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Jennifer Swanson received her high school diploma from the Interlochen Arts Academy where she studied flute with Tyra Gilb. She continued her musical studies at the University of Illinois in Champaign/Urbana where she studied with Jonathan Keeble and received a BM in flute performance. Since graduating she has also pursued studies with flutists Rhonda Larson, Nicole Mitchell, and Mary Stolper.
Jennifer has performed with many large and small ensembles including the University of Illinois Symphony Orchestra, Wind Symphony, and New Music Ensemble; the Lucca Festival Orchestra and Woodwind Quintet; and the Classical Symphony Orchestra of Chicago. These ensembles provided her with opportunities to play at glorious venues, including Carnegie Hall in New York, Orchestra Hall in Chicago and various venues around Tuscany, Italy.
Jennifer is currently a free lance flutist and instructor in Chicago. She has been collaborating with several musicians in the city which has her exploring multiple genres of music including jazz, free improvisation, avant garde, and classical. She is currently a member the Tomorrow Music Orchestra, a well-known Chicago based experimental group that combines improvisation with composed and conceptual music. She has also guest performed with the Nicole Mitchell Large Ensemble, the Millennium Chamber Players of Chicago and the Accessible Contemporary Music Ensemble. Jennifer enjoys administrative positions as the Director of Classical Music at Heaven Gallery, a Chicago art gallery/music venue where she performs on a regular basis; as well as the Corporate Sponsorship Chairperson of the Chicago Flute Club. She maintains a growing private teaching studio in Oak Park, IL and is the flute instructor and preschool “Sing and Play” teacher at the Southport Performing Arts Conservatory and Entertainment.
Jennifer recently embarked on a cultural diplomacy trip to the Middle Eastern country of Qatar with the New York based group, Cultures in Harmony. While there, she performed as part of a classical trio giving several private and public concerts as well as workshops, lessons, masterclasses, and coachings. The trio made history as the first American musicians to perform at Qatar’s only special needs school, an all girls’ school, and alongside Egyptian musicians. The trip proved that music can indeed join people together, as people from all different walks of their trip- and all different cultures- began to collaborate with one another for the first time. In light of this fantastic venture, Jennifer hopes to actively pursue the addition of musicians to what should be a growing public interest in cultural diplomacy.