International
Chamber Artists

A Japan born flutist Yukie Ota came to the United States in 2007. Yukie received her Master of Music Degree from the DePaul University School of Music in Chicago, where she studied under Mathieu Dufour, the current principal flutist of the Berlin Philharmonic.

 

In 2014, Yukie Ota won 2nd prize in the Carl Nielsen International Flute Competition. She became famous when a butterfly landed on her during the competition and she continued to play without letting the butterfly impact her performance. Known as “Madame Butterfly” her video was viewed over two million times on YouTube. Yukie also received the Orchestra Prize, Audience Prize, and the Children's Jury Prize from the competition. Earlier in 2014, she won the “Newly Commissioned Work” Prize at the 36th annual Young Artist Competition during the National Flute Association convention.

 

In 2011, she won first prize in the Chicago Flute Club Solo Artist Competition. As a soloist, Yukie has performed the Carl Nielsen Flute concerto with the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra. She has also performed chamber music with principal players from the Chicago Symphony Orchestra at Ravinia.

 

As an orchestra player, Yukie has served as principal flute for the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra since 2011. She performs as a substitute flutist with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, at the Ravinia Festival, and with the Santa Barbara Symphony Orchestra. She also joined the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra on their Japan concert tour.

 

Yukie was invited to participate in orchestra academies and has had the opportunity to perform at well-known festivals around the world such as the Verbier Festival Orchestra in Switzerland conducted by Valery Gergiev, the Pacific Musical Festival in Japan conducted by Riccardo Muti and Fabio Luisi, and the Incheon & Arts Festival in Korea conducted by Chung Myung-Whun.

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