Rachel Kaplan
Dr. Rachel Kaplan is a freelance flutist in Austin, Texas, where she performs with Austin Flute Project and Cedar Park Winds.
She has performed with the Waco Symphony Orchestra, Round Rock Symphony, Sierra Vista Symphony Orchestra, Southern Arizona Symphony Orchestra, Tucson Chamber Orchestra, Art.if.Act Dance Project, Tucson Masterworks Chorale Orchestra, Arizona Symphony Orchestra, Ratio H Wind Quintet, Pasticcio Chamber Players and the Ludovico Ensemble. She has also performed alongside renowned jazz flutist Paul Horn and has appeared as a guest artist at Delta State University. In addition, Dr. Kaplan has performed at several National Flute Association Conventions. Her performance travels have taken her to the Bahamas as a guest of the Bahamian National Youth Choir and to England to work with Clare Southworth, Helen Brew and Michael Cox. She has performed for Susan Milan, Walfrid Kujala, Mimi Stillman, Nan Raphael, Alexa Still, Bradley Garner, Jan Gippo, Kathleen Chastain, Leone Buyse, and the McCormick Duo. For two years, she held the position of librarian for the National Flute Association, maintaining the music collection of more than 15,000 works kept at the University of Arizona. In this capacity, she presented at the annual convention in New York City.
Dr. Kaplan served as President of the Austin Flute Society from 2016-2019. As President, she organized the annual Flute Festival, bringing in internationally renowned Guest Artists including Conor Nelson, Nestor Torres and Jim Walker. She also helped develop a Collegiate Division of the AFS Young Artist Competition and a Youth Flute Choir for students in the Austin area. She has adjudicated for the Texas Flute Society’s Donna Marie Haire competition, the Austin Flute Society Young Artist Competition, the TMEA Region and Area Auditions, the Floot Fire Virtual Soloist Competition, the Arizona All-State Festival and the Tucson Philharmonia Youth Orchestra. In addition to her private studio, she is a faculty member of Floot Fire, teaching summer workshops as well as TMEA All-State Masterclasses. Dr. Kaplan has presented her research at the Hawaii International Conference for Arts and Humanities. She holds degrees from the University of Arizona (DMA), the Boston Conservatory (MM) and the University of Miami (BM). She has studied with Helen Blackburn, Geralyn Coticone, Brian Luce, Christine Nield-Capote and Claire Johnson.