Mary Boodell

FLUTIST

Mary Boodell is the Principal Flutist of the Richmond Symphony in Virginia. Praised as one of the city’s “most versatile and venturesome musicians,” she has won acclaim for numerous chamber music collaborations, orchestral solos, and concerto performances. Both a specialist in historical flute performance and an advocate for contemporary music, Ms. Boodell has performed across the US and Europe, including at the Los Angeles Hollywood Bowl, Eastern Music Festival, Wolf Trap, Festival of Two Worlds in Spoleto, Italy, Institute for Sacred Music Yale University, and yearly at the Staunton Music Festival. Before coming to the Richmond Symphony, Ms. Boodell played Principal Flute with the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra in Tennessee and the Civic Orchestra of Chicago. As a musician and board member, she has worked since 2004 with the Chamber Music Society of Central Virginia, which is committed to commissioning new work and bringing world-class chamber music to Richmond.

Born in Chicago, Ms. Boodell received her Bachelor of Music at the Oberlin Conservatory and her Master of Music at Northwestern University, under the tutelage of Robert Willoughby and Walfrid Kujala respectively. A devoted teacher herself, she has taught at the University of Richmond and the Richmond Symphony School of Music, coaches youth symphony players, maintains a private studio, and performs regularly with the RSO Woodwind Quintet in Richmond-area public schools. Her students have gone on to major conservatories and top orchestral jobs.

When not performing, she enjoys biking, swimming, cooking, yoga, and exploring the city of Richmond, where she lives with her family.