SC Connecticut News

The School of Music recently welcomed renowned flutist Tara Helen O’Connor to its faculty in September. O’Connor, who now serves as Visiting Associate Professor (Adjunct) of Flute, shared her insights into her career, teaching methodology, and the future of classical music.

O'Connor's diverse performance career spans solo work, chamber music settings, recordings and film soundtracks, as well as performances of new music and familiar repertoire. She likened a musician's journey to "weaving a tapestry", with each individual's unique musical experiences contributing to their overall journey. As a young flutist growing up on Long Island, she seized numerous performance opportunities in youth orchestras and chamber music festivals. Her studies at SUNY Stony Brook under the late Samuel Baron further propelled her towards orchestral and chamber music opportunities.

While still in school, O'Connor formed an ensemble with like-minded colleagues. They worked on projects with composers at Princeton and Columbia University and won the Walter W. Naumburg Chamber Music Award. This recognition helped propel both her group's name and her own into the limelight.

O'Connor highlighted two significant opportunities that significantly advanced her career: a recording project for Isang Yun’s 75th birthday and the Bowers Program for emerging artists by the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. These experiences led to high-profile work in New York and invitations to major music festivals across the country.

In terms of pedagogy, O'Connor emphasized the importance of passing on knowledge to ensure the survival and growth of classical music. She described teaching as a process that inspires her while also improving her own playing skills through analysis. An important component of her teaching philosophy is "mentoring is doing". This concept underscores the importance for students to see their teachers actively committed to their art form.

When asked about the future of classical music, O'Connor expressed optimism due to an increasing number of people studying music today. She also noted the rise of performers writing and playing their own music, and the use of social media and technology to share their work with larger audiences. Music schools and conservatories, she believes, play a crucial role in shaping the future of classical music by fostering fresh ideas and new works.