Vanessa Lopez is a Mexican-American flutist and piccoloist with a strong passion for music education equity. She currently teaches private lessons in Chicago, is the Acting Flute 2 with Dubuque Symphony Orchestra, and performs with orchestras across the country, including Lyric Opera of Chicago, Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, Milwaukee Ballet Orchestra, and others.
Dedicated teacher
Vanessa approaches lessons with curiosity and hopes her students do too. She currently teaches lessons and group classes with The People's Music School and Latin School of Chicago. She previously taught with Sistema Ravinia's Lake County branch. Vanessa spent her COVID isolation year as a remote Teaching Artist with Harmony Project in Los Angeles, and she received the Music Partnership Program Fellowship at UCLA to teach young flutists from underserved communities in 2018. Her private students have ranged from ages 7 - 65+, and she thoroughly enjoys teaching all levels of flute, from beginner to advanced students.
Chamber Musician and soloist
Vanessa won the Beverly Hills National Auditions with her ensemble, Zephyrus Trio, and was a Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition semi-finalist. She twice received the UCLA Gluck Woodwind Quintet Fellowship, where she performed classical, contemporary, and pop chamber music for schools, after-school programs, retirement homes, and public libraries in the greater Los Angeles area. Vanessa also performed for retirement communities in Pittsburgh as a soloist and a flute duet, as a part of Musicians With a Mission.
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She won the UCLA All-Star Concerto Competition in 2018, performing the 3rd movement of the Ibert Flute Concerto, and appeared as a guest panelist for Jim Walker’s Beyond the Masterclass summer program.
Education
As a first-generation college graduate from California’s central valley, Vanessa understands the importance of providing access to music education for all. She is a firm believer that her own education and success is a result of the organizations and individuals who made music available to her, and she feels the imperative to provide that same opportunity to others.
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She received her Master of Music in Flute Performance from Carnegie Mellon University, and her Bachelor of Arts in Music Performance and Mathematics from UCLA, cum laude. Her primary teachers include Alberto Almarza, Diana Morgan, Tim Hagen, Denis and Erin Bouriakov, Sheridon Stokes, and Dr. Jeannine Dennis.