About Kirsten

Illinois-bred, Austin-based musician Kirsten Townander (b. 2001) is a composer, educator, and flautist. Her artistic work is fueled by her love of story-telling, passion for human connection, and appreciation for her multidisciplinary background, which spans the disciplines of theatre, dance, and—of course—music. She seeks to bridge gaps between these all-too-often “separate” disciplines, fostering spaces for performers and audience members alike to tap into their creativity in new ways.

 

Kirsten earned a Master of Music in Composition (M.M.) from the University of Texas at Austin, where she studied with Omar Thomas, Yevgeniy Sharlat, and Donald Grantham. Before this, she earned a Bachelor of Music Education (B.M.E.) and dual Bachelor of Music Composition and Flute Performance (B.M.) from Illinois State University, where she studied composition with Roger Zare, Carl Schimmel, Roy Magnuson, and Alex Stephenson and flute with Kimberly Risinger.

 

In addition to her pursuits as a composer, Kirsten remains active as an educator. She currently holds the position of Music Theory Director at the Clavier-Werke School of Music, offers private flute lessons, and completes freelance arranging jobs. During her time at UT, she served as a graduate teaching assistant in undergraduate aural skills courses. Kirsten enjoys working with musicians of all ages and looks forward to any and all opportunities for collaboration!