Flute with Nicole F.

Nicole Frazee, a native of Grand Rapids, Michigan, began playing the flute at age thirteen. At a young age, Frazee showed great promise as a musician and was piccolo/third flute of the Grand Rapids Youth Symphony under the direction of John Varineau, Associate Conductor of the Grand Rapids Symphony. She received her Bachelor of Music in Flute Performance in 2009 from Grand Valley State University, where she studied under Judith Kemph (flute/piccolo of the Grand Rapids Symphony) and Nancy Stagnitta. Her freshman year she was winner of the chamber orchestra concerto competition, and later a winner of the upper division scholarship competition, symphony orchestra scholarship and symphonic wind ensemble scholarship. During her years at Grand Valley, Frazee was very involved in the performing ensembles. She was principle flute of the symphonic wind ensemble, piccolo/third flute of the symphony orchestra, and piccolo/third flute of the pit orchestra. She was also principle flute and piccolo of the GVSU New Music Ensemble, under the direction of distinguished composer Bill Ryan. In 2009, Frazee was one of four students from the New Music Ensemble invited to perform In C at Carnegie Hall with Terry Riley, the Kronos Quartet, and other new music all-stars in celebration of the 45th anniversary of the work. The same year, Frazee was a performer with the New Music Ensemble on their CD, In C: Remixed, recorded by River City Studios. In C: Remixed was nominated for a Grammy, and referred to by Terry Riley as “...one of the best performances of In C ever...” The Washington Post, Time Out Chicago and All About Jazz named In C:Remixed as one of the top ten classical releases of 2009. Frazee earned her Master of Music degree in 2011 from East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina, where she studied with Dr. Christine Gustafson and received a tuition scholarship and graduate flute assistantship. While at East Carolina, Frazee was principle flute of the symphony orchestra and symphonic wind ensemble, third flute/piccolo of the pit orchestra, and was a student member of the ECU Faculty’s Eastern Symphony Orchestra. Frazee is both an active performer and teacher. She has attended many master classes throughout the United States and Canada and has had the opportunity to work with such flutists as Carol Wincenc, Nicholas Duchamp, Regina Helcher Yost, Nina Assimakopolous, Valerie Coleman, Denis Bluteau and world-renowned violinist, Dylana Jenson.