Artistry, connection, and collaboration are at the heart of flutist Rebecca VanDeWalker’s performance and teaching. She is the principal flutist with the Holland Symphony and has deep experience as a classical musician.
She is frequently described as a beautiful and brilliant musician with depth of heart and vibrancy, possessing the ability to play “inside” the notes. Her mentor, Darlene Dugan, described her with these words: “Rebecca, like most musicians, is very sensitive, but hers is a special two-way sensitivity. She also connects with and responds to the sensitivity of those around her. This gives her a magnetism and charisma that communicates at a deep level in her performances, teaching, and relationships. She has a strong, positive, passionate character. In our WMFA orchestra, I frequently hear, ‘Thanks for seating me next to Rebecca.’ Our members really enjoy her personality and love learning from her phrasing, sense of direction, and beautiful tone. Sometimes after she has a solo, our orchestra members are so charmed that they forget to play (which causes my baton no small anxiety!) She is a model for my hope that competition, co-operation, and compassion can co-exist.”
Rebecca has performed with various orchestras and ensembles, including the Boston Philharmonic, New England Chamber Orchestra, New Life Symphony, St. Cecilia Chamber Orchestra, Holland Bach Society, Holland Chamber Orchestra, Muskegon Chamber Choir Orchestra, Grand Rapids Civic Theater Orchestra, Community Circle Theater, New England Conservatory Philharmonia and Symphony Orchestras, Boston University Tanglewood Institute Young Artists Orchestra, and Empire State Youth Orchestra. In addition to her solo performances, she has collaborated with colleagues from the Hope College Department of Music and participated in the Chamber Music Festival of Saugatuck, as well as faculty recitals on campus and other musical events throughout West Michigan and beyond.
As a dedicated flute instructor, Rebecca’s mission is to empower her students with the skills and encouragement necessary to unlock their full potential, fostering beautiful tone, technical proficiency, stylistic expression, and kinesthetic awareness. She taught at Hope College from 1998 to 2006 and returned in the fall of 2014, rejoining the Department of Music in 2022. She has taught flute lessons at various institutions and in her flute studio throughout New York State, Massachusetts, and West Michigan. A colleague, Julie Sooy, described her as, “A superb teacher…Her students trust and respect her, and under her patient tutelage, excel in their playing abilities. They do well because they are consistently taught to listen, to truly create music, and to play with energy.” A Hope College graduate who went on to receive her master’s in music, described her experience with Rebecca as, “In my years of study with her, she put every ounce of energy into her teaching and professional flute career. In each lesson, she was genuinely concerned about my growth as a flutist and challenged me to take the next step…her excitement about music is contagious and very stimulating to be around.”
Exceptional teachers, including the renowned soloist Paula Robison and Boston Symphony flutists Lois Schaefer and Fenwick Smith at the New England Conservatory of Music, have guided Rebecca’s journey as a musician. Her early studies began with Janet Stockwell and Eleanor Barnes of the Albany Symphony. After NEC, Rebecca thrived under the mentorship of Darlene Dugan, a beloved educator and director of the West Michigan Flute Association (WMFA), as well as a former principal flutist of the Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, and Amarillo (TX) Symphonies. She further honed her craft with private lessons from Carnegie Mellon University professors Jeanne Baxtresser, former principal flutist of the New York Philharmonic, and Alberto Almarza.
Since 1997, Rebecca has been actively involved with the West Michigan Flute Association, currently serving as its President. She frequently showcases her talents with the WMFA Flute Orchestra and Great Lakes Flutes at the annual conventions of the National Flute Association.
Rebecca VanDeWalker lives a fulfilling life with her husband of 31 years, Kent, and their three beautiful children, each of whom has been active in worship arts and world missions. Her interests include the art of floral arranging and design, traveling, and exploring the visual arts.