Education
Master’s degree in Flute Performance, The Hartt School
Bachelor’s degree in Flute Performance, The Hartt School
“As agile a flutist as one could wish for” (Fanfare), award-winning flutist Allison Hughes enjoys a diverse and exciting career of solo, chamber, and orchestral performances. She gave her Carnegie Hall debut in 2016 as a founding member of Duo Alterity with classical guitarist Joseph Van Doran, which has garnered first prizes in the 2020 CMFONE International Chamber Music Ensemble Competition, 2016 Vivo International Music Competition, and 2016 Hartt Chamber Music Competition.
Allison is currently Principal Flutist of the Ridgefield Symphony Orchestra and the Hartford Independent Chamber Orchestra. Passionate about the flute as a solo instrument, she has performed the Liebermann Concerto with the Hartt Orchestra. With Duo Alterity she was an Artist-in-Residence for the 2018 and 2019 seasons of Connecticut Summerfest Contemporary Music Festival, and has given performances at notable venues including The DiMenna Center for Classical Music, The Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts, and the Governor’s Mansion in Hartford, Connecticut.
Allison holds Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees in Flute Performance from The Hartt School, where she studied with Janet Arms. She began her Hartt journey in the Community Division studying with Greig Shearer. Greatly indebted to all who have influenced her musical journey, she loves sharing her passion for music and life with students, collaborators, and audiences alike.
My primary goal as a teacher is to inspire a life-long love for music and learning in my students. I believe in an individualized approach tailored to each student, based on a strong foundation of sound, rhythm, and technique. I encourage my students to perform as much as possible - in large ensembles, chamber ensembles, and solo.
I believe that studying music improves every aspect of our lives. It teaches us how to diligently work at something and that consistent, thoughtful practice will make a difficult passage feel easy. It shows us that it is normal to make mistakes and work to correct them, gives us a vital means to express ourselves, and cultivates empathetic people who are able and willing to listen to different perspectives.