Masterclass with Molly Barth

Molly Barth is constantly in motion. This Grammy Award-winning flutist, professor and clinician moves effortlessly from concert hall to teaching studio to rehearsal room to orchestral section. Molly needs fuel for this fire.

Molly is fueled by visceral communication with listeners. This “ferociously talented” performer (The Oregonian) crosses from VA to CA, the UK to Korea. The halls may be large or small, the music may be old or new, but the performances are always concentrated, intense.

Molly is fueled by the smell of wet ink. Molly has premiered hundreds of pieces, finding the creation of new music uplifting and miraculous. As co-founder and former member of the ensembles Eighth Blackbird and Beta Collide, Molly toured the world, recorded a dozen albums, and—with Eighth Blackbird—won a Grammy Award.

Molly is fueled by the spark and closeness of chamber music. Molly is a co-founder of the Zohn Collective, a group of curious musicians who share a love of risk and exploration. They have collaborated with a puppet company and a cartoonist, have toured the US and México and record extensively.

Molly is fueled by her work as a teacher. Molly is Associate Flute Professor at the Blair School of Music, Vanderbilt University, and Molly guides her students to become comprehensive flutists. They leave Molly as skilled, flexible, bold musicians, able to think critically and speak to audiences. Molly took her inspiration primarily from her stellar teachers at Oberlin, the Cincinnati Conservatory, and Northwestern.

Molly is fueled by the natural world. Molly runs or bikes daily, and friends say that if she sees a mountain, she wants to climb it. Molly is driven to play in unconventional locations such as a lava field, a lighthouse, a gold-mining dredge, Crater Lake National Park, and a well-traveled pedestrian bridge in downtown Nashville.

Molly is fueled by her desire to document her adventures as a performer. You can hear Molly’s blend of control and ferocity on these featured albums: Vento Appassionato, digging into 20th century solo flute repertoire; Thorn, focusing on the chamber music of David Lang; and Castillos de Viento, performing intimate music with guitar. Then see where it all began on her YouTube page: at her first solo public performance, in fifth grade, of “Memory” from the musical Cats.