About 

Flutist, Paula Gudmundson, is Associate Professor of Flute at the University of Minnesota Duluth. She has performed at numerous music festivals and events, including regional and national conferences of the College Music Society, National Flute Association conventions, Minnesota Public Radio’s Class Notes Artist, International Flute Festival of Costa Rica and La Côte Flûte Festival.  Awarded a Community Partnership and Artist Initiative Grants from the Minnesota State Arts Board to record works by Amancio Alcorta and Alberto Williams for research of flute in Latin American art music, traveling to Buenos Aires, Argentina in search of neglected early 20th century music. Recent performances include a tour featuring newly recorded works by Swedish woman composers titled “Breaking Waves”.  www.paulagudmundson.com

 My research and creative activities are centered around collaboration, community engagement and bringing voice to the absent narratives in my field, focused on creating recordings, editions, commissions and collaborations which push our field beyond the concert stage.  I strive to bring these experiences and insights to my students in the classroom and beyond to affect the future of our field.

Breaking Waves was made possible through a Grant in Aid from the University of Minnesota.  It was released by MSR Classics in Fall 2019 and was inspired by the many women dedicated to our musical craft, despite attempts to diminish, ignore and prohibit its study, publication and performance.  Breaking Waves is the title of a work for orchestra by the same name, written by Swedish composer Helena Munktell.  This recording project focuses on the works of three women, Laura Netzel, Elfrida Andrée and Amanda Röntgen-Maier. Each of these women exemplifies the continuing, changing role of women in music.  This recording is also the premiere recording of Laura Netzel’s works for flute.  Embarking on a Midwest Tour in Fall 2019 with my piano colleague Dr. Asami Hagiwara, in a program titled Melodies of Scandinavia with funding from an Imagine Grant. It included performances at the University of North Dakota, North Dakota State University, Bemidji State University, St. Cloud State University and Concordia College.  This recording project represents my ongoing desire to call attention to the many absent narratives of music and knowledge which have been ignored or not valued. 

La Flauta of Buenos Aires (2012) also addressed these absent narratives.  Argentina is often referred to as the home of the tango.  This recording focused on the works by Argentine composers Amancio Alcorta and Alberto Williams, whose music are precursors to the tango. This recording project and editions of the works by Amancio Alcorta were the premiere recording and publication of these works for flute.  Gran Fantasia by Amancio Alcorta edited by Gudmundson received an Honorable Mention from the National Flute Association’s Newly Published Music Competition in 2014.  Awarded a Community Partnership Grant for 2013-2014 from the Minnesota State Arts Board to record works by Amancio Alcorta and Alberto Williams.  Recipient of a 2011–2012 Artist Initiative Grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board for research of flute in Latin American art music, traveling to Buenos Aires, Argentina in search of neglected early 20th century music. In 2012 she presented programs throughout the Midwest featuring solo and collaborative works from Argentina. She was awarded the Paul Revitt Award for Graduate Research from the College Music Society for; La Flauta of Buenos Aires through the Music of Amancio Alcorta at the College Music Society’s Great Plains Regional Conference and presented a lecture recital for the College Music Society’s International Conference in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 2013.  She has also been featured on Minnesota Public Radio’s Regional Spotlight: http://tinyurl.com/hvmfho5 Gudmundson has been invited to perform in recital at the National Flute Association Convention in San Diego, CA August 2016 and La Côte Flûte Festival in Gland, Switzerland October 2016.

Dr. Gudmundson is a practitioner of the Alexander Technique, which focuses on the effective means of changing tension habits and improving coordination. This has contributed to her innovative and observant teaching style. Her Alexander Technique study has included the Sweet Briar Alexander Institute in Lynchburg, VA and study with Pedro Alcantara, Missy Vineyard, Lisa First and Tully Hall. Dr. Gudmundson has had the opportunity to perform in masterclasses for Jeanne Baxtresser, Tadeu Cohelo, Carol Wincenc, Keith Underwood, Jeffery Kahner, Jim Walker, and Baroque flutist Barthold Kuijken.

Dr. Gudmundson is a member of the College Music Society, Minnesota Music Teachers Association, Music Teachers National Association, American Composers Forum, Upper Midwest Association (UMFA) and National Flute Association (NFA).  Dr. Gudmundson is a graduate of Lawrence University (B.M), University of North Texas (M.M), and University of Minnesota (DMA) as a Berneking Fellow. Her principal teachers include Immanuel Davis, Terri Sundberg, Ernestine Whitman and Adrianne Greenbaum.