MICHELLE CHERAMY - FLUTE
Acclaimed for her “...sensitive, lyrical playing (and masterful technique)...” (The Telegram) flutist Michelle Cheramy is an artist recognized for the beauty of her sound, the fluidity of her playing and her interpretive skills in a wide range of repertoire. A compelling exponent of music from the eighteenth to the twenty-first centuries, Michelle enjoys a diverse performing career that embraces solo and collaborative work.
As concerto soloist, Michelle has appeared in Canada and abroad, including with the Edmonton Symphony, the St. Petersburg (Russia) Chamber Orchestra, the Houston Chamber Orchestra, and as the duo partner of Montreal Symphony Orchestra principal flute Timothy Hutchins. At home in both the standard repertoire and new works, her Ibert concerto with the Edmonton Symphony was noted for its “...fine blend of artistry and bravura” (Edmonton Journal) while her interpretation of Jacques Hetu’s flute concerto was praised as “...an elegant, flawless performance...” (Edmonton Sun). She has also been the premiering flutist of Canadian composers Heather Schmidt’s Flute Concerto and Alice Ping Yee Ho’s Dance Concerto for chamber orchestra, flute, percussion and classical Chinese dancer.
As a recitalist and chamber musician Michelle takes a special interest in performing programs which present old repertoire in new ways, which introduce underperformed repertoire to a wider audience, and which bridge the gulf between the performing art forms. She has appeared in venues throughout the Maritimes, Ontario, Alberta and BC as well as in Texas, Georgia and at conventions of the National Flute Association in San Diego, Pittsburgh and New York . Michelle enjoys interdisciplinary collaborations, and has mounted productions with award-winning theatre director Jillian Keiley, noted visual artist and poet Christopher Pratt and playwright Robert Chafe (Governor General’s Award shortlisted writer). Her collaboration with actor Petrina Bromley in Love’s Myth, Love’s Truth was recognized for its unique presentation of classical flute repertoire and the tales of love that inspired them, and was recorded for use by CBC Radio’s national program In Performance.
Performing and commissioning new music is of special interest to Michelle. She performs regularly with St. John ’s based Ora Ensemble, a group dedicated to contemporary repertoire and cross-disciplinary programming. She is also a founding member of the Exorior Duo (with Nathan Cook, cello) formed in 2007 to celebrate and enrich the repertoire for flute and cello. Acclaimed by composers and audiences alike, Exorior is engaged in an active program of commissioning with other flute/cello duos in the US. In addition to commissioning with the duo, Michelle has commissioned and premiered several other chamber works for flute, including Four Fables (flute, clarinet and piano) by Sackler Award winning composer Karim Al-Zand, which Michelle has also recorded for Capstone Records. Frequently broadcast nationally on CBC (Two New Hours, The Signal, Symphony Hall), recent concerts can be heard on CBC Radio’s Concerts on Demand website (www.cbc.ca/radio2/cod/).
Michelle is a performer with a deep interest in scholarship relating to the flute and its literature. Her doctoral dissertation, Dwelling in the Secret: André Jolivet’s Ascèses in the Context of his Life and Philosophy, won the National Flute Association competition for outstanding Ph.D./D.M.A. dissertations. She has also presented several papers and lecture-recitals on the late works of André Jolivet, and was the organizer of a gala Jolivet one hundredth birthday celebration concert at the 2005 National Flute Association convention in San Diego . Michelle serves as Chair of the NFA Research Committee and coordinator of the Ph.D./D.M.A. dissertation competition.
Originally from British Columbia , Michelle received her education and training under some of the finest flutists of today. Her primary teachers have included the former principal/acting principal flutes of the Vancouver, London (UK) and Boston Symphony Orchestras - Camille Churchfield, Peter Lloyd and Leone Buyse respectively. Michelle holds degrees from the University of British Columbia (B.Mus.), Indiana University (M.M.) and Rice University (D.M.A.), and has also participated in the Sarasota, Banff and Domaine Forget summer festivals. She has been winner of the Canadian Concerto Competition and a prize winner in the Montreal Symphony Competition. She is the recipient of numerous other awards, including grant assistance from the Canada Council and major scholarships from all of the institutions at which she has trained.
A committed teacher, Michelle is currently associate professor of music at Memorial University of Newfoundland where she enjoys mentoring a studio of undergraduate and graduate flute students. She also loves working with young flutists as an adjudicator and clinician at music festivals and workshops. In addition to her position as Memorial’s flute professor, Michelle serves as Associate Director for graduate studies and research in the School of Music .