Mary Matthews, Flute

A dynamic and versatile performer, Mary Matthews is flute professor at Florida State University’s College of Music. She enjoys an active career as an international soloist, chamber musician, orchestral flutist, session musician, author, and pedagogue, and she has performed on four continents in venues such as Carnegie Hall, Severance Hall, the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, Fundação Universidade do Sul de Santa Catarina, Festival Goethe Institut Música Nueva, and Cité Internationale des Arts. She currently serves as second flutist of the Tallahassee Symphony, and she performs regularly with orchestras such as the Nashville Symphony, Knoxville Symphony, and Chattanooga Symphony, among others. 

An active studio musician and recording artist, Mary can be heard on soundtracks for film, TV, and video games on Netflix, HBO, and Disney. She has performed and toured with artists such as Sarah Brightman, Cody Fry, Richard Marx, and Béla Flek. She has released four albums including Intersections on the Ravello Records label, Three-Nine Line on the MSR Classics label, Charuhas on the Naxos Label, and Preludes & Recitations on the Tonsehen Records label. 

Mary is the flutist of Khemia Ensemble, a chamber ensemble dedicated to reflecting broader perspectives in contemporary classical chamber music. In addition to her work with Khemia, she is a member of Newfound Chamber Winds, Duo Rossignol (flute and soprano), Duo Elektra (flute and clarinet), and Aviary Quartet (flute quartet). With these ensembles, she has been featured at the ICA Festival in Dublin, Ireland, Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall, the College Music Society's National Conference, the New Music Gathering, the Dairy Arts Center's Soundscape series, and the multiple National Flute Association conventions. 

A sought-after performer of new music, Mary has premiered over 50 new works. She is known for her command of extended techniques and her adventurous programming. In June of 2021, she released her first method book co-authored by Nicole Chamberlain titled Beatboxing and Beyond that introduces the most common types of extended techniques for flute. The book is published by Spotted Rocket and was reviewed as "a revelation - it's a worthy addition to all our libraries." (Flutist Quarterly). She was awarded the 2022 Scholastic Research Award from Tennessee Tech University for the publication, and the National Flute Association named Beatboxing & Beyond a finalist in the 2022 Newly Published Music awards. The second volume, Into the Beyond, was released in October of 2023 and was named a finalist in the NFA 2024 Newly Published Music Awards.

Prior to her appointment at FSU, Dr. Matthews served as Associate Professor of Flute at Tennessee Tech University's School of Music. During the summer, she is on faculty at the New England Music Camp and Newfound Chamber Winds Fellowship Program, and she offers workshops and lessons at FSU's Summer Music Camp. She has presented workshops and masterclasses at National Flute Association conventions across the country and institutions across the globe including Colorado State University, Columbus State University's Schwob School of Music, Bowling Green State University, and El Instituto Eduardo Laredo in Cochabamba, Bolivia.