Special Guest Artists
Jan Vinci - Gail Bowlin - Sue Swilley - Grace Notes Flute Choir

First Prizewinner of England's International Electric Music Performance Competition, Jan Vinci has performed in Alice Tully, Carnegie Hall, Merkin Hall and Symphony Space and at events such as Blossom Festival, International Computer Music Conference in The Netherlands, Electric Music Festival in England, Killington Music Festival, Chamber Music Conference of the East at Bennington College, New York Flute Club concert series, several National Flute Association Conventions, and as featured artist for flute festivals in New York and Florida. She has performed in Denmark and Ibiza, Spain, as well as at colleges across the USA such as Stanford, Ithaca, Crane, West Florida, Central Oklahoma, and in return engagements at her alma maters.

For 10 years with Tritonis, a flute, guitar and cello ensemble, Ms. Vinci performed throughout the USA, commissioned over 20 works, and recorded Five Premieres: Chamber Works With Guitar for Albany Records.

Ms. Vinci has performed on the National Public Radio's program Performance Today. And, as an orchestral musician, she performed with the Albany Symphony, Cleveland Opera Theater and Heidelburg orchestras. Dr. Vinci is Senior Artist-in-Residence at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, NY and formerly served on the faculties of Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College and Hofstra University. For 15 years, Ms. Vinci has directed and taught master classes at the Skidmore Summer Flute Institute and for over a decade has presented the Skidmore Flute Festival. She served as President of the New York Flute Club. Ms. Vinci holds a D.M.A. from The Juilliard School, an M.M. from Cleveland Institute of Music and a B.M. from Bowling Green State University. Her primary teachers include Julius Baker, Samuel Baron, Maurice Sharp, Judith Bentley and Martha Aarons.

Gail Bowlin, flutist and piccoloist, was formerly solo piccoloist and section leader of the flute section of "The President's Own" United States marine Band in Washington, D.C. She performed with the White House Orchestra and was a frequent performer during chamber music concerts at the Library of Congress. Gail was a national tour soloist and participated in concert tours throughout the United States, Western Europe, and the former Soviet Union during her 20-year career with the Marine Band.

While a member of the Band, she was honored by the U.S. Jaycees who selected her as one of the nation's most outstanding young women. Prior to her enlistment in the Marine Band, Gail was a member of the Vallejo Symphony Orchestra in Vallejo, California; performed with the Bay Area chamber Music Ensemble, and toured with an orchestra that accompanied Rafael Mendez on a concert tour of Western Europe. Her primary flute teachers include Lloyd Gowen, former solo piccoloist with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra and the late Britton Johnson, former solo flutist with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. She is a graduate of California State University, Sacramento where she was awarded a full music scholarship.

After retiring from the marine Band, Gail pursued a second career as a mental health therapist. She holds a M.S. degree in mental health counseling from Niagara University, Niagara Falls, New York. She and her husband, Howard, also former member of the Marine Band, retired to Maryville, Tennessee in 2007. Their daughter Rachel is a 2010 graduate of Maryville College.

Grace Notes Flute Choir is a group of professional and amateur flutists that originally began as a flute quartet in 1995 at St. Andrew's Episcopal Church. The choir has played for churches, non-profit fundraisers, schools and retirement homes as well as weddings, banquets and festivals all over the East Tennessee area. The choir has recorded 2 music CD's, the first in 2003 featuring choir favorites recorded at the Maryville College Student Center and a second Christmas CD recorded in 2005 in the sanctuary of Trinity Chapel in Knoxville, TN.

The choir has also hosted 2 flute workshops for flutists in the East Tennessee area. The most recent was the Dogwood Flute Festival, held in Maryville, TN in the spring of 2008. The first ever workshop hosted by GNFC was held in 2004 at the 1st Baptist Church in Maryville, TN. Grace Notes remains as always dedicated to serving the needs of non-profit organizations, school age children and the elderly in our area.