John Lagerquist


John Lagerquist

If you are reading this, you are undoubtedly curious about my qualifications to teach and fix. I have been cultivating my skills for the last 50 years – 43 years as a professional flutist. Upon graduating from high school in 1968, I auditioned for and was immediately accepted in The U.S. Army Band at Ft. Myer, VA. I attended Hartt College of Music and, upon the advice of John Wummer of the New York Philharmonic, auditioned for and was hired by The Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra in 1984. I continue to serve as a member of that orchestra today. In addition to my work at The Kennedy Center, I have free-lanced with The American Camarata for New Music, The Washington Bach Consort, and the Contemporary Music Forum at The Corcoran.

My interest in becoming a flute mechanic was fueled by memories of the Los Angeles repair shop my Dad and I frequented before my lessons with some of that city’s best, including Roger Stevens of the L.A. Philharmonic and Luella Howard from 20th Century Fox Studios. While I was still in Hartford, Connecticut I enrolled in a machine shop course at a local vocational-technical school run by Pratt and Whitney. This training was to prove invaluable when I moved back to the District of Columbia in 1976 and worked alongside Robert Sheldon at the Smithsonian; the late, great oboe maker Paul Covey; and flute-maker David Straubinger. I learned most of what I know from them. Since 1980, I have been the D.C. area’s premier repairer of quality flutes and piccolos for the serious player.

I began sharing my knowledge and experience with others as an independent private teacher in 1974. Since that time, I have taught at Howard University and currently serve as an adjunct professor at Catholic University and on the faculty at Suitland High School’s Visual and Performing Arts Program. A lifelong learner, I began studying voice with Henrietta Lund at Catholic University in 1997 and have improved considerably my skills as a tenor. I have found that the ability to sing adds a unique and valuable dimension to both my playing and my teaching.

My mission and my passion are to share my knowledge and experience with you and help you become the musician you aspire to be.


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