Biography

Current Biography

Alto and bass flute specialist Dr. Christine Potter has performed in London, Paris, Mexico City, Toronto, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Seattle, Washington D.C., and many other U.S. cities.  She is President and Founder of the International Low Flutes Society that she incorporated as a non-profit in 2023, building on previous personally-funded Festivals beginning in 2018.  Chris has commissioned and premiered many works for alto and bass including Obstinato and Scherzo by Mike Mower and Low Flutes at High Tides by Matthias Ziegler. Her award-winning Advanced Alto Method, Alto Method and Bass Method, based on principles she learned from Marcel Moyse, are available in 16 countries via Amazon. For several years Chris directed a Low Flutes Choir at the James Galway Festival in Switzerland and she has organized and taught many Low Flutes Retreats in a variety of U.S. locations since 2004.

Chris was the first chair of the National Flute Association’s Low Flutes Committee and provided initial funding for the NFA’s Alto Flute Competition. Alto and bass flute are featured on her CD Flute Menagerie.  She has many published books through American and British publishers including her best-selling Vibrato Workbook. Her books for low flutes include Stellar Solos, Three Vocalises, Winter Duets, Four Bach Fugues, Alto Times Two and the Advanced Alto Flute Method, Alto Flute Method and Bass Flute Method. 

Her website is http://www.chrispotterflute.com.

Full BiographyPotter-5073 web copy

Dr. Christine Potter has performed in London, Paris, Mexico City, Toronto, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Seattle, Washington D.C., Boston and other U.S. cities. She is an internationally recognized alto and bass flute virtuoso and has performed, conducted and presented workshops at conventions of the National Flute Association (NFA) and British Flute Society. She was the first chair of the NFA’s Low Flutes Committee and organized and helped fund the first Alto Flute Artist Competition for the NFA in 2019.  Chris has conducted a low flutes choir at the Galway Flute Festival in Switzerland for six years.

In 2018, Chris organized an International Low Flutes Festival which took place near Washington, D.C. People from Turkey, Japan, Iceland and Australia as well as the U.S. attended the three day event. Chris is helping organize a second online International Festival for June 2022 that will include a Bass Flute Competition. She is working on a Festival for April 2024.

Chris has commissioned and premiered many pieces for low flutes including; Two for Two and LowDown by Katherine Hoover,  Obstinato and Scareso by Mike Mower, Low Flutes at High Tides and Voices by Matthias Ziegler, Voices from the Deep and Alchemy of Earth by Alexandra Molnar-Suhajda, Baikal Journey by Catherine McMichael, Stone Suite by Sonny Burnette, and Forbidden Forest by Jonathan Cohen. Her CD Flute Menagerie and features works for alto and bass flute.

Chris is the author of many published books, including award winners Three Vocalises, Stellar Solos, an Alto Flute Method, a Bass Flute Method, Winter Duets, the Alto and Bass Flute Resource Book, a Vibrato Workbook and Halloween Duets. 

In addition to being the first Chair of the NFA Low Flutes Committee, Chris has served in other positions, including:

  • Founder, past president and past treasurer, Colorado Flute Association
  • Member (five years), NFA Pedagogy Committee, which compiled the first Repertoire Guide for the NFA’s 6000+ members
  • Assistant Program Chair, 2007 NFA convention
  • Administrator of the 3500 member Low Flutes Facebook Group

2021 was the 17th year Chris has organized Alto and Bass Flute Retreats. This four-day event includes chamber music, low flutes choir, workshops, sight-reading and public performances. Three Retreats are planned for 2022.

Chris Potter Flute CarvingChris appeared on the cover of Flute Talk magazine in  2008 with the 12-foot high sculpture of a bass flute in her front yard. She was a frequent contributor to Flute Talk as well as The Quarterly.

Chris has a Doctorate in Flute Performance from SUNY Stonybrook where she studied with Sam Baron. Her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees were with Fulbright scholar Frank Bowen at the University of New Mexico. She also attended numerous masterclasses of Marcel Moyse and William Bennett.

She has also written and arranged numerous pieces and teaching materials. Halloween Duets and The Alto and Bass Flute Resource Book and her Vibrato Workbook and Bass Method were all winners in the National Flute Association’s Newly Published Music Competition. Her newest publication, Three Vocalises for alto or bass and piano, is published by Falls House Press and contains pieces by Ravel, Rachmaninoff and Faure. It was also winner in the NFA’s Newly published music competition.

11836792_10154085316827786_5461661070113866898_nChris is known for her clever and innovative performances. She has organized concerts in planetariums, recorded a soundtrack in sea caves from a kayak for an improvised bass flute solo titled SplishSplash!, includes a movie in her performance of Lunar Mural 1,  and organizes audience participation, including sing-a-longs.

Chris holds an annual Alto and Bass Flute Retreat every summer. In 2020 the 16th annual retreats were held online. The retreat’s focus is chamber music; duets, trios, quartets, and quintets for low flutes.

Chris has a Doctorate in Flute Performance from SUNY Stonybrook where she studied with Sam Baron. Her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees were with Fulbright scholar Frank Bowen at the University of New Mexico. She has also attended numerous masterclasses of Marcel Moyse and William Bennett.