Flutist, composer, educator, and author of Modal Flute Warmup, Laura Lentz is known for her expressive playing, innovative teaching, and vibrant curiosity. Praised for her “enviable control and supple phrasing” (Sequenza21) and “striking, meticulous flute playing” (Take Effect), she has commissioned, premiered, and recorded dozens of works, championing music by today’s most forward-thinking composers.
Founding flutist and Artistic Director of the new music ensemble fivebyfive, Lentz has given world premieres of works by Marc Mellits, Roberto Sierra, Jessica Meyer, Anthony R. Green, Kamala Sankaram, Evan Williams, and many others. Supported in part by Chamber Music America, New York State Council on the Arts, New Music USA, and other arts organizations, as Artistic Director Lentzcreates cross-disciplinary programs in collaboration with institutions, artists, and community members throughout Rochester, NY. Recent projects include Light & Dark (a multimedia performance on the dome of the Strasenburgh Planetarium for the April 8, 2024 solar eclipse), Old & New (exploring Sephardic music with Pegasus Early Music), Glass Works (commissions inspired by stained glass artist Judith Schaechter in partnership with the Memorial Art Gallery), and Choreograph (with commissions responding to James Welling’s photography at the George Eastman Museum). Its 2025-2026 10th anniversary season includes Subatomic Mysteries — exploring quantum mechanics through new music, choreography, and visual projections at the University of Rochester — and Wonders of Water, a program of new commissions and video celebrating water’s power and fragility at the Strasenburgh Planetarium.
Several works have been written specifically for or dedicated to Lentz, including three works from Dutch composer JacobTV — Serendipity2 for alto flute, string quartet, and tabla, Pale Moon in a Very Blue Sky for alto flute and electronics, and Loudly and Clearly for flute and electronics. Other works written for or commissioned by her include Sean William Calhoun’s Syrinx Reimagined, Plasmonic Mirror, and Duality Keys; Missy Mazzoli’s Magic with Everyday Objects (flute/cello/piano version); Alex Shapiro’s Water Magic; and Harriet Steinke’s Rituals (flute/piano version). As lead commissioner of Marc Mellits’s Discrete Structures, her concert performance of the work and the premiere performance of JacobTV’s Serendipity2 werebothbroadcast on Performance Today in early 2025. Through recordings both as a soloist and with fivebyfive—with nearly 15 releases in the past ten years — including on the Bright Shiny Things label with a recent release debuting at #2 on the Billboard Traditional Classical Charts—Lentz has championed over 75 new works by contemporary composers.
An active educator and mentor, Lentz has presented masterclasses and workshops across the United States and internationally, including the National Flute Association, Chicago Flute Festival, Rochester Flute Fair, Mid-Atlantic Flute Convention, New York Flute Fair, Utah Flute Festival, Wisconsin Flute Festival, Millersville University, UW-Madison, UW-Stevens Point, Mantova Conservatory, Carleton College, Fredonia School of Music, Eastman School of Music, and Crane School of Music. She has taught at Nazareth University, Eastman School of Music, Rochester Institute of Technology, and the Eastman Community Music School. In addition to flute instruction, she mentors emerging artists through her arts leadership and career development courses, supporting students in building sustainable and authentic creative lives.
Drawing from extensive teaching experience, her book, Modal Flute Warmup(published in 2023 with Conway Publications), was selected for inclusion in the National Flute Association’s 2025 Selected Flute Repertoire and Study Guide, recognized as an “important contribution” for flutists seeking to expand their musical horizons. An expanded and updated version of the book will be released by the end of 2025 with two new sections: 7 Modal Duets and 80 Discovery Flute Cards.
Earlier in her career, she served as Head of Secondary Music at Marymount International School of Rome, Italy, where she expanded the program to include band, choir, general music, and IB Music. She coordinated a three-day international jazz festival with the Association for Music in International Schools (AMIS), hosting students from 20 schools across Asia and Europe.
Lentz currently teaches at Nazareth University, serves as flutist, Artistic Director, and board member for fivebyfive, and maintains a large private flute studio. She is also a member of the National Flute Association’s New Music Advisory Board.
Lentz received her Master of Music degree in Flute Performance from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, studying with Stephanie Jutt, and her Bachelor of Music in Flute Performance degree from the Crane School of Music as a student of Ken Andrews. She also has studied with Tadeu Coehlo, and did post-graduate studies in while in Pittsburgh, PA with Alberto Almarza and Francesca Arnone and in Rome, Italy with San Carlo Opera flutist Francesca Staderini. Lentz has played in masterclasses for Jeffrey Khaner and Marina Piccinini, among others.
Laura Lentz is a flutist, composer, educator, and author of Modal Flute Warmup, known for her expressive playing, innovative teaching, and vibrant curiosity. Praised for her “striking, meticulous flute playing” (Take Effect) and “enviable control and supple phrasing” (Sequenza21), she has commissioned, premiered, and recorded dozens of works by leading composers including JacobTV, Missy Mazzoli, Marc Mellits, and Roberto Sierra.
A founding member and Artistic Director of the new music ensemble fivebyfive, Lentz has created cross-disciplinary programs with institutions such as the Strasenburgh Planetarium, Memorial Art Gallery, and George Eastman Museum. The ensemble’s recent projects include Light & Dark (immersive video performance for the 2024 solar eclipse), Glass Works (new commissions inspired by stained glass artist Judith Schaechter), and Choreograph (music responding to James Welling’s photography).
Several works have been written for or dedicated to her, including JacobTV’s Serendipity2 and Marc Mellits’s Discrete Structures, with her performances broadcast on Performance Today. With nearly 15 releases as a soloist and with fivebyfive, she has championed over 75 new works in the past decade, and appeared with fivebyfive on #2 on the Billboard Traditional Classical Charts in a recent release.
Lentz teaches at Nazareth University, serves on the National Flute Association’s New Music Advisory Board, and presents widely at festivals and universities across the U.S. and abroad.
Laura Lentz is a flutist, composer, educator, and author of Modal Flute Warmup, praised for her “striking, meticulous flute playing” (Take Effect) and “enviable control and supple phrasing” (Sequenza21). She is the founding flutist and Artistic Director of the new music ensemble fivebyfive. Several works have been written for or dedicated to her, including JacobTV’s Serendipity2 and Marc Mellits’s Discrete Structures, with her performances broadcast on Performance Today. With nearly 15 releases as a soloist and with fivebyfive, she has championed over 75 new works in the past decade. A frequent presenter at festivals and universities, she teaches at Nazareth University and serves on the NFA’s New Music Advisory Board.
