Rachel Woolf, flutist
Rachel Woolf is Assistant Professor of Flute at The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), School of Music.
As a multidimensional artist, she regularly explores various genres and collaborates with diverse artists. She is sought after as a soloist, chamber musician, orchestral musician, and rock musician.
About
Rachel
Dr. Rachel Woolf serves as Assistant Professor of Flute at the University of Texas at San Antonio School of Music. Accomplished as a multidimensional artist, Rachel is co-founder of the flute and marimba duo, Duo 彩 Aya, principal flute with the Victoria Bach Festival and flutist in the Dallas based symphonic pop rock band, The Polyphonic Spree. She regularly performs with the San Antonio Philharmonic, United States Air Force Band of the West, and served one year as Principal Flute with Symphony of the Hills. Additionally, Rachel has performed and recorded with indie singer Jośe González, Il Divo, Darren Criss, and Swans. An Advocate for new music, Duo 彩 Aya commissioned four new works for performances across the United States in the 2023-2024 season and their debut album Cycles is set to be released in Spring 2025 on Neuma Records. Her performances have taken her across the globe, including notable appearances in Argentina, Chile, Canada, and throughout Europe.
Rachel has been featured prominently at the National Flue Association Convention (NFA), including playing three consecutive years on the NFA Gala Concerts (2022-2024) and serving as the Local Arrangements Chair for the 2024 convention in San Antonio, Texas. Additionally, she has been a featured Gala artist at the 2023 Biennial North American Saxophone Alliance Conference, as well as a performer at the 2024 World Flutes Festival in Mendoza, Argentina, the 2023 College Music Society’s National Conference, and the 2023 International Clarinet Association ClarinetFest. Furthermore, she has been a featured soloist with the UTSA Orchestra and UTSA Wind Ensemble.
Rachel is committed to performing and teaching music from diverse composers and artists that expand beyond the western classical cannon. She has commissioned five works by underrepresented composers for the UTSA Flute Ensemble, including three by UTSA alumni composers, and supported three new arrangements, which have been featured at NFA and other festivals across the country. In 2024 she established the San Antonio Youth Flute Choir with UTSA alum Dominic Valadez, which was featured on the final concert of the NFA Youth Flute Day, celebrating music from prominent female Chicana artists with roots in San Antonio.
Rachel can be heard on The Polyphonic Spree’s 2023 album, Salvage Enterprise, as well as on Swans 2016 record, The Glowing Man. She recorded as second flute on the upcoming album by the United States Air Force Band of the West, Beyond the Blue. Additionally, she can be heard playing principal and bass flute on the GIA Windworks label, Canvases and Offerings with the UNT Wind Symphony, as well as on the widely released Classical Structures with the University of Michigan Symphony Band on Equilibrium Records. She has been a founding member of multiple new music groups in Ann Arbor and Los Angeles and has premiered numerous new works for flute and piccolo, including Paul Schoenfield’s Psychobird (A Sonatina for Piccolo and Piano) with the composer himself. Additionally, Rachel’s performing interests include Hindustani Classical Music exploration and composing for flute looping with effects.
Rachel is a sought-after clinician and performer and has been an invited Guest Artist for the 2024 Western Massachusetts Flute Festival and the 2022 Northeastern State University Instrumental Day. She has conducted masterclasses and recitals throughout Argentina and Chile, and at The University of Michigan, The University of Alabama, The University of Texas at Austin, The University of Wisconsin-Madison, University of North Texas, University of North Carolina Greensboro, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, Bowling Green State University, Texas Christian University, University of Oregon, SUNY Potsdam, Baylor University, Oklahoma State University, and many others. She has given clinics and recitals at the Austin Flute Society’s Festival, Texas Flute Society’s Festival, Texas Summer Flute Symposium, and Floot Fire camps. She has served on the judging panels for major flute competitions including the NFA Young Artist Competition, Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA) All-State Convention, Texas Flute Society’s Myrna Brown Competition, and VOCE Competition (San Diego).
Rachel received her Bachelor of Music at the University of Michigan, Master of Music at Bowling Green State University, and Doctor of Musical Arts at the University of North Texas with a related field in Ethnomusicology. Her mentors include Amy Porter, Dr. Conor Nelson, Terri Sundberg, Dr. James Scott, Marianne Gedigian, and Karen Reynolds.
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Projects and Affiliates
Fall 2024 / Spring 2025 Calendar
Spring/Summer 2025
JUN 5-7 Principal Flute, Victoria Bach Festival
Victoria, TX
MAY 17 Duo 彩 AYA Recital
Temple Ichikawa
Shiba, Japan
JAN 18-19 Salon Concerts
Austin, TX
Fall 2024
DEC 17-18 Performance with Air Force Band of the West
Holiday in Blue
Tobin Center
NOV 23 The Polyphonic Spree
Headlining 2024 Deep Ellum Block Party
NOV 15 Second Flute, New Orchestra Washington
Kennedy Center, Washington D.C.
7:30pm
SEP 27 Guest Artist Performance
Universidad de Talca
Talca, Chile
SEP 24 Performance and Masterclass
Universidad Alberto Hurtado
Santiago, Chile
SEP 21 Performance at the World Flutes Festival
Teatro Indenpendencia
Mendoza, Argentina
SEP 19 Performance at the World Flutes Festival
Le Parc Espacio Cultural
Mendoza, Argentina
SEP 13-14 Principal Flute, San Antonio Philharmonic
Classics 1
First Baptist Church of San Antonio
AUG 3 Principal Flute, San Antonio Philharmonic
National Flute Association Convention Saturday Night Gala
San Antonio, TX
AUG 2 Lux Aeterna by George Crumb for five masked musicians
National Flute Association Convention, George Crumb Tribute
San Antonio, TX
AUG 1 Principal Flute, United States Air Force Band of the West
National Flute Association Convention Thursday Night Gala
San Antonio, TX
Videos
PAST EVENTS
2024
JULY 25 Piccolo, United States Air Force Band of the West
Texas Bandmasters Association Convention
San Antonio, TX
JULY Principal Flute, United States Air Force Band of the West
Lake Charles, Louisiana
Houston, Texas
JUN 6-8 Principal Flute, Victoria Bach Festival
Victoria, TX
MAY 31- San Antonio Philharmonic
JUN 1 Classics 10: Beethoven
First Baptist Church of San Antonio
MAY 6 Olmos Ensemble
Shepherd King Lutheran Church
7:30PM
MAR 30 Guest Artist at UMass Amherst, Flute Festival
University of Massachusetts, Amherst
MAR 22-23 San Antonio Philharmonic
Classics 7: Schumann 3
First Baptist Church of San Antonio
MAR 11 Salon Concerts
Austin, Texas
7:00PM
MAR 10 Salon Concerts
Austin, Texas
4:30PM
MAR 6 Double Flute Concerto with the UTSA Wind Ensemble
When the Winds Speak (Cuando Hablan los Vientos)
for two solo flutes and concert band
By Arturo Rodríguez
Rachel Woolf and Linda Jenkins, flute soloists
UTSA Recital Hall
7:30PM
FEB 23-24 San Antonio Philharmonic
Classics 6: Pictures
First Baptist Church of San Antonio
FEB 13 UTSA Faculty Recital
Performing César Franck's Sonata in A Major
UTSA Recital Hall
7:30PM
FEB 8 Performing with UTSA Mariachi Los Paisanos
Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA)
JAN 19-20 San Antonio Philharmonic
Classics 5: Mahler 4
First Baptist Church of San Antonio
2023
NOV 27 Duo 彩 AYA, Cycles Recital
La Jolla Athenaeum Concert Series
La Jolla, California
12:00PM
NOV 22 Duo 彩 AYA, Cycles Recital
Encinitas Library
Encinitas, California
12:00PM
NOV 19 Duo 彩 AYA, Cycles Recital
San Diego Central Library
San Diego, California
2:30pm
NOV 17 Duo 彩 AYA, Cycles
Recital and Masterclass
University of North Carolina Greensboro
Greensboro, North Carolina
1PM
NOV 16 Duo 彩 AYA, Cycles
Recital and Masterclass
University of North Carolina Wilmington
Wilmington, North Carolina
7:30PM
NOV 15 Duo 彩 AYA, Cycles
Recital and Masterclass
University of North Carolina Pembroke
Pembroke, North Carolina
7:30PM
NOV 14 Duo 彩 AYA, Cycles
Recital and Masterclass
University of North Carolina Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, North Carolina
7:00PM
NOV 7 Duo 彩 AYA, Cycles
Recital and Masterclass
University of North Texas
Denton, Texas
6:30PM
NOV 6 Duo 彩 AYA, Cycles
Recital and Masterclass
Texas Christian University
Fort Worth, Texas
7:00PM
NOV 2 Duo 彩 AYA, Cycles
Recital and Masterclass
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Edinburg, Texas
7:00PM
NOV 1 Duo 彩 AYA, Cycles, Recital
UTSA Recital Hall
San Antonio, Texas
7:30PM
OCT 30 Duo 彩 AYA on Texas Public Radio
KPAC 88.3
1PM
OCT 29 Duo 彩 AYA, Cycles, Recital
Victoria, Texas - House Concert
7:30PM
OCT 27 College Music Society
National Conference
Miami, Florida
OCT 13-14 San Antonio Philharmonic
Classics 2: Sibelius 5
First Baptist Church of San Antonio
OCT 1 The Polyphonic Spree
Rubber Gloves Rehearsal Studios
Denton, TX
SEP 22-23 San Antonio Philharmonic
Classics 1: Firebird
First Baptist Church of San Antonio
SEP 15 San Antonio Philharmonic
Dieciséis Concert
Lanier High School 4PM
AUG 5 National Flute Association Convention
Avian Innovation
Performing new works for flute quartet
by living female composers
Phoenix, Arizona
AUG 4 National Flute Association Convention
Performing Dash by Jennifer Higdon
for flute, clarinet, and piano
Friday Night Gala Concert
Phoenix, Arizona
JUL 8 International Clarinet Association, ClarinetFest
Performing Portrait’s of Langston by Valerie Coleman
for flute, clarinet, and piano
Denver, Colorado
JUN 3-10 Victoria Bach Festival
Principal flute
www.victoriabachfestival.org/events/2023-victoria-bach-festival/
Victoria, Texas
MAY 5. San Antonio Philharmonic Cinco de Mayo Celebration
with the Guadalupe Dance Company and Azul Barrientos
Principal Flute
Plaza Guadalupe, San Antonio
MAY 3 San Antonio Philharmonic with Azul Barrientos
Old Spanish Trail Cultural Corridor Culminating
Series Performance
Principal Flute
San Pedro Playhouse, San Antonio
APR 27 Symphony of the Hills
Orchestral Fire: Tchaikovsky
Principal Flute
Cailloux Theater, Kerrville
APR 26 Coronation Orchestra
Piccolo
Majestic Theater, San Antonio
APR 22 San Antonio Philharmonic
Pops 3, “Viva la Música!”
with Lanfranco Marcelletti Jr and Elena Durán
Principal Flute
First Baptist Church of San Antonio
APR 7 Performance of John Rutter’s Requiem
Christ Episcopal Church, San Antonio
MAR 30 Performance at North American Saxophone Alliance
(NASA) Biennial Conference
Opening Gala Concert
Performing Listen to me as one listens to the rain
by Camila Agosto for flute, soprano saxophone, and percussion
University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, Mississippi
MAR 29 Guest Artist Masterclass and Recital
University of Alabama
4pm
FEB 28 UTSA Flute Studio Recital
UTSA Recital Hall
5pm
FEB 9 UTSA Flute Ensemble performs at Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA) Convention
Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center, San Antonio
JAN 27-28 San Antonio Philharmonic, Pops 1
Charles Floyd conducts “A Celebration of MLK for Dreamweek”
First Baptist Church of San Antonio
JAN 23 Guest Artist Masterclass and Recital
University of Michigan
4pm
JAN 20 Guest Artist Masterclass and Recital
Bowling Green State University
3pm
JAN 13-14 San Antonio Philharmonic, Classics 5
Tito Muñoz conducts Beethoven, Principal Flute
First Baptist Church of San Antonio
JAN 7 Symphony of the Hills, “Pops: Western Swing,”
Principal Flute
Cailloux Theatre, Kerrville
7:30pm
2022
DEC 17 The Polyphonic Spree Holiday Extravaganza
Majestic Theatre, Dallas, TX
7:00pm
DeC 1 Symphony of the Hills, “The Miracle of Christmas,”
Principal Flute
Cailloux Theatre, Kerrville
7:30pm
NOV 18-19 San Antonio Philharmonic, Classics 4
Second Flute
First Baptist Church of San Antonio
7:30pm
NOV 11 United States Air Force Band of the West
Veterans Day Concert
Principal Flute
Lila Cockrell Theatre
7:00pm
OCT 28-29 San Antonio Philharmonic, Classics 3
Principal Flute
First Baptist Church of San Antonio
7:30pm
OCT 6 Symphony of the Hills
“When in Rome, Inspirations from Italy,”
Principal Flute
Cailloux Theatre, Kerrville
7:30pm
SEP 27 UTSA Orchestra
Solo Concerto Performance of Reinecke’s Flute Concerto
UTSA Recital Hall
7:30pm
SEP 6 “Portraits and Emblems,” first faculty chamber concert
as a School of Music at UTSA
with Dr. Nicolas Councilor, clarinet, and Dr. Tracy Cowden, piano. Featuring San Antonio Poet Laureate Andrea Vocab Sanderson
7:30pm
JUL 3 United States Air Force Band of the West
Stars and Stripes Fourth of July Concert
Principal Flute
Southlake Town Square
Southlake, Texas
6:30pm
JUN 22 Floot Fire San Antonio, Solo Flute Performance
St. Mary’s University, San Antonio
3:30pm
JUN 11 Viatorum Trio at Culture Fest
Deco Pizzeria
8pm
MAY 29 Flute Looping with Dancer at MESH San Antonio
An Ecstatic Evening of Connection through
Visual Art + Dance + Music
MBS Yoga, San Antonio
7pm
MAY 21 Texas Flute Society, Solo Flute Performance
Coppell High School
3:30pm
MAY 4 The Polyphonic Spree performance at Hi How Are You Day
ACL Live at the Moody Theater, Austin, TX
APR 23 The Polyphonic Spree
Sugar Land, TX
APR 22-23 Musicians of the San Antonio Symphony (MOSAS)
Second Flute
First Baptist Church of San Antonio
APR 9 Austin Flute Society’s Festival
Solo Flute Recital and UTSA Flute Ensemble performance
Lake Travis High School
APRI 1 UTSA Faculty Oboe Recital
Performing with Erin Webber
UTSA Recital Hall
5pm
MAR 24-27 Performing as “The Magic Flute”
Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte
UTSA Recital Hall
MAR 20-21 Salon Concerts
Performing music of Nielsen and Farrenc
MAR 19 Southwest Guitar Symposium
Performance with Dr. Isaac Bustos
UTSA Recital Hall
7:00pm
MAR 6 Solo Flute Recital at UTSA, “Pale Blue Dot”
UTSA Recital Hall
7:30pm
FEB 26-27 San Antonino Chamber Choir, “Threshold”
Incarnate Word Motherhouse Chapel
FEB 7 Guest Artist Performer
Northeastern State University’s Instrumental Day
Tahlequah, Oklahoma
FEB 5 Abilene Philharmonic
Substitute Second Flute
JAN 15 Abilene Philharmonic
Substitute Principal Flute
2021
DEC 30 Floot Fire’s TMEA Area Prep Class
DEC 18 The Polyphonic Spree
18th Annual Holiday Extravaganza
The Majestic Theatre
Dallas, TX
DEC 4 Abilene Philharmonic
Christmas Movie Magic Pops
Substitute second flute
NOV 9 Guest Lecture
The University of Texas at Austin
OCT 16-17 Performance with The Polyphonic Spree
The Kessler Theater, Jutebox Jamboree
AUG 14 National Flute Association’s Convention
Around the World: New Zealand to Australia
Performing Taheke for flute and harp by Gareth Farr
JUL 18 Performing with The Polyphonic Spree
Sons of Herman Hall, Dallas, TX
2020
AUG 12 National Flute Association’s Summer Series
“Celebration Series” Recital
Performing Night Music, by Vanraj Bhatia
JUL 24 National Flute Association’s Summer Series
Virtual Warm-Up
JUL 7 Floot Fire Virutal Camp, 15-minute recital
JUN 22-26 Floot Fire Virtual Camp
Leading Contemporary Techniques Class
JUN 6 Austin Flute Society’s Virtual Festival: Gust Artist Clinician, “Introduction to World Music to Expand your Flute Technique”
JUN 6 Austin Flute Society
Masterclass for the Winners of the AFS
Young Artist Competition Senior (10-12) and Junior (8-9) Division
MAY 16 Austin Flute Society
Judge for the Young Artist Competition, Senior Division
MAY 2 Floot Fire Virtual Soloist Competition
Judge, Senior Division
APR 20 Texas Flute Society
Judge for Recorded Round
Semi-Finals of Myrna Brown Competition
APR 24 Guest Artist Lecture
Lamar University on Practice Tips and Techniques
MAR 13 Performance with Dr. Isaac Bustos at the
Southwest Guitar Symposium at UTSA
MAR 1 Solo Performance of in the thickets of ivory lilies
New Music Festival at UTSA
FEB 25 San Antonio Symphony
Substitute Second flute/piccolo
FEB 12 TMEA All-State Judge for 6A Flute Panel
FEB 5 Faculty Recital, “Stages”
with Dr. Tracy Cowden, piano and Dr. Isaac Bustos, guitar
UTSA Recital Hall
7:30pm
JAN 28 Tuesday Musical Society of San Antonio
Recital Performance with Dr. Tracy Cowden
2019
DEC 1 The Polyphonic Spree
Holiday Extravaganza
DEC 7-8 San Antonio Symphony
Substitute Second flute on Nutcracker
NOV 22 Guest Artist Recital and Masterclass
Texas Lutheran University
NOV 13 Masterclass at South San High School
NOV 6 Masterclass at East Central High School
OCT 17 Performance with Dr. Isaac Bustos at Texas A&M University
OCT 8 Performance with Dr. Isaac Bustos
UTSA Faculty Chamber Recital
OCT 3 Guest Artist Recital and Masterclass at Baylor University
JUL 4 Dallas Winds, Substitute Piccolo
4th of July Concerts
MAR 10 Performer for the Dallas Iranian Women’s Association
International Woman’s Day
FEB 26 Dallas Winds, Substitute Piccolo
FEB 4-8 Dallas Winds, Substitute Principal Flute
Dallas ISD 5th Grade Outreach Concerts
2018
NOV 10 East Texas Symphony Orchestra
Substitute Second Flute
OCT 27 Featured Performer
Brookhaven College Faculty Showcase Recital
OCT 21 Flute Faculty Recital at Brookhaven College
OCT 7 Performance with The Polyphonic Spree
The Buffalo Tree Festival
Dallas, TX