Hadar Noiberg’s Self Sufficient Flutist US Tour
Hadar Noiberg Announces Self Sufficient Flutist US Tour
Hadar Noiberg, the acclaimed flutist, composer, and educator, is excited to announce her upcoming US tour this fall. This tour will feature a series of concerts and Self Sufficient Flutist (SSF) workshops in various cities, offering flutists and music enthusiasts a chance to experience her distinctive approach to music and education.
Tour Dates and Itinerary:
- October 10: Birmingham, AL - SSF workshop with Kim Scott's flute class and Recital at Alabama School of Fine Arts
- October 12: Chicago, IL - Concert with Edinho Gerber and SSF workshop at Flute Center of Chicago in collaboration with the Chicago Flute Club
- October 14: Duluth, MN - Recital with Ryan Frane at University of Minnesota Duluth
- October 15: Duluth, MN - SSF workshop with Paula Gudmundson’s flute class at University of Minnesota Duluth
- October 16: Minneapolis, MN - Recital and SSF workshop with Immanuel Davis's flute class at University of Minnesota
- October 21: Ann Arbor, MI - SSF workshop with Amy Porter’s flute class at University of Michigan, followed by Recital with Stephen Rush
- October 24: Seattle, WA - SSF workshop and duo concert with Jovino Santos Neto in collaboration with the Seattle Flute Society
- October 25: Seattle, WA - House Concert with Jovino Santos Neto • October 26: Portland, OR - Brazil Fest - duo with Kerry Politzer
- October 27: Portland, OR - SSF workshop & concert with Kerry Politzer at Multnomah Arts Center in collaboration with the Greater Portland Flute Society
- November 1: San Jose, CA - SSF workshop and a House Concert
Hadar will also be available for selected private lessons in these locations.
For more details, including getting in touch with Hadar for private lessons, please visit HadarNoiberg.com.
Interview with Hadar Noiberg
Could you share a bit about your musical journey and how you developed your unique style as a jazz flutist?
The first thing that comes to mind when I read this question is—do I even consider myself a jazz flutist? I know labels can be important, but I’ve always been one to question their meaning and live between the musical scenes.
I started out playing classical music, performing with the youth philharmonic orchestra and studying under some of the best flute teachers. At the same time, I remember sitting next to my little keyboard, coming up with melodies and songs, starting a funk band in high school, and playing salsa while still practicing Mozart.
I studied jazz in high school and have a deep appreciation for it. I guess you could say I’m a jazz musician in the way I approach music—with a lot of freedom and a love for improvisation.
Moving to NYC when I was 21 was like a breath of fresh air. The city’s huge diversity and many subcultures were inspiring, and I threw myself in all directions, playing with incredible charanga bands, Moroccan Andalusian groups, and Brazilian choro, which remains a huge part of my musical life to this day.
At the end of the day, I think my unique style is a result of ‘tasting’ so many musical flavors, treating each one with the respect it deserves, and then coming back to my roots to connect more deeply with what I want to express as a musician.
Who are some of your biggest musical influences, and how have they shaped your approach to playing the flute?
I always struggle with this question because I didn’t grow up listening to flutists. Instead, I was listening to Dexter Gordon (a huge influence!), John Coltrane, Sarah Vaughan, Sting, Stevie Wonder, Mitsuko Uchida, lots of Cuban music, Israeli folk music, and Tower of Power! I loved all of these artists in high school, and they inspired me in different ways. I did listen to Dave Valentin and really loved his style on the flute.
Listening to other instruments and singers had a huge impact on my playing. I never tried to sound like a typical flutist or any known jazz flutist. I wanted to sound like different instruments and embody all of them in my flute playing. My favorite flutists to this day are usually bansuri or Ney players—the folkier and woodier, the better! I’ve tried to imitate the Middle Eastern Ney style on the flute, and I still keep Dexter Gordon’s deep minimalism in mind.
How do you approach improvisation in your performances, and what role does it play in your overall musical expression?
Wow, I love this question. For me, improvisation is freedom in the deepest sense, and being challenged in that space again and again is where I thrive the most. My approach to improvisation is inseparable from the actual song I’m working with. I put a lot of emphasis on learning the melody and harmony, understanding how they connect, and then gradually venturing further and further away—but I never forget the melody.
My favorite kind of improvisation happens when I trust my musical collaborators so much that I can take the music anywhere I want while performing live, knowing they’ll be right there with me, adding their own input and flowing with the moment. I also love when they surprise me. I don’t necessarily want to know how the story begins or how it ends!
What inspired this upcoming tour in the Midwest and Pacific Northwest (coast?)? Are there specific cities or venues you’re particularly excited about?
I’ve spent the last four years doing things a bit differently. It all started with my passion for bringing flutists from around the world together online, which led me to start my own Self Sufficient Flutist classes. Then Covid hit, and these classes really took off as I began teaching more and more online. I loved connecting with flutists and offering classes that don’t define any particular musical genre—literally open to everyone! It felt both exciting and natural, a big shift from the more traditional flute classes I grew up with.
As a bandleader with five albums under my belt, I know what it’s like to tour with my band—flying together to different places, traveling, and performing as a group. I love that experience, but I had this gut feeling that I wanted to do things differently this time.
So, I started thinking—what if I just take my flute and go? What if I bring the same spirit of my online classes to different universities, communities, and groups in person? And maybe even perform with local musicians?
Long story short, here we are! I’m excited to visit cities I’ve never been to before, like Birmingham, Ann Arbor, and Portland. But I’m also really looking forward to returning to Chicago, Seattle, and San Francisco!
Can you walk us through the process of organizing a tour like this? What challenges did you face, and how did you overcome them?
Last year, I attended the NFA convention in Phoenix for the first time, and it was a blast! I was teaching my class and performing with some incredible musicians, which left me feeling deeply inspired. I met a lot of fantastic flutists and discovered that many people had been following my online videos. During some conversations, people expressed interest in having me visit their flute groups or university classes. That kind of encouragement felt really great.
About four months ago, I started thinking about this tour—“thinking” is probably more accurate than “planning” because I had never done a tour like this before. It began as an idea I tossed around in my head, and it just felt right!
I started by emailing a few flute friends, colleagues, and people I’d connected with online. They were casual emails, just floating the idea. The feedback was super positive! Each of them ended up suggesting three or four other people in their area to talk to, and pretty soon, I was looking at five different states and a growing list of people to contact. At some point, I had to set a limit on the time and region, so I focused on the Midwest and the West Coast, where I had the most interest.
There have been several challenges. Travel is extensive and expensive, especially when coming from out of the country like I am. Another challenge is that this tour includes university workshops, recitals, and performances at various venues, each requiring different preparation and figuring out who I’ll be playing with in each city.
To overcome the travel challenges, I asked myself what I really wanted from this tour. Did I want to allow myself some time off, or did I want to travel daily and pack in as much as possible? Did I want to drive or only fly? These are crucial questions that need to be answered before diving into the logistics. I usually look for collaborators, like my flute company or my country’s embassy, to assist with some of the travel expenses.
For the musical personnel challenge: For the university activities, I’ll be performing with their faculty members, usually a pianist, and hopefully involving the flute class in my concert. For the venues, I reached out to friends in the Brazilian scene, and they helped me connect with some brilliant local musicians who are also versed in Brazilian music.
How do you balance the demands of live performances with the logistics of touring, such as travel and accommodations?
On one hand, I’m used to handling the tour management for my own bands, which can be quite a bit more complex than traveling solo. When it comes to booking travel and accommodations, I’m as organized as they come. I book everything in advance and make all the necessary international calls to ensure that everything is set up just right, whether that means checking on car rentals or making sure the hotel has the amenities I care about.
I create the most detailed itinerary possible, sometimes even planning out where I’ll have lunch on a specific day if the schedule is tight. My goal is to handle everything I can beforehand so that when I’m on the road, I can focus on being an artist rather than managing all the logistics myself.
I also like to enjoy my time on tour, so I’ve scheduled a few days in the middle for me and my partner to relax and explore—balancing business with a bit of pleasure.
That said, I’m currently looking for a manager and hope to have a tour manager handle these details for my next tour.
Can you tell us more about your Self-Sufficient Flutist Workshop, and what attendees can expect from this workshop?
First of all, don’t worry—you don’t need to improvise. That’s the first thing I tell people about my workshop. Just come with an open mind.
The Self Sufficient Flutist Workshop focuses on connecting with fundamental musical elements—melody, rhythm, harmony—no matter what genre you’re playing. It’s a very interactive experience, and I adapt it based on the participants.
Through our time together, you’ll learn how to transform a simple melody into a duet or create exercises for yourself or your students, focusing on rhythm, articulation, or tone. You’ll also gain skills in accompanying others, moving beyond the soloist role that we often find ourselves in as flutists. It’s all about being creative and having fun. I’ll also be showcasing my new RAW copper alto and one of my open G# Rudall Carte flutes, and I’ll be available to answer questions and connect with everyone. I can’t wait!
What are some key takeaways you hope participants will gain from your workshop? How do you address different skill levels and learning styles?
There are several key takeaways from the workshop. First, venturing outside the known boundaries of our instrument can completely transform how we play with others. Learning to listen deeply and examine music 'vertically'—focusing on other musical elements beyond just the melody—offers incredible benefits. Another key takeaway is how to use very little information, sometimes just one measure or a musical sentence, to create a wide variety of exercises for yourself. This approach means you don’t need to buy a ton of study books where each targets one aspect of flute playing but can come up with integrated exercises that tackle several musical and technical aspects.
I want participants to have fun playing music and to remember the importance of being curious and explorative. Learning and developing through that approach is key. Being perfectionists, serious, and hard on ourselves won’t yield better results—spoiler alert: it often makes things worse.
The workshops I offer are open to all skill levels. While very beginners might not be able to participate fully, you don’t need to be a professional to join. I’m very sensitive to the needs of the participants and can read the room well. I always check in to see if my explanations are clear or if another approach would be more helpful. I ask if I’m getting too technical or if I should repeat anything. I care a lot about making the experience accessible and meaningful for everyone.
We all have valuable things to learn from each other. If some people prefer not to read music, I’ll involve them without the music. If others struggle with harmony and chord symbols, I might suggest simpler bass lines they could play. Ultimately, we learn so much more about the flute and music when we engage with people who bring different perspectives and skills to the table.
What motivated you to create this workshop, and how do you see it impacting the flutists who attend?
I might be a bit of a passionate dreamer, but my aspiration for this workshop is to drive a meaningful transformation in flute education. Traditional training often has significant gaps, whether in Classical, jazz, or other genres. For instance, when an orchestral musician comes to me after extensive study, including years of music harmony courses, and they struggle with fundamental concepts like major and minor triads or reading chord symbols, it’s deeply fulfilling to help them uncover the joy of these elements and utilize their classical background to their advantage. Similarly, when someone who loves improvisation but lacks formal flute training learns to connect more profoundly with their instrument and their own body, enhancing their confidence and interaction in solos and ensembles—that’s precisely why I’m committed to this work.
My hope is that attendees will leave the workshop not only having enjoyed a rewarding and stimulating experience but also feeling inspired to explore and expand their musical boundaries. I want them to rediscover excitement and curiosity in the music they’ve been playing for years.
What advice would you give to emerging flutists who are looking to carve out their own path in the industry?
Know that you are enough. Your unique perspective and individuality make what you’re doing special, and there’s no one else like you. Be prepared for doubts and criticisms—whether from teachers questioning your path or misconceptions about financial stability in music. Don’t listen to them. If you’re passionate about making music, teaching, composing, leading a band, or joining an orchestra, you can do it. Stay curious, humble, and patient; remember that it’s a long game and not as instant as social media might make it seem. Always be professional and strive to be the best person you can be.
Are there any upcoming projects or collaborations you’re excited about that you’d like to share with our readers?
This upcoming tour is by far the most exciting thing for me! I’ll be collaborating with some incredible flutists such as Amy Porter, Kim Scott, and Immanuel Davis, as well as engaging with various flute societies and clubs. I’m also thrilled to work with amazing artists like Jovino Santos Neto. You can find the full schedule on my website, HadarNoiberg.com.
There’s another project I’m incredibly excited about, and I’m thrilled to give your readers an exclusive sneak peek: I’ll soon be launching a special Self Sufficient Flutist Patreon! As my online flute community continues to grow, I’ve been receiving so many questions and special requests that are difficult to address fully through social media alone.
This Patreon will offer a fantastic opportunity for those who want a deeper connection with me. Whether you’re interested in exploring more about my teachings, asking questions, sharing ideas, or simply being part of a supportive, inner-circle flute community, this platform will have it all. You’ll have access to the same teaching materials I use in my classes and lessons, with the flexibility to engage as much or as little as you like.
I’ll be sharing exclusive videos on all the topics I cover, providing a more comprehensive experience than what I can offer online. It’s a great way to stay connected, especially for those who can’t attend my classes or take private lessons but still want to stay engaged with their flute practice.
Website: https://hadarnoiberg.com/
Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@HadarNoiberg
Facebook: https://facebook.com/hadarnoibergmusic
Instagram: https://instagram.com/hadarnoiberg