Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music has appointed flutist Marianne Gedigian to the faculty. She begins her official role after the next academic year, starting July 1, 2023.
Gedigian will follow in the footsteps of Leone Buyse, her former mentor and longtime Shepherd School flute professor, after she retires at the end of the 2022-2023 year.
In a press release, Buyse described Gedigian as “an extremely perceptive musician, a virtuoso performer, and an empathetic teacher with an uncanny ability to analyze problems and inspire solutions.”
“We have known each other since her days as a student in Boston,” said Buyse. “It has been a great delight for me to follow the evolution of her career as an orchestral musician, soloist, chamber music player, and professor.”
An international concert flutist, recording artist, and noted educator, Gedigian is currently a professor of flute at the University of Texas at Austin’s Butler School of Music, where she has taught since 2004.
Gedigian established her career in Boston, earning her bachelor’s degree in flute performance at Boston University and later joining the faculty of BU as well as the Boston Conservatory. During her Boston days, she met Buyse, with whom she studied at the New England Conservatory.
While Buyse would join Rice’s Shepherd School in the mid-1990s, Gedigian would continue her concert career for a while longer in Boston, performing for more than a decade with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. She also served as principal flute with the city’s major arts organizations, including the Boston Pops, Opera Company of Boston, Musica Viva, Boston Chamber Music Society, and the Boston Ballet Orchestra.
Her solo performances, recitals, and master classes have taken her to Australia, Armenia, Canada, China, England, Japan, and throughout Europe.
In addition, Gedigian has performed on several John Williams movie scores, including Saving Private Ryan and Schindler’s List, and has numerous recording credits on major labels.
During the 2022-2023 school year, leading up to her formal appointment, Gedigian will reunite with Buyse as they work together to coach students and prepare them for the change in flute studio leadership.
“Leone is a source of inspiration as my mentor and in bridging the worlds of performer to artist-faculty,” Gedigian said in a statement. “Our close collegial relationship will prove invaluable in facilitating a seamless transition for the students.”
Houston Arts Journal 