Brandon Patrick George, flutist

Feb 6

Written By Sforzato Developer 2

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“a knockout musician with a gorgeous sound”

— The Philadelphia Inquirer

Brandon Patrick George is a leading flute soloist and GRAMMY-winning chamber musician whose repertoire extends from the Baroque era to today. He is the flutist of Imani Winds and has appeared as a soloist with the Atlanta, Baltimore, and Albany symphonies, American Composers Orchestra, and the Orchestra of St. Luke’s, among others. He has been praised as “elegant” by The New York Times, as a “virtuoso” by The Washington Post, and as a “knockout musician with a gorgeous sound” by The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Brandon has performed at the Elbphilharmonie, the Kennedy Center, the Dresden Music Festival, and the Prague Spring Festival. In addition to his work with Imani Winds, Brandon’s solo performances include appearances at Lincoln Center, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, 92nd Street Y, Tippet Rise, and Maverick Concerts. In 2021, Brandon was part of the inaugural class of WQXR’s Artist Propulsion Lab, a program designed to advance the careers of early and mid-career artists and support the future of classical music. During his yearlong residency at WQXR, Brandon guest hosted Evening Music, interviewed Ford Foundation president Darren Walker about diversity and equity in the performing arts, and recorded with pianist Aaron Diehl and harpist June Han.

Prior to his solo career, Brandon performed as a guest with many of the world’s leading ensembles including the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, and the International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE). With the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Brandon performed at Walt Disney Concert Hall and at the Hollywood Bowl with music Director Gustavo Dudamel. His ensemble work allowed him to work closely with some of the foremost composers of our time including John Adams, Louis Andriessen, Tania León, Steve Reich, and George Lewis.

Brandon has collaborated with many illustrious musicians and composers in small chamber settings, including with the Escher Quartet, pianists Aaron Diehl and Lowell Liebermann, harpsichordist Mahan Esfahani, soprano Laquita Mitchell, harpist Bridget Kibbey, and composers Valerie Coleman and Sullivan Fortner. In 2026, he will collaborate with mezzo-soprano J'Nai Bridges, pianist Aaron Diehl, and cellist Tommy Mesa in a new work by composer Timo Andres.

In September 2023, Brandon's latest album, Twofold, was released on In a Circle Records. Twofold, Brandon's second solo album, explores musical dialogues that transcend space, time, and identity by pairing canonical works for solo flute with new compositions. The recording features music by C.P.E. Bach, Claude Debussy, Reena Esmail, Saad Haddad, Shawn E. Okpebholo, Ruth Crawford Seeger, and Toru Takemitsu. BBC Music Magazine gave Twofold a four-star rating for both the performance and recording, calling the album "a superb collection." Twofold follows the success of Brandon Patrick George’s debut solo album, which includes music by Kalevi Aho, J.S. Bach, Pierre Boulez, and Sergei Prokofiev, and was released in 2020 on Haenssler Classics. Brandon was featured in The New York Times around the album’s release, in an article titled “A Flutist Steps into the Solo Spotlight,” which described the album as “a program that showcases the flute in all its wit, warmth and brilliance."

Since late May 2020, Brandon Patrick George has received frequent invitations to serve on panels about diversity in classical music, being repeatedly asked what institutions can do to support and reflect the communities they serve. The many conversations, and desire to use his platform for change, inspired him to create his latest commissioning initiative, BPG: The Community Concerto Project. Brandon proposes a new concerto which features students that he will mentor during his collaboration in the community. Having a new commission which tells the story of that community, while also representing the community on stage, encompasses Brandon’s vision of helping orchestras deepen their connections with their audiences, inspire young musicians of color, and expand the repertoire with programming that reflects the community in which they serve. In June 2024, the Albany Symphony presented BPG: The Community Concerto Project in a new concerto performed by Brandon and the Albany High School Choir composed by Michael Gilbertson. Brandon will continue to work with symphonies and students across the country in future seasons, helping to build connections between various communities and orchestral institutions.
Raised by a single mother in Dayton, OH, Brandon is the proud product of public arts education. He draws on his personal experiences in his commitment to educating the next generation, performing countless outreach concerts for schoolchildren every year, and mentoring young conservatory musicians of color embarking on performance careers. Brandon trained at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music with Michel Debost, in Paris with Sophie Cherrier, and received a Master of Music from the Manhattan School of Music. He continued his studies under the guidance of Lorna McGhee, now principal flutist of the Boston Symphony Orchestra.
Brandon serves on the faculty of the Curtis Institute of Music, and the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity. In 2024, he was appointed as the Music Consultant at The Morgan Library & Museum, where he oversees the development and implementation of its music program.