Meet the Staff
Assistant Director
Greek flutist and
Trevor James Low Flutes Artist
Eftihia V. Arkoudis is a versatile performer who recently joined the faculty
of
Frostburg State University as an Adjunct Flute Professor, while a
doctorate candidate on a graduate assistantship at West Virginia University.
She is a winner of WVU’s Young Artist and International Grand Prize Virtuoso
Competition (2016), an alternate winner of the Pittsburgh Concert Society and
National Flute Association Convention ‘Into the Music’
Masterclass, a finalist for The American Prize Competition
(2018), and an alternate finalist of Byron Hester Competition (2015).
As an orchestral and chamber musician, she served as the principal flutist of Orpheus Kammerochester Wien, Ju nges Tonkünstler Orchester, Greek-Turkish Youth Symphony Orchestra, WVU Symphony Orchestra, and numerous other ensembles, giving her the opportunity to perform and record in prestigious venues of Greece, Austria, Germany, and Turkey. Currently, she performs as a founding member of the award-winning and recording artist BETA Quartet, who were semifinalists in Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition and winners of the Flute Society of Kentucky Flute Quartet Competition (2017).
Arkoudis has performed the world premiere of several new works and has a passion for adding a theatrical element in her interpretations. Her musical activities have been supported by grants from WVU and Friends of Flutes Foundation, the Susan B. Hardesty, Eleana T. Donley, and Valerie Canady scholarships. She has performed in the masterclasses of Alberto Almarza, Krzysztof Kaczka, Lorna McGhee, Franscesca Arnorne, Erwin Klambauer, and Caroline Debonne, and was selected as a performer for the Jasmine Choi International Masterclass in Austria (2013) and the William Bennett Flute Academy in the US (2017).
Arkoudis graduated with her M.M. from West Virginia University, holds artistic diplomas with honorary awards from the Prayner Konservatorium Wien and the Athens Conservatoire, and has a Bachelor’s in Science from the Technological Institute of Athens. Her primary teachers are Nina Assimakopoulos, Reza Najfar, Urs Ruttiman, Panagioti Drakos, and Danae Kioupouroglou.
For full bio visit: https://www.eftihiavarkoudisflute.com/biography
Lauren Zwonik,
Lauren Zwonik, a native of Colchester, Vermont, is pursuing her graduate degree at West Virginia University, student of world-renowned artist, Nina Assimakopoulos. She earned her bachelor's degrees in music education and flute performance, with a minor in music business at the Crane School of Music in Potsdam, New York. Currently she is an active performer and member of the West Virginia University Fife and Drum Corp, WVU Orchestra, WVU Flute Choir, as well as a selected performer in guest and competition masterclasses. Lauren is also a founding member of the Acronite Flute Quartet.
Lauren has performed and conducted under the batons of Jeffery Domoto, Dr. Brian Doyle, Dr. Michael Haithcock, Dr. Steven Meyer, Dr. James Madeja, and Colonel Michael Colburn, She had had the honor of performing with the WVU Opera Ensemble, Crane Opera Ensemble, Crane Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra of Northern New York, and Northern Symphonic Winds.
Lauren has been a featured soloist with the Vermont Youth Orchestra as well as a distinguished clinician, soloist, and mentor in Zimbabwe, South Africa, and Jamaica. This spring, she will be attending an international Fife and Drum Festival, held in Basel, Switzerland.
Lauren has almost a decade of teaching experiences around the world, including the K-12 Band Director in Harrisville, New York, music director at the Holy Name of Jesus Academy in Massena, New York, and three years as the conductor of the Clarkson University Orchestra. Lauren immensely enjoyed her position as the adjunct professor of flute at St. Lawrence University for two years. She is currently balancing active private studio of 25 students in three states: Vermont, New York, and West Virginia.
Past professors have included Kenneth Andrews and Berta Frank.
Associate Director of Outreach and Engagement
Flutist Jacob LaBarge is a sophomore at West Virginia University majoring in flute performance studying under Nina Assimakopoulos. He has studied with distinguished teachers such as Wendy Stern, Denise Lozano-Healey, and Dr. Tia Roper. Jacob has attended lessons with flutists, Dr. Tara O’Connor, Bart Feller, Mimi Stillman and with pianist, Linda Mark. He has also performed in master classes for flutists, Bonita Boyd, Christina Jennings, Linda Toote, Dr. Jonathan Keeble, Dr. Alexa Still, Keith Underwood, Mary Kay Fink and Sarah Jackson (piccolo). In 2015, Jacob participated in the New York Philharmonic Educational Residency with the Long Island Youth Orchestra and the Long Island University (LIU) Post Orchestra.
At West Virginia University, he has performed in the Wind Symphony under the direction of Dr. Scott Tobias. Additionally, he played Reed 1 in the pit orchestra for the School of Theatre and Dance’s production of Assassins by Stephen Sondheim. He is one of the founding members of the Helios Flute Quartet. While in Helios they have won ENKOR, MTNA, and ChaMP chamber music competitions.
Samantha Donnell
Samantha has eight years of teaching experience with private flute lessons, sectionals, chamber and full band ensembles at numerous schools, including- Stephen F. Austin State University Preparatory Music Division and members of the West Virginia University Flute Studio. She teaches fast-paced, with a vivacious, contagious energy that aids in equipping her students with the necessary tools to succeed as young musicians.
In 2015, Samantha was selected, by audition, to perform in the Mid-South Flute Society College Masterclass for piccoloist Jean-Louis Beaumadier, held at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. For four consecutive years, Samantha was selected as the first prize winner in both the Undergraduate Solo and Undergraduate Chamber Divisions in the Denise Jennings Competition at the Houston Flute Club. In 2017, she won 2nd prize in the Great Composer’s Competition.
Samantha has professionally performed in the Longview Symphony Orchestra, Marshall Symphony Orchestra and the Shreveport Symphony Orchestra. She has also performed as a student in the Stephen F. Austin Orchestra of the Pines and West Virginia University Symphony Orchestra and West Virginia University Wind Symphony.
Samantha is currently a member of the Acronite Flute Quartet. She is a competitive musician in the solo and chamber music world. She resides in Morgantown, West Virginia, where she teaches private lessons and is the flute choir director for the WVU Flute Studio.
Michelle Li
Director of Hospitality
Flutist Michelle Li graduated from Binghamton University in 2017, earning a B.A. in Music with Highest Honors and a B.A. in English Literature and Creative Writing. At Binghamton, Michelle was Co-Principal Flute of the Binghamton University Symphony Orchestra, and she performed frequently on flute studio recitals, Mid-Day Concerts sponsored by the music department, performance classes, and on and off campus with various flute chamber ensembles.
In 2016, Michelle made her orchestral debut with the Binghamton University Symphony Orchestra, performing Jacques Mouquet’s “La Flute de Pan” as a winner of the university’s Concerto Competition. As a founding member of the Horseheads Quartet, Michelle toured upstate New York in summer 2016, performing original arrangements of popular music. She co-founded DuoMotive with pianist Michael McAndrew, a flute and piano chamber duo focusing on new and contemporary music. The duo premiered "Lost and Found" by award-winning composer Nathan Scalise in July 2018.
Michelle currently studies with Nina Assimakopoulos at West Virginia University, where she performs with the Acronite Flute Quartet and the WVU Wind Symphony. Past instructors include Georgetta Maiolo and Angela McBrearty.
Juan Carlos Narvaez, from Elizabeth, New Jersey is a Freshman at WVU studying
flute performance under Professor Nina Assimakopoulos. He has previously studied
under Amy I-Yun Tu and had masterclasses with distinguished flutists such as
Wendy Stern, Mimi Stillman, Andrea Leowy, Melissa Keeling, Lish Lindsey, Alice
K. Dade, and Bart Feller. Juan has participated in the New Jersey Symphony
Orchestra Academy Youth Orchestra as well as played alongside the distinguished
orchestra.
Hi! My name is Jess and I am a sophomore Music Therapy major at WVU with Flute as my principal instrument. I am from Poquoson, VA and have been playing the flute for 9 years. Aside from playing the flute, some of my favorite hobbies include jewelry making, writing, traveling, hammocking, playing guitar, and hanging out with my cat Bella. I love music therapy because it is an extremely diverse profession that is accommodating for people of all ages and disabilities. I hope to one day be working as a music therapist in the NICU of a large hospital with babies who are born prematurely.
Residence Hall Chaperone
José Fernando has a successful international career as a flutist and instructor. Jose has traveled around Colombia, Germany, and Netherlands performing and teaching. He performed as a soloist with Academia Filarmónica (Medellín, Colombia) and Rhythm & Melody concert band (Berlin, Germany), where he used to be the principal player. He was also the principal flutiest at the Young Orchestra of Antioquia and EAFIT University concert band.
José obtained his bachelor’s degree in 2012 from EAFIT University under the instruction of professor León Giraldo. In 2013, he traveled to Europe to get his certificate as a flute instructor in the Netherlands while he performed and continued his studies in Berlin. Under the instruction of professor Nina Assimakopoulos, he completed his master’s degree in 2017 from West Virginia University. Since then, he has received several awards from the School of Music at WVU, and in 2016 and 2017 he won the Canady Scholarship. Throughout his career, he had master classes with excellent flutists such as Luis Julio Toro, Tadeu Cohelo, Gabriel Ahumada, Peter-Lukas Graf, Alberto Almarza, Conor Nelson, and Linsey J. Goodman.