Brenna Wiinanen
Brenna Wiinanen, flutist, is an active performer, teacher, and researcher whose experiences have led to numerous masterclasses, performances, and conferences around the world.
Wiinanen holds a Bachelor of Arts degree (Music Performance) from Coastal Carolina University, where she graduated as the Outstanding Senior in the Music Department, with Honors, and Summa Cum Laude. She also holds a Master in Music with a dual concentration in Musicology and Performance from the University of Kansas (KU). Her published thesis titled “The National Flute Association’s Twentieth Anniversary Anthology of American Flute Music and the Development of American Compositional Style in the Twentieth Century,” explores how the conception and formation process influenced the reception of The Anthology and its relevance today. Wiinanen is currently working towards a Doctorate in Music Performance with certificates in Arts Administration and College Teaching at Florida State University (FSU) while also serving as a Graduate Teaching Assistant for the flute studio. Her duties include teaching undergraduate applied flute lessons, teaching the flute portion of woodwind methods, coaching chamber ensembles, teaching flute studio classes, and teaching the undergraduate flute ensemble.
Wiinanen has performed in numerous ensembles including Fountain Five (woodwind quintet), Sinfonia Gulf Coast Orchestra, and FSU’s Symphony Orchestra, Wind Orchestra, and Graduate Flute Ensemble. During her Masters, she played with the Ad Astra Chamber Players and KU's Symphony Orchestra, while also serving as its librarian.
Wiinanen enjoys seeking new opportunities for development in performance, teaching, and researching. Her primary teachers include Amy Hardison Tully, Daniel Velasco, and Karen Large.
