National Flute Association
A United States-based professional association serving flutists, flute teachers, students, performers, scholars, makers, and enthusiasts worldwide.
Last updated October 14, 2026
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Overview
The National Flute Association (NFA) is a professional membership organization for flutists and the wider flute community. Although based in the United States, it has an international reach, with approximately 5,000 members from more than 50 countries. Its work combines professional networking, performance opportunities, education, scholarship, research, repertoire development, advocacy, and the preservation of flute history. The association was founded in 1972 by flutist Mark Thomas and incorporated in Indiana in 1973. Its first major public undertaking was a convention for flutists, held on August 10, 1973, at the Royal Inn in Anaheim, California. Approximately 77 people attended that inaugural meeting. An ad hoc planning committee formed in 1973 became the organization’s first board of directors, while its first dedicated administrative position was established in 1977. The NFA Convention developed into the organization’s central annual event and is described as the world’s largest annual flute convention. The four-day gathering typically attracts more than 3,000 attendees and approximately 80 exhibitors. It presents performances, masterclasses, workshops, lectures, competitions, instrument and accessory exhibitions, research sessions, and activities for players across the flute family. The convention rotates among cities in the United States and brings together students, teachers, orchestral and chamber musicians, soloists, composers, instrument makers, scholars, and amateur players. The organization’s committees address specialized areas of flute performance and education, including piccolo, low flute, Baroque flute, pedagogy, outreach, research, and support for underserved communities. These committees also contribute to scholarships, competitions, educational resources, and the NFA’s music-commissioning program. Through its New Music Advisory Committee, created in 1985, the association has supported the creation of more than 70 works for flute and piccolo. Annual and biennial commissions have supplied repertoire for the Young Artist, High School Soloist, and Piccolo Artist competitions, along with special projects. Competitions are another major part of the NFA’s activity. The annual convention includes performance competitions in solo, flute-choir, and masterclass categories, as well as non-performance competitions focused on composition, research, and entrepreneurship. These programs are intended to provide experience, recognition, audition preparation, and professional opportunities for participants at different stages of development. The NFA supports education through scholarships and convention prizes. Programs include the Frances Blaisdell Scholarship for a United States high-school or undergraduate student, the biennial Myrna Brown Scholarship for an international student, and awards associated with the High School Soloist Competition, including the Geoffrey Gilbert Scholarship and the Deveau Scholarship. Cultural outreach scholarships have also supported participation in multiple United States and international locations. The association maintains an important music and archival role through the NFA Library. Established in 1973 after publishers donated music at the first convention, the library has grown to more than 15,000 works, including rare and out-of-print material. It is housed in the University of Arizona Fine Arts Library in Tucson, Arizona. The NFA also publishes The Flutist Quarterly, its seasonal member magazine, along with special educational, historical, and pedagogical publications. Since 1991, the NFA has presented a Lifetime Achievement Award to prominent figures in the flute world, beginning with Jean-Pierre Rampal. It also presents a Distinguished Service Award, first awarded in 1998. Its membership and leadership have included notable performers, teachers, composers, scholars, and orchestral principal flutists, including Sir James Galway and Ian Anderson. Jennifer Grim served as president of the board for the 2024–2026 term, with Francesca Arnone as vice-president, while Jennifer Clarke became executive director in January 2021. The NFA remains an active nonprofit-style professional association rather than a commercial consumer brand. Its primary value proposition is community infrastructure for the flute profession: a recurring international meeting point, access to repertoire and research, competitive and performance platforms, educational support, and representation for diverse forms of flute musicianship.
History
The National Flute Association was founded in 1972 by flutist Mark Thomas as a professional organization intended to connect players and strengthen the institutional infrastructure of flute performance and education. It was incorporated in Indiana in 1973. An ad hoc committee organized the association’s first convention and subsequently became its founding board. The inaugural convention took place on August 10, 1973, at the Royal Inn in Anaheim, California, with approximately 77 attendees. A formal administrative role was added in 1977 as the association’s activities expanded. From its early years, the NFA used the annual convention as its principal mechanism for bringing the flute community together. The event developed from a small professional gathering into a large international convention featuring performances, masterclasses, workshops, lectures, competitions, research presentations, and commercial exhibitions. It is now held in different United States cities and generally attracts more than 3,000 attendees and around 80 exhibitors. The convention serves both elite and developing musicians, with programming for orchestral players, soloists, chamber musicians, teachers, students, amateur performers, composers, scholars, and specialists in different members of the flute family. The association’s committee structure broadened its remit beyond conventional concert flute performance. Member-led groups have worked on low and Baroque flute, piccolo, pedagogy, outreach, research, and the needs of communities that have historically had less visibility within flute institutions. These committees helped create scholarship programs, competitions, educational materials, and new-music initiatives. The New Music Advisory Committee, established in 1985, works with the board to encourage substantial contemporary repertoire and connect flutists with composers. The NFA has commissioned more than 70 works for flute and piccolo, including recurring commissions tied to its Young Artist, High School Soloist, and Piccolo Artist competitions. Competitions became a significant part of the association’s convention programming. They include performance events for soloists, flute choirs, and masterclass participants, alongside non-performance categories involving new music, scholarship, research, and entrepreneurship. These events offer musicians opportunities to perform before specialist audiences, develop audition experience, receive recognition, and qualify for further study or convention appearances. Education and access have also remained central to the NFA’s work. The association offers scholarships for students and continuing education, including the Frances Blaisdell Scholarship for a United States high-school or undergraduate student and the biennial Myrna Brown Scholarship for an international student. Additional prizes support winners of the High School Soloist Competition and other convention programs. Cultural outreach scholarships have extended participation to multiple locations in the United States and abroad. The NFA Library originated at the first convention, when exhibiting publishers were invited to donate copies of their music. It subsequently became one of the largest international lending collections devoted to flute music, with more than 15,000 catalogued works, including rare and out-of-print items. The collection is located at the University of Arizona Fine Arts Library in Tucson. The association has also built a publishing and communications program centered on The Flutist Quarterly, a seasonal magazine containing member contributions, scholarship, history, teaching material, and community news. Additional publications and historical recordings extend the organization’s educational and archival role. The NFA has formalized recognition of achievement through awards. Its Lifetime Achievement Award began in 1991 with Jean-Pierre Rampal as the inaugural recipient, and later recipients have included Julius Baker and Sir James Galway. The Distinguished Service Award was introduced in 1998 to recognize major contributions to the association and its community. The COVID-19 pandemic interrupted the convention’s long-running in-person format. The 2020 Dallas convention was replaced by an extended virtual Summer Series, and the 2021 event was also held online. In-person programming returned in 2022 in Chicago, where the NFA commemorated its 50th anniversary. In the 2020s, the association continued under a board-led governance model supported by professional executive staff, with Jennifer Clarke appointed executive director in 2021 and Jennifer Grim serving as board president for 2024–2026.
- 2022
Fiftieth-anniversary convention in Chicago
[1]The NFA returned to an in-person convention in Chicago and celebrated its 50th anniversary.
- 2021
Second virtual convention
[1]The annual convention remained online for a second year, using the association’s usual four-day structure.
- 2020
Convention moved online
[1]The COVID-19 pandemic led the NFA to replace its planned Dallas convention with an extended virtual Summer Series.
- 1998
Distinguished Service Award introduced
[1]The association began presenting a Distinguished Service Award for notable service to the NFA and its community.
- 1991
Lifetime Achievement Award introduced
[1]The NFA began presenting its Lifetime Achievement Award, with Jean-Pierre Rampal as the first recipient.
- 1985
New Music Advisory Committee established
[1]The committee was created to support contemporary composers and develop substantial new repertoire for the flute family.
- 1977
First administrative role established
[1]The NFA created its first administrative position as the organization’s operations expanded.
- 1973
Incorporation and first convention
[1]The association was incorporated in Indiana, and its first convention was held on August 10 at the Royal Inn in Anaheim, California, with about 77 attendees.
- 1972
Association founded
[1]Flutist Mark Thomas founded the National Flute Association.
Products and positioning
A global professional and educational community for the flute, combining an international convention with performance platforms, repertoire development, scholarship, research, outreach, and member publications.
Professional convention · 1973
NFA Convention
The association’s flagship annual gathering is a multi-day event with performances, masterclasses, workshops, lectures, competitions, research sessions, and an exhibition area for instruments, music, accessories, and related services. It serves a broad audience ranging from students and teachers to professional performers, composers, scholars, and enthusiasts. The convention rotates among United States cities and has become an international meeting point for flute musicians.
Performance and professional development
NFA Competitions
NFA competitions provide structured opportunities for musicians at different levels and in different styles. The program includes solo, flute-choir, and masterclass performance categories, as well as non-performance competitions involving new music, research, and entrepreneurship. Competition outcomes can lead to convention appearances, recognition, scholarships, and further professional development.
Contemporary repertoire · 1986
NFA Music Commissions
Through its New Music Advisory Committee and related programs, the NFA commissions original works for flute, piccolo, and other members of the flute family. More than 70 works have been commissioned. Recurring projects have supplied repertoire for the Young Artist, High School Soloist, and Piccolo Artist competitions, while special commissions expand the contemporary flute repertory.
Education and recognition
NFA Scholarships and Awards
The NFA administers scholarships and convention prizes intended to support student participation, continuing education, international exchange, and advanced study. Named programs include the Frances Blaisdell Scholarship, the biennial Myrna Brown Scholarship, the Geoffrey Gilbert Scholarship, and the Deveau Scholarship. The association also presents Lifetime Achievement and Distinguished Service awards.
Music library and archive · 1973
NFA Library
Established from publisher donations at the first convention, the NFA Library holds more than 15,000 flute-related works, including rare and out-of-print music. The collection is housed at the University of Arizona Fine Arts Library in Tucson and functions as an important lending, research, and preservation resource for the international flute community.
Member publication
The Flutist Quarterly
The Flutist Quarterly is the NFA’s seasonal member magazine. It publishes material related to performance, teaching, research, flute history, pedagogy, and association activities, with contributions from members, scholars, performers, and other participants in the flute world.
Brand decisions
2022
Resume the in-person convention in ChicagoStrategyBackground
After two virtual convention cycles, the NFA evaluated conditions as suitable for a physical gathering and aligned the return with its 50th anniversary.
Action taken
The association brought the convention back to Chicago as an in-person event.
Aftermath
The return restored the convention’s physical exhibition, performance, workshop, and networking functions while commemorating the association’s five decades of activity.
2021
Continue the convention online for a second yearStrategyBackground
Ongoing pandemic conditions continued to affect large events and international travel.
Action taken
The NFA held its 2021 convention virtually, while returning the event to its customary four-day duration.
Aftermath
The association maintained annual programming until in-person convention activity resumed in 2022.
2020
Replace the planned Dallas convention with a virtual Summer SeriesStrategyBackground
The COVID-19 pandemic made the planned in-person 2020 convention impractical and disrupted the association’s established annual event format.
Action taken
The NFA moved the convention online and expanded it into an extended program known as the Summer Series.
Aftermath
The change enabled international participation without an in-person gathering and represented the first interruption of the convention’s in-person format since its creation.
Recent events
- 2022
In-person convention returned to Chicago for the association’s 50th anniversary[1]
Other
The NFA resumed its in-person convention in Chicago and used the event to mark the organization’s 50th anniversary.
- 2021
Second virtual NFA Convention held[1]
Other
The association continued its convention online for a second year, returning the program to the customary four-day format.
- 2021
Jennifer Clarke named executive director[1]
Leadership change
Jennifer Clarke was appointed executive director of the National Flute Association.
- 2020
NFA Convention moved online during the COVID-19 pandemic[1]
Other
The convention scheduled for Dallas was replaced by a virtual program, marking the first time since the event began that the NFA did not hold an in-person convention. The extended online program was presented as the Summer Series.
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