Hello all, I am currently a Junior in high school in Washington State. I’ve played flute since 6th grade, but only started taking private lessons in 9th. I am pretty serious about flute, and really enjoy it. My flute teacher is encouraging me to really start considering what schools I want to audition for. I was wondering if anyone had any updated input on who the best flute professors/music schools are. I am realistic enough but also don’t want to rule anything out, I have been looking at University of Oregon, Northwestern, Oberlin (probably unrealistic but one can dream right?), De Paul, U of Illinois, and U of North Texas. I’m looking for anyone who has experience with the teachers, application/audition process, etc. Any input is welcome! (:
Although any top ten list is automatically one to be viewed with suspicion - you might find some info on this list about schools you may not have considered: http://musicschoolcentral.com/best-colleges-for-flute-performance-in-the-us/ There are certainly schools on here, which aren’t on your list above. Flute is a very competitive instrument, and you may be behind the curve having started private lessons late. You might be better off going to a less competitive undergrad program - working really hard, then audition for a more elite grad program.
Have you looked into the flute programs at the Washington public universities? You might also check out University of Puget Sound, which has a school of music.
The University of Washington has a gem of a flute professor. My niece studies flute there and is doing very, very well. In the PNW, that is where I would recommend one go for flute studies. See if you can get a sample lesson from her.
Don’t be afraid to audition at competitive schools just because a littlel behind. My son was behind, but still got into his reach schools. Because of cost and competition, I’d try to audition to as many schools in a region as possible. For example, Illinois is only a few hours drive from Indiana and Oberlin and little further to Depaul in Chicago.