Mark Vickers,
Director
Ensemble Program
NYFC Ensemble participants at the May 19, 2024 concert Photo: Brian Klasewitz
NY Flute Club Ensemble 2024-25 season
We meet once a month, usually on the third weekend, either Saturday or Sunday from 2:00-4:00 pm, September through April, and play a concert at the May Annual Meeting. Rehearsals are at Studios 353 at 353 W 48th Street. Dates are posted below. We will all miss our longtime co-director Denise Koncelik (who moved to Florida this past May)!
To join the ensemble:
- You must be a current member of the NY Flute Club.
- No audition is required. We accept all levels of players.NOTE: If you wish to participate in the ensemble program you must email Mark at: ensembles@nyfluteclub.org. Please include your name, preferred email address, and instrument (C flute, piccolo, alto flute, bass flute, contrabass). For new members, include a short note describing your playing level (high school, college, amateur, professional).
We will email parts in PDF files. If you need a hard copy, please let us know.
SMALL ENSEMBLES PROGRAM: Interested in playing in a group of two to four or five players in a player’s home? The NYFC has revived its matchmaking service for NYFC members interested in playing in a small ensemble. See the December 2021 NYFC Newsletter for details and/or contact Lish Lindsey (interim coordinator) at president@nyfluteclub.org.
Photos and reports of the NYFC Ensemble's activities in past seasons, starting with 2016-17, may be found here.
Meeting Schedule for the 2024-25 Season
| Date | Time | Location (if not Studios 353) | Event type |
| Saturday, September 21, 2024 | 2:00 - 4:00 pm | In-person | |
| Sunday, October 20, 2024 | 2:00 - 4:00 pm | In-person | |
| Saturday, November 16, 2024 | 2:00 - 4:00 pm | In-person | |
| Saturday, December 14, 2024 | 2:00 - 4:00 pm | In-person | |
| Sunday, January 19, 2025 | 2:00 - 4:00 pm | Canceled due to snow. | In-person |
| Saturday, February 22, 2025 | 2:00 - 4:00 pm | In-person | |
| Sunday, March 16, 2025 | 2:00 - 4:00 pm | In-person | |
| Saturday, April 12, 2025 | 2:00 - 4:00 pm | In-person | |
| Sunday, May 18, 2025* | 3:00 pm | Pearl Studios, 500 8th Ave.* | In-person |
* Room 314. Set-up starts at 2:00 pm; pre-concert run-through at 2:30 pm; annual meeting/concert starting at 3:00 pm.
Our Saturday, April 12, 2025 Meet-up
Participants at the April 12 ensembles meet-up. Photo: Mark Vickers
On Saturday, April 12 the NYFC Ensemble held its seventh rehearsal of the season with 19 members (1 new, 18 returning) participating at Studios 353 in Manhattan. Mark Vickers led the group through Diffusion and Light (McIntosh), Edelwiess (arr. Koncelik), Masques (McGinty), The Musical Snuff Box (arr. Giannone), Ancient Airs (arr. Jicha), Scarborough Fair (arr. Rice-Young), American Flute Salute (arr. Holcombe), Apollo March (arr. Thurston), and Reverie (arr. Ben-Meir). It was a very intensive rehearsal as the group prepared for its performance at the May 18 membership meeting.
During our mid-rehearsal break, knowing that New York City is often considered a destination for a vacation by many, we pondered where do our members, mainly from New York City and areas close by go for vacation. Answers included going to Lake George in upstate New York, Hawaii (main island), Santa Fe, New Mexico; Rome, Italy; as well as other countries. Following the rehearsal, several members went out for coffee at a nearby coffee shop to relax and get to know each other a little better outside of the rehearsal, before heading back out into the rain.
Our Sunday, March 16, 2025 Meet-up
Participants at the March 16 ensembles meet-up. Photo: Mark Vickers
On Sunday, March 16 the NYFC Ensemble held its sixth rehearsal of the season with 16 members (1 new, 15 returning) participating at Studios 353 in Manhattan. Mark Vickers led the group through Diffusion and Light (McIntosh), Edelwiess (arr. Koncelik), Masques (McGinty), The Musical Snuff Box (arr. Giannone), Reverie (arr. Ben-Meir), Scarborough Fair (arr. Rice-Young), Ancient Airs (arr. Jicha), American Flute Salute (arr. Holcombe), and Apollo March (arr. Thurston).
During our mid-rehearsal break, with St. Patrick's Day looming the next day, the question "How do you celebrate St. Patrick's Day?" was asked of the members. Answers included going to the New York St. Patrick's Day parade the next day, eating traditional Irish food, or not really celebrating at all. It was uncovered that not many had any association with Irish heritage. Following the rehearsal, member Catherine Xu encouraged members to go out for coffee in a nearby park with nine people taking her up on the suggestion. Members were able to have a chance to relax and get to know each other a little better outside of the rehearsal.
Our Saturday, February 22, 2025 Meet-up
Participants at the Feburary 22 ensembles meet-up. Photo: Mark Vickers (in mirror)
On Saturday, February 22 the NYFC Ensemble held its fifth rehearsal of the season with 19 members (2 new, 17 returning) participating at Studios 353 in Manhattan. Mark Vickers led the group through Reverie (arr. Ben-Meir), The Musical Snuff Box (arr. Giannone), Scarborough Fair (arr. Rice-Young), Apollo March (arr. Thurston), Diffusion and Light (McIntosh), Ancient Airs (arr. Jicha), American Flute Salute (arr. Holcombe), and Edelweiss (arr. Koncelik).
During our mid-rehearsal break, the question “As spring approaches, what will be one of the things you will now embrace doing?” was asked of the members. Answers included planting flowers, going to the Botanical Gardens, walks in the park, watching the sunset, bike riding, and in general, just getting outside again.
Our Saturday, December 14, 2024 Meet-up
Participants at the December 14 ensembles meet-up. Photo: Brian Klasewitz
On Saturday, December 14 the NYFC Ensemble held its fourth rehearsal of the season with 19 members (all returning) participating at Studios 353 in Manhattan. Mark Vickers led the group through Edelweiss (arr. Koncelik), Reverie (arr. Ben-Meir), Diffusion and Light (McIntosh), Ancient Airs (arr. Jicha), Masques (McGinty), American Flute Salute (arr. Holcombe), and Scarborough Fair (arr. Rice-Young).
During our mid-rehearsal break, the question “What are your favorite holiday memories?” was posed to the members. Answers included the smell of babka bread baking in the oven, trips to the movies, Chinese food along with a number of traditional and non-traditional dishes, forming new relationships, and spending quality time with friends and family, sometimes traveling, sometimes staying close to home.
Our Saturday, November 16, 2024 Meet-up
Participants at the November 16 ensembles meet-up. Photo: Carmen Brown
On Saturday, November 16 the NYFC Ensemble held its third rehearsal of the season with 23 members (20 returning and three new) participating at Studios 353 in Manhattan. Mark Vickers led the group through Masques (McGinty), Ancient Airs (arr. Jicha), Apollo March (arr. Thurston), American Flute Salute (arr. Holcombe), A Musical Snuff Box (Giannone), and Reverie (arr. Ben-Meir).
During our mid-rehearsal break, the question “What would you teach if you could choose what you teach?” was posed to the members. Surprisingly we discovered that a number of the members already were or had been teachers. Answers included music at various levels and capacities, philosophy, and cooking.
Our Sunday, October 20, 2024 Meet-up
Participants at the October 20 ensembles meet-up. Photo: Carmen Brown
On Sunday, October 20, the NYFC Ensemble held its second rehearsal of the season with 15 members (14 returning and one new). Mark Vickers led the group through Edelweiss (arr. Koncelik), Ancient Airs (arr. Jicha), American Flute Salute (arr. Holcombe), Diffusion and Light (McIntosh), Reverie (arr. Ben-Meir), and our own Bill Giannone’s revised arrangement of A Musical Snuff Box featuring Bill on piccolo solo.
The icebreaker question was “What’s your favorite thing to do in the fall in NYC?” Answers included heading to the parks inclusive of Central Park, Riverside Park, and Palisades Park to see foliage; enjoying fall fashions; and doing some cooking of fall foods.
Our Saturday, September 21, 2024 Meet-up
Participants at the September 21 ensembles meet-up. Photo: Brian Klasewitz
On Saturday September 21, the NYFC Ensemble began its new 2024-2025 season with 26 members (23 returning and 3 new). Director Mark Vickers led the group through a set of old and new pieces including Scarborough Fair (arr. Young), Reverie (arr. Ben-Meir), McGinty's Masques, McIntosh's Diffusion and Light, Ancient Airs and Dances Suite No. 1, mvts. 1 and 2 (arr. Jicha), American Flute Salute (arr. Holcombe), A Musical Snuff Box arranged by ensemble member Bill Giannone, and Edelweiss arranged by former co-director Denise Koncelik. Returning members miss Denise and wish her the best. Within the group was NYFC president Lish Lindsey sharing the deep, dark sounds of the contra-bass flute, a great addition to the ensemble.
The icebreaker question was "What was your favorite highlight of the summer?" Answers ranged from hiking in Europe to sitting back and enjoying a view of the ocean. Some spent time with family traveling and some were happy to just rest at home.
