Tara Nadel, C Flute and Piccolo

I live in Springfield, VA with my husband, Russell, and our children, Ari

and Milo. Music has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. At age three, my mother noticed I loved rhythm and enrolled me in group piano classes. By four, I was studying piano with Mrs. Wolleat — her youngest student — and by eight, I was ready for a second instrument. She suggested the flute, and that simple

moment set the course for everything that followed.

I studied with Marcy Russ, a college flutist whose quartet, Flute Forte, introduced me to the joy of small ensemble playing. In school, I immersed myself in band, jazz band, and two youth orchestras — GTCYS (Greater Twin Cities Youth Symphonies) and MYS (Minnesota Youth Symphonies). GTCYS was especially formative: I won the concerto competition in 10th grade and performed with the orchestra, and their summer music camp gave me the cherished “band camp” memories that still make me smile. By senior year, I was a TA for the band program and served as Band President, helping plan our Eastern Europe tour and coordinating our annual

holiday fundraiser — early hints of the arts management path I would later pursue.

I earned my degree in flute performance at the Peabody Conservatory, studying with Laurie Sokoloff of the Baltimore Symphony. After Peabody, I completed my Master’s in Arts Management at American University, where I interned at Strathmore during its early years. Those experiences helped me see how my love of music, community organizing, and philanthropy could come together in a meaningful career. After graduation, I moved to Northern Virginia and joined the Fairfax Symphony, building education programs, supporting concerts, and learning the inner workings of nonprofit arts organizations. Later, at the Community Foundation for Northern Virginia, I served as Chief Marketing Officer and helped launch the Ross Roberts Fund for the Arts, an endowment supporting arts organizations across the region.

I joined the Woodbridge Flute Choir in 2006, the same year I arrived in Northern Virginia, after meeting Debbie Gilbert through the Piedmont Symphony. For twenty years, WFC has been my musical home — a place where I’ve grown as a flutist, a piccolo player, and a collaborator. I’ve loved performing with Capital Symphonic Winds, playing chamber music in libraries, community centers, and senior residences, and attending National Flute Association conventions with WFC.

One of my most meaningful experiences was performing the piccolo solo on Butterfly, a piece my husband, Russell Nadel, composed for our ensemble and featured on our most recent CD. Inspired by a family friend’s encounter with a butterfly in urban Washington, D.C., the work remains one of my favorite musical memories. Being part of the Woodbridge Flute Choir is a joy and a privilege. This ensemble has given me lifelong friendships, artistic challenges, and a place to share my love of music with others. I’m grateful for every rehearsal, every performance, and every moment we’ve created together.