"Palmer reveled in the display of virtuosity"

-New York Concert Review, Summer 2001

Dr. Palmer made her New York recital debut at Carnegie Hall in 2001 to rave reviews as a winner in the Artists International Competition. The New York Concert Review called Palmer's performance "incisive and expressive...particularly enchanting...with sensuous tone and pace." Noted for her performances of music from the eighteenth century, Palmer has performed the concerti of C.P.E. Bach and Mozart in the United States and Europe, and she is the author of the book, Ornamentation According to C.P.E. Bach and J.J. Quantz. "Clearly, the author is knowledgeable about ornamentation..." states the American Music Teacher magazine. In 2003 Palmer released her first solo CD, Versailles , on the Stillwater Sound label featuring French music of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries arranged by Palmer for the modern wood flute. The New York Concert Review writes, "Palmer is clearly among the few current performers on any instrument to fully understand the nature of this music."

Awards

Palmer is a second prize winner of the National Flute Association's Young Artist Competition and a past winner of the Ruth Burr Award in Houston. She has earned a third place finish in the Hemphill-Wells Sorantin Young Artist Award in Texas and fourth place finishes in the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Young Artist Competition in Texas and the William C. Byrd Competition in Michigan. An avid chamber musician, Palmer formed two award-winning chamber music ensembles: the Quintetto Ruvido, winner of the Carmel Chamber Music Society Competition in California; and the Kolphos Kwintet, recipient of an invitation to the National Endowment for the Arts' Rural Residencies program.

Education

After receiving her Bachelor of Music from the University of Southern California where she studied with the late Roger Stevens, Principal Flutist of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Palmer went on to complete both her Master of Music and her Doctorate of Musical Arts at Rice University in Houston. It was during three of these years of study in Texas that Palmer came under the guidance of the great American flutist, Carol Wincenc. Following her training with Ms. Wincenc, Palmer had the great fortune of studying under some of the most sought-after instructors in this country's flute community: Walfrid Kujala, Piccoloist of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra; Anne Diener Zentner, Principal Flutist of the Los Angeles Philharmonic; John Thorne, Assistant-Principal Flutist of the Houston Symphony; and Leone Buyse, Professor of Flute at Rice University. In addition, Palmer has studied intensively with Gaetano Schiavone, Associate-Principal Flutist of the Rome Opera and Professor of Flute at the Conservatory of Santa Cecilia in Rome.

Soloist

Dr. Palmer has appeared in recitals with pianist, Dmitriy Cogan throughout Northern California for twelve seasons. Past appearances include San Francisco's Old First Concerts and Noontime Concerts, Santa Clara University, San Jose State University, the San Francisco Community Music Center, Palo Alto Performances Series, the Crocker Museum in Sacramento, the St. Francis of Assisi National Shrine in San Francisco, and the Haggin Museum in Stockton. Currently, she begins a new collaboration with guitarist, Steve Lin, winner of the Boston GuitarFest Competition and the East Carolina Guitar Competition and professor of guitar at San Jose State University.

Ensemblist

Before launching a solo career, Palmer established herself as an accomplished orchestral flutist and piccoloist. As a member of the New Mexico Symphony Orchestra, she served as Acting Principal Flutist on tour while simultaneously holding the position of Principal Flutist with the Chamber Orchestra of Albuquerque. Prior to these positions, Palmer held the chair of Second Flutist with the Debut Orchestra in Los Angeles. She has also performed with the Houston Symphony, the Shreveport Symphony, the Ohio Light Opera Company, the Sarasota Music Festival, and the Texas Music Festival. She performs regularly with the Santa Cruz Symphony, the Modesto Symphony, the Diablo Valley Masterworks Chorale, Lamplighters Music Theatre, San Francisco Composers Chamber Orchestra, and Santa Cruz Ballet Theatre.

Instruments

Dr. Palmer performs on a Verne Q. Powell modern wood flute, an instrument that crosses the divide between a baroque flute and a modern flute. With the combination of a wood body and a silver mechanism, it has the tone qualities of a baroque flute, but with the stable pitch, mechanical improvements, and powerful delivery of a modern flute. Dr. Palmer also features the alto flute, soprano recorder, and piccolo in her solo and chamber concerts.