Brooklyn-based musician and artist Alex Sopp will be on campus three times this year (September 2019, February 2020, March 2020), engaging with students and the community in numerous ways, including class visits, masterclasses, informal talks, and collaborative work. As the flutist of yMusic, Alex previously worked with Duke graduate composition fellows during yMusic's residency in 2013-2014. Her current residency provides the opportunity to deepen the engagement begun at that time, as well as new interactions with the Duke University Wind Symphony, chamber music groups, and the Duke University String School. More about Sopp's residency at Duke.
Alex Sopp's playing has been praised by the New York Times as “exquisite” and “beautifully nuanced.” Comfortable in many genres, she has commissioned, premiered, toured, and recorded with some of the most exciting composers and songwriters of our time, including Paul Simon, Nico Muhly, Sufjan Stevens, Ben Folds, Jonsí of Sigur Ros, Philip Glass, Andrew Norman, Bruce Hornsby, Son Lux, Gabriel Kahane, St. Vincent, Anohni, Judd Greenstein, José González, My Brightest Diamond, The Dirty Projectors, and The National. A sought-after soloist, Alex made her Carnegie Hall debut with the New York Youth Symphony, and has appeared as a soloist with the New York Philharmonic under the direction of David Robertson. In addition to her three main musical families, she plays frequently as a guest with the International Comtemporary Ensemble (ICE), and has made regular appearances with the New York Philharmonic, Deutsche Kammerphilarmonie Bremen, the Mariinsky Orchestra, the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, and the Louisiana Philharmonic. Alex completed both her Bachelors and Masters degrees at The Juilliard School.
In addition to playing the flute, Alex is a singer and a visual artist. Most recently, she was a member of Paul Simon’s band for his “Farewell Tour”, providing flute, whistles, and vocal harmonies to the iconic songwriter’s body of work. She has appeared as a multi-disciplinary performer and singer in theater director John Tiffany’s production of “The Ambassador,” a staged song cycle written by Gabriel Kahane. Her voice can also be heard on several albums, including the yMusic + Ben Folds collaboration, “So There.” In addition to several handmade stop-motion animation films used as music videos, Alex’s paintings grace the covers of records by such artists as Ben Folds and The Knights, and can be seen in private collections.
