Mary Stolper

Mary Stolper is principal flute of Music of the Baroque and the Grant Park Orchestra. She has also held principal flute positions with Chicago Philharmonic, the Joffrey Ballet, American Ballet, Contemporary Chamber Players, Fulcrum New Music Project, Chicago Chamber Symphony, and the Chicago Chamber Musicians. She has appeared around the world in several ensembles, including a performance art piece in which she sang, acted, and played the flute in John Eaton’s “Golk.”

Mary Stolper was the principal guest flutist in the Chicago Symphony Orchestra for over 20 years. During that time she worked with some of the greatest conductors, including Georg Solti, Daniel Baremboim, Pierre Boulez, Zubin Mehta, and Bernard Haitink, and traveled on eighteen world tours. Highlights include performing Bernstein’s Halil in Vienna; the Nielsen Flute Concerto on a tour of the former East Germany, which closed with a performance in the Great Hall of Berlin; and appearing as soloist with Renee Fleming in her 2004 recital at Orchestra Hall.

As a member of the board of the National Flute Association, Mary Stolper has written numerous teaching articles that were published in various flute publications. She is a past president of the Chicago Flute Club and the Musicians Club of Women. As a recording artist, she has appeared as a soloist and ensemble performer for the Cedille, Bridge, and Erato labels.

Chair of the flute faculty at DePaul University for 29 years, she is currently on staff at Northwestern University as a coach and mentor for student chamber ensembles.

Mary Stolper appears as soloist in Birds, Frogs, Crickets, & Dogs on April 14 and 15