Vanamali Medina, flute instructor, has enjoyed teaching students of all ages since 2005 and was thrilled to join the faculty at MacPhail in the fall of 2012. She encourages her students to approach lessons with a curious and experimental mindset and aims to ensure they feel well-prepared to continue their learning independently during practice. She also emphasizes efficient body usage, helping students to identify and correct problems, prevent injury, and improve confidence.
Her performing experience covers a wide range of ensembles, from musicals and opera pit orchestras to wind ensembles, chamber groups, and many years in early music, where she had the opportunity to study Baroque flute. She also founded and conducted the St. Olaf Flute Choir and taught a course on Flute Methods at the University of British Columbia.
Vanamali received her Bachelor of Music Performance with Distinction from St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minn., studying with Kay Sahlin. She completed her Master of Music degree in Flute Performance at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, where she studied with Brenda Fedoruk, Principal Flute of the Vancouver Opera Orchestra, and Lorna McGhee, Principal Flute of the Pittsburgh Symphony.
