About Sydney

As a bold 21st century musician, Sydney pushes boundaries of classical music with her evocative playing and daring musical choices as a professional flutist and chamber musician based in New York City. As an active freelancer, she has performed with many ensembles, including Westside Chamber Players, Orchestra of St Luke’s, Doctor’s Orchestral Society of New York, Manhattan Symphonie, Manhattan School of Music Symphony Orchestra, Mannes Orchestra, Southeast Iowa Symphony Orchestra, UIUC Symphony Orchestra, and Illinois Modern Ensemble. She has performed in notable venues such as Carnegie Hall, Alice Tully Hall and David H. Koch Theater in Lincoln Center, Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, St. Paul’s Chapel, and The Dimenna Center for Classical Music. 

 

With a strong passion for chamber music, Sydney is the co-founder and current flutist of Fifth Element Winds, and has been a fellow with the Orchestra of St. Luke's for three years through their Chamber Music Mentorship program. As an advocate for new music and underrepresented composers, Sydney has premiered and recorded many new works for young composers, performed lesser known works for flute, and is an active collaborator with student composers in Manhattan, workshopping new pieces for flute and wind chamber ensembles. Sydney also teaches private flute lessons and group classes to students of all ages and skill levels, throughout the NYC area and online. 

 

Sydney is currently pursuing a Professional Performance Diploma at Manhattan School of Music, studying with Valerie Coleman. She received her B.M. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where she studied with Dr. Jonathan Keeble, and her M.M from Mannes School of Music, where she studied with Judith Mendenhall. Other notable teachers include Elizabeth Mann, Keith Underwood, John McMurtery, Ryan Roberts, and Marcia Korb. She has performed in notable masterclasses for Gergely Ittzes (Juilliard Tianjin), Nina Assimakopolous (WVU), Bonita Boyd (Eastman), Linda Toote (Boston University), and Sharon Sparrow (Detroit Symphony).