Lisa Bost-Sandberg

Biography

A distinctive and eloquent voice in the music of today, Lisa Bost-Sandberg is described by renowned musician Robert Dick as “…one of the important composer-performers of her generation…[her] interpretations are infused with deep musicality, questing intelligence and a joyous spirit.” Deeply committed to contemporary music as well as its rich roots in the classical repertoire, Bost-Sandberg is known as an engaging flutist/composer/improviser, a dynamic presenter of workshops and lectures, and an impactful teacher.

In demand as a soloist and chamber musician, she has toured internationally, performing her own music and that of others at new music festivals (SEAMUS, EMM, Pixilerations, Spark, and SCI), National Flute Association conventions, International Low Flutes Festivals, and guest appearances at dozens of universities. Recent engagements include performing as a featured flutist-composer on the New York Flute Club’s “Solo Flute Spectacular” concert and serving as the guest artist for the Utah Flute Festival and the Seattle Flute Society Horsfall Competition. She is the bass flutist for the virtual film premiere of Julia Wolfe’s Oxygen for 12 flutes, presented by Carnegie Hall, and she has recorded on the Albany, Cantaloupe, GIA, and North Texas Jazz labels.

Many of her appearances involve her career as a performer-composer and contemporary music specialist, including presentations such as “In Pursuit: Creating Your Path in the Arts,” “From Performer to Composer,” and “Tackling a Contemporary Composition.” She has a long-standing duo collaboration with pianist Éva Polgár. Their programming is focused on adventurous and stunning 20th- and 21st-century repertoire from around the world, from important historical works such as Boulez’s extraordinary Sonatine to new works written for them such as Asha Srinivasan’s Utthishta. Her solo and chamber projects often span the eras, featuring traditional repertoire alongside her pieces and other recent compositions. She has appeared as a concerto soloist on several occasions and currently performs as principal flute of the Greater Grand Forks Symphony Orchestra.

Bost-Sandberg’s compositions have been performed at major conferences and festivals across the United States and abroad, including the College Music Society, Society of Composers, American Trombone Workshop, World Saxophone Congress, North American Saxophone Alliance, National Flute Association, International Low Flutes Festival, and the Music by Women Festival. Recent projects include Heron for solo bass clarinet, commissioned by Jeremy Wohletz, and Dovetail for solo piano, written for the North Dakota Music Teachers Association as she was honored to be selected as their 2023 Commissioned Composer. Chroma, a multimedia collaboration with artist and commissioner Marjorie Schlossman, is the subject of a short film by Mary Trunk and Caren McCaleb. Bost-Sandberg’s works have been recognized as prize-winners and finalists in composition competitions of the National Flute Association, the Flute New Music Consortium, and the American Trombone Workshop.

Committed to her musical community, she serves on the Schmitt Music Flute Gallery Advisory Board and is a Voting Member of the International Music Camp Corporation. Currently serving as Secretary of the National Flute Association, she recently completed a term on the Board of Directors and previously chaired the New Music Advisory Committee, which provided a unique opportunity to forward the commissioning projects and new music initiatives of a major organization with an impressive and deep commissioning history.

Bost-Sandberg has taught masterclasses, given presentations, and led workshops at numerous institutions and festivals. She is the Teaching Assistant Professor of flute and music entrepreneurship at the University of North Dakota, teaches at the International Music Camp, and coaches for the Northern Valley Youth Symphony. A Montana native, she received her Doctor of Musical Arts degree in flute performance with a related field in composition from the University of North Texas as a recipient of the prestigious Masters and Doctoral Fellowship. She is also a graduate of New York University (Master of Arts) and The University of Iowa (Bachelor of Music).