"...one of today’s best young flute players. She has a wonderful sound, great technique and beautiful artistry..."
-- Dr. Bradley Garner
Dr. Virginia Broffitt is Assistant Professor of Flute at Western Illinois University and flutist in the Camerata Woodwind Quintet. A versatile musician, she has established a successful career as a teacher, competitor, soloist, orchestral musician, and chamber musician. She previously served as second flute in the Fort Wayne Philharmonic and piccoloist in the Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra. Virginia was formerly a faculty member with the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music Preparatory Department and served as guest artist and faculty in residence for The North Carolina School of the Arts Musica Piccola festival.
Among Virginia’s notable accomplishments are winning the National Flute Association’s Young Artist Competition in 2004, and competing as a semi-finalist in the National Flute Association’s Piccolo Artist competition. She also competed as a semi-finalist in the Frank Bowen Competition and the Fort Collins Symphony Young Artist Competition.
An avid teacher and performer, she has given performance master classes and taught classes on performance preparation and performance anxiety, and has performed concerts throughout The United States and Europe. Virginia has appeared as a soloist with the INTY Ensemble, CCM Philharmonia, and the WIU Symphony Orchestra. She has also performed at numerous NFA conventions.
An enthusiastic performer of contemporary music, Virginia has had the opportunity to work with many notable contemporary composers on their pieces, including Chen Yi, Derek Bermel, George Tsontakis, Jake Heggie, Michael Fiday, and Moritz Eggert. She has given numerous premieres, including Michael Fiday’s 9 Haiku for flute and piano and Robert Denham’s Lament of Aeneas for alto flute and orchestra.
A native of Iowa City, Iowa, Dr. Broffitt received her Bachelor of Music degree in flute performance from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts where she studied with Tadeu Coelho. She went on to receive a Master of Music degree and Doctor of Musical Arts degree in flute performance with a chamber music cognate from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. While at CCM, she served as the Flute Teaching Assistant to Dr. Bradley Garner. Her past teachers include Dr. Bradley Garner, Randy Bowman, Dr. Tadeu Coelho, Jack Wellbaum, Dr. Irna Priore, and Kristen Rizzo.
Virginia is a Miyazawa performing artist.