Myrna Brown Winners  Outstanding Soloists   Honors Soloists  Outstanding  Ensembles  Honors Ensembles

1ST RUNNER-UP:

American flutist Elena Yárritu was born in Japan yet considers herself a California native having spent her formative years in San Jose. Recent solo engagements have included appearances with the Palo Alto Philharmonic and the National Philharmonic of Moldova performing the Mozart Concertos in G major and D major. In November 2003, Yarritu made her New York solo debut at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall presented by Artists International’s Special Presentation Winners Series. This program included the New York premier of Mike Mower’s Sonata No. 3. "…it is seldom that one gets to experience the kind of consistent polish, excitement, invention and sheer joy…" wrote the New York Concert Review.  Ms. Yárritu is co-founder and artistic director of the Monokrome Flute Quartet. This innovative ensemble will appear at the National Flute Association Convention in Nashville this summer to premier a new work for flute quartet by Mike Mower. In addition to organizing the Monokrome Flute Quartet Summer Master Class Series for young flutists held every summer in Saratoga, California, she also maintains a private studio dedicated to young aspiring flutists. Ms. Yárritu has studied with French flutist Isabelle Chapuis Starr at San Jose State University in California, Ransom Wilson at Yale University, the late Alain Marion in Paris and most recently with Jill Felber of UC Santa Barbara. Other mentors include Lloyd Gowen and Bart Feller.

Elizabeth Brightbill was the principal flutist of the Tulsa Philharmonic from 1995 until its demise in 2002 and currently holds the same position with the Tulsa Opera Orchestra. She is a doctoral candidate at Indiana University, holds degrees from Northern Illinois University and DePauw University, and received additional training at the Vienna Conservatory in Austria. She is the recipient of multiple awards including the Farwell Award from the Chicago Musician’s Club of Women, the Kincaid Scholarship at Indiana University, and has been a semifinalist in the National Flute Association’s Young Artist competition. Ms. Brightbill is Adjunct Instructor of Flute at Oral Roberts University and was Visiting Instructor at the University of Tulsa for the 2003-2004 academic year. Her teachers include Peter Lloyd, Kathryn Lukas, Damian Bursill-Hall, Jean Berkenstock, Peter Middleton and Anne Reynolds.