Member Spotlight-Marissa Olin

Get to Know...Marissa Olin

We’re so excited about our next commission, a new work for flute and piano by Carter Pann, and we’re very happy that Marissa Olin, who joined us last year as a Performing Member recently joined us as a commissioner of Carter’s new work!  As you’ll see below, she’s an active supporter and performer of new music, particularly for flute and clarinet duo (with Jonathan Holden, clarinet). We hope you enjoy learning more about Marissa!

Q&A with Marissa…
​
What about new music for the flute appeals to you?
New music appeals to me because it allows us to explore new sounds and techniques on the flute in innovative and ground-breaking ways. I especially like being able to communicate and collaborate with composers throughout the creation and/or premiere of a new work.
 
When did you join FNMC and what attracted you to the organization?
I have been a FNMC member since 2016, and I am excited to be participating in the upcoming Carter Pann commission. I am attracted to FNMC’s mission of promoting new music for the flute through commissioning projects and their annual composition competition.
 
Do you have any upcoming events that you would like our friends and followers to know about?
I currently play in a flute/clarinet duo with Dr. Jonathan Holden, faculty at Florida State University. We will be performing at the NFA Convention on Friday at 1pm (Flute Clarinet Duos Consortium Retrospective) and Saturday at 11am (Chamber Music for Winds). On Friday, we are performing Barn Dances by Libby Larsen with pianist Dr. Mariah Boucher. On Saturday, we are playing Fluteball: a soccer-driven melodrama by Ricardo Lorenz and Synthetic Butterflies by Kendra Kestner. All are pieces by living composers! I hope to see you there!
 
More About Marissa…

Marissa Olin is an active freelance musician in Michigan. She is a member of the West Michigan Symphony (Flute II) and she has performed with the Kalamazoo, Midland, Lansing, Battle Creek, Jackson, and Traverse Symphony Orchestras. She is Instructor of Flute at Spring Arbor University, Kellogg Community College, and the Michigan State University Community Music School. She received degrees from Michigan State University (D.M.A. and M.M.) and the Lawrence University Conservatory of Music (B.M.), with additional study in Vienna, Austria.

---