Diane G. TakeLessons Instructor flute, fife Sanchez, San Francisco, CA

Diane has appeared as flute and piccolo soloist with the Siena Music Festival in Italy, the San Francisco Concerto Orchestra, L’Orchestre de Notre Dame in San Francisco and the Calabasas Chamber Orchestra in Southern California, with whom she recorded one of Vivaldi's piccolo concerti for their CD, The Baroque Concerto.

As a member of Quinteto Latino, she performs in the San Francisco Symphony’s “Adventures in Music” program presenting “the sounds of music” to all the first- and second-grade children in San Francisco. Quinteto Latino completed a residency in 2007 collaborating with Mexican composer José Luis Hurtado and will make their second appearance on Music at Kohl Mansion in 2009.

As an orchestra flutist, Diane freelances in the San Francisco Bay Area, performing with the Vallejo Symphony, Pocket Opera, Napa Valley Symphony, Golden Gate Opera, Lamplighters and others. Contemporary music performances include appearances with sfSoundGroup, the US premiere of John Wolf Brennan's solo flute piece, Drei ver-flix-te Stücke, and a retrospective of Pauline Oliveros' work in which she performed Trio for Flute, Piano and Page Turner with Sarah Cahill and Monique Buzzarté.

Diane holds Bachelor and Masters degrees in flute performance from San Francisco State University and the San Francisco Conservatory, respectively. Her instructors include Paul Renzi, Lloyd Gowen and Tim Day of the San Francisco Symphony; Barbara Chaffe, Jim Walker and Patricia Farrell of the San Francisco Opera and Ballet Orchestras. Diane has had individual coachings with international soloists Robert Dick and Tadeu Coelho. She has performed in masterclasses with Heinz Holliger, Julius Baker, Janet See, and Robert Stallman.

I have taught private flute lessons since my college days at San Francisco State and the San Francisco Conservatory. I recently taught classroom flute at two inner-city grammar schools for the Hills Project for three years, serving as program coordinator for one year. I've also taught flute classes at Lippman Middle School in Brisbane. I maintain a private flute studio, teaching flute and fife to young children, teenagers and adults. I'm a classically-trained flutist so my teaching style is classically-based. That means my students learn solid technique and some basic music theory which will prepare them to go on to play flute confidently in any style they choose. I tailor my teaching materials to each student to assure that they're learning music they like while always progressing. My students participate in student recitals at least once a year and they can also go "flute caroling" every December when we perform carols outside for the holiday shoppers.

classical, all ages, all levels

flute, fife