A flutist for the Twenty-First Century, Mary Fukushima has established herself as a leading performer of contemporary music. Her 2006 Carnegie Hall Debut was praised as a “powerhouse performance” by critics from New York Concert Review, and led to performances in Italy, Singapore, and return engagements in New York. Her devotion to expanding the flute repertoire has resulted in over fifty world-premiere performances, including several works by Pulitzer-Prize nominated composer David Rakowski. Mary’s unique contemporary abilities have led to multiple engagements with the Manhattan Sinfonietta conducted by Jeffrey Milarsky, as well as with the Gotham City Orchestra and Los Angeles Master Chorale for the New York Premiere of Steve Reich’s ‘You Are Variations’ in Alice Tully Hall.

 

In 2008, Mary and her duo partner Michael Kirkendoll formed the DuoSolo Foundation, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to the creation, performance, and education of new music. In 2010, the foundation presented the first annual Cortona Sessions for New Music in Cortona, Italy, bringing performers and composers together for two weeks of performance, study, and collaboration. The DuoSolo Foundation's education programs have received over 100 new works for flute and piano since 2009.

 

While devoted to the music of living composers, Mary is equally at home in the classical flute repertoire and has been a featured soloist with numerous orchestras, including a performance of Mozart’s D Major Concerto, K. 314 with the Los Angeles Philharmonic. She has held principal flute positions with the Symphony Orchestra of Northwest Arkansas and the Hunter Symphony in New York, and performs regularly with the Tulsa Symphony, Tulsa Ballet, and Tulsa Opera. A passionate educator, Mary frequently appears as a guest artist at festivals and universities throughout the United States. This year, Mary has been featured as guest artist and clinician at The University of Oklahoma, George Fox University, and Northeastern State University. As part of her educational outreach, Mary has created an interactive class on contemporary flute techniques, designed to introduce new techniques to students of all levels. The class has been presented to students of all ages around the U.S. Previously, she co-founded and directed the Maui World Music Workshop (HI) and Brooklyn Band Academy (NY), both designed to provide music education to students whose local schools were unable to do so.

 

Mary has held teaching positions at Pittsburg State University (KS) and at the University of Kansas, in addition to maintaining a large private flute studio. She holds degrees from the University of Kansas (DMA), Manhattan School of Music (MM), and Long Island University (BFA), where her primary teachers were David Fedele, Linda Chesis, and Bradley Garner. In addition to her musical endeavors, Mary is a dedicated yogi, teaching and practicing in Stillwater, OK, as well as an avid connoisseur of great food and fine wine. If not in the practice room or yoga studio, you will likely find Mary running with her dog Mr. Sam, or ‘hanging out’ on the rock wall at the climbing gym.