About

Duo Flautas Frescas was founded by flutists Julia Barnett and Alina Windell, with the intent of commissioning, performing, and discovering music for two flutes and piano. They have performed at the National Flute Association Conventions in Orlando, FL and San Antonio, TX; as well as the Flute New Music Consortium New Music Festivals in Stony Brook, NY and Omaha, NB; and the Mid-Atlantic Flute Convention in Washington DC. Duo FF received an Honorable Mention in the American Prize Instrumental Chamber Ensembles Competition, and in 2023 commissioned and premiered Perfect Storm by Daniel Dorff. Their second commission is an as yet untitled work for two flutes and piano from Elizabeth Brown, to be premiered in Spring 2025. They also premiered Intuition by Samuel Zyman, as commissioning members of the Flute New Music Consortium. Upcoming performances include recitals in San Diego, Atlanta, Montgomery (AL), and Auburn (AL). Duo Flautas Frescas’ performance videos can be viewed on their website or YouTube channel. Dr. Barnett and Dr. Windell have been playing together for 17 years, after meeting as graduate students at the University of Colorado at Boulder.

Praised for her vibrant sound and powerful musicality, Cuban-American flutist Alina Windell has captivated audiences throughout the United States and abroad. Dr. Windell teaches flute at Huntingdon College, is an Artist in Residence and faculty member of the Orfeo Music Festival in Vipiteno, Italy, and in 2023 served as Visiting Instructor of Flute at Columbus State University. She has been a prizewinner in the American Prize Instrumental Soloist Competition and the National Flute Association (NFA) Convention Performers Competition. Dr. Windell has performed at NFA Conventions in Orlando, San Diego, and San Antonio, the Flute New Music Consortium Festivals in Stony Brook, and Omaha, the Mid-Atlantic Flute Festival, the Mid-South Flute Festival, the International Double Reed Society Conferences in Columbus, GA and Boulder, CO, the San Diego Flute Festival, the Houston Flute Club Flute Fest, the Colorado Flute Association Festival, and the Hawaii University International Conference of Arts and Humanities. Solo and masterclass engagements include appearing as a featured soloist in a concert tour of Malaysia, sponsored by the Perak Society for the Performing Arts, as well as performances at the University of Wyoming, University of Alabama, University of Colorado, University of Nebraska, Columbus State University, Sunway University in Kuala Lumpur, the Kinta Valley Wind Ensemble in Malaysia, and Auburn University.

Dr. Windell is principal flute of the LaGrange Symphony Orchestra and a member of Duo Flautas Frescas. She plays regularly with the Atlanta Ballet Orchestra and the Columbus Symphony Orchestra, and has performed at the Springer Opera House, with the Albany Symphony Orchestra, South Florida Symphony Orchestra, Lynn Philharmonia, Bloomington Camerata Orchestra, the National Orchestral Institute Festival Orchestra, the Opera Theatre and Music Festival Orchestra of Lucca in Italy, and in concerts at the Duxbury Music Festival, as well as freelancing in New York City. She has recorded for Naxos and Centaur Records, and is a commissioning member of the Flute New Music Consortium.

Dr. Windell has adjudicated for the National Flute Association, the Hong Kong Schools Music Festival, the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA), the San Diego Flute Guild, the Flute Society of Greater Philadelphia, the Alabama All-State Orchestra, the Atlanta Flute Club, and the Arts Association of East Alabama. She completed her undergraduate studies at Indiana University, her masters with renowned flutist Carol Wincenc at Stony Brook University, and doctoral degree from the University of Colorado. Dr. Windell is currently serving as immediate past president of the Atlanta Flute Club, in addition to teaching music courses at Auburn University and maintaining a private flute and piano studio.

Admired for her rich tone and fluid technique throughout the instrument’s range, Mexican American flutist Julia Barnett is an active performer and teacher in Southern California. As a soloist she has performed with the San Diego Symphony, San Diego Chamber Orchestra, and the UCLA Symphony. She has performed with chamber ensembles such as the LA Grand Ensemble, Lizulia Duo, the Coastal Winds, Les Flutes des Salon flute quartet, Connessa Collective, and is a member of Duo Flautas Frescas. Her orchestral ensemble work has included the San Diego Symphony, LA Dream Orchestra, La Grange Symphony, Midland/Odessa Symphony and Chorale as well as the Billings Symphony. In addition to her performing career, Dr. Barnett enjoys directing the Avanti Flute Choir, a performing flute choir composed of amateur through professional musicians. She completed her Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) degree in flute performance at the University of California at Los Angeles, where she studied with Sheridon Stokes. For her Master of Music, Dr. Barnett studied with Christina Jennings at the University of Colorado at Boulder, and attended Rice University for her Bachelors Degree under the tutelage of Leone Buyse.

She was a finalist in the 2020 (Instrumental Soloist Category) and winner in the 2021 (Chamber Music Category) American Prize Competition, a two-time finalist in the Coleman Chamber Music Competition, as well as prize winner in the 2021 Maverick Flute Competition, the San Diego Young Artist Gold Competition, Musical Merit Foundation of San Diego, San Diego Symphony Concerto Competition, the La Jolla Symphony Young Artist Competition, and was named an Elaine Krown Klein Scholar at UCLA. Dr. Barnett also won scholarships to attend the Brevard Music Festival, as well as the Pierre Monteux School of Orchestra and Conducting.

Dr. Barnett's interest in new music led to the commission and premiere of Jacob Barton's ¡AY! ¡AY! ¡AY! ¡AY! in 2006, a work for flute, percussion and kalimba, based upon Mexican folk songs. She has premiered numerous new works in ensembles and as a soloist, a beloved performance was in February of 2016 with the Los Angeles premiere of John Steinmetz's Whispers for flute, bassoon, and piano. Her desire to share a variety of cultures with her audiences resulted in the world premiere of Panagiotis Theodossiou’s “The Passage,” based upon a Greek play, which used alto flute, viola, and piano to explore the different scenes of the play. She was thrilled to be a part of the Flute New Music Consortium’s Commission Project with Samuel Zyman, and was delighted to perform a world premiere in 2022 of Intuition for two flutes with her duo partner Dr. Alina Windell. Most Recently, she and Dr. Alina Windell performed the world premiere of their commission by Daniel Dorff, Perfect Storm for flute, piccolo, and piano in Atlanta, Georgia in April of 2023. In September 2024 she and pianist Kathryn Lieppman will perform the world premiere of Bichito for piccolo and piano by Diana Syrse, another work Dr. Barnett has commissioned.

Dr. Barnett also has a passionate interest in both studying and performing classical flute music by Mexican composers. Her doctoral dissertation, "Performing Practice in Roberto Peña's Concierto para Flauta y Orquesta: Discovering Mexico's Contemporary Classical Flute Music," focuses on the works of Roberto Peña, a flutist and composer from Chiapas, Mexico whose works for flute are a wonderful addition to the flute repertoire. She plans on recording an album of works by Contemporary Mexican composers with her dear friend and pianist Kathryn Lieppman.