Alyssa Schwartz
Western Flute
Dr. Alyssa Schwartz, from Jamestown, NY, is Director of Bands and Professor of Flute at Fairmont State University and Executive Director of the Black Diamond Philharmonic. She has held multiple academic and leadership positions across West Virginia and Pennsylvania, bringing expertise in conducting, music education, flute performance, and community engagement to each role.
Dr. Alyssa Schwartz comes from Jamestown, New York and is the Director of Bands and Professor of Flute at Fairmont State University, Executive Director for the Black Diamond Philharmonic, and Music Director of the Fairmont State Community Symphonic Band. Previously, she has served as the Professor of Flute and Marietta College, Music Director for the Morgantown Community Orchestra, Instructor of Flute and Piano through Fairmont State University’s Academy for the Arts, Social Media Coordinator for West Virginia University’s School of Music, Contributing Faculty in Flute at Dickinson College, and as a Lecturer of Music Theory and Music Education at West Virginia University.
Alyssa debuted at New York
City's Carnegie Hall in November 2017 and returned for a second performance the same month
as a result of winning 1st prize in the 2017 Golden Classical Music International
Competition and 2nd Prize in the 2017 Concert Artists International Music Competition. As a
recording artist, Alyssa has released two albums with her BETA flute quartet in 2017 and 2021
and received her first multiple-CD recording grant from Polyphony Arts Management. This
three-year project will see the release of her debut solo album in 2025 and a concerto album in
2026 and will include the premiere recordings of a newly commissioned Sonata and Concerto by
award-winning composer Dr. Daniel Baldwin.
Alyssa is a competitive performer, winning 1 st Prize in the 2023 Charleston International Music
Competition, Honorable Mention in the 2023 Floot Fire Virtual Competition, 1 st Prize in the
2020 International Music Competition- Bonn, for which she was invited to perform at
Beethoven’s Bonn residence in August 2021, the 2019 Florida Flute Association Orchestral
Excerpts Masterclass Competition, 1st Prize in the 2017 International Grand Prize Virtuoso
Competition Senior Division for which she gave her debut performance at the Wiener Saal
Mozarteum in July 2017, 2nd Prize in the 2016 International Grand Prize Virtuoso Competition,
2nd Prize in the 2016 Golden Classical Music Awards Senior Division, 3rd Prize in the 2016
Golden Classical Music Awards Chamber Music Division, 1st Prize in the 2016 Oklahoma Flute
Society Collegiate Competition, 3rd Prize in the 2016 Kentucky Flute Society Due Competition,
and 2nd Prize in the 2013 International Flute Symposium Emerging Artist Competition.
Alyssa has appeared as a featured soloist in 2023 with the Pittsburgh Civic Orchestra, in 2022
with the Black Diamond Philharmonic, in 2017 with the West Virginia University Wind
Symphony, and on several occasions with the Chautauqua Regional Youth Symphony. She is
the Principal Flutist with the Black Diamond Philharmonic and has performed with the
Huntington Symphony Orchestra, River Cities Symphony Orchestra, Erie Chamber Orchestra,
Warren Philharmonic, Lansing Symphony Orchestra, Allegheny Chamber Players, West Virginia
University Faculty Chamber Players, the West Virginia University Symphony and Chamber
Orchestras, and the Brasil Jazz Ensemble.
A new music advocate, Alyssa is passionate about premiering new music with a focus in
exploring interdisciplinary music. Recently, she partnered with Cambridge-based physicist and
composer Domenico Vicinanza, premiering his new work “Voyager I” at the 2023 SXSW
Conference on March 9 th , 2023 in Austin, Texas and previously premiering his “Veteran Geyser”
for a BBC Documentary on November 5, 2020. Vicinanza records and translates raw hard data
from the natural world in order to create his concert pieces, a process he used not only in these
two pieces but also in creating two ringtones and a short piece for NASA, taking data from the
first audio recording of a Marsquake. Alyssa recorded the ringtones and piece for NASA in
October 2020, and these were included and premiered during NASA’s Virtual SC20 Conference.
In addition to these most recent projects, Alyssa has given world premieres of over thirty new
works including twenty new compositions for flute quartet in an ICU Benefit Concert with
BETA (March 2022), "Marcahuasi" for Solo Flute, Op. 10 by Manuel Carranza Cueto
(December 2019), "Impression" by Reza Nakisa (January 2018), "Endless Endless Endless" by
Shelley Washington (May 2017) and "Asphyxia" by Nicole Chamberlain (April 2016). With
BETA Quartet, she has premiered "Nuraghi Warriors" by Anže Rozman (February 2019),
"Recitation Book" by David Maslanka, arranged for flute quartet by Tatiana Cassetta (February
2019), and "In Sight" by Matthew Heap (March 2018).
A founding member of BETA Quartet, Alyssa has participated in many competitions,
performances, and masterclasses for chamber ensemble. The group won 1 st Prize in the 2020
France Music Competition, was selected to perform at the 2020 International Low Flute Festival
in Japan, participated as a semi-finalist in the 2017 Fischoff National Chamber Music
Competition, won 1st Prize in the 2017 Kentucky Flute Society Quartet Competition, and won
1st Prize in the 2016 WV MTNA Chamber Winds Competition. BETA has also given
masterclasses, coaching sessions, and workshops around the country, including the National
Flute Association Convention, Flute Society of Greater Philadelphia Flute Fair, and Mid-Atlantic
Flute Convention.
A serious academician and scholar, Alyssa has also earned numerous scholarships throughout
her career, including the Helga Hulse Mozart Club Music Scholarship in 2012 and 2016,
the West Virginia University Student Memorial Scholarship in 2012, the A. A. Amidon
Scholarship in 2012 and 2013, the Walter & Grace Hazzard Scholarship in 2012 and 2013, the
Louis T. Larson Scholarship in 2012 and 2013, the Juliet Anderson Rosch Scholarship in 2012
and 2013, the West Virginia University Music Scholarship in 2012, the Michigan State
University Music Scholarship from 2006-2010, the National Honors College Scholarship Award
from 2006-2010, and the CCMTA Overall Best Musician Award in 2006.
Employed as the Assistant Director of the International Flute Symposium in 2013, Alyssa was
promoted the following year to the position of Director. She served as Director throughout her
employment at West Virginia University until 2019 and was a driving force in the promotion and
growth of IFS and recruitment of flute students for the WVU Flute Studio. Alyssa helped foster
the growth and success of IFS by hosting renowned international soloist Jasmine Choi for the
International Flute Symposium in July 2017.
Her primary teachers include Alberto Almarza of Carnegie Mellon University, Nina
Assimakopoulos of West Virginia University, Richard Sherman of Michigan State University,
Dr. Susan Royal of Fredonai State University, and Nicole Zenns. Alyssa has performed for such
renowned flutists as Jim Walker, Jeffrey Khaner, Lorna McGhee, Jasmine Choi, Trudy Kane,
Jeffrey Zook, Gary Schocker, Jennifer Conner, Rhian Kenny, Nancy Stagnitta, Shelley Binder,
and Cobus Du Toit.
https://www.alyssa-schwartz.org/bio