Current Flute Students

Alyssa Mercedes Mena is a Cuban-American flutist, composer, and educator based in Miami, Florida. With a versatile career spanning performance, teaching, and composition, she is an active presence in the music scene, performing solo and with various ensembles in Miami, Los Angeles, and New York City. She has collaborated with renowned groups such as the Nu Deco Ensemble, Symphony of the Americas, New World Symphony, Miami Symphony Orchestra, and Dance Theatre of Harlem, among others. Her passion for chamber music and community outreach is also reflected in her work with the Sugar Hill Salon Chamber Series Collective in New York City, where she helps bring attention to underrepresented wind repertoire and engages Harlem audiences through outreach concerts.

Currently, Alyssa is pursuing her Doctor of Musical Arts in Flute Performance at the Frost School of Music (FSOM), where she serves as a graduate teaching assistant under the mentorship of Dr. Jennifer Grim. In addition to her flute studies, she is studying composition with Dr. Shawn Crouch and Dr. Charles Mason. At FSOM, she performs with various ensembles, including the Frost Symphony Orchestra, Frost Wind Ensemble, Frost Repertory Orchestra, and Ensemble Ibis. She is also a Henry Mancini Institute Fellow, performing with the HMI Orchestra on tours across the U.S. and South Florida.

A dedicated educator, Alyssa oversees the Shalala MusicReach 2-1 Classical Mentoring Program as part of her graduate assistantship. This program pairs FSOM students with underserved communities, introducing them to music education through weekly lessons and masterclasses at both Frost and at local schools in Miami. She also teaches a private studio of flute and piano students, both in-person and online.

Alyssa’s compositions are deeply inspired by her Cuban heritage, often exploring themes of identity, culture, and connection. In 2022, she premiered her solo alto flute piece Hasta La Raiz (Down to the Roots) at the National Flute Association’s annual convention, and the work was published by Coleman Page Publishing in 2024. In 2025, she premiered her latest composition, Lo Que Encuentras (What You Find), for flute and marimba, and was commissioned by Trevor James Flute Performing Artists Rose Bishop and Heather Neuenschwander to write an alto and bass flute duet for their latest album titled Hermanas (Sisters). Most recently, she is being commissioned by the Seattle Symphony to compose a work for flute, oboe, and piano. Through her compositions, Alyssa strives to create music that unites people, celebrating diverse expressions and shared experiences.

Her academic journey includes a Master of Music from the University of Southern California Thornton School of Music, where she studied flute with Jim Walker and composition with Veronika Krausas. She earned her Bachelor of Music in Flute Performance at the University of Miami Frost School of Music, where she studied with Trudy Kane. While in her undergraduate, she was a Stamps Distinguished Ensemble Scholar and a member of the Stamps Woodwind Quintet.

Alyssa has received numerous accolades throughout her career, including first place at the 2025 Mid-Atlantic Young Artist Flute Competition and national recognition as a YoungArts winner in Classical Flute in 2015. Her artistry as both a performer and composer continues to resonate with audiences, blending her dedication to music education with a strong commitment to cultural outreach and expression.

A UK national, Cameron’s performing career has taken him to Europe and the USA, including performances at both the Royal Albert and Carnegie Halls. During his time in America he has played extensively with the Yale Philharmonia, and appeared more recently with the Orchestra of St Luke’s in New York.

Cameron began his music education at the Royal Welsh college of Music and Drama where his primary mentor switched from Paul Edmund-Davies to Roger Armstrong and Jonathan Burgess. He later earned two Master’s degrees from the Yale School of Music, taught by Ransom Wilson, whose Lifetime Achievement Award tribute concert at the 2022 NFA Convention featured Cameron twice. While at Yale, he developed his passion for new music by co-founding the student-led contemporary collective Versicolor.

As an educator, Cameron has served with the faculty of the renowned music-specialist Wells Cathedral School in England; has taught undergraduate flute lessons at Yale where his student won the University’s concerto competition; and is now a Teaching Assistant for Dr. Jennifer Grim’s flute studio at the Frost School in Miami, where he is pursuing his DMA degree in flute performance.

Chi Ting is a flutist from Taipei, Taiwan, currently pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts degree at the University of Miami’s Frost School of Music, where she serves as a teaching assistant for the flute studio. She previously earned a Master of Music degree from Rice University’s Shepherd School of
Music, studying with Marianne Gedigian and Leone Buyse, and a Bachelor of Music degree from the Colburn Conservatory of Music under the guidance of Jim Walker. Passionate about chamber music, Chi has performed in diverse ensembles, including piano trios, woodwind quintets, and duos with clarinet and oboe. She won first prize in the Taiwan National Chamber Music Competition and has shared her passion for music with communities through volunteer performances. Chi has represented Taiwan on international stages, performing with the Golden Flute Choir at the Asia Flutists Federation Congress in South Korea, Japan, and the United States. Chi has earned recognition in prestigious competitions, including second prizes in both the San Diego Flute Guild Young Artist Competition and the Pasadena Showcase Instrumental Competition. She has performed as a soloist with the Brevard Music Center Orchestra and collaborated with Quatuor Cobalt. Additionally, she has served as a substitute flutist with the Taiwan Philharmonic. In 2023, Chi was selected as a fellow at the Bowdoin International Music Festival. The following year, she was invited to the Dorian Flute Festival as a lecturer, where she shared insights from her musical journey and studies in the United States.

Abrielle Scott is a master’s student and teaching assistant at the University of Miami’s Frost School of Music. She made her solo debut in 2019, performing as a soloist with the Princeton High School Orchestra. She is an alumna of the Westminster Conservatory Honors Music Program’s Young Artist Division and is a recent graduate from the Vanderbilt University Blair School of Music, where she completed her bachelor’s degree in Flute Performance, having won the David Rabin and Elliot & Ailsa Newman Prizes for Excellence in Woodwind Performance. Most recently, Abrielle was a semi-finalist in the 2024 Raleigh Area Flute Association’s Young Artist competition. 

Passionate about chamber and contemporary music, Abrielle is a fellow of the Bang on A Can 2023 Summer festival, Cortona Sessions for New Music (2022), and the Summer Institute for Contemporary Performance Practice (2021). She is a member of the flute, clarinet, percussion ensemble, Sono Trio, who makes collaborative projects with up-and-coming composers and artists their mission. Fascinated by music technology and interdisciplinary media, Abrielle also composes, specializing in electronic music. She has most recently curated a multi-channel sound art installation in collaboration with the Vanderbilt University Museum of Art, where she premiered two new works for flute and fixed media, alongside fellow student composers.

When not making music, Abrielle enjoys cooking, swimming, and spending time at the nearest art museum.

Lia is from Brookline Massachusetts. While attending Brookline High School, she was a member of the Boston Youth Symphony Orchestras and studied with Judy Grant. Over the summers, she had attended programs such as Greenwood Music Camp and Boston University Tanglewood Institute. Outside of flute, Lia enjoys singing, baking, and watching TV shows.

Christopher Enriques is majoring in Music Education. From Norwalk, CT, Enriques attended P-TECH Norwalk. 

I am from New Hartford, Connecticut, and have studied with Janet Arms, Bart Feller, and Wendy Stern. I have performed as a member of various chamber and large ensembles through the Hartt Community Division at the University of Hartford, and have received recognition in the Hartford Musical Club, Windham Regional Arts, New York Flute Club, and Hartford Symphony young musicians competitions. I have attended Kinhaven Music School and ARIA International Summer Academy summer music programs, among others. In my spare time, I enjoy playing with my cats and ice skating.

Kaandis is from St. Petersburg, FL where she attended the Pinellas County School for the Arts and participated in the Pinellas Youth Symphony. She was a finalist in the 2023 High School Young Artist Competition held by the Florida Flute Association and attended the orchestra division of the Interlochen Arts Camp the following summer. She is a first year B.M student at the Frost School of Music studying Flute Performance.

Abigail Peel was born into a musical family, and although she started piano lessons at a young age, she discovered her love for the flute when she was 10 years old. Abigail has studied the flute with Catherine Gregory and Dr. Jane Bent. During high school, Abigail was the principal flutist in the Lawrence Community Music School’s Wind Ensemble and won the Young Artist Festival Concerto Competition. Abigail has also competed in various piano competitions as well as the NCFCA National Speech and Debate Competition with her speech titled The Benefits of Music. She has attended the Decoda Summer Music Festival where she learned about creating interactive musical performances. Abigail regularly accompanies at her church on both the flute and piano. When Abigail is not playing the flute, she enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, biking, and skiing. 

Emma Terlizzi is from Niantic, Connecticut, and is pursuing a major in Music Therapy with a minor in Psychology. Before attending Frost, Emma participated in Hartt Preparatory Academy at the Hartt School of Music, where she studied under Allison Hughes. During her first year here, she has played with Flute Ensemble, is a member of the Alpha Mu Music Therapy Club, and volunteers with Miami Jam Sessions. Emma is grateful and honored to be part of such a welcoming and talented studio.

Rodrigo Rodriguez is a flutist attending the Frost School of Music, currently studying under the tutelage of Jennifer Grim. He took part in the YOLA National Festival, participating in chamber music and the symphony orchestra working under the baton of Gustavo Dudamel. He appeared on NPR’s From The Top, and was awarded their Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Award, a $10,000 scholarship that enabled him to purchase a new high-quality flute. Rodrigo has had the incredible opportunity of participating in the National Youth Orchestra 2. Rodrigo took part in the prestigious 2022 National YoungArts Week, where he performed in masterclasses, workshops, and virtual projects. Rodrigo was part of the Kennedy Center’s National Symphony Orchestra Summer Music Institute in 2023 where he attended NSO rehearsals and performances, received private lessons and masterclasses from NSO musicians, attended seminars and had performance opportunities in the DC metropolitan area. Most recently, he won second place in the 2024 Florida Flute Association’s College Young Artist Competition. Outside of music, Rodrigo enjoys traveling, hanging out with friends, and loves traditional Venezuelan food.

Hailing from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Ben Novotny is a junior at the Frost School of Music, pursuing a Bachelor of Music in Instrumental Performance with a minor in Music Industry. His former teachers include Jennifer Steele and Rhian Kenny of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, as well as Megan Ensor, former Principal Piccolo of the United States Air Force Band.

At Frost, Ben is an active performer with the Frost Symphony Orchestra, Frost Wind Ensemble, Frost Repertory Orchestra, Frost Opera Theater, and the Frost Flute Ensemble. Passionate about chamber music, he collaborates in various ensembles, including a duo with percussionist Amilyah Robinson. Recent career highlights include performances during the Frost Bands Tour in Salzburg, Austria, appearances with the Miami Sousa Band, and winning the 2024 Florida Flute Association Masterclass Competition. Ben has also performed in masterclasses with distinguished artists such as Alison Fierst, Lorna McGhee, Alberto Almarza, Leone Buyse, Amanda Blaikie, Soo-Kyung Park, Nestor Torres, and Amal Gochenour. His long-term goal is to play piccolo in a military band.

Beyond performance, Ben is an arranger and composer. His arrangement of Lili Boulanger’s D’un Matin de Printemps premiered with the Frost Flute Ensemble in November 2024 (watch here: YouTube link). He also has a deep interest in musicology; his essay, From Tableau to Sonic Abstract: Epistemic Transience in Nature Music, won 3rd prize in the 2024 Audley Webster Memorial Essay Contest and was published by the University of Miami.

Ben serves as the Instrumental Performance Representative on the Frost Student Council and is the founder and Chair of the Music Instrumental Performance Advisory Council. He also works as a Resident Assistant at University Village, a Teaching Assistant, and an Experiential Music Curriculum Tutor in music theory and aural skills. 

Outside of music, Ben enjoys reading, collecting vinyl and cassette tapes, rock climbing,  playing video games, and skateboarding.

Isabel Bu is a junior Flute Performance major at the University of Miami Frost School of Music. She is a member of the Frost Symphony Orchestra and Frost Wind Ensemble, and has also played with the Frost Symphonic Winds and Frost Repertory Orchestra. During the summers, she has participated in programs including the Boston University Tanglewood Institute, Interlochen Arts Camp, Philadelphia International Music Festival, and New England Conservatory Summer Orchestra Institute. 

Isabel went to San Francisco High School of the Arts, where she took dance, art, and music classes from a young age in their Young Artists Program, and discovered her love for the flute in high school. She received second place in the Silicon Valley Music Competition (high school woodwind division) and a Special Merit Award from the Bay Area Creative Foundation. 

Outside of music, she enjoys reading, writing, and baking, and is pursuing a minor in communication.