970.453.5825

amanda-blaikieNRO Alumna (2012) and Flutist Amanda Blaikie was recently appointed 2nd Flute of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. 

“Attending NRO was one of the best musical experiences of my life, giving me the confidence to pursue my dreams and obtain an orchestral position.  This festival trained me to learn and perform orchestral repertoire at a rapid pace and at an extremely high level.  I look back on my summer at NRO with great fondness for the numerous performance opportunities, guest conductors, and the inexplicable beauty of the Breckenridge mountains.  I left this music festival a better musician and a better person.” – Amanda Blaikie

Ms. Blaikie previously held the position of Principal Flute with both the Michigan Opera Theatre Orchestra and the Sarasota Opera in Florida.  Amanda has performed with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra for several years and can be heard on various DSO recordings and webcasts.  An avid chamber musician, she also performs regularly with Detroit Chamber Winds & Strings, Chamber Music at the Scarab Club, New Music Detroit, and Cut-Time Players.

Other previous orchestral positions include Principal Flute with the Miami City Ballet and the Battle Creek Symphony Orchestra. Amanda has substituted with the New World Symphony and Orlando Philharmonic, and has performed on numerous occasions with the New York Philharmonic, including a European Tour and a PBS Live from Lincoln Center television broadcast.  

As a soloist, Amanda performs recitals around the country and has twice been featured with the Allegro Chamber Orchestra.  She made her solo debut at Carnegie’s Weill Recital Hall after being named a Winner of the 2013 Alexander & Buono International Flute Competition.  Passionate about teaching and sharing her love of music, Amanda is a Flute Instructor at Oakland University and maintains a private flute studio in Ferndale, Michigan.  

Amanda began the flute at age 10 after previously studying piano and voice.  She avidly listened to her opera-singing grandfather from a young age and eagerly adopted his passion for music.  Amanda earned a Professional Studies Degree at the Manhattan School of Music under the tutelage of Robert Langevin, Principal Flutist of the New York Philharmonic.  She also received a MM in Flute Performance from the University of Miami and a BA in Music from Principia College.  Her additional primary flute teachers include Christine Nield-Capote, Marie Jureit-Beamish, and Jenny Robinson.