A versatile performer and music educator…
Annie Darlin Gordon is the Principal Flutist of the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra, second flutist of Queen City Opera, and a long-time member of the Cincinnati-based woodwind quintet Wayside Winds. She performs regularly with a variety of ensembles in the Tri-State Area and is the Adjunct Professor of Flute at Xavier University. Annie is a Lead Teaching Artist of the Wind Ensemble at MYCincinnati, an El Sistema-inspired, non-profit youth orchestra program, and she is founder and director of Flute Choir Cincinnati, an adult community flute ensemble for flutists of all skill levels.
Some of her career highlights have included performances in China, Singapore, Brazil, Italy, and Israel; a concert as substitute 2nd flute in the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra; and performing the orchestras for celebrities such as Josh Groban, Andrea Bocelli, Evanescence, and more.
As a music educator, Annie is passionate about the cross section of music and equity. In 2015 she joined the staff at MYCincinnati, an El Sistema-inspired, after school music program that offers free, high-quality, and intensive ensemble-based music education to students living in the Price Hill neighborhood. At MYCincinnati, Annie founded the Wind Ensemble program where she is currently the Lead Teaching Artist and co-conductor. Through this program, her students have had the opportunity to meet and work with incredible guest musicians such as Ebonee Thomas (flute), Brandon Patrick George (flute), Anthony McGill (clarinet), and Titus Underwood (oboe), and have traveled to perform and spread the word about MYCincinnati to Pittsburgh, Columbus, Cleveland, and more.
Annie is on the music faculty at Camp Encore/Coda in Southwest Maine, a sleep-away music camp for school-aged students with a passion for music. At Encore/Coda Annie is the private flute instructor, a chamber music coach, theory instructor, flutist and piccoloist of the faculty chamber orchestra, and has been a conductor of the Symphonic Winds group.
Annie received her Bachelor of Music in Flute Performance degree from Oberlin Conversatory and received her Master of Music degree from Carnegie Mellon University. Her principal teachers were Alberto Almarza, Jeanne Baxtresser, Alexa Still, Michel Debost, and Kathleen Chastain.
When Annie is not performing or teaching music, she is the director of a non-profit DIY Home Repair and Maintenance program called Do It Yourself Darlin, which offers beginner-level DIY home repair workshops taught by local Cincinnati craftspeople.
You can follow along with Annie’s flute pursuits on Instagram: @flutist_flautist