Hannah Hammel is the newly appointed Principal Flute of the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra. She recently graduated with her MM in flute performance from Rice University's Shepherd School of Music as a student of Leone Buyse. She holds a BM in flute performance and a minor in Music Theory from The Oberlin Conservatory where she studied with Alexa Still. An active solo flutist, Hannah has won first place in the 2016 National Flute Association's Young Artist Competition, 2016 Houston Flute Club Byron Hester Competition, the 2015 Atlanta Flute Association Young Artist Competition, the 2014 National Flute Association Orchestral Excerpt Competition, 2013 Central Ohio Flute Association Collegiate Division Competition and second place in the 2013 Mid-South Flute Society’s Young Artist Competition. She was a winner in the 2012 (Las Vegas) and 2013 (New Orleans) National Flute Association Masterclass Performer’s Competitions and the 2012 National Flute Association Frances Blaisdell Scholarship winner. Hannah has performed as a soloist with several orchestras including the Orchestra Society of Philadelphia, Ocean City Pops Orchestra, Round Top Festival Orchestra, Wichita Falls Youth Orchestra, and Richmond Symphony Youth Orchestra. Hannah has presented recitals around the country in states including Ohio, Virginia, Texas, Minnesota, and Georgia.
As an orchestral musician, Hannah has performed as principal flute in Carnegie Hall, The Kennedy Center, Severance Hall, and Suntory Hall. She has been a guest with the Pittsburgh Symphony, Houston Grand Opera, Richmond Symphony, and New World Symphony. Hannah has spent summers performing at festivals including Music Academy of the West, Pacific Music Festival, Spoleto Festival USA, Round Top Music Festival, Castleton Festival Symphony Orchestra, Hot Springs Music Festival, Pacific Regional International Summer Music Academy, Staunton Music Festival, Wintergreen Performing Arts Festival Orchestra, and Credo Summer Orchestra, where she performed J.S. Bach's Brandenburg Concerti No. 2 and No. 5 in Chicago's Symphony Center. Through the Music Academy of the West, Hannah was awarded a Zarin Mehta Global Academy Fellowship, allowing her the opportunity to perform with the New York Philharmonic.
Passionate about new music, Hannah has commissioned several solo and chamber works. She performed regularly with Oberlin's Contemporary Music Ensemble through which she performed with eighth blackbird and toured to the University of Richmond to perform at their thirteenth annual Third Practice Electroacoustic Music Festival. In January of 2015, she was awarded a grant from Oberlin, the Conservatory Initiative Grants Supporting Imagination and Excellence, through which she participated in a national tour of contemporary chamber music with fellow Oberlin students and alum. Hannah has been a particularly strong advocate for the expansion of flute and bassoon duo repertoire by commissioning several young composers to write new works. She then performed these works in a six city tour in 2016. While a student at Rice, Hannah helped run Hear & Now, a contemporary music ensemble committed to providing opportunities to students to perform contemporary chamber music.
For three years, she studied Baroque flute with Kathie Stewart at Oberlin, and in January 2013, Hannah toured with an Oberlin baroque ensemble to perform in New York City. She has has performed in masterclasses for Barthold Kuijken on both modern and Baroque flute and Stephen Schultz on Baroque flute.
Hannah also has a passion for teaching and maintains a private flute studio. Hannah also has experience teaching theory and aural skills. She was a teacher for The Oberlin Conservatory Community Music School and has been a tutor of theory and aural skills. Hannah explored an interest in arts administration through an internship with The Center for New Music in San Francisco, California. Hannah founded the Oberlin Flute Association whose purpose is to provide funded events that will inspire, educate, and offer opportunities and experiences for its members through inviting distinguished guests to perform recitals and teach masterclasses at Oberlin.
Hannah is from Richmond, Virginia where she studied with her mother, Alice Hammel, as well as with Mary Boodell and Francile Bilyeu. Hannah has been awarded the opportunity to perform in masterclasses for Denis Bouriakov, Jasmine Choi, Robert Langevin, Tim Day, Jim Walker, Carol Wincenc, Ransom Wilson, Robert Dick, Marianne Gedigian, Mark Sparks, Peter-Lukas Graf, Ian Clarke, Tadeu Coelho, and Jennie Brown. Through her two summers at ARIA International Summer Music Academy (2011 and 2012), Hannah performed in masterclasses for Bonita Boyd, Linda Toote, Renee Krimsier, Marya Martin, Christina Jennings, and Jonathon Keeble.
As an orchestral musician, Hannah has performed as principal flute in Carnegie Hall, The Kennedy Center, Severance Hall, and Suntory Hall. She has been a guest with the Pittsburgh Symphony, Houston Grand Opera, Richmond Symphony, and New World Symphony. Hannah has spent summers performing at festivals including Music Academy of the West, Pacific Music Festival, Spoleto Festival USA, Round Top Music Festival, Castleton Festival Symphony Orchestra, Hot Springs Music Festival, Pacific Regional International Summer Music Academy, Staunton Music Festival, Wintergreen Performing Arts Festival Orchestra, and Credo Summer Orchestra, where she performed J.S. Bach's Brandenburg Concerti No. 2 and No. 5 in Chicago's Symphony Center. Through the Music Academy of the West, Hannah was awarded a Zarin Mehta Global Academy Fellowship, allowing her the opportunity to perform with the New York Philharmonic.
Passionate about new music, Hannah has commissioned several solo and chamber works. She performed regularly with Oberlin's Contemporary Music Ensemble through which she performed with eighth blackbird and toured to the University of Richmond to perform at their thirteenth annual Third Practice Electroacoustic Music Festival. In January of 2015, she was awarded a grant from Oberlin, the Conservatory Initiative Grants Supporting Imagination and Excellence, through which she participated in a national tour of contemporary chamber music with fellow Oberlin students and alum. Hannah has been a particularly strong advocate for the expansion of flute and bassoon duo repertoire by commissioning several young composers to write new works. She then performed these works in a six city tour in 2016. While a student at Rice, Hannah helped run Hear & Now, a contemporary music ensemble committed to providing opportunities to students to perform contemporary chamber music.
For three years, she studied Baroque flute with Kathie Stewart at Oberlin, and in January 2013, Hannah toured with an Oberlin baroque ensemble to perform in New York City. She has has performed in masterclasses for Barthold Kuijken on both modern and Baroque flute and Stephen Schultz on Baroque flute.
Hannah also has a passion for teaching and maintains a private flute studio. Hannah also has experience teaching theory and aural skills. She was a teacher for The Oberlin Conservatory Community Music School and has been a tutor of theory and aural skills. Hannah explored an interest in arts administration through an internship with The Center for New Music in San Francisco, California. Hannah founded the Oberlin Flute Association whose purpose is to provide funded events that will inspire, educate, and offer opportunities and experiences for its members through inviting distinguished guests to perform recitals and teach masterclasses at Oberlin.
Hannah is from Richmond, Virginia where she studied with her mother, Alice Hammel, as well as with Mary Boodell and Francile Bilyeu. Hannah has been awarded the opportunity to perform in masterclasses for Denis Bouriakov, Jasmine Choi, Robert Langevin, Tim Day, Jim Walker, Carol Wincenc, Ransom Wilson, Robert Dick, Marianne Gedigian, Mark Sparks, Peter-Lukas Graf, Ian Clarke, Tadeu Coelho, and Jennie Brown. Through her two summers at ARIA International Summer Music Academy (2011 and 2012), Hannah performed in masterclasses for Bonita Boyd, Linda Toote, Renee Krimsier, Marya Martin, Christina Jennings, and Jonathon Keeble.