Julia Bogorad-Kogan

The New York Times called Julia Bogorad-Kogan "a wonderful flutist — her playing is graceful, virtuosic, and always full of interest." Bogorad-Kogan, who became the SPCO's principal flutist at the age of 22, combines an orchestral career with regular recital and solo performances. She has performed worldwide, including at New York's Merkin Concert Hall, the Schubertsaal of the Vienna Konzerthaus, Washington, D.C.’s Phillips Collection, in San Jose, Costa Rica and Xiamen, China. A frequent soloist with the SPCO, she also performed the Mozart Concerto in G with the Grand Teton Music Festival Orchestra, conducted by their music director Donald Runnicles. She has appeared on numerous Saint Paul Sunday radio shows, and at the Marlboro and Ravinia festivals. Bogorad-Kogan has served as acting principal flutist of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the Milwaukee Symphony, the National Symphony and the Minnesota Orchestra. She serves on the faculty of the University of Minnesota, and was an interim faculty member at the Oberlin Conservatory and at the University of Michigan. Her two latest CDs, on the Full Harmonic label, are “Flute Music of the Paris Conservatory” and “Handel Flute Sonatas,” the latter of which Flute Talk magazine wrote, "Were you to have only one Baroque CD, it should be this one." Her husband, Peter Kogan, is a jazz drummer, composer and designer of baroque and classical-era timpani. Bogorad-Kogan is a student of ballet at Dance Spectrum and Saint Paul Ballet.

Why have you chosen a career in classical music? “When I was four or five, I heard the sound of the flute and I just knew that I wanted to play that. I didn’t even know what it looked like! For me, playing principal flute in the orchestra is like flying— soaring above the orchestra— always thrilling!”