Dr. Kate Nichols

Bio

Central Floridian Elsa Kate Nichols is the Adjunct Flute Professor at Southeastern University in Lakeland, Florida and Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida. She also serves as second flutist/piccoloist in the Bach Festival Orchestra of Winter Park and has performed with orchestras such as the Space Coast Symphony Orchestra, the Florida Lakes Symphony Orchestra, and the Lakeland Symphony Orchestra. As a soloist, Kate has performed in renowned competitions such as the National Flute Association’s Young Artist Competition as a quarter finalist and the Mid-South Flute Society’s Young Artist Competition as the first prize winner, as well as performed and presented at the National Flute Association’s annual conventions. She has also performed in many masterclasses with prominent flutists and in summer festivals, such as the Round Top Festival Institute and the British Isles Music Festival.

Kate completed her Doctor of Musical Arts degree in flute performance with a minor in Musicology at the University of Arizona in summer 2018 after presenting a lecture recital and document on her doctoral research, entitled “Leonard Bernstein's Halil: Serialism, Eclecticism, and Antagonism in the American Flute Concerto”—this research was chosen as one of the two winners of the 2019 National Flute Association PhD/DMA Graduate Research Competition. She also holds a Master of Music degree from the University of Arizona and a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Central Florida, where she studied with Brian Luce and Nora Lee Garcia, respectively.

Since her undergraduate studies, Kate has maintained a private flute studio comprised of elementary through high school students. Her teaching focuses on the idea of training confidence and consistency, creating a strong technical and musical foundation, as well as an instinctual sense of professionalism to develop independent, capable musicians. As a result, many of these students have found success in musical endeavors, such as winning first prize in the Florida Flute Association High School Young Artist Competition, earning a spot in the Florida Flute Association’s Honors Flute Choir, participating in the Tucson Philharmonic Youth Orchestra, successfully auditioning for Arizona Music Educators Association all-state ensembles, superior and excellent ratings in solo and ensemble, performing in concerto competitions, and earning scholarship awards from universities including Research I institutions.