Photo by Ola Baldych
Katie Ambacher is an active freelance flutist and teaching artist in the Washington DC area and can be heard performing with various orchestras, chamber ensembles, and as a soloist. Ensembles she has performed with include: Harrisburg Symphony, Pan American Symphony Orchestra, Lancaster Symphony, Black Pearl Chamber Orchestra, Symphony in C, Ars Nova Chamber Orchestra, Concert Opera Philadelphia, and Concert Operetta Theater at the Academy of Vocal Arts. She was featured on the soundtrack to the independent documentary “Horse and Rider," and is a former founding member of Philadelphia based woodwind quintet, Federal Winds. The quintet was a recipient of a grant through Pennsylvania Partners in the Arts Project Stream in 2015. Federal Winds was able to bring the music of living Philadelphia composers to different areas of the city as a result of this grant. "Pillars in the Sea," composed for the ensemble by Adam Vidiksis, was an important part of these concerts. As a participant in the Philadelphia Fringe Festival, Katie has performed Luciano Berio's "Sequenza" and Andrea Clearfield's colorful, "Rhapsodie" for flute, violin, viola, cello, and harp. In 2015, Katie and Dave Bozenhard (guitar) premiered "Outsets" by Norman David, a piece commissioned by the duo.
A summer at the American Institute of Musical Studies provided Katie with the chance to perform various opera excerpts and orchestral repertoire in and around Graz, Austria. In addition to AIMS festival, Katie has spent several summers in Maine as part of the orchestra at the Pierre Monteux School playing both flute and piccolo for an extensive list of orchestral works. She received a full scholarship to attend Idyllwild Arts Festival in California and attended Orford Festival in Quebec, Canada, performing in masterclasses given by Robert Langevin and piccoloist Jennifer Gunn.
In addition to performing, Katie maintains a private flute studio and spent five years as a teaching artist for the El Sistema inspired program, Play On, Philly. She has been a teaching artist for the Symphony in C Youth Orchestra and their summer youth orchestra/band program, and also taught for Wolf Trap's early childhood education program. Currently, she is a private flute instructor at Bullis School and Holton-Arms School.
Katie has performed for various flutists, including: Jeffrey Khaner, Keith Underwood, Carolyn Christie, Jeanne Baxtresser, and Robert Langevin. Previous teachers include Timothy Hutchins (McGill University), David DiGiacobbe (The College of New Jersey), and Ronna Ayscue.
A summer at the American Institute of Musical Studies provided Katie with the chance to perform various opera excerpts and orchestral repertoire in and around Graz, Austria. In addition to AIMS festival, Katie has spent several summers in Maine as part of the orchestra at the Pierre Monteux School playing both flute and piccolo for an extensive list of orchestral works. She received a full scholarship to attend Idyllwild Arts Festival in California and attended Orford Festival in Quebec, Canada, performing in masterclasses given by Robert Langevin and piccoloist Jennifer Gunn.
In addition to performing, Katie maintains a private flute studio and spent five years as a teaching artist for the El Sistema inspired program, Play On, Philly. She has been a teaching artist for the Symphony in C Youth Orchestra and their summer youth orchestra/band program, and also taught for Wolf Trap's early childhood education program. Currently, she is a private flute instructor at Bullis School and Holton-Arms School.
Katie has performed for various flutists, including: Jeffrey Khaner, Keith Underwood, Carolyn Christie, Jeanne Baxtresser, and Robert Langevin. Previous teachers include Timothy Hutchins (McGill University), David DiGiacobbe (The College of New Jersey), and Ronna Ayscue.