Draft:Sonora Slocum

Sonora Slocum is an American classical flutist and Principal Flute of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra.

Education
Born into a musical family, Slocum attended The Juilliard School and Manhattan School of Music Pre-College Divisions. Slocum holds a Bachelor's Degree from the Curtis Institute of Music and Master's Degree in Orchestral Performance from the Manhattan School of Music. She attended the Music Academy of the West, as well as the Aspen and Pacific Music Festivals. Slocum studied with principal flutists including Jeffrey Khaner, Robert Langevin, and Bart Feller.

Performing career
“Sonora Slocum has wonderful resonance and a delightfully relaxed vibrato. It’s easy to love such vocal playing, and any orchestra is blessed to have her big sound.” (American Record Guide 169).

Appointed principal flute of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra in 2012 at the age of 22, Sonora Slocum maintains a burgeoning solo and orchestral career. Slocum has performed with orchestras around the country including guest principal flute with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and appearances with the Philadelphia Orchestra on flute and piccolo. Her collaborations as guest principal include touring and audio recordings with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra as well as visual recordings with the Philharmonia Orchestra of New York at Lincoln Center. A regular soloist with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, Slocum is recognized for her “pure, sparkling sound” (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel).

Slocum spends her summers performing at music festivals including the Lincoln Center Festival, Strings Music Festival, Twickenham Fest, and Lakes Area Music Festival. She performs regularly with the chamber music series It's Frankly Music, led by Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra Concertmaster Frank Almond. In 2019, she was a featured performer at the National Flute Association Friday Gala performance at Abravanel Hall in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Teaching career
Sonora Slocum has conducted master classes at the Curtis Institute of Music, NYO2 Carnegie Hall Youth Orchestra, DePaul University, Montclair State University, New Jersey City University, East Tennessee State University and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Slocum is a faculty member of the Curtis Mentor Network.

Discography
In 2019, Sonora released her debut album Return with Affetto Records, featuring John Wilson, piano.