Valerie Coleman

From Wind Repertory Project
Valerie Coleman

Biography

Valerie Coleman (b. 1970, Louisville, Ky.) is an American composer and flautist.

Ms. Coleman began her music studies at the age of eleven, and by the age of fourteen had written three symphonies and won several local and state competitions. She has a double bachelor’s degree in theory/composition and flute performance from Boston University, and a master’s degree in flute performance from the Mannes College of Music. She studied flute with Julius Baker, Alan Weiss, and Mark Sparks; and composition with Martin Amlin and Randall Woolf.

She is not only the founder of Imani Winds, but is a resident composer of the ensemble, giving Imani Winds their signature piece Umoja (which is listed as one of the “Top 101 Great American Works” by Chamber Music America). In addition to her significant contributions to wind quintet literature, Valerie has a works list for various winds, brass, strings and full orchestra.

Her work as a composer has garnered several awards such as the Herb Alpert Awards Ragdale Prize, Van Lier Fellowship, MAPFund, ASCAP Honors Award, Chamber Music America's Classical Commissioning Program, an induction into her high school's hall of fame, and nominations from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, and United States Artists.

Ms. Coleman has served on the faculty of The Juilliard School’s Music Advancement Program and Interschool Orchestras of New York. Currently, she is on the advisory panel of the National Flute Association.


Works for Winds


Resources