We are proud to present, alongside POWELL FLUTES, a special Masterclass and Recital featuring the Principal Flute of the Kansas City Symphony Orchestra, Michael Gordon. There will be a limit of only 6 Masterclass Performers, so be sure to register soon! Each performer will receive a 40 minute masterclass with Michael, and there are also tickets available for listeners. At the end of the day, Michael will perform a recital featuring a selection of beautiful pieces by Enesco, Telemann, CPE Bach, Hindemith and Pineda.
ABOUT MICHAEL GORDON
Michael Gordon joined the Kansas City Symphony as principal flute in 2007. Since that time, he has worked actively throughout the region to promote the importance of music. In 2015 he became a member of the board of directors of the Northeast Community Center, an historic cultural center in one of Kansas City’s most diverse neighborhoods. There he continues to work alongside other passionate activists and artists to develop a music program for underprivileged children called Harmony Project KC. He has also collaborated with Arts in Prison to produce a series of chamber music concerts for inmates at Lansing prison In Lansing, KS. In 2017 he was recognized for this work with the League of American Orchestras Ford Award. He also serves as a board member for Youth Symphony KC.
Michael is an experienced educator in addition to being a strong advocate for music. In 2019, and 2020 he served on the faculty of Youth Music Culture Guangdong alongside Yo-Yo Ma, Michael Stern, and other luminaries from around the globe. This festival, held in Guangzhou, China, sought to create an innovative environment for creativity and cultural exchange. From 2017-2018 he served as interim flute instructor at the University of Kansas, and from 2020-2021 at the University of Missouri at Kansas City. Most recently, Michael has been a co-host and co-creator of the podcast, Beethoven Walks into a Bar.
Before moving to Kansas City, Michael was a member of the New World Symphony where he also performed as a soloist in 2007. He has performed with several orchestras across the United States including the St. Louis Symphony, the Minnesota Orchestra, and the Oregon Symphony. He has performed as both an orchestral and chamber musician at numerous festivals including Tanglewood, the Aspen Music Festival, Arizona Music Fest, and most recently with Kansas City's own Summerfest.
Michael is a native of Glocester, Rhode Island, and spent his formative years studying flute with Marianne Gedigian (current professor of flute at the University of Texas, Austin), and playing in youth orchestra and chamber music at the New England Conservatory. In 2004, he earned both his bachelor's and master's degrees from Rice University where he studied with Leone Buyse.
Michael performs on a 14k gold flute made by Verne Q. Powell Flutes in 2001.