Erica Spear

Doctoral Student, Flute Performance

Erica Spear is a candidate for the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in flute performance. Her dissertation project, titled “The Flute and Dance: An Examination of Dance Styles and Movement Influences in the Repertoire,” consists of recitals exploring representations of dance in the flute repertoire and will culminate in a final interdisciplinary recital featuring original choreography by students in the dance department. Erica is excited to be collaborating with  Sound Impact, a local collective of musicians, as a part of her Arts for All Graduate Fellowship research, where they will be presenting a workshop and premiering new pieces via a residency at the Northern Virginia Juvenile Detention Center.

     As a flutist, Erica performs regularly in the DC Metro area with the Great Falls Philharmonic and Pan American Symphony Orchestra, and has performed in a variety of venues such as the Kennedy Center, Rhizome, Library of Congress, and Arts Club of Washington. She is the flutist of newly formed wind quintet Ensemble Vesper, a group dedicated to presenting contemporary classical repertoire. Erica also serves as the orchestra operations coordinator for the Kennedy Center Opera House and Washington National Opera Orchestra, and is the concert operations manager for the Baltimore Chamber Orchestra. She completed her Master of Music at the University of Maryland and her Bachelor of Music degrees in Instrumental Music Education and Flute Performance at Appalachian State University, where she attended as a North Carolina Teaching Fellow.