Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Lindsey Goodman. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Lindsey, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

My most meaningful project is my fifth solo album, “transporting bright”, which features eleven commissioned works by living American composers. The release, available on the Navona Records label from PARMA Recordings, includes pieces for solo flute, flute and electronics, flute and piano with the Chrysalis Duo, and flute quartet with PANdemonium4. The project was made possible by the generous support of the Greater Columbus Arts Council, the Ohio Arts Council, and the Johnstone Fund for New Music.

“transporting bright” holds a special place for me because it was ideated as we first came out of the pandemic years, representing a reclamation of my work as a performing artist. The music on the album was written for me by friends and collaborators either just before the pandemic, during the COVID years, or just after that singular time, and these pieces gave me hope through those dark days of uncertainty. Multiple works received their world premieres via live-streamed or pre-recorded solo concerts from my home while performing venues were shuttered and performers and audiences alike were hungry for artistic and personal connection.

This album also marks the first time that I’ve funded a project through publicly-available grant monies, which are incredibly important for artists and creatives seeking to bring their work to the waiting world. As a society, it’s imperative that we provide funding mechanisms for artists to take their ideas from dream to reality.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I’m a flutist who works as a soloist, recording artist, chamber collaborator, orchestral musician, educator, and clinician. I made my sold-out Carnegie Hall debut in Weill Recital Hall to three curtain calls and a standing ovation, and my solo and chamber concerts, masterclasses, and presentations have been enthusiastically received at Lincoln Center, the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Google headquarters, the “Nobody Listens to Paula Poundstone” podcast, Eastman School of Music, University of Cincinnati College–Conservatory of Music, Oberlin Conservatory of Music, several National and Canadian Flute Association conventions, and throughout China.

I’m one of North America’s leading electroacoustic flute specialists and a passionate advocate for living composers, having premiered over 225 works. My five solo albums of new music receive frequent national and international airplay.

I serve as principal flutist of the West Virginia Symphony Orchestra, instructor of flute at Otterbein University and Glenville State University, artist faculty at the Mostly Modern Festival, and solo flutist of the new music ensemble What Is Noise. I’m a founding member of flute quartet PANdemonium4, the flute and harp Apollo Duo, and Chrysalis, a singing flutist and singing pianist duo.

I studied with flutists Robert Langevin and Walfrid Kujala, earning degrees from the Manhattan School of Music, Northwestern University, and Duquesne University and live in central Ohio.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

As an artist, my mission is to shape the music of our time. I tirelessly perform, commission, promote, record, and collaborate with living American composers to bring new works into the world, and I’m grateful to have been the conduit for over 230 world premieres, as well as humbled to have been the muse for multiple masterworks.

As a leading electroacoustic performer, I stand firmly at the intersection of art and technology, merging human-created compositions with live-processed or fixed media for performances which speak to a society increasingly more at ease with electronic-created or -shaped music than that created by traditional instruments.

I also take joy in pushing the flute forward, whether by inventing a new extended technique (a different way of creating sound on a typical instrument) or moving the needle towards the weird, wild, or unusual through a newly commissioned work. While I’ll always love playing Bach, Beethoven, and Brahms, seeking the edge of possibility and forging directly through it makes the most impact on the future of music.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

Music and performing is about people: both the people we collaborate with and the people who receive our work. While most of my time as an artist is spent alone – practicing, studying, and undertaking the business of a career in the arts – it’s all in preparation for people to receive the music.

36 years into my career as a flutist, I’m still wildly in love with the intangible magic that makes the air I breathe become sound which fills others’ hearts and minds. While I, and the composers I perform, play an active role in what audience members feel, each person’s own unique thoughts and emotions while listening are shaped by their personal life experiences, creating a myriad of artistic ripples out in the world.

I’m also immensely lucky to work with some of the best collaborators in the world. From composers to chamber music collaborators and from conductors to audio engineers, it’s impossible to overestimate the power that trusted and beloved colleagues have on both performing authentically and pushing myself to be my best.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.lindseygoodman.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lindseyjgoodman/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LindseyGoodmanFlutist
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindseygoodman/
• Twitter: https://x.com/LindseyJGoodman
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/lindseygoodmanfans

Image Credits

Photos by Perry Bennett Photography
Exception: Carnegie Hall photo anonymous