Flutist Faith Wasson is an international performing artist, having toured throughout Europe and North America as an orchestral and solo musician at venues including the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, National Concert Hall of Ireland, and Palais Corbelli in Vienna, Austria. She currently holds the piccolo/3rd flute position with the Southeastern Pennsylvania Symphony Orchestra. Her recent engagements include working as principal flute with Lyric Opera Ireland as well as SinfoNua Orchestra.
During the Covid-19 pandemic Faith initiated her own Chamber Concert Series – "Flute with Faith & Friends." Now in its third season, the series takes place in-person and online and has involved a select number of guest performing artists. (See events page)
Faith has been the recipient of numerous awards and honors including as winner of the National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland Concerto Competition. Her performance of Ibert's Flute Concerto with the orchestra was sadly cancelled due to covid-19. In addition, she won the opportunity to perform principal flute with the National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland mentoring scheme during the 2018-2019 and 2019-2020 seasons. She was granted both the Boyer College Gladfelter Scholarship for outstanding performance, and the Temple University Creative Arts and Research Scholarship Award.
Faith is a proponent of music by women composers, frequently performing the re-discovered music of women composers of the past and commissioning works by contemporary women composers. The 21-22 season of “Flute with Faith & Friends” features pieces by women composers on every concert of the series. She made the Irish premiere of the Sonata for flute and piano by Melanie Bonis at the Royal Irish Academy of Music in 2019. In 2018 she premiered, "Judah and Tamar" for flute, oboe, and piano by composer Sharon Kim. She is currently working on a set of transcriptions by American composer, Amy Beach.
Faith received her Masters of Music in Flute Performance at the Royal Irish Academy of Music studying flute with William Dowdall, former principal flute of the National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland, and piccolo with Patricia Morris, former principal piccolo of the BBC Symphony. She graduated with honors from Temple University's Boyer College of Music and Dance where she simultaneously earned a Bachelor of Music in Music History and a Bachelor of Music in flute performance studying under Loren Lind of the Philadelphia Orchestra.
Faith has received additional mentorship and masterclass instruction from renowned flutists Sir James Galway, Jeffrey Khaner, Mimi Stillman, Adam Walker, Marina Piccinini, David Kramer, and other wonderful players.
Faith is a dedicated educator and has taught junior students at the Royal Irish Academy of Music and served as a mentor at the Philadelphia Festival of Young Musicians. She currently coaches chamber ensembles and maintains an active online and in-person flute/piccolo studio at her home in Glenside, Pennsylvania.