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Nancy Clew

2020 Distinguished Service Award

 

Encouraging flutists young and old everywhere and sharing good music has always been Nancy Clew’s goal. Her outgoing personality, organizational capabilities, and leadership skills have made her widely known and well respected throughout the flute community and have led her down a remarkably broad and fulfilling career path. As a member of the National Flute Association, she served on the Board of Directors from 2002 to 2004, was the Convention’s site selection coordinator from 1989 to 1993, served for five years as the Myrna Brown Dine-Around Coordinator, and represented the NFA on its trips to China in 1987 and East Germany in 1993.

She also founded the American Flute Orchestra in 1996, which later became the International Flute Orchestra. Over the past quarter century, it has traveled to and performed in over 22 different countries around the world. The International Flute Orchestra typically presents four concerts during its ten-day to two-week tours, and its members meet with flute groups and teachers along the way. Because of the professional diversity of the members, who are flutists, teachers, publishers, and symphony musicians, connections are made that sometimes have a profound and lasting impact.

Nancy Clew

For 41 years she taught flute students at Brevard Community College and maintained a large private flute studio. In 1976 she became one of the five founders of the Florida Flute Association, and was its first president and continues as an advisor to the board. She also assisted in creating the Florida Summer Flute Workshop for young flutists where for over 20 years she was a guest artist and teacher. Clew has given masterclasses throughout the United States as well as the Far East, and from 1980 to 1998 coordinated the United States summer masterclasses for Geoffrey Gilbert and Peter Lloyd. She is a founding and current board member of the 40-year-old Melbourne Chamber Music Society, and she produces monthly music programs for seniors.

Read Nancy Clew's The Flutist Quarterly tribute here.