Biography

Meet Cora

Flutist Cora Crisman is dedicated to finding creative ways to connect musicians, students, and audiences, passionately seeking to create and partake in experiences that use music to communicate.

A graduate of the Royal Academy of Music, she has played in orchestras in the United Kingdom under the batons of Sir Colin Davis, Yan Pascal Tortelier, and under the direction of acclaimed violinist Maxim Vengerov. Upon returning to the United States, Cora was delighted to rediscover the vibrant musical world in Colorado, where she is currently a freelance flutist. She is a frequent substitute with the Colorado Symphony, the Colorado Ballet Orchestra, the Colorado Springs Philharmonic, the Boulder Philharmonic, the Greeley Philharmonic, and more. Cora also holds the Second Flute position with the Denver Municipal Band, the oldest consistently performing professional band of its kind in the country. An eager chamber musician, Cora thrives on the intimate musical possibilities small ensembles can provide, and enjoys performing frequently with her woodwind quintet The Five Seasons, as well as her duo Airrow, alongside fellow flutist Katy Wherry.

A dedicated music educator and teaching artist, Cora is currently a lead instructor of classes, workshops, and outreach programs for the integrative education nonprofit Integral Steps. In addition to her teaching role with students ages 2-18 in flute, piano, and music in motion, she is also the Scholarship Coordinator, providing access to musical programming for families and students in need. Always striving to connect quality music performances with student engagement, Cora frequently performs as flutist with Englewood Arts “Symphony Spotlight” concerts, bringing interactive orchestral concerts to public schools in the region. Cora loved previously being a part of the Colorado Symphony’s Very Young Composer program, working to bring music composition skills to underserved youth in the Denver community. She has also taught in outreach programs through the Colorado Youth Symphony Orchestra and the Denver Municipal Band. Cora is equally at home teaching in classrooms, bands, sectional groups or private lessons, and holds a private studio in Denver, Colorado and online.

Cora holds an MA from the Royal Academy of Music and a BM from Ithaca College School of Music. She is forever grateful to her teachers and mentors Clare Southworth, Paul Edmund Davies, William Bennett, Liz Shuhan, and Emma Shubin for their technical guidance and their reminders to never stop telling the story within the music.