MELISSA ALELES   FLUTE

Born and raised in Tappan, New York, flutist Melissa Aleles found her love for music starting at a young age. Influenced by her older brother, Melissa began her studies at the age of seven, and swiftly recognized she wanted to perform music ever since. She continued her studies all throughout high school, where she participated in the Juilliard School Pre-College program. Melissa earned her Masters Degree in flute performance at the Manhattan School of Music under the tutelage of Michael Parloff. During her time at the Manhattan School of Music, Melissa was the winner of the Fuchs Chamber Competition for two consecutive years, and recorded with Albany Records for their Opera Theater’s production of Cendrillon. In addition, Melissa was accepted in the New York String Orchestra, where she performed in Carnegie Hall during their 50th anniversary under the baton of Jamie Laredo. During her summers, Melissa participated in various music festivals. At the National Orchestral Institute, she performed a live recording of Aaron Copland’s Outdoor Overture, and George Gershwin’s American in Paris under the baton of James Judd with Naxos Records. Melissa had the pleasure of working with conductors Carl Topilow, Karina Canellakis, Tania Miller, Teddy Abrams, and Anu Tali at the National Repertory Orchestra. Other festivals include Eastern Music Festival, Boston University Tanglewood Institute and Kinhaven Music School. Melissa earned her Bachelor of Music in Music Performance at SUNY Purchase College Conservatory of Music under Dr. Tara Helen O’Connor, and holds a minor degree in Arts Administration. Her former teachers include Bart Feller and Wendy Stern. Melissa currently resides in her hometown of Tappan, where she continues to perform, teach and inspire young musicians around the local area. She’s currently the Operations and Community Relations Coordinator with the Westchester Philharmonic, and serves as an arts administrator and faculty member of BridgeMusik.