Member Spotlight-Terri Wacker

Get to Know...Terri Wacker

We’re so grateful that Therese (Terri) Wacker, Professor of Flute at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, joined FNMC and agreed to host the residency for our Carter Pann commission. Terri has planned a wonderful recital for her premiere of Giantess featuring several of her colleagues at IUP. Along with her performance of Giantess, the recital will feature the IUP Faculty Woodwind Quintet (Terri, flute; Stephanie Caulder, oboe; Rosemary Engelstad, clarinet; Jason Worzbyt, bassoon, and Heidi Lucas, horn) in a performance of Carter’s wind quintet and piano professors Sun Min Kim and Henry Wong Doe will each perform a movement from Carter’s The Piano’s 12 Sides.
 
Terri has embraced FNMC and coordinated a proposal for a recital of FNMC works at this year’s Mid-Atlantic Flute Convention. She performed Stephen Lias’ work for solo flute, Flight of Fancy, and was joined by Keith Hanlon for a performance of another of Stephen’s works, The Ghosts of Mesa Verde for two flutes.  The recital also featured a performance of Garuda for flute alone by Alex Nante (Keith) and Ashley Shank played Tomorrow in Australia by Paul Richards and Confluence by Zhou Long. In addition to being FNMC members, all three flutists have connections to IUP where Terri is Professor of Flute, both Keith and Ashley earned their bachelor’s degrees at IUP (Ashley was a student of Terri’s) and they all play in IUP’s faculty/alumni wind ensemble the Keystone Wind Ensemble. Keystone specializes in recording wind band music.

Terri is an active commissioner and performer of new music. She commissioned and premiered Bruce Yurko's Concerto for Piccolo/Flute & Wind Ensemble in February, 2003.   On October 10, 2010 she performed the World Premiere of Eric Ewazen’s “Concerto for Piccolo and Wind Ensemble,” which was the result of three years collaboration with the composer and  Jan Gippo (former piccoloist with the St. Louis Symphony). Currently, she and her colleague Kevin Eisensmith are coordinating a consortium commission for a new work for alto flute, flugelhorn, and piano by Daniel Dorff. Those who would like to learn more can contact Terri.
 
Q&A with Terri…
 
What about new music for the flute appeals to you?
The opportunity to explore new colors and characters of the flute through new musical ideas.
 
What is/are your favorite “new music” piece/s and why?
I don't have specific favorites but I'm drawn toward pieces that have a rhythmic groove and accessible melody. Pieces that tell a story through the music are very interesting to me.
 
What advice can you give to flutists about approaching new music in practice?
I always try to figure out the final 'story' of the piece. Then I apply my practicing accordingly. For instance, I will spend much more time on the technical parts of a piece - however, I take the time to make sure that the technical parts flow into the surrounding elements-even at a slow tempo.
 
Describe your musical background and current activities.
I'm currently a full professor at Indiana University of PA. Before getting my DMA at The Ohio State University I was a member of the AF Band of Flight at Wright-Patterson AFB, Dayton, OH.
 
Do you have any upcoming events that you would like our friends and followers to know about?
 I've just finished a performance at the Mid Atlantic Flute Convention where I performed Stephen Lias' Flight of Fancy and his Ghost's of Mesa Verde - a flute duo with Keith Hanlon. I have an upcoming premiere of Carter Pann's Giantess for the FNMC and several WW5 performances with my IUP colleagues.
 
More About Terri…
Dr. Therese Wacker, Professor of Flute at IUP, earned the D.M.A. from The Ohio State University (Katherine Borst Jones) and the M.M. from the University of Wyoming (Katherine Kemler). As a member of the AF Band of Flight she toured the US and Europe as a performer and clinician.  She has written articles for Flute Talk, The Instrumentalist, The Flute Examiner and is contributing editor to The Complete Piccolo, her CD Impressions for Piccolo and Piano is available through CD Baby or by contacting her directly: [email protected], ThereseWacker.com.

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