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. Whenever possible, Kirsten seeks to bridge gaps between these often “separate” art forms and foster spaces for performers to embrace creativity in ways that are not always readily encouraged within the traditional frameworks of Western art music and academia as a whole. She hopes that those who hear and play her music are left with renewed feelings of curiosity and wonder for the world around them.

 

Kirsten is currently pursuing a Master of Music in Composition (M.M.) from the University of Texas at Austin, where her private instructors have included Donald Grantham and Yevgeniy Sharlat. Previously, she earned a Bachelor of Instrumental 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 duties as a composer and graduate student, Kirsten remains active as an educator. She works as the Theory Director at the Clavier-Werke School of Music, offers private flute lessons, and completes freelance arranging jobs. Her other educationally-rooted endeavors as of recent include: serving on the support staff team for the 2024 National Seminario with Marin Alsop at the Ravinia Festival in Highland Park, Illinois, assisting with Quinlan and Fabish instrument try-out events, and completing her student teaching in high school and middle school band and general music classrooms in the Chicagoland area. Kirsten enjoys working with musicians of all ages and looks forward to any and all opportunities for collaboration!