Marina Piccinini

Professor/ Woodwinds

 
Background

Growing up in a multi-national, multi-lingual household brimming with Italian, Brazilian, and Swiss cultural ties, and having resided in the far-flung locations of Sao Paulo, Zurich, Newfoundland, Toronto, New York City, and Vienna, the flutist brings the vibrant spirit of her rich heritage to all of her artistic endeavors. Ms. Piccinini’s artistic tapestry is also woven with threads both musical and non-musical, ranging from her love of Bachian intricacies and her talents in the visual arts, to her dedication to kung fu and Buddhist thought. As a 36th-generation Shaolin Fighting Monk, she relishes an ideology that inspires self-discovery, discipline, finding joy, and having no limits – all of which she brings to her instrumental artistry.

Education

  • Began her flute studies in Toronto with Jeanne Baxtresser

  • Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees from The Juilliard School, where she studied with the legendary flutist Julius Baker.

  • Worked with renowned musicians flutist Aurèle Nicolet, and tenor Ernst Haefliger in Switzerland.

Accomplishments

  • She is creator and founder of the Marina Piccinini International Masterclasses (MPIMC), in partnership with the New World Symphony.

  • The first flutist to win the coveted Avery Fisher Career Grant, she was top prize winner of the CBC Young Performers Competition and Concert Artists Guild International Competition.

  • premiered works by Aaron Jay Kernis, who recently wrote a flute concerto for her, John Harbison, Lukas Foss, Paquito D’Rivera, Marc-Andre Dalbavie, and Yuko Uebayashi, among others.

  • Her appearances as soloist include the Boston, Vienna, Vancouver, Tokyo, Toronto and National Symphonies and London, Rotterdam, and Hong Kong Philharmonics

  • worked with some of the leading conductors of our time, including Seiji Ozawa, Kurt Masur, Pierre Boulez, and Esa-Pekka Salonen.

  • She appears regularly on major stages around the world with such artists and ensembles as the Tokyo, Brentano, and Takács Quartets; pianists Mitsuko Uchida and Andreas Haefliger; and Tre Voci, her flute, harp, and viola trio; and she can be heard on the Avie, Claves, and ECM labels.

Masterclasses

The Marina Piccinini International Masterclasses (MPIMC) offers an intensive week of artistic inspiration and development in a supportive and collaborative setting which includes masterclasses, workshops, lectures, concerts and exhibits. Founded in 2008, the classes have taken place at the Peabody Institute, the New World Center in Miami Beach, on the Potash Hill Campus of the Marlboro Music Festival, and in 2024 was held in Canton Uri, Switzerland.

The central focus of the intensive is on musicianship at the highest possible level. Marina Piccinini, assisted by her wonderful collaborative pianists, present a daily masterclasses “Beyond the Score: Expression through Interpretation™” Also in residence each year are guest artists in masterclasses, workshops, discussions and recitals, with a focus on technique, orchestral repertoire, physical awareness and movement, history and current-day career issues.

Photos of Marina Piccinini with selected students for her masterclass at the Peabody Institute.