Jane Rigler, flutist, composer, educator and producer is known for her innovations in new flute performance, techniques and unique musical vocabulary.
Between September 2019-August 2020 Jane was based in Ireland, teaching and researching while on a Fulbright Teaching/Scholar award during her sabbatical from University of Colorado, Colorado Springs. During her time in Ireland she offered Deep Listening® workshops, performing, composing, teaching and studying Ogham scripts, Gaeilge, Sean-nós and traveling to ancient landscapes.
More about Jane Rigler…
“Jane Rigler is an extraordinary flutist equally at home with the most demanding new works and her own unique improvisations. She is a dedicated and inspiring teacher. Her manual for vocalization is the most pedagogically sound of its kind.”
~ John Fonville, flutist/composer
Jane is featured performer in contemporary music festivals throughout the U.S. and Europe as a soloist as well as within chamber ensembles, both as an interpreter as well as an improviser. Besides premiering works written especially for her, Jane’s own compositions include solo acoustic pieces inspired by language to complex interactive electronic works that pay homage to communities, language and the sounds of the environment, whether they be the natural world, animals or people and machines. Jane is a Deep Listening© Certificate holder. She travels internationally and locally offering exploratory listening workshops for all people.
After receiving a B.M. (Northwestern University) and then pursuing flute studies in various parts of Europe and North America, she gained her M.A. and Ph.D. (UC San Diego) completing The Vocalization of the Flute, a book demonstrating both new and ancient methods of singing-while-playing the flute. Her expertise has led to performances in contemporary operas, experimental theater and dance events as well as other interactive electronic festivals.
Her compositions are sought after by other flutists and have been performed in South Korea, Australia, France, Japan, Spain, and in concert halls and universities throughout the U.S. Her work While you sleep is a documentation CD that includes a sound installation made at the Chihan’an Art Project residency in Ohito, Japan in 2013.
Jane organizes and collaborates on events such as the UCCS VAPA Music Faculty Peak FreQuency Creative Arts Festival/Series (in Colorado Springs), the Relay~NYC! held at MoMA (in NYC), the Spontaneous Music Festival and has received support for her works from NewMusic USA, American Composer’s Forum, Montalvo Lucas Artist Residency, Brooklyn Arts Council, Meet the Composer—Global Connections, Harvestworks Studios, Art Omi, UCROSS, Hambidge, and RPI’s Create @ iEar Studios.
“One of the most compelling … pieces they performed was so quiet that almost nothing happened — except for the musicians’ ability to imply a universe of sound in sustaining a few simple tones. It might have been a soundtrack for the approach of a meteor on a collision course with Earth … Rigler had the audience looking for the effects box, but there wasn’t one. Her circulated echoes were natural …”
~Bill White, EarShot Jazz Festival in duo with Rueben Radding, 2007
Jane teaches introductory computer music, sound art, Deep Listening® based courses, performance art classes, flute, composition, 20th-21st century music history and upper division interdisciplinary courses in the Music Program within the Visual and Performing Arts Department at UCCS (University of Colorado at Colorado Springs). She has been instrumental in bringing several world-renowned guests artists/composer/performers/sound artists to the campus: Pauline Oliveros, Philip Blackburn, Pamela Z, Miya Masaoka, Pamela Madsen, amongst others.
Before living in Colorado she lived nine years in Spain, as a performing flutist and improviser. When she returned to the US in 2003, she landed in NYC to work with several arts organizations such as the Lincoln Center Institute and the Orchestra St. Luke’s where she helped launch a Young Composer Program in the NY schools. Her most notable work is for the Manhattan New Music Project (MNMP) where she spent several years working and researching music education programs such as CME and CIAE for underserved populations and children with disabilities.
Together with artist-programmer Zachary Seldess, she designed and developed the Music Cre8tor an interactive, sensor-driven music composition program for young people with disabilities.
She was a Japan/US Friendship Commission winner in 2009-10 where she led collaborations with many artists throughout Japan. See her blog for amazing photos and her writing of her experiences.
As a specialist in classical contemporary music with a focus on improvisation, creativity, composition and new repertoire, Jane offers private lessons, group lessons and workshops for flutists and other musicians (instrumentalists and composers) of all levels. Although Jane is located in Colorado Springs, USA, anyone around the world can have access to her knowledge and instruction. Contact Jane directly if you are interested in lessons at a distance or in-person.