Daniel Fletcher began his flute studies by stealing his mother’s flute out of her closet and printing out a fingering chart. Little did he know that he would end up falling in love with it and pursuing it as a career.

As an active orchestral and chamber musician, he has performed under the batons of Leonard Slatkin, Keith Lockhart, Joann Falletta, Peter Oundjian, Carlos Miguel Prieto, and many others. He currently holds the position of Principal Flute with the Peoria Symphony Orchestra, and was formerly a member of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago. He also serves as a substitute with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Syracuse Orchestra, and Detroit Opera.

Daniel has a passion for teaching, and was recently appointed Assistant Lecturer of Flute at Southern Illinois University. It is important to him to inspire a community-wide appreciation for music. He served as a teaching assistant at the Yale School of Music during his graduate studies, where he maintained a studio of six undergraduate majors and non-majors. He also served as the Flute Teaching Assistant at the Brevard Music Center in the summer of 2024. In this role, he mentored and taught the high school flute studio and performed as second flutist with the faculty ensemble.

Daniel is a laureate of many competitions, most recently bringing home 2nd prize in the 2025 Donald Peck International Flute Competition. He was the first prize winner of the 2022 Mid-South Young Artist Competition and the 2020 Da Capo Alliance Performance Prize. He has also been a prizewinner in the Seattle Young Artist Competition, Oklahoma Collegiate Artist Competition, South Carolina Young Artist Competition, and Wisconsin Flute Festival Collegiate Competition.

Passionate about community engagement, Daniel currently serves as a mentor for the Chicago Musical Pathways Initiative, a program designed to offer resources to underrepresented students pursuing a musical career. He spent two years as a volunteer teacher for Through the Staff, an organization that provides free music lessons to students who would otherwise be unable to afford them. 

Outside of the flute, Daniel is an avid reader of many genres, and completed some additional study of classic and contemporary Japanese Literature while a student at Yale. He also loves hiking, biking, and surrounding himself with friendly faces. Oh, and Netflix.

Daniel's primary teachers include Ransom Wilson, Tara Helen O’Connor, Terri Sundberg, James Scott, Won Lee, Brittney Balkcom, and Tia Jaynes. He received his Master’s Degree in Flute Performance at the Yale School of Music, and is grateful to represent Haynes Flutes as a Haynes Young Artist.

I happily represent Haynes Flutes and play on a custom instrument with a silver tube and engraved Keys, drawn tone holes, 14k gold rings, B footjoint, C# Trill, 18k white gold riser, 14k gold lip plate, and an engraved crown with a gold ring.

You can check out my Young Artist Profile here!

Yes! Contact me here for rates and availability. I offer audition coaching, online and in-person lessons, and other services.