P r e s s K i t
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B i o g r a p h y
Described by the Canadian journal Flute Focus as “...having
shattered any notions that the piccolo might be lacking in deep, expressive powers," flutist Christine Erlander Beard enjoys an active international career as a soloist, chamber artist and teacher. A passionate performer noted for her "great expressive tone and range" (Christopher Caliendo, composer) and her “...capacity to reveal the deep soul of a composition” (Martin Rokeach, composer), she has performed extensively across North America, South America and Europe, including fifteen conventions of the National Flute Association and three British Flute Society International Conventions, and regularly serves as a guest artist at flute festivals, most recent of which include the International Piccolo Festival (Italy), the Zodiac Festival (France), the Adams Flute Festival (The Netherlands), and international flute festivals in Costa Rica, Honduras, Peru, Ecuador, Guatemala, Portugal, and Spain, among others. Engagements for the 2020-2021 season (due to Covid-19) include virtual appearances for the Puerto Rico Flute Symposium, the Flutopia Initiative, the New Jersey Flute Fair, and the World Flutes Festival.
Highlights of recent seasons include solo performances with the Orquestra Filarmonica de Mendoza (Argentina), the Orquestra Sinfônica de Porto Alegre (Brazil), the Orchestra Harmonia Mundi (Italy), the San Jose Chamber Orchestra (CA), and the Little Rock Wind Symphony (AR). Recently awarded Second Prize in the prestigious American Prize Competition's Professional Soloist division (2018-2019), Christine can be heard alongside the French piccolo legend Jean-Louis Beaumadier on his CD, Postcards: World Piccolo, Vol. 2 (SKARBO label); with Newberry's Victorian Cornet Band on their inaugural CD, Victorian Era Music for Brass Band by Thomas Coates (MSR Classics label); and with Brazilian guitarist Daniel Wolff on his newest CD, Iberoamericano (Novodisc label 2018). She joined her colleagues in Newberry’s Victorian Cornet Band as their D-flat piccolo soloist for the recording of their 2nd CD, Wind Band Music of the Gilded Age, which features Beard performing August Damm's "Through the Air" for solo piccolo and brass band (also on the MSR Classics label).
Devoted to chamber music, Christine regularly performs as a member of the Beard-Wolff Duo comprised of Beard and Brazilian guitarist-composer Daniel Wolff with whom she has toured in the USA, Brazil, and Europe. She is also a member of the recently formed Trio Fortutiío alongside cellist Rodrigo Alquati and pianist Catarina Domenici, also of Brazil, with whom she will concertize in Brazil in October 2019. Never missing an opportunity to collaborate, she is often seen sharing the stage with close friend and renowned Canadian flutist, Christopher Lee; and closer to home, Beard has recently joined forces with Nebraska-based musicians Jamie Reimer and Stacie Haneline, with whom she enjoys exploring old and new repertoire for flute, soprano and piano.
Passionate about collaborating with composers, Christine has commissioned and/or premiered dozens of new works from composers across the globe. Well known for her decade-long collaborations with British composer Matthew Smith, her most recent commissioning projects include joining consortiums for new music for flute by Amanda Harberg, and new piccolo compositions by Amanda Harberg, Jim Stephenson, and Daniel Wolff. During the 2019-2020 season, she premiered new works by American composers Jay Vosk, and David Loeb, along with the long-awaited Piccolo Sonata No. 5 by Matt Smith (UK). Her newest endeavor is to encourage music with social justice themes that inspire dialogue and social activism: #theflutistactivist initiative will bring forth three new pieces in 2020-2021: the first for flute and mixed media by Leanna Keith based on gun violence in the USA; and two works for piccolo and piano inspired by the USA’s southern border crisis by prominent composers who themselves immigrated to the United States: Herman Beeftink (The Netherlands) and Samuel Zyman (Mexico).
In 2007, Beard founded the International Piccolo Symposium (www.piccolosymposium.com), an intense 4-day workshop held at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. The goal of IPS is to bring piccolo players and enthusiasts together from all over the world to learn about and discuss solo, chamber and orchestral music featuring the piccolo, and pedagogical issues specific to the piccolo, led by some of the world's leading piccolo players. A member of the NFA’s Piccolo Committee and Scholarship Committee, and a contributing editor for the NFA's The Flutist Quarterly, her pedagogical articles and columns have been published in Flute Talk, The Flutist Quarterly, Flutewise, and The Instrumentalist.
Beard earned her MM and DMA in flute performance from The University of Texas at Austin where she was a student of Karl F. Kraber. She joined the faculty at the University of Nebraska at Omaha in 2002 where she was named UNO’s Outstanding Graduate Mentor in 2011, was awarded the Regents-Foundation Professorship in 2013, and was selected as UNO's recipient for its campus-wide Award for Distinguished Research of Creative activity in 2019. A regular substitute player with the Omaha Symphony, she was added to the Sankyo Flutes international artist roster in 2016, and also became a piccolo artist for Hernandez Flutes in 2017. Christine plays on a 5K-DT Sankyo flute with an 18K Sankyo headjoint, and on a Burkhart Elite Deluxe multi-trill piccolo paired with a Quebracho headjoint made by Julio Hernandez.



Recent News

Piccolo FOR SALE
Nov. 21, 2019
Time to sell my trusty old friend! Here are the details: Roy Seaman signature LTD piccolo; Solid silver keys; Split E (can be turned off/on); Wave-style headjoint; Used professionally by one owner (me); New ones are selling for $3,500.00; I am asking $2,250.00. Option for ADDITIONAL piccolo headjoint by Julio Hernandez (add $785+ depending on style). Contact me for details! 🎶

Announcing #theflutistactivist Initiative
September 1, 2019
Check back for details SOON about Christie's newest project, #theflutistactivitst initative!

SECOND PLACE: The American Prize
April 30, 2019
Flutist Christine Beard has been awarded Second Prize in the 2018-2019 Instrumental Soloist Professional Division of The American Prize! Visit http://theamericanprize.blogspot.com/2019/04/winners-american-prize-in-instrumental.html for complete information.

Christine Beard joins the Whole Musician Team!
March 9, 2019
The Whole Musician team is excited to announce that Christine Beard has accepted an invitation to join their faculty roster! Visit the WM website to find out more about this groundbreaking nonprofit group and their upcoming retreat schedule.

Beard recipient of UNO's ADROCA 2018-2019
February 1, 2019
Christine Beard has been selected as the 2018-2019 recipient of University of Nebraska at Omaha's campus-wide Award for Distinguished Creative Activity or Research (ADROCA), becoming only the 2nd faculty member in UNO's history from Music, and only the 3rd from ANY arts-related field to receive the honor.

Hernandez Flutes in the USA!
August 15, 2017
Following his well-received presence exhibiting at the 45th National Flute Association Convention, Christine Beard will be assisting Julio Hernandez in making a select number of his headjoints available to flutists in the USA. If you are in North America and would like to set up a trial, contact Christie for details!
Christine Beard Joins Sankyo Flutes International Artist Roster!
July 1, 2016
Christine Beard has been named to the Sankyo Flutes International Artist Roster. "I have played my Sankyo 5K-DT flute since 2007 and in that time it has totally transformed my flute playing. I am excited to be a part of the Sankyo team and look forward to what the future holds!"
Commissions & Premieres
* denotes works that were commissioned by &/or written for Christine Beard
^ denotes works that were commissioned by &/or written for Zephyrus (Christine Beard, flute & Tomm Roland, percussion)
For all other pieces on this list, Christine was involved in the premiere performance of the work.
COMPOSER
TITLE
PERFORMANCE DETAILS
YEAR OF COMPOSITION
SCORING
picc + pf
Samuel Zyman
Sonata for Piccolo*
2020
#theflutistactivist consortium commission, inspired by refugees from Central America and the USA immigration crisis; world premiere at the 48th NFA Convention (Dallas, TX)
flute/picc + mixed media
Leanna Keith
Thoughts and Prayers*
2020
#theflutistactivist commission inspired by "gun violence in America"; world premiere at the 48th NFA Convention (Dallas, TX)
picc + pf
Herman Beeftink
Rising Oceans*
2019
#theflutistactivist commission, inspired by climate change and global warming. World premiere at the 48th NFA Convention (Dallas, TX)
flute + pf
Valerie Coleman
Amazonia*
2019
Flutist New Music Consortium commission; world premiere at the FNMC New Music Festival; SUNY-Stonybrook (January 2020)
picc + pf
Matt Smith
Sonata No. 5
2019
World premiere at the Chicago Flute Festival; Christine Beard, piccolo & Stacie Haneline, piano; November 2, 2019
solo picc
David Loeb
Imagined Landscapes, Book III
2018
World Premiere at the Chicago Flute Festival; Christine Beard, piccolo; November 2, 2019
solo fl + wind band
Charles Booker
"Joan of Arc" Concerto for Flute & Wind Ensemble
2019
Consortium commission; Oct. 3, 2019; UNO Strauss PAC; UNO Symphonic Wind Ensemble; Christine Beard, soloist; Karen Fannin, conductor
picc + pf
Gary Schocker
Sonata No. 4
2019
1st performance outside the USA: Costa Rica Flute Festival, July 2019; Christine Beard, piccolo & Lillian Buss Pearson, piano
picc + pf
Amanda Harberg
Sonata for piccolo and piano*
2018
Consortium commission led by Regina Helcher Yost; 2018 National Flute Association Convention; Orlando, FL, USA
picc + pf
Jim Stephenson
Sonata for piccolo and piano*
2018
Consortium commission led by Jennifer Gunn; Chicago Flute Club concert; October 2018; Chicago, IL, USA
2 picc
Daniel Wolff
A Near Deaf Experience*
2018
writen for Leonardo Winter and Christine Beard; premiere forthcoming
fl + pf
Amanda Harberg
Court Dances*
2017
"We Bring Flowers Project" consortium commission; world premiere by Cobus du Toit; NFA Convention, Minneapolis, MN; August 13, 2017
solo cbsn + pf + chamber winds
Daniel Baldwin
Sonic Rhapsody*
2017
Recording sessions May 2017; Lincoln, NE
picc + pf
Jay Vosk
Ramas de Plata (Silver Branches)
2016
World premiere at the 45th National Flute Association Convention (August 2017); Minneapolis, MN
picc + fl/alto fl + cello (or bass fl)
Herman Beeftink
Birds*
2016
World premiere at the VII UFRGS Flute Festival (September 2016); Porto Alegre, Brazil
2 fl + gtr + vc
Daniel Wolff
California Card*
2016
World premiere at 44th National Flute Association Convention (August 2016); San Diego, CA
picc + pf
Daniel Baldwin
Haven*
2016
World premiere at 44th National Flute Association Convention (August 2016); San Diego, CA
bass fl (or contrabass) + perc
Ivan Trevino
This is Like Jazz!^
2014-15
Forthcoming
solo picc + band
Houston Dunleavy
Concerto for Piccolo & Wind Ensemble*
2015
Forthcoming
2 picc
World premiere at the 43rd National Flute Association Convention (August 2015); with Mary Ann Archer (co-commissioner); Washington, D.C.
6 and 7 picc
Robert Groslot
Intermezzo and First Chorus
2014
World premieres: National Flute Association Convention (August 2014), Chicago, IL; and the British Flute Society Convention (August 2014), Warwick, UK; written for Peter Verhoyen
picc + pf
Matt Smith
Sonata No. 4
2014
North American premiere: San Francisco Flute Convention (November 2014)
double flute quartet (4 fl, 2 alto, 2 bass)
Derek Charke
Raga Dohara
2014
World premiere: National Flute Association Convention (August 2014); Chicago, IL
fl + vib
World premiere: Petite Musique series recital (October 2015) by Zephyrus; Omaha, NE
picc + low flutes ensemble
Diana McIntosh
Sleep's Borderland
2013
World premiere: 1st Canadian Flute Convention (July 2013); written for Peter Sheridan; Toronto, Ontario, Canada
flute quintet (picc, 2 fl, alto, bass)
World premiere: National Flute Association Convention (August 2013); commissioned by Sonja Giles & Kim Scott; New Orleans, LA
solo picc
P. Kellach Waddle
What is Reflected from Inside the Vampire's Cape*
2013
Forthcoming
picc + pf
P. Kellach Waddle
The Shadows the Sirens Make as They Lure the Innocent to the Vampire's Lighthouse*
2013
World premiere: 2013 UNO faculty recital
picc + pf
World premiere: International Piccolo Symposium (July 2013), Omaha, NE; & National Flute Association Convention (August 2013), New Orleans, LA
solo picc
World premiere (for piccolo): 2015 UNO Faculty Recital (Omaha, NE); orig. for Chinese Dizi
fl (doubling picc, alto) + perc
World premiere: Zephyrus recital 2011 (Omaha, NE); with Tomm Roland, percussion
3 picc
Nancy Nourse
Quelque Chose Canadienne
2010
World premiere: Fête International de la Flûte (Manosque, France); written for Jean-Louis Beaumadier
fl + perc
David Claman
Variations on "Amba Kamashi"^
2009
World premiere: Festival of New American Music (Sacramento, CA) 2010; with Tomm Roland, percussion
solo picc
World premiere (on piccolo): 2014 National Flute Association Convention (Chicago); orig. for Chinese Dizi
picc + pf
Matt Smith
Sonata No. 2
2006
North American premiere: 2007 UNO faculty recital; 2009 National Flute Association Convention (NYC)
fl + vib
Barry Ford
Zephyrs^
2005
World premiere: UNO faculty recital 2006 (with Mike Pollock, percussion)
2 fl
Paul Bissell
Fermat's Last Theorum*
2002-2004
World premiere: 2004 UNO faculty recital (with Cindy McGann, flute)
picc + pf
Matt Smith
Sonata (No. 1)
2001
North American premiere: 2003 UNO Faculty recital (Omaha, NE)
sop + fl (doubling picc, alto) + gtr
Niel Flory
Summer Songs*
2001
World premiere: 2002 Austin, TX (with Larisa Montanaro, soprano and Steve Kostelnik, guitar)
fl + cl + vln + vc + pf + perc
L. Mark Lewis
Concerto for Six Players
2000
World premiere: 2000 Univ of Texas at Austin
fl + pf
Rodolfo Coelho de Souza
Divertimento
1996/97
World premiere: 1997 Univ of Texas at Austin
solo fl
Craig Wadley
The Ring Bearer's Tale*
1995
World premiere: 1995 Arkansas State University composer's recital