Cristina

About the music:



Please listen to the stand-alone player to hear CD excerpts. You can also visit http://www.piccoloist.com to hear the excerpts. The ones in the Myspace player are creating some sort of weird, low-quality buzz that's not present on the CD.



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UPDATE!! The CD is here! Visit http://www.piccoloist.com to order your copy!



A small bit about me:

I'm not a conservatory grad, I am a product of the University school systems. I am a big believer that you don't have to attend a wonderful music school or conservatory to compete with the prodigies that come out of those schools. Don't get me wrong, I would love to have studied with the big name teachers, but it just wasn't in the cards for me. Props to those who get to. For the most part, I was self taught until college, and now I am self taught again. I haven't had a flute lesson or been involved in a masterclass in almost 4 years. I rely a lot on articles, performances, and my own instinct to guide me.



If you didn't already know, I am a wife and the mother of two wonderful children, Jordan and Jenna. I also have a stepson named Jordan too! I used to practice 4 hours a day, but with kids, it's impossible. My family comes first and I spend my days taking care of them, and then my occasional hour or two a few nights a week practicing.

I'm not a polished performer by any means. I play the flute because I love it!!



Cristina Ledford was born in Cincinnati, Ohio and currently resides in Georgia with her family. Cristina began playing the flute and piccolo at an early age, and has always had a strong passion and commitment to her instruments.



Cristina is a graduate of Fort Pierce Central High School, Indian River Community College (AA), University of Central Florida (BM), and the University of Florida (MM). She is the former principal flute of the Treasure Coast Youth Symphony and the Central Florida Symphony Orchestra. Cristina is currently the solo piccoloist of the Ocmulgee Symphony Orchestra.



Recently, Cristina was on the faculty as Gordon College and now serves as an elementary music teacher in Georgia. In addition to her performing and new teaching job, Cristina also has a small flute studio where she gets to work with some of the finest young talent in middle Georgia!



Cristina has a special attachment to the piccolo which led to the development of www.piccoloist.com, a site where piccoloists from all over the world can come together and discuss everything related to the tiny instrument. She's nicknamed 'Picc Chic' for a reason! (Piccoloist.com is temporarily unavailable - July, 2008)



Cristina has also been a member of several flute societies throughout the USA as well as the National Flute Association. She won the Florida Flute Association's Advanced Masterclass competition twice (2001, 2003) and was a finalist in the FFA Young Artist Competition in 2000. She was also a Young Floridian award finalist, and a Semper Fidelis award recipient. Cristina has appeared as a soloist with the Treasure Coast Youth Symphony, University of Central Florida Symphony Orchestra, and the University of Florida Concert Band. She has performed in flute and piccolo masterclasses for Bernard Goldberg, Jill Felber/Claudia Anderson (ZAWA!) Martha Rearick, Mary Karen Clardy, Nan Raphael, Amy Rice-Blumenthal, Jeanne Tarrant, Aaron Goldman, Alexa Still, Michel Debost and Walfrid Kujala. Her flute teachers include Christina Burr, Dr. Nora Lee Garcia, Susan McQuinn, Peter Lloyd, Erika Leake, and Dr. Kristen Stoner. Her current mentor is Nicola Mazzanti, the Italian virtuoso piccoloist.



In 2008, Cristina recorded her debut CD featuring new music for solo piccolo and piccolo/piano. She performs on a Burkart deluxe model piccolo and a Muramatsu flute with a Lopatin headjoint. She can be heard playing piccolo on the University of Florida's CD's entitled "Dances and Dreams" and "Mountain Music", as well as flute and piccolo on Marcos Vega's CD entitled "Christmas Joy".



What's on my music stand this month? October, 2008



Paganini Caprices, Lovreglio's Eco di Napoli, Schocker's Piccolo Sonata