Flutist Aura Giles is in her final year of a Master’s degree at the University of Ottawa, with Camille Churchfield, former principal flute of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra. She obtained a Bachelor of Music from the University of Alberta where she studied with Shelley Younge and played principal flute in the University Symphony Orchestra, the Edmonton youth Orchestra and the University of Alberta Symphonic Wind Ensemble. Winner of the 2008 concerto competition, she will perform the Flute Concerto by Jacques Ibert with the University of Ottawa Orchestra and in October 2006, she appeared as concerto soloist with the Alberta Baroque Ensemble. Aura currently plays with the University of Ottawa Orchestra and is the leader of Ottawa University’s flute ensemble and flute education classes. She has performed in masterclasses with renowned flutists Ian Clarke, Robert Cram, Eyal Ein-Habar and Peter Lloyd.
A passionate performer, Ms. Giles is also an active chamber musician and has a particular interest in new and experimental music. She is currently collaborating with a number of local composers with will include the world premiere of a solo set of miniatures by Ottawa composer, Evan Ware. In addition, Aura will be flutist and actor in a coming tour for the 2008 Canadian Fringe Festival collaborating with Toronto playwright/composer Alex Eddington in “Old Growth,” a visionary play with a powerful environmental message. Aura has an intense interest in connecting to all audiences through a variety of styles, including the fusion of music with theatre, visual arts and dance. Always involved with a variety of musical projects, she has performed with a number of chamber groups including a small improvisatory group that recorded the soundtrack for the Ottawa documentary “Heard of Poets” in 2007. A well-rounded musician with an understanding of many different styles of music from classical, modern music and jazz to folk, metal and rock, Aura also loves playing piano and electric bass in her free time. She aspires to be a creator of music for her lifetime and to share her love of music with the widest possible audience. She is also a methodical and creative instructor, providing a positive and engaging musical experience for her students.
