Erin Lesser is a renowned flutist and contemporary music specialist who has made a name for herself in the classical music world. Born in 1982 in the United States, Lesser grew up in a musical family and began playing the flute at a young age. She showed a natural talent for the instrument and quickly became a dedicated student, studying with some of the best teachers in the country. Lesser's early musical education was focused on classical repertoire, and she excelled in this area, winning numerous awards and competitions throughout her youth. She attended the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, where she earned a Bachelor of Music degree in flute performance. While at Eastman, Lesser had the opportunity to study with some of the most respected flutists in the world, including Bonita Boyd and Robert Dick. After completing her undergraduate studies, Lesser went on to earn a Master of Music degree from the Yale School of Music, where she continued to hone her skills as a classical flutist. However, it was during her time at Yale that Lesser began to develop an interest in contemporary music. She was drawn to the innovative and experimental nature of this genre, and she began to explore it more deeply. Lesser's interest in contemporary music led her to pursue a Doctor of Musical Arts degree at the University of California, San Diego. While there, she studied with the renowned flutist and composer Roger Reynolds, who had a profound influence on her musical development. Reynolds encouraged Lesser to push the boundaries of what was possible on the flute, and she began to experiment with extended techniques and unconventional performance practices. Lesser's dedication to contemporary music paid off in 2010, when she was awarded the prestigious Kranichsteiner Musikpreis at the Darmstadt International Summer Courses for New Music in Germany. This award is given to outstanding young performers and composers in the field of contemporary music, and it helped to establish Lesser as a rising star in the genre. Since then, Lesser has gone on to perform with some of the most respected contemporary music ensembles in the world, including the International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE) and the Talea Ensemble. She has also collaborated with many of today's leading composers, including Kaija Saariaho, John Zorn, and Steve Reich. One of Lesser's most notable performances was her 2014 solo recital at the Guggenheim Museum in New York City. The program featured works by contemporary composers such as Elliott Carter, Brian Ferneyhough, and Rebecca Saunders, as well as a world premiere by the young composer Nathan Davis. The performance was widely praised for its technical virtuosity and musical sensitivity, and it cemented Lesser's reputation as one of the leading interpreters of contemporary music. In addition to her work as a performer, Lesser is also a dedicated educator. She has taught at the University of California, San Diego, the University of Virginia, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, among others. She is currently on the faculty of the Lawrence University Conservatory of Music in Appleton, Wisconsin, where she teaches flute and contemporary music performance. Throughout her career, Lesser has remained committed to pushing the boundaries of what is possible on the flute. She has embraced the challenges of contemporary music and has become a leading figure in the field.

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