singleton, Alexa Still, and Kenichi Ueda. Additionally, Ms. Lotspeich has played in numerous masterclasses given by flutists such as William Bennett, Trevor Wye, Leone Buyse, Ian Clarke, James Pellerite, Baroque flutist Steven Preston, and Koichi Ito.
Amongst her numerous achievements throughout her career, Ms. Lotspeich recently won the Bruce Ekstrand Memorial Competition in 2009. This prestigious competition is open to all graduate students at the University of Colorado. With the scholarship awarded from this competition, Ms. Lotspeich was able to travel to Scotland to further her studies in flute at The Scottish International Flute Summer School. During this course, Ms. Lotspeich studied privately with Ian Clarke and Wissam Boustany, and also attended classes given by Ruth Morley.