Melody Cheung, Kathrine Eldridge, and Lynn Kaufman will perform in the NFA's Adult Amateur Masterclass on Sunday, January 25 at 2pm CT. Dr. Spencer Hartman will lead this class.
This event is free and open to all - no NFA membership required. Learn more and register at
nfaonline.org/events.
This event is sponsored by Flute Specialists.
Melody Cheung fell in love with the flute at age 10, captivated by its warm, lustrous
sound.
At 14, she entered her first competition at the Texas University Interscholastic League, earning a Division One rating for her solo performance under the adjudication of Mary
Karen Clardy, Regents Professor of Flute at the University of North Texas. She went on
to earn top placements at the regional, area, and state levels, culminating in the
prestigious honor of winning 2nd chair in the TMEA Texas All-State Band.
These accomplishments led her to study with Jacob Berg, Principal Flute of the St.
Louis Symphony Orchestra, where she refined her tone, technique, and interpretive
style.
Melody has embraced a wide range of musical opportunities, from conducting Phantom
of the Opera for the Elsik Mighty Rams Band to performing with the flute choir at the
Colburn School in Los Angeles and at Washington University in St. Louis. She has also
appeared as a soloist with the Silicon Beach Philharmonic and contributed to their
Healing Music program. Most recently, she was named winner of the 2025 National
Flute Association Intermediate Masterclass Competition
Her musical growth has been enriched through masterclasses with renowned artists
such as Jasmine Choi and Viviana Guzmán, and she is especially grateful for the
mentorship of composer and flutist Gary Schocker, under whose guidance her sound
palette broadened and her emotions found clarity in their expression.
Kathrine Eldridge is a flutist. She is also a wife, a mother, a fashion blogger, a wardrobe stylist, and a content creator. Each of these titles gives a tiny glimpse into her artistic
journey, which has brought her full circle to this moment – back to her flute career.
Kathrine received her undergraduate degree in flute performance from the University of
Illinois, Champaign-Urbana and earned her master’s degree at DePaul University.
After her master’s degree, Kathrine stepped away from music and turned her focus to
having a family. After a long hiatus, Kathrine began her flute renaissance. In 2022 and
2024, she performed recitals and was recently named the winner of NFA’s 2025 Adult
Amateur Masterclass Competition for the advanced division. She currently shares her
program titled Healing the Spirit Within One Note at a Time with community groups
throughout the Chicagoland area which combines music, poetry, and art. She also
performs regularly with her church choir. Currently Kathrine is a board member of the
Chicago Flute Club and is also the social media chair for this organization.
Lynn G. Kaufman is a flutist based in San Diego, California. She studies with Dr. Julia Barnett, rediscovering flute after a 35-year pause. Kaufman performs regularly with the Avanti Flute Choir in San Diego. She is especially passionate about ensemble playing, expanding challenges in her repertoire, and exploring new methods of practice and performing. Lynn lives in San Diego with her husband, Nate, pets Whitney, Bobbi Jo and Harry and is the proud mother of two children and grandmother of six.