I recently had the pleasure of planning and executing a flute studio alumni recital. It was so much fun! There was definitely a lot of planning involved, and I’ve learned quite a bit for next time. I’ve listed the steps I took and the pitfalls I’ve experience below!

1. Find out if there is enough interest (4-8months) – I started a Facebook group to gather all the alumni in one spot. I then took a poll to see who was interested in performing. I later used this list to follow up with them.

2. Find an accompanist and reserve the hall (2-4 months) – Not everyone had access to an accompanist, so I found one that was available for the date. The university we used for our hall required an advance reservation, so I would recommend checking the policy of where you want to perform.

3. Finalize recital performer list (2 months) – I definitely didn’t leave enough time for this. I was still tracking down people 2 weeks before the recital! One of the main roadblocks was getting people to commit. It’s normal to lose people along the way due to conflicts and other life moments, but it was challenging to track people down sometimes. I will definitely be leaving extra time for this next time!

4. Finalize recital list (2 weeks) – I had so many people come and go during the process I let anyone play anything they wanted. If more people commit next time, I’ll have to pay more attention to piece length. If you have a lot of people performing it might be better to set the limit to 5 or 10 minute pieces.

5. Finalize name list and print programs (1 week) – I didn’t finalize everyone’s names, and the programs had to be changed right before the concert. This also a good time to answer any questions about concert dress if you have a dress code.

6. Enjoy the recital! Whether or not you are performing, enjoy how everything comes together!

If you have the resources, you can always follow up the recital with a reception. Next time we are going to have a potluck reception!

How far out do you plan recitals? Do you find it easier to schedule recitals with student or adult flutists?