A global celebration of those who inspire, create, and elevate the art of the flute.
Yulia Berry
Founder & Host, Global Flute Excellence AwardsGlobal audience reach
Connecting flutists, makers, and educators across continents through a shared celebration of excellence
The Global Flute Excellence Awards mark a defining moment in the history of the flute — the first international initiative to recognize excellence across the global flute community within a single calendar year.
In 2025, the Awards honor exceptional individuals and ensembles across multiple categories, celebrating outstanding artistry, innovation, leadership, and lasting contributions to the flute world.
Each category reflects a distinct facet of excellence — from performance and pedagogy to composition, advocacy, craftsmanship, and visionary projects — forming a comprehensive portrait of the flute’s vibrant and evolving global presence.
Honoring Excellence as a Historical Act
Between December 1 and December 31, nominations were submitted by flutists, educators, composers, makers, institutions, and enthusiasts from around the world.
These nominations represent more than recommendations — they are expressions of respect, gratitude, and shared values within an international community united by its dedication to the flute.
By recognizing excellence within a defined year, the Awards create meaningful historical documentation of the field’s most significant artistic, educational, and innovative achievements.
–> Why Recognition Matters for Artists, Teachers, and Makers
Governance, Evaluation, and Artistic Integrity
The Judging Panel consists of distinguished international experts representing a wide range of professional backgrounds and cultural perspectives.
Each judge evaluates nominations according to clearly defined criteria, ensuring a process grounded in fairness, transparency, and professional accountability.
The organizers extend their sincere appreciation to every juror whose time, expertise, and discernment uphold the credibility and integrity of the Awards.
In 2025, the Judging Panel comprised 56 distinguished experts representing 22 countries, reflecting the extraordinary diversity and expertise of the global flute community.
The evaluation process is conducted through independent voting by the judging panel. The Honorary Chairs provide artistic vision, continuity, and ethical stewardship of the Awards, while the Honorary Patrons affirm their cultural significance and global relevance. Neither role participates in voting or influences individual evaluations or outcomes.
A Global Platform for Excellence
The realization of the Global Flute Excellence Awards is the result of sustained vision, rigorous organization, and international collaboration.
Special recognition is due to the hosting platform, Flute Almanac — a global reference point for flute culture, scholarship, and innovation.
Through its editorial leadership, worldwide reach, and commitment to cultural preservation, Flute Almanac has made it possible to document and celebrate flute excellence on an unprecedented scale.
Through this initiative, the Global Flute Excellence Awards stand not only as a celebration of achievement, but as a lasting contribution to the historical record of the flute.
🌿 To All Nominees of the Global Flute Excellence Awards 2025
The Global Flute Excellence Awards were created not only to recognize award recipients, but to document excellence within a defined year and to honor the breadth of meaningful work taking place across the global flute community.
Every nomination submitted represents professional respect, peer recognition, and appreciation for real artistic, educational, and cultural contributions made during 2025.
Not receiving an award does not diminish the value, seriousness, or impact of a nominee’s work.
Many nominations were of exceptional quality, and the final decisions often reflected fine distinctions within an extraordinarily strong field.
The Awards recognize a limited number of honorees each year — but excellence itself is not limited, nor is it erased by the outcome of a single evaluation cycle.
We extend our sincere gratitude to all nominees for their work, their dedication, and for contributing to a shared historical record of flute activity worldwide.
Your contributions remain visible, valued, and part of the ongoing story of the flute.
Celebrating excellence, dedication, and lasting contribution to the flute world in 2025.
2025 Honorees
Ludwig Böhm
GermanyLudwig Böhm is one of the foremost guardians of flute heritage in the modern era.
As a direct descendant of Theobald Böhm, the inventor of the modern flute system, he has dedicated his life to preserving and transmitting a legacy that fundamentally shaped the instrument as we know it today.
Through decades of research, publications, lectures, and international initiatives, Böhm has ensured that the historical, technical, and artistic foundations of the modern flute remain accessible to musicians and scholars worldwide.
His work bridges living tradition with rigorous historical documentation, safeguarding essential knowledge for future generations.
The Global Flute Excellence Awards honor Ludwig Böhm with the Life Achievement Award, recognizing his enduring contribution to flute history, education, and cultural preservation.
Award Presented: January 10, 2026
Paolo Taballione
ItalyPaolo Taballione stands among the most distinguished flutists of his generation, renowned for his refined artistry, intellectual depth, and uncompromising musical integrity.
His performances are marked by exceptional technical command, stylistic clarity, and a profound understanding of musical structure, earning him international recognition as both a soloist and chamber musician.
Equally respected as an educator, Taballione has shaped generations of flutists through his long-standing pedagogical work and masterclasses worldwide.
His influence extends beyond performance, contributing meaningfully to the transmission of artistic values, discipline, and interpretive insight within the global flute community.
The Global Flute Excellence Awards recognize Paolo Taballione as Performer of the Year 2025 for his outstanding artistry, enduring influence, and exemplary contribution to flute performance at the highest level.
Award Presented: January 10, 2026
Herman Beeftink
United StatesHerman Beeftink is recognized for his outstanding contribution to the flute repertoire in 2025, marked by both exceptional productivity and broad international reach. During the year, he released four new flute works — three for flute and piano and one for solo flute — adding to a catalogue that now includes more than ninety flute compositions.
His music, widely performed and embraced within teaching studios worldwide, is characterized by lyricism, clarity of expression, and finely honed craftsmanship. His works circulate broadly among performers and educators, sustaining an active presence in both concert life and pedagogical practice.
The Global Flute Excellence Awards honor Herman Beeftink as Composer of the Year 2025 in recognition of a sustained and influential compositional voice that enriches the living flute repertoire and meaningfully serves performers, educators, and students across the global flute community.
Award Presented: January 10, 2026
Anne Pustlauk
BelgiumAnne Pustlauk’s recognition as Teacher of the Year 2025 reflects a year of exceptional pedagogical leadership grounded in scholarship, clarity, and international educational influence.
In 2025, her work reached a major milestone with the publication of The Classical and Early Romantic Flute: A Theoretical and Practical Guide (Oxford University Press), the culmination of more than fifteen years of research into historical flute performance practice. Distinguished by its practical clarity, the book translates historical sources into immediately applicable tools for modern teaching and performance.
Through sustained international teaching activity, including advanced courses and masterclasses devoted to Classical and Early Romantic repertoire, Pustlauk’s work reinforces historical awareness as a central pillar of contemporary flute education.
The Global Flute Excellence Awards honor Anne Pustlauk as Teacher of the Year 2025 in recognition of her outstanding pedagogical authority and lasting contribution to flute education.
Award Presented: January 10, 2026
Sakurai Flute
JapanSakurai Flute is internationally respected for its uncompromising craftsmanship, tonal refinement, and deep commitment to the traditional values of Japanese flute making.
Each instrument reflects meticulous handwork, acoustic precision, and a profound understanding of balance, response, and expressive nuance.
A defining achievement of the workshop is the creation of a master instrument developed over ten years of dedicated research and refinement, exemplifying Sakurai Flute’s philosophy of patience, precision, and long-term artistic vision.
This exceptional instrument stands as a testament to the maker’s pursuit of tonal depth, stability, and expressive integrity at the highest level.
The Global Flute Excellence Awards recognize Sakurai Flute as Flute Maker of the Year 2025, honoring sustained excellence, masterful craftsmanship, and a landmark contribution to the art of flute making.
Award Presented: January 10, 2026
Musical Instrument Museum
United StatesThe Magical Flute: Beauty, Enchantment, and Power marks an extraordinary curatorial milestone. For the first time in its history, the Musical Instrument Museum devoted a major, standalone exhibition entirely to the flute, presenting it as a truly global instrument across its full historical trajectory.
Unprecedented in scope, the exhibition traced more than 8,000 years of flute history, spanning prehistoric bone flutes, royal and ceremonial traditions, Indigenous cultures, classical and jazz repertoire, and contemporary performance.
By committing substantial institutional resources to a single instrument rarely treated at this scale, MIM took a genuine curatorial risk — one that proved highly successful and internationally significant.
A defining aspect of the project is its commitment to long-term cultural preservation. The exhibition involved the acquisition of important instruments and artifacts that now remain permanently housed in the museum’s collection, ensuring a lasting legacy beyond the exhibition’s physical run. Live performances, integrated media, and continued programming further transformed the exhibition into a living cultural platform, allowing audiences to experience the flute as both historical artifact and living art.
The Global Flute Excellence Awards recognize the Musical Instrument Museum as Innovator of the Year 2025 for its visionary exhibition, institutional leadership, and lasting contribution to the global understanding and preservation of the flute.
Award Presented: January 10, 2026
Christine Erlander Beard
United StatesChristine Erlander Beard is recognized for her sustained advocacy through institution building, artistic engagement, and social leadership within the global flute community.
Through the founding of the International Piccolo Symposium and the creation of PiccoloHQ, she has established the first international platforms devoted exclusively to the piccolo, expanding its visibility, repertoire, and professional standing worldwide.
In parallel, her socially engaged performances and lecture-recitals connect flute and piccolo artistry with public dialogue, education, and cultural remembrance, demonstrating advocacy as a living practice rooted in action, relevance, and responsibility.
The Global Flute Excellence Awards honor Christine Erlander Beard with the Flute Advocate Award 2025 in recognition of her exceptional contribution to advocacy, inclusion, and the evolving role of the flute and piccolo in contemporary society.
Award Presented: January 10, 2026
Lelya Bayramoğulları
TurkeyLelya Bayramoğulları is recognized for an ongoing artistic journey that continues to inspire creation, collaboration, and engagement within the contemporary flute community. Her work in 2025 stands out not through narrative alone, but through direct artistic response.
A defining feature of her recognition is the tangible impact of her artistry: during the 2025 award year, multiple composers created new flute works dedicated specifically to her. These compositions represent concrete acts of inspiration — written for performance, recording, and long-term contribution to the living repertoire.
Alongside her active collaboration with living composers, Bayramoğulları remains deeply engaged in performance, teaching, and mentorship. Her approach emphasizes continuity, responsibility, and artistic presence, encouraging sustained creative growth rather than momentary visibility.
The Global Flute Excellence Awards honor Lelya Bayramoğulları with the Inspirational Story Award 2025 in recognition of an artistic life that continues to motivate creation, learning, and listening through integrity, consistency, and trust built over time.
Award Presented: January 10, 2026
Jen Townsend
United KingdomJen Townsend is recognized for an extraordinary artistic return that took concrete professional form during 2025. After a long absence from the flute, she re-entered the field through disciplined study, renewed technical command, and sustained artistic commitment.
Her return was marked by advanced academic enrollment, orchestral leadership roles, competitive recognition, and performances at major venues, alongside active collaboration with living composers. These achievements reflect not a symbolic comeback, but a fully realized professional re-engagement with the instrument.
The Global Flute Excellence Awards honor Jen Townsend with the Inspirational Story Award 2025 in recognition of a journey that affirms artistic seriousness beyond conventional timelines, offering tangible encouragement through action, resilience, and sustained musical purpose.
Award Presented: January 10, 2026
Fabian Johannes Egger
GermanyFabian Johannes Egger is recognized as Emerging Artist of the Year 2025 following a decisive international breakthrough.
His First Prize at the International Kobe Flute Competition, one of the world’s most prestigious flute competitions, marked a defining moment in his career and confirmed his emergence on the global professional stage.
As a direct result, Egger was invited to present an official First Prize Recital Series in Japan, with performances in Kobe and Tokyo, introducing his artistry to major international audiences.
Alongside his performance career, Egger is also an active composer, with original works for flute receiving international recognition. This dual commitment to performance and creation distinguishes his artistic profile within his generation.
The Global Flute Excellence Awards honor Fabian Johannes Egger as Emerging Artist of the Year 2025, recognizing a year of exceptional momentum, artistic depth, and international visibility.
Award Presented: January 10, 2025
Marmara Flute Orchestra
TurkeyThe Marmara Flute Orchestra (Marmara Flüt Orkestrası) is recognized for its exceptional scale of activity, educational leadership, and sustained community impact during its tenth anniversary season in 2025.
Founded in 2015 within Marmara University and operating entirely on a volunteer basis, the ensemble has grown into one of Türkiye’s most influential flute orchestras.
Through regular rehearsals, concerts, recordings, competitions, and educational initiatives, MFO has cultivated a vibrant national network of flutists.
In 2025, the orchestra led Türkiye’s largest flute ensemble performance, uniting 485 flutists from across the country, and represented Türkiye internationally at the National Flute Association Festival in the United States.
The Global Flute Excellence Awards recognize the Marmara Flute Orchestra (Marmara Flüt Orkestrası) for its outstanding contribution to ensemble performance, education, and the advancement of flute community life on both national and international stages.
Award Presented: January 10, 2026
International expertise at the core of the Awards process
International Judging Panel
The selection process for the Global Flute Excellence Awards was designed to be rigorous, transparent, and impartial.
Judges were chosen according to highly specific criteria and a shared commitment to artistic integrity, innovation, and educational excellence.
Evaluation Criteria
Each nomination was assessed with meticulous care, based on the following standards:
- Recognizing excellence in artistry, innovation, or education.
- Measuring the impact and influence of nominees on the global flute community.
- Evaluating contributions to the advancement of the flute on an international scale.
- Considering the overall quality and significance of each nomination.
Judges were carefully assigned to categories where they could remain neutral, ensuring fairness in every decision.
If a judge was nominated for an award, they were excluded from voting in that category to maintain complete objectivity.
To further protect the integrity of the process, all judges were asked to keep their role confidential, preventing any external influence or pressure.
Each criterion carried a specific weight and was scored on a precisely designed scale.
To guarantee accuracy and impartiality, the results were submitted to a professional statistician for independent analysis and calculation.
This system eliminated the potential for human bias and ensured that each winner genuinely represents the pinnacle of excellence in their category.
In 2025 the Judging Panel included 56 distinguished individuals representing 22 countries, reflecting the true global diversity and expertise of today’s flute community.
Represented countries in the Judging Panel:
Argentina · Australia · Belgium · Canada · China · Denmark · France · Germany · Greece · Hungary · Italy · Malta · Peru · Portugal · Russia · Spain · Switzerland · The Netherlands · Turkey · Ukraine · United Kingdom · United States
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to all judges who devoted their time, insight, and experience to evaluating each nomination with integrity and care.
Sir James Galway
HONORARY CHAIR | IRELAND-UK-SWITZERLAND
Lady Jeanne Galway
HONORARY CHAIR | USA-SWITZERLAND
Marco Gaudino
Chair of the Judging Panel | ITALY
Yulia Berry
Founder & host | RUSSIA-USAAll Visionaries -->
- Arista, Emanuel (USA)
- Ayscue, Ronna (USA)
- Barbosa, Francisco (Portugal)
- Barile, Claudio (Argentina)
- Bayramogullari, Lelya (Turkey)
- Belfiore, Francesco (Italy)
- Bigio, Robert (UK)
- Bignardelli, Maurizio (Italy)
- Bovini, Marianna (Italy)
- Campitelli, Vilma (Italy)
- Carranza Cueto, Manuel (Peru)
- Conforti, Cosimina Antonella (Italy)
- Conti, Stefano (Italy)
- Correia, Jorge Salgado (Portugal)
- Cristaldi, Corrado (Italy)
- Csalog, Benedek (Hungary)
- Czeloth-Csetényi, Gyula (Hungary)
- Dalmoro, Paolo (Italy)
- D’Hollander, Berten (Belgium)
- de Pijper, Rogier (The Netherlands)
- de Salis, Sofia (Switzerland)
- Doppler, Ulrich (Germany)
- Evcil, Bulent (Turkey)
- Felicioni, Marco (Italy)
- Franz, Juergen (Germany)
- George, Patricia (USA)
- Ghiani, Riccardo (Italy)
- Gisler-Haase, Barbara (Germany)
- Guerra, Elisa (Spain)
- Guido, Francesco (Italy)
- Hall, Rebecca (Malta)
- Hummel, Cate (USA)
- Kountouras, Dimitris (Greece)
- Kushnir, Anton (Ukraine)
- Lane, Tim (USA)
- Maclagan, Susan (Canada)
- Magalif, Eugene (USA)
- Manuel, Oscar (Spain)
- Masi, Laurent (Italy)
- Miilmann, Ulla (Denmark)
- Montafia, Claudio (Italy)
- Narcisi, Lello (Italy)
- Nekipelova, Irina (Russia)
- Petropolous, Alexandra (UK)
- Pires, Patricia Fernandes (Portugal)
- Popov, Nikolai (Russia)
- Prieur, Aude (France)
- Sartori, Enrico (China)
- Shvarenok, Arina (Russia)
- Szabolcs, Szilágyi (Hungary)
- Tami, Eduardo (Argentina)
- Testai, Domenico (Italy)
- Valerio, Niccolò (Italy)
- Vologdina, Marina (Russia)
- Weiss, Alan (USA)
Voices of Excellence
The Global Flute Excellence Awards stand as a distinguished celebration of artistry, innovation, and integrity in the world of flute music. Each reflection below offers a glimpse into the shared passion that unites performers, composers, educators, and makers across continents. Together, their words illuminate the spirit of collaboration, gratitude, and dedication that define this global initiative.
Oscar de Manuel
I am sincerely grateful for this recognition and extend my congratulations to Lowell Liebermann, a truly outstanding composer. It has been an honor to be the only Spanish nominee and to represent symphonic flamenco and the flamenco flute. My appreciation goes to Yulia Berry for her vision and dedication—this much-needed event brings visibility to so much art and to flutists around the world.
Nominee, Best Composer of 2024 - Spain
Valerie Teresa Walter
I am deeply honored to be named Emerging Artist of the Year 2024 at the Global Flute Excellence Awards. This recognition marks a meaningful conclusion to a remarkable musical year and a wonderful beginning to the next. My heartfelt thanks go to the entire jury, including Sir James and Lady Jeanne Galway, Marco Gaudino, Yulia Berry, and all the distinguished judges. I also extend my warmest congratulations to all fellow nominees and winners — what an honor to be among so many inspiring artists.
Honoree, Emerging Artist of The Year - Germany
Ulrich Müller-Doppler
Thank you so much for having invited me to serve as one of the judges for the Global Flute Excellence Awards. It was a true honor to be part of such a prestigious event that celebrated remarkable talent and artistry in the world of flute music. I thoroughly enjoyed contributing to this meaningful initiative and was deeply impressed by the incredible performances of the participants.
Jury Member, Global Flute Excellence Awards 2024 - Germany/Philippines
