About
Classical flutist, Gia Sastre performs as a freelance soloist, chamber musician and orchestral player. Most recently, she performed recitals for the EMMA Concert Series of St. Augustine, the Florida Flute Association, and the University of North Florida. Other notable solo engagements have included recitals at Preston Bradley Hall in the Chicago Cultural Center, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Friday Musicale of Jacksonville, Music @ Main Intermezzo Series, Riverside Fine Arts, the Ponte Vedra Library Series, the Music on Monroe Series, and Riverside Presbyterian’s Wednesday Happenings.
As a chamber musician, Ms. Sastre performs as part of the Vivace Trio, a Jacksonville-based two flute and piano ensemble. She also performed many years with Chicago harpist AnnLaura Tapia as part of Abellimento Flute & Harp duo. Their recording, Abellimento, a collection of flute and harp classics is available on Pandora and iTunes. In addition, she has appeared with Chicago’s CUBE ensemble, Accessible Contemporary Music, the Seram Flute Quartet, the Elgin Opera Ensemble, and the Chamber Music Society of the Good Shepherd, among others. As an orchestral player, she has had the opportunity to perform with many orchestras, including the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra and the Coastal Symphony of Georgia.
As an educator, Ms. Sastre works with many dedicated and talented students as professor of flute at the University of North Florida (@unf_flutes) and through her private studio (@perfectharmonystudio). Ms. Sastre has presented recitals and masterclasses at Florida State, Emory, DePaul, and St. Xavier University and has helped present the Annual UNF Flute Day and Summer Music camp.
She is a life-long member, as well as the 2023-2024 Chair of the Convention Masterclasses for the Florida Flute Association. In addition, she is a member and Farwell Award winner of the Musicians Club of Women. Originally from Miami, Fla., Ms. Sastre holds a Master of Music in Flute Performance from DePaul University in Chicago, where she studied with Mary Stolper and a Bachelor of Music in performance from Florida State University, studying under Charles Delaney and Eva Amsler. Ms. Sastre also traveled to Great Britain to pursue a resident course of study with Paul Edmund-Davies, then principal flutist of the London Symphony Orchestra. Her most valued role is being wife to her high school sweetheart and mother to their three amazing boys.
