Draft:Katie Althen-Velázquez

Katie Althen-Velázquez (née Althen), also known by her online handle katieflute, is an American classical flutist, educator, and YouTuber who currently lives in New York City. She is recognized as one of the first classical music social media influencers since starting to build her Instagram following in 2014. Currently she has over 39 million views on her YouTube channel where she produces flute related videos.

In addition to her social media endeavors, she is a founding member and co-director of Sonora Collective, a New York City—based musicians collective that performs in art galleries and other unique spaces across the New York metropolitan area.

She plays on a 9-karat gold Muramatsu flute.

Early life and education
Althen-Velázquez was born and raised in Reading, Pennsylvania where she attended Governor Mifflin High School. She began playing the flute when she was 10 years old in her school band program. She then went on to study at the New England Conservatory in Boston, Massachusetts, obtaining a bachelor’s degree in flute performance where she studied with flute soloist Paula Robison. From there, she attended The Juilliard School in New York City, where she earned her master of music in flute performance under the tutelage of Robert Langevin, the principal flutist of the New York Philharmonic. She then went onto study briefly at the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore, Maryland in the graduate performance diploma program in the studio of Marina Piccinini.

Career
As a founding member and co-director of Sonora Collective, Althen-Velázquez has played a role in curating numerous distinct concert programs since 2020 when the group made their debut at Fort Makers gallery. She has helped the group commission new works for flute and strings, collaborating with esteemed composers Paul Frucht and Jared Miller.

In 2016, she performed alongside James Galway in his 75th birthday celebration broadcast live by WQXR.

In 2018 she appeared on the limited run of Rocktopia on Broadway at the Broadway Theatre in New York City.

In 2022, she performed with a group of other notable New York City flutists to accompany Lizzo at the Met Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

She is an artist-faculty member of the Charles Ives Music Festival in Ridgefield, Connecticut, a program which explores the history and legacy of American composer Charles Ives through concerts and educational events. At the festival in August 2023, she gave the premiere of American composer Paul Frucht's concerto for flute and chamber orchestra, "There Are Stars".

Althen-Velázquez performs frequently with Mexican pianist, Santiago Lomelín. The duo has appeared in recital at the Palacio de la cultura y los congresos (PALCCO) in Jalisco, Mexico as well as across the US East Coast.

Youtube and social media
Althen-Velázquez has over 39 million views on her YouTube channel where she is known as katieflute. She frequently produces content in collaboration with the Flute Center, is the largest seller of new and used flutes in North America. She has also collaborated with the flute accessory brand, Fluter Scooter.

Awards
In 2016, Althen-Velázquez was named the 3rd-prize winner of the New York Flute Club Competition.

Personal life
In 2023, Katie married Argentine violinist, Jeremías Sergiani-Velázquez, who is the Principal Second Violin of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, a position he has held since 2021. The couple met during their studies at the New England Conservatory, and perform chamber music together frequently.