05/09/2026
On the morning of November 9, 2018, eight flute players stepped onto our amphitheater stage as competitors in our Paula Ellis Memorial Flute Players' Competition. Later that day, the winners were announced, and the 1st place winner was Atlanta's Jamie Empert. She was up there solo for the competition, but the next year, taking advantage of the winner's reward, she appeared on our program as a scheduled performer. That time, she was joined by her husband, Joe, on percussion. Since that time, Jamie and Joe have refined and formalized their little duo under the stage name Earthsong Voyage. We've been watching their progress, including two albums and a handful of awards, and are now excited to have them back with us this year as full headline performers.
We're always proud when our players' competition winners go on to performer success, and then come back to become part of our program. Jamie will be joined this year by fellow former winners Holly Harris and Kimberly Kridler, 2/3 of Painted Raven. And with us last year was also former winner, Timothy J.P. Gomez. This year we'll also have Sandi Horton, winner of last year's competition, appearing with one of the rewards for that victory. You might consider the future possible as a winner of our players' competition and think about entering this year's Paula Ellis Memorial Flute Players' Competition.
