Each nominee exemplifies the highest standards of teaching excellence and would be a fully deserving recipient of this award.

Christine Potter (United States)

Christine Potter’s nomination highlights a defining pedagogical achievement of 2025: the publication of Advanced Alto Flute Method, released in June of this year. As the artistic and professional role of the alto flute continues to expand internationally, the need for advanced, instrument-specific teaching resources has become increasingly urgent. Potter’s work responds to this need with clarity, authority, and long-term pedagogical vision.

Her method provides a structured and practical framework for advanced alto flute study, addressing tone production, intonation, articulation, vibrato, dynamic control, extended techniques, and performance-oriented practice strategies. By directly linking technical development to professional repertoire demands, the book establishes a clear standard for alto flute instruction at the highest level.

Beyond this publication, Potter’s influence in 2025 extended through her sustained leadership of a large international low-flute community and her ongoing work with festivals, retreats, and curated online events. Her teaching model combines specialization with accessibility, contributing not only to individual student development but to the consolidation of a global low-flute pedagogical culture.

Anne Pustlauk (Belgium)

Anne Pustlauk’s nomination reflects one of the most significant pedagogical publications of 2025: The Classical and Early Romantic Flute: A Theoretical and Practical Guide, published by Oxford University Press. The book represents the culmination of more than fifteen years of research into flute performance practice between the late eighteenth and mid-nineteenth centuries.

What distinguishes Pustlauk’s contribution is her ability to translate extensive historical research into a clear, practical teaching resource. The book addresses articulation, ornamentation, phrasing, fingerings, tone color, expressive priorities, and stylistic decision-making in a way that is immediately applicable to modern teaching and performance. Historical performance practice is presented not as a limitation, but as an expansion of musical understanding and expressive possibility.

In 2025, Pustlauk’s pedagogical influence extended well beyond publication through active international teaching, including highly sought-after courses and masterclasses devoted to Classical and Early Romantic repertoire. Her work reinforces the role of historical awareness as a central pillar of flute education and reaffirms pedagogical authority grounded in scholarship, performance, and clarity of transmission.

Guoliang Han (China)

Guoliang Han’s nomination reflects a year in which decades of sustained pedagogical work reached a moment of exceptional visibility and confirmation. In 2025, his students achieved significant milestones across every stage of professional development, including appointments to major orchestras, graduation from elite conservatories, admission to leading international institutions, and consistent success across national, Asian, and international competitions.

These outcomes span age groups, geographic regions, and evaluative traditions, demonstrating a teaching approach that is both structurally sound and internationally adaptable. Han’s pedagogy emphasizes technical reliability, artistic depth, and long-term development rather than short-term results, producing durable success across diverse musical systems.

Equally important is his broader educational leadership. In 2025, Han continued to foster international exchange through festivals, masterclasses, and large-scale educational initiatives in China, while expanding digital outreach that provides high-level audition and orchestral preparation to students nationwide.

His 2025 recordings serve as artistic documentation of his pedagogical environment, reflecting the performance standards and musical values cultivated through his teaching.

Why a Global Perspective Matters

The three Teacher of the Year nominees collectively illuminate key directions in flute education today:

the elevation and professionalization of specialized instruments
the reintegration of historical knowledge into modern pedagogy
the development of large-scale, internationally connected teaching ecosystems

Each nominee addresses a different dimension of contemporary teaching excellence, yet all three share a commitment to rigor, depth, and lasting educational impact. These nominations together affirm the vitality and global reach of flute pedagogy in 2025.

All Teacher of the Year nominations are currently under full review by the international judging panel, which has access to complete nomination materials and documentation.
The recipient of the Teacher of the Year Award will be announced on January 10, 2026.